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Cascade Wellness Clinic
Rick Allen, DC |
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Healthy Living Chiropractic Newsletter
September 2005
IndexWelcome to our office's Chiropractic newsletter. We'd like to entertain you, inform you (and even inspire you a little).
This Issue:
Did you know . . .
- Most children carrying backpacks are loaded down with nearly 40 lbs. of books, sports equipment, clothing, calculators, games, and more.
- Spinal damage may be suffered by misusing backpacks. Prevent potential spinal damage to your child or yourself. Come to our backpack checkup at:
6:15 PM Tuesday, September 6th.
Call (503) 257-1324 for reservations.
Win a Free Backpack
As part of the national effort to promote backpack safety, especially in school-age children, Dr. Allen is giving away a high-quality backpack made by AirPacks that distributes the weight better than low-cost, poorly made packs. Print this newsletter as an entry form, including your name, e-mail and phone number. Then come by, say hello, have an evaluation or treatment if you desire, and drop it into the entry box at the clinic.Winner to be announced Monday, September 12, 2005.
Chiropractic For A Happier, Healthier Child
Want a happier, healthier child? Bring them in for a chiropractic spinal checkup. Chiropractors locate and correct vertebral subluxations in children's spines, reducing posture, nerve and spinal stresses. For over a hundred years parents, clinicians and researchers have noticed improvements in physical health, behavior and emotional states of children following chiropractic care. Among the observed effects of subluxation correction are improvements in emotional, behavioral and neurological problems such as asthma, anxiety, inability to concentrate, hyperactivity, dyslexia, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, discipline problems and even low grades. (1-4)
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and Chiropractic
Tingling and numbness in the hands, fingers and wrists and pain so intense that it awakens you at night with the possibility of similar symptoms in the upper arm, elbow, shoulder or neck are some of the symptoms of CTS. The drug-free chiropractic approach of releasing nerve and spine stress by freeing your body of vertebral subluxations has been a blessing to millions afflicted with this condition. Years ago telegraph operators, seamstresses, car-penters and meat cutters were the chief sufferers from this condition. Today it's office workers, computer operators, musicians and assembly line workers who are more prone to it.
Research is revealing that CTS is not only a hand and wrist problem but is also a spinal problem. For example, when 1,000 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome were investigated it was found that a large number of them also had neck arthritis. (5) That is one reason why clinicians, researchers and patients have reported relief of classic carpal tunnel symptoms and improvement in overall body function after chiropractic spinal adjustments. (6-8) Anyone suffering from CTS should see a chiropractor to ensure that their spine is free of spinal nerve stress. A chiropractic spinal adjustment may make the difference between a pain-free wrist and hand surgery!
Chronic Back Pain Causes Brain Shrinkage
The Journal of Neuroscience brings sobering news to chronic back pain sufferers. Scientists found that even one year of chronic back pain can age the brain 10 to 20 years. 26 people with chronic, continuous pain of more than a year were compared with 26 healthy people. The researchers theorize that the stress of chronic pain causes "burnout shrinkage." But that may not be a life sentence. Shrinkage doesn't always equal loss of brain cells and shrinkage may reverse once the chronic pain ends. (9) Can chiropractic reverse the damage? Chiropractic success with chronic conditions is well known. Apparently "learning to live with it" may cause serious long-term problems. If you know anyone with a chronic condition please advise them to explore chiropractic – their pain and their brain will thank them.
Vaccinations Not Required to Enter School
In most states Part A of the law says, "No shots, no school," but most parents don't know that Part B of the law says "if you don't want them you don't have to have them" (because they aren't told). Every state has exemptions. To find exemptions for your state go to www.thinktwice.com and click on "immunization laws."
What's in a Vaccine?
More and more parents are saying "No" when it comes to vaccinations for their children. One reason is because children are injected with some of the most lethal poisons known: formaldehyde, mercury, aluminum, phenol (carbolic acid), borax (ant killer), antifreeze, disinfectant, dye, acetone (nail polish remover), latex, MSG, glycerol, polysorbate 80/20 plus blood or cells from monkey, cow, chick embryo, pig, sheep and dog. Vaccines are linked to:
- Ear infections, allergies, asthma, eczema, hay fever
- Irritability, screaming, sleepiness, convulsions
- Bowel problems, blindness, deafness
- Autism, ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, dyslexia, learning difficulties
- Epilepsy, paralysis
- Lupus, diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis
- Anorexia
- Cancers such as leukemia, lung, brain and bone tumors
- Crib death (the biggest single cause of infant mortality)
- Infertility
Nursing Moms Should Sleep With Baby
Nursing babies should sleep right next to their parents' bed, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAPA). The AAPA also advises that mothers should feed babies only breast milk for six months and continue breastfeeding for at least one year and ideally stop when the baby wants to quit. Human milk is far superior to any formula for a child's physical and mental health. Breastfeeding benefits to mother include a faster return to pre-pregnancy figure and weight, increased child spacing, decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancer, protection from hip fractures and osteoporosis later in life. For babies the advantages include better brain development and protection against meningitis, bacteremia, diarrhea, otitis media, diabetes, cancer, obesity, asthma, urinary tract infection and crib death. (10)
Pain Worse After Back Surgery
Months following spinal surgery for back pain, patients remember their initial pain as worse than they rated it at the time of surgery, reports a recent study in the journal Spine.
The researchers reviewed patients' before-and-after ratings and concluded that studies relying on such after-the-fact ratings may overestimate the effectiveness of spinal surgery in relieving chronic back pain. In other words, no one knows whether the patient is truly feeling better or it's just a placebo effect. (11) Chiropractic has been a blessing to countless disc surgery patients, often saving them from an often unnecessary operation.
Chickenpox Shot Not Working?
From 1987 to 1997, although the reported national incidence of chickenpox decreased 58%, that may not be because there's less chickenpox but because doctors are no longer required to report it. "The decrease from 1987 to 1997 corresponded with decreases in the number of states reporting," admits the CDC. In the 14 states that maintained continuous reporting of varicella, the incidence remained completely unchanged, at 107.0 cases per 100,000 population. (12)
Americans are Medicating Themselves to Death
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 130 million Americans swallow, inject, inhale, infuse, spray, and pat on prescribed medication every month – more per person than any other country. So many Americans die from drug reactions and mistakes each year that pharmaceuticals are the fourth-leading cause of death after heart disease, cancer and stroke. "We are taking way too many drugs for dubious or exaggerated ailments," says Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and author of The Truth About the Drug Companies. "What the drug companies are doing now is promoting drugs for long-term use to essentially healthy people. Why? Because it's the biggest market." (13)
Benefits of an Organic Diet
Organic food is really better for you. Rats fed conventional or organic food experienced quite different health. The "organic" rats had improved immune system status compared to rats that ate conventional diets: they slept better, were slimmer than rats that fed on other diets and had higher vitamin E content in their blood. (14)
Words of Wisdom
Figure out what your purpose is in life, what you really and truly want to do with your time and your life, then be willing to sacrifice everything and then some to achieve it. If you are not willing to make the sacrifice, then keep searching.
– Quintina Ragnacci
Humor: From the desks of church ladies!
Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:
- Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa is speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.
- The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
- The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."
- Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.
- Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of things not worth keeping in the house. Don't forget your husbands.
- The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
- Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.
- Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
- Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.
- The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."
- Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
- At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
- Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
- Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
- Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
- The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
- The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
- This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
- Ladies Bible Study on Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.
- The pastor would appreciate the ladies of the congregation lending him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
- Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
- The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
Bye -- see you next month. Want copies of this newsletter for your friends? Please feel free to forward this to them. Especially share it with your friends who are taking drugs or contemplating surgery; let them know there's a drug-free alternative. Please remember that everyone needs to be free from subluxations, so bring your friends and loved ones for a spinal check-up.
References
- Walton EV. "Chiropractic effectiveness with emotional, learning and behavioral impairments." International Review of Chiropractic. 1975;29:2-5;21-22.
- Giesen JM, Center DB & Leach RA. "An evaluation of chiropractic manipulation as a treatment of hyperactivity in children." JMPT. 1989;12:353-363.
- Thomas E, Mathews MO. "A pilot study of applied kinesiology in helping children with learning disabilities." British Osteopathic Journal. 1993:XII.
- Marshall LT. "Chiropractic success in a reform school report of state supervisor of chiropractors of Kentucky in connection with Kentucky houses of reform, Greendale, Kentucky," Lexington, Kentucky, December 1, 1931;7.
- Hurst LC, Weissburg D, Carroll RE. "The relationship of the double crush syndrome (an analysis of 1,000 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome)." J Hand Surg. 1985;10B:202.
- Bonebrake AR, et al."A treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome: evaluation of objective and subjective measures." JMPT. 1990;13:507-520.
- Stoddard A. Manual of Osteopathic Practice (2nd ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Hutchinson & Co.,1983: 228.
- Davis PT, Hulbert JR, Kassak KM, et al. "Comparative efficacy of conservative medical and chiropractic treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized clinical trial." JMPT. 1998;21(5):317-326.
- Apkarian V, Sosa Y, Sonty S et al. "Chronic back pain is associated with decreased prefrontal and thalamic gray matter density." J of Neuroscience. 2004;24(46):10410-10415.
- "Policy Statement." Pediatrics. 5 No. 2 February 2005;115(2);496-506. http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496 http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050210153609990016
- Pellise F, Vidal X, Hernandez A et al. "Reliability of retrospective clinical data to evaluate the effectiveness of lumbar fusion in chronic low back pain." Spine. 2005;30(3):365-368.
- Wimer B, Emm JM and Bader D. "Chickenpox party: developing natural varicella immunity." Mothering, January/February 2004. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15668-2005Feb10.html?nav=rss_topnews http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/chickenpox_party.html
- Associated Press, April 18, 2005. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AMERICA_THE_MEDICATED?SITE=TXCOR&SECTION=HEALTH&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
- Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming Science Daily March 29, 2005
- http://www.darcof.dk/research/health.html
- "Organic diet enhanced the health of rats" by Charlotte Lauridsen, Henry Jorgensen, Ulrich Halekoh, Lars Porskjær Christensen, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, and Kirsten Brandt, School of Agriculture, Univ. of Newcastle.
Dr. Rick Allen is a chiropractor, massage therapist and dance student in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Rick welcomes your questions and suggestions for future articles. However, he cannot make specific diagnoses or treatment recommendations unless you visit him in person. He can be reached by phone: 503-257-1324, mail: 221 NE 78th Avenue, Portland, OR 97213, e-mail or World Wide Web: www.CascadeWellnessClinic.com
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