Children
Childhood Headaches Lead to Health Problems as Adults
As adults we get headaches on a regular basis and have learned to accept them as part of our everyday life. What we often forget or may not even know is that our kids can get the same kind of headaches we do. It has been reported that 56% of boys and 74% of girls between the ages of 12 and 17 reported having a headache in he last month. Some of the most common types of headaches experienced by children are tension, sinus, and even migraines. A recent study began looking at the long term consequences of childhood headaches. Before the study, the common belief was that they would “out grow” headaches if they experienced them in childhood. After tracking 11,407 children into adulthood, the study shows that childhood headaches are often an indication of postural or biomechanical problems. Furthermore, they are an important indicator into the child’s health as an adult. Children that suffer from headaches are at a higher risk of having headaches as adults as well as other serious physical and psychological problems. It is important to deal with the headaches as soon as possible to prevent any future damage. Chiropractic care has been shown to be over 85% effective in treating headaches. It is safe for all ages so bring your kids in and stop the dangerous headache cycle.Coping With Colic the Natural Way
More than likely, you or someone you know has had a baby with colic. Colic is excessive and inconsolable crying that lasts at least three hours a day for three days in a week for a period of more than three weeks. It affects about 10 - 25% of infants and usually tapers off at 4-5 months of age.While the exact cause of colic is not known, it seems to have several contributing factors. Neuro-development can play a role in colic. If a baby is more mentally immature and easily over-stimulated, they can be more susceptible to colic. These babies respond better to white noise, darkness and swaddling rather than rocking or singing.
Food allergies can also be a huge factor in colic. It is important for mom to be tested for food allergies if she is breast feeding as well. By doing a scan in our office we can test both mom and baby. Avoiding fruit juices can also reduce colic. Dairy products such as cow’s milk should also be avoided by the baby and breast feeding mothers. Using raw milk is always a better option. Check out www.rawmilk.com for more information on that. If you are using formula, try using formulas made with goat milk or whey protein based formulas. Weston Price has a homemade formula that is a great alternative and it includes helpful probiotics. Their website www.westonaprice.org has some very helpful information on colic.
Many people have the misconception that soy is a good alternative. Soy formula has high levels of aluminum and exposes the infant to the equivalent of 5 birth control pills a day due to its excess phytoestrogens.
Homeopathy can be very effective in treating colic. Hyland’s Colic Tablets are a great homeopathic combination that can relieve symptoms. Also, we can offer some homeopathic remedies that can help. Because the spine is involved in the digestion process, chiropractic care has also been effective in treating colic and has been found to be safe for even the youngest infant. The La Leche League is another good source for information on colic and can help with all your nursing problems and baby needs. You can visit their website is www.llli.org
Good Health Should Start at Childhood
With the growing number of diseases and health problems, it is imperative to teach our kids how to be healthy from day one. By learning to eat a healthy balanced diet and get plenty of exercise at a young age, they can grow up to be healthier adults. October is Children's Health Month so focus on ways to increase health. Try dried fruits and nuts or a cup of veggies for a snack instead of French fries or ice cream. Use natural and organic ingredients in the foods your kids eat. Click here for a fun and healthy recipe for pumpkin cupcakes.A Little Dirt is Good for the Little Ones
With all the latest strains of the flu and colds going around, there has been more and more push for anti-bacterial soaps, hand sanitizers, and anti-bacterial cleaners. While it is important to use caution and try to stay as healthy as possible by washing hands frequently to prevent the spread of colds and flu, new research is suggesting to back off on the antibacterial products for our little ones.We are all equipped with the innate ability to heal ourselves. Exposure to these germs and bacteria like those found in dirt give our immune system the training it needs to be able to fight off everyday conditions like a cold or flu. Additionally, recent studies are proving that children growing up in an ultra clean, ultra hygienic environment have a greater chance of increased inflammation in the body as adults. Inflammation is the body’s normal response to get rid of invaders like bacteria and viruses, but it is possible and often common to have too much inflammation. This can lead to more serious problems such as asthma, allergies, heart disease, and cancer just to name a few. Over usage of anti-bacterial products and antibiotic medications is also causing common strains of bacteria and staph to be antibiotic resistant. The best option to stay clean and healthy is to go back to just using simple soap and water.
Whole Foods has a wide variety of cleaning products and soaps that do not contain the chemicals in anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners. Target also carries the Seventh Generation brand of cleaning products and soaps that are a great alternative. When trying to protect your little ones, it is easy to get overwhelmed and overcautious. The most important thing to remember is to relax and let them get dirty. Their bodies are made to handle it.
Chiropractic Care: The Overlooked Key to Your Child's Health
Keeping your kids healthy and safe is and always will be one of every parent's top priorities. We all make sure they get their routine checkups such as ears, eyes, hearing, teeth, nose and throat and look for new and effective ways to improve their health. What most people don't consider is Chiropractic care. Routine spinal checks should be done as often as their routine well baby checks. From the day we travel through the birth canal 80% of us are subjected to spinal injuries. By the time we are six on average we have had over 1,000 traumas. All the falls and bumps we experience in childhood alone can cause damage we may suffer from for the rest of our lives. Not only are the routine childhood injuries a potential problem, we also have to deal with the injuries and damage we experience in competitive sports and the automobile accident most of us have in the first year of driving. If we begin treating these traumas while we are still young, we are far more likely to correct the problem as opposed to doing nothing and experiencing painful disc degeneration. Studies have shown that disc degeneration was present in 38% of teenagers with low back pain and in 26% of those without low back pain. The idea of our young teenagers already having low back pain and degeneration of the discs in their back is new information for most people. 85% of teenagers who develop degenerative disc disease go on to experience chronic recurring back pain as adults. Starting chiropractic care as young as possible is an excellent way to ensure that your kids have the strong foundation that a healthy spine provides. Because many people do not fully understand the importance of a healthy spine, they mistakenly tend to wait until symptoms arise before they try any treatments for their back or neck. Our spinal cord is the communication center from our brains to the rest of the body. If something is out of alignment because of one of the thousands of traumas we have suffered, then that communication is interrupted and problems arise. A misalignment of the spine, or subluxation, can cause an array of health issues ranging from decreased immune function, middle ear infections, asthma, colic, tonsillitis, learning disorders, ADD, bed wetting, back pain, headaches, colds, sore throats, fevers, allergies, bed- wetting, infections, pains, falls, stomach-aches, etc. Chiropractic care is an essential, safe and effective addition to your child's health care approach so bring your kids in today. The sooner the better!Good Health Should Start at Childhood
With the growing number of diseases and health problems, it is imperative to teach our kids how to be healthy from day one. By learning to eat a healthy balanced diet and get plenty of exercise at a young age, they can grow up to be healthier adults. October is Children's Health Month so focus on ways to increase health. Try dried fruits and nuts or a cup of veggies for a snack instead of French fries or ice cream. Use natural and organic ingredients in the foods your kids eat.Backpack Safety
It is back to school time and back to carrying around all those heavy books. Most people don't consider the dangers of lugging a heavy back pack. The key to having a strong and healthy back as an adult is taking care of ourselves from the beginning. The excess weight children carry in their backpacks can have a severe effect on the health of their spine when they get older. The spine continues to grow in spurts until the age of 18, so it is imperative to do everything we can not to impede this growth or cause any damage. One way to help with this problem is to use the proper backpack and keep the weight to a minimum. The amount of weight being carried by the average teenager is causing serious back pain that, if not treated at this young age will turn into chronic issues. A recent study shows that 60% of students aged 9-20 years old felt chronic back pain. A child should never carry more than 15% of their total body weight. If it is necessary to carry more than this amount a backpack with wheels is the best option. Wearing both straps of the backpack tightly to evenly distribute the weight is always a good idea. Make sure the items in your child's backpack are necessary and take out as much as possible. It is also important to remember if your child does experience back pain, bring them in for a consult. Together we can keep our kids healthy and strong!Big Injuries affecting Small Athletes
It is becoming more and more common to see serious sports injuries in kids under the age of 18. Doctors are seeing stress fractures, torn ACL ( a ligament in the knee), torn meniscus, etc, in kids as young as 10 or 12. These injuries were previously only seen in older athletes. Because of the intensity of youth sports and many kids only choosing one sport to play, their injuries are becoming more severe. Kids are focusing on one sport which usually goes year-round with camps, practice, seasons, etc. One of the biggest challenges doctors face with injuries of this magnitude, is that there are no good treatments for many of them. Most adult athletes can have surgery to repair the injury, but the same surgery would stunt the growth of a child and may not hold up for the next 20-30 years. They can suffer from arthritis or other painful side effects from the injury at a much earlier age. The best way to prevent injuries like this is to go back to the games we used to play as kids. Jump rope, Hopscotch, tree climbing, etc all help kids learn how to jump and run correctly as well as strengthening their core muscles which include the tiny muscles in the back and abs that will prevent injury.Where's All the Autistic Amish
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Chiropractic Health • Massage Therapy • Nutrition • Rehab • Acupuncture • Homeopathy
