Pathways Article Summaries and References
Issue 04 - Winter 2004
Letter from the Editor
Jeanne Ohm, DC
Health care today is going through a paradigm shift from a symptom, disease based system to a function performance based system. Emphasis for care is being placed on the individual’s ability to regain and maintain a state of well-being. Practitioners who are in this paradigm respect the body’s own natural ability to be healthy and whole. Consumers are actively seeking providers who are working within this new paradigm.
The following quote by Ronald J. Glasser, M.D. sums up the health crossroads we now face. This Former Asst. Prof. of Pediatrics University of Minnesota says, "It is the body that is the hero, not science, not antibiotics…not machines or new devices. The task of the physician today is what it has always been, to help the body do what it has learned so well to do on its own during its unending struggle for survival – to heal itself. It is the body, not medicine, that is the hero."
True wellness includes all aspects of your life: good foods, adequate body movement, positive mental attitudes and a nerve system functioning at its peak. It far surpasses the old thought process that the mere elimination of symptoms equals health. Achieving true wellness includes practices that address your body’s ability to function at peak performance and the trust and commitment in your body’s ability to be well.
Chiropractic care plays a vital role in your Family Wellness Lifestyle. As leaders in this health care paradigm shift, Chiropractors offer families the means to achieve the true wellness parents are now seeking. The very basic philosophy on which Chiropractic was founded includes a deep respect for the body’s inherent ability to heal and be well. The science of Chiropractic is based on the importance of a functional nerve system- the vital key to health and well-being. The art of Chiropractic is the specific adjustment that restores function allowing your body to express itself fully.
As our society makes the shift into this paradigm of wellness, we can share our personal experiences with other so they too can make these life enhancing, informed health care decisions for their families. Thank you for your on going commitment to the Chiropractic Family Wellness lifestyle.
Feature Article:
ADD/ADHD: Misdiagnosios and Mistreatment
Monika Buerger, B.A., D.C.
From the Article:
ADD and ADHD- such commonly used diagnosis’ in today’s world that they have virtually become a part of every teacher’s vocabulary list. But is this “mental disorder” as common as we have been lead to believe, or is it often a misdiagnosis?...
About the Author:
Dr. Monika Buerger teaches the module: History, Physical Assessment, and Orthopedic Considerations of the Pediatric Patient for the ICPA’s 360 Hour Diplomate program. She authored History and Physical Assessment of the Pediatric Patient, Pediatric Chiropractic by Anrig/Plaugher; 1998. Dr. Buerger has practiced in Livermore, CA since 1991.
Chiropractic for Life:
Prospective Cohort of ADHD Patients Under Chiropractic Care
Joel Alcantara, DC, MPH (1), Jim Davis, DC (2)
- Research Director, International Chiropractic Association, Media, PA, USA and Private Practice of Chiropractic, San Jose, CA, USA
- Private Practice of Chiropractic, St. Paul, MN, USA
From the Article:
Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that patients with ADHD may benefit from chiropractic care utilizing a combination of full spine spinal manipulative therapy and nutritional supplementation. Additionally, this study provides information vital for higher-level research designs investigating the effectiveness and safety of chiropractic care in patients with ADHD...
References:
- Szatmari P: The epidemiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 1992;1:361-372.
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington (DC). American Psychiatric Association; 2000. p. 86-102.
- Bennett FC, Brown RT, Craver J, et al: Stimulant medication for the child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Pediatr Clin N Am 1999; 46:929–944.
- Pitetti R. Singh S, Hornyak D, Garcia SE, Herr S. Complementary and alternative medicine use in children. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2001;17:165-169.
- Giesen JM, Center DB, Leach RA. An evaluation of chiropractic manipulation as a treatment of hyperactivity in children. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1989;12(5):353-363.
- Bastecki AV, Harrison DE, Haas JW. Cervical kyphosis is a possible link to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Manipul Physiol Ther 2004;27:525e1-e5.
- Plaugher G, ed. Textbook of clinical chiropractic: a specific biomechanical approach. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1993
- www.nordicnaturals.com
Parenting:
Pull the Plug!!!
Diane Meyer, DC
From the Article:
Since the 1950’s, sitting in front of the television for relaxation, entertainment, learning, and for just something to do, has been an integral part of family life. With the introduction of TV into the fabric of family homes, research has been mounting in support of some of its negative impacts. Implicated in childhood obesity, behavioural and sleep disturbances, seizures, desensitization, violence, decreased learning, sedentary lifestyles, learning disabilities and poor food choices, television has become more than a simple source of distraction.1 Chiropractors worldwide concern themselves with the enhancement, optimization and healthy development of the body through its nervous system. Awareness is the key in being able to educate Chiropractors and patients about the potential damaging effects induced by television viewing...
References:
- Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997
- Nielsen Media research, 2000
- Kubey R, Csikszentmihalyi M. Television Addiction is No Mere metaphor. Sci Am. Feb. 23, 2003
- Hofferth SL. Healthy Environment, Healthy Children. A Report
on the 1997 Study of Income Dynamics, Child Development Supplement.
University of Michigan Press; 1998
Committee on Public Education, Children, Adolescents and Television. Pediatrics. 2001;107(2):423-426 - Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997 pp.23. Kubey R, Csikszentmihalyi M. Television Addiction is No Mere metaphor. Sci Am. Feb. 23, 2003
- Kubey R, Csikszentmihalyi M. Television Addiction is No Mere metaphor. Sci Am. Feb. 23, 2003
- Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997 pp.25-27, 75. Ibid; pp.46
- Ishida S, Yamashita Y, et al. Photosensitive seizures provoked while viewing “pocket monsters,” a made-for-television animation program in Japan. Epilepsia. 1998;39(12):1340-4
- Large M. Who’s Bringing Them Up? England, Hawthorn Press; 1997 pp.9. Christakis D. Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children. Pediatrics. 2004;113(4)708-713
- Macbeth Williams T, The Impact of Television, Orlando, Florida. Academic Press; 1986. Ozmert E, Toyran M, Yurdakok K. Behavioural Correlates of Television Viewing in Primary School Children Evaluated by the Child Behaviour Checklist. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 2002:156(9)
- Barber B. Harper’s. 1993; Nov.41
- Nielsen, 2000
- Kalmas AD, Gruber ML. Electrodermal Responses to Implied Versus Actual Violence on Television. J Gen Psychol. 1998;125(1):31-37
- Thomas MH, Horton RW, Lippincott EC, et al. Desensitization to Portrayals of Real-Life Aggression as a Function of Exposure to Television Violence. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1997;35(6):450-458
Wellness Lifestyle:
Helping To Find A Wellness Minded Pediatrician
Claudia Anrig, D.C.
From the Article:
Today wellness-educated parents are searching to create a “Wellness Healthcare Team” for their children. Many parents want to work with a spectrum of doctors and healthcare providers that suit the ongoing needs of their family.
A growing number of parents, many of them who are bringing their children to a family chiropractor, are also looking for a pediatrician who would take a holistic approach with their children and not always write a prescription; but discuss different options for your child...
Nutritional Nuggets:
Strengthening Your Child's Immune System
Jane Sheppard
From the Article:
The key to a healthy child is a strong immune system. When functioning properly, the immune system fights disease-producing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. All children are continuously exposed to these pathogens, but exposure does not mean a child will get sick. A strong immune system provides a child with powerful natural defenses against disease. Conversely, a child with a weakened immune system is vulnerable or more susceptible to colds, flu, and more serious illnesses.
If your child is overly susceptible to illness, you may want to take steps to enhance his or her immune system and make it as strong as possible. Prevention is the way to avoid subjecting your child to continuing cycles of antibiotics or other medications. The powerful tools of prevention include breastfeeding, good nutrition, nutritional supplements, a healthy mental attitude and emotional well-being, a nontoxic environment, chiropractic care, avoiding unnecessary antibiotics and vaccines, low stress, and plenty of rest and exercise...
About the Author:
Jane Sheppard is the editor and publisher of Healthy Child Online and the Executive Director of the Holistic Pediatric Association. Portions of this article were extracted from Super Healthy Kids: Strengthening Your Child’s Resistance to Disease, available at Healthy Child Online.
Family Life:
Baby Tantrums
Elizabeth Pantley
From the Article:
Learn about it
A baby’s first tantrum can take you by surprise. Your baby can
really shock you by shrieking, stamping, hitting, or making his whole
body go stiff. But don’t take it personally; baby tantrums aren’t
about anything you’ve done wrong, and they aren’t really
about temper, either – your baby isn’t old enough for that.
The ways you’ll respond to your baby’s behavior when he
is older are different than how you should respond now...
Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Publishing from The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley, copyright 2002. www.pantley.com/elizabeth
Pregnancy & Birth:
Fats for Maximum Brain Potential
Renata Anderson, DC
From the Article:
At no other time of life is nutrition as important as during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time of great change and growth for the developing fetus as well as the mother. Everything the mother puts into her body provides the building blocks for the child’s body and mind. An essential piece to the pregnancy nutrition puzzle is the proper fats. Fats are very important in everyone’s diet but especially so for the developing fetus. Fats are the main building block of the brain and nervous system. In fact, more than 60 percent of the dry weight of the brain is fat. The fats in the nervous system are required for insulation of the nerves to preserve messages and for connections between the nerves allowing information to be exchanged (1). Deficiencies in the proper fats contribute to many disorders such as tremors, learning problems, numbness, developmental delays, seizures, strokes, and autism. On the other hand, proper amounts of the “good” fats can help both mom and baby reach their fullest potential...
References:
- Anderson, G.J. Developmental sensitivity of the brain to dietary n-3 fatty acids. J Lipid Res 35:105-111(1994).
- Horrocks, LA, Yeo, YK. Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Pharmacol Res 1999 Sep;40(3):211-25.
- Schmidt, Michael. Smart Fats: How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical and Emotional Intelligence. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 1997:101-102.
- Al, MDM, van Houwelingen, AC, Hornstra, G. The effect of pregnancy on the cervonic acid (docosahexaenoic acid) status of mothers and their newborns. Department of Human Biology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Second International Congress of International Society for Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids. Washington, D.C., June 8-11, 1995.
- Van Jaarsveld, PJ, et al. The essential fatty acid status of women from a community with low socioeconomic status. Med Sci Res 1994;22:719-21.
- Ballschmiter, K, Zell, M. Baseline studies of the global pollution. I. Occurrence of organohalogens in pristine European and Antarctic aquatic environments. Int J Environ Anal Chem 8:15-35(1980).
Breastfeeding:
Breastfeeding is Best Feeding
From the Article:
Breastfeeding significantly increases short-term attentiveness in 4- to 6- month olds, according to an article in the journal Developmental Psychobiology. Investigators outfitted 13 infants with limb movement detectors. The youngsters were watched for a 4-minute period while a mechanical mobile was switched on and off at 1-minute intervals. The babies were studied on two different days. On one day they were observed following breastfeeding, while on another day they were tested before they were breastfed...
Wellness Lifestyle:
Mercury Rising: Warnings in Pregnancy and Infancy
Jeanne Ohm, DC
From the Article:
Mercury: a Known Toxin
It has been known for a long time, that mercury is a toxic and
dangerous substance that effects the developing nerve system in
an adverse way. Web MD offers this report: “Mercury is very
dangerous to children. Relatively low concentrations keep a child's
brain from developing normally. Kids with mercury poisoning have
problems with thinking, language, memory, motor skills, perception,
and behavior."
The CDC further states: "Two groups are most vulnerable to methyl mercury: the fetus and pregnant women. Premature babies are more vulnerable because they tend to be very small and their brain is not as developed as a full term baby".
Richard Weisman, MD, a toxicologist at the University of Miami School of Medicine and director of the Poison Control Center for South Florida tells us, "There is no doubt that mercury is one of the worst [toxins affecting the brain]."
Although warnings of toxic mercury exposure has gotten significant press, routine administration of mercury to pregnant women and children has not been as clearly defined for the consumer...
References:
- http://my.webmd.com/content/article/63/71864.htm
- http://cbsnewyork.com/investigates/local_story_326070916.html
- http://www.909shot.com
- http://www.safeminds.org
- http://my.webmd.com/content/article/54/65284.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
- http://vaccineinfo.net/immunization/vaccine/influenza/flu_vaccine_warning.shtml
- http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/324/7336/502/b
- The Physician's Desk Reference, 55th Edition, 2001
- http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/articles/pregnancy/rhogam_newsletter.htm
- http://vaccineinfo.net/immunization/vaccine/influenza/flu_vaccine_warning.shtml
- http://www.house.gov/weldon/issues/autism.pdf
- http://www.icpa4kids.org/find.htm
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