Why do Children Need a Spine and Nerve System Checkup?

It’s easy to understand why a child would need periodic checkups – listening to the heart, looking in the eyes and ears, taking blood pressure and looking at the skin are common occurrences in every family, usually performed by the family doctor. Committed parents will do whatever is necessary to safeguard the health and wellness of their children, and getting the appropriate examinations is part of the normal routine of most families.

Yet, most family doctors do not include an examination of the spine and nerve system, other than tapping reflexes with a hammer, which turns up only the most major nerve system problems. The education and training a pediatrician or family doctor receives does not emphasize the thorough examination of the posture, spinal alignment, and nerve system – they are simply interested in other aspects of body function, more consistent with their approach to caring for their patients.

That’s why, to be sure of your child’s spine and nerve system health and wellness, you need to have a spine and nerve system specialist examine your family, and your neighborhood spine and nerve system specialist is your doctor of chiropractic.

Chiropractors take extensive training in the examination and evaluation of spine and nerve system function, performing specific tests and interpreting them as only a chiropractor can. Analyzing the alignment and movement of the spinal bones, and the effect that that alignment and movement has on the delicate nerves the spine is intended to protect, is unique to the doctor of chiropractic, and the value and benefit of doing so can be significant, either to reassure parents that their kids are fine, or to detect spine and nerve system problems early enough so they can be addressed before serious symptoms, pain or discomfort begin. It helps you to spare your child any unnecessary suffering.

Every child is different, but there are patterns you can look for that may tip you off about any impending problems. Uneven or too-rapid shoe wear, hips or shoulders appearing slanted or rotated, head tilt, standing with the weight shifted to one side, or awkward stretching movements of the neck or torso can be signs that something is out of balance in the structure.

If a child complains of headaches, neck pain, or back pain, these are often signs of more advanced issues with the spine and nerve system, as children are usually so flexible and resilient, these problems don’t surface easily. If your child complains of such symptoms, get him or her to your family chiropractor as soon as possible.

But most of the time, there are no overt symptoms, just subtle changes
that only a trained professional will notice. That’s why periodic
examinations are so essential – an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure.

Ask your doctor of chiropractic about his or her recommendations for your kids – it could make a world of difference in your family’s future health and wellness, and probably spare your children from suffering needlessly.

Celebrating 116 Years of Chiropractic!

Today, the 18th of September (1895) is Chiropractic’s birthday! In many ways it was a re-discovery of the ancient art of spinal care found in nearly every culture and practiced since time immemorial, however today is the day we celebrate Chiropractic’s birthday in the “new world”. 1895 was also a time of scientific discovery and a recognised time of rediscovery.

On Sept. 18, 1895, Dr. D.D. Palmer of Davenport, Iowa, gave the first chiropractic adjustment. His patient was Harvey Lillard, a cleaner in Palmer’s building, who had been deaf since a traumatic accident several years earlier. Palmer, who had been studying the spine and nervous system, found a bump on Lillard’s upper spine that he presumed to be a spinal misalignment. After adjusting Harvey’s spine his hearing returned – thus the beginnings of Chiropractic was born. As Palmer had suspected there was a relationship between spinal misalignments and a body that wasn’t functioning as well as it was capable of.

Palmer created the Palmer School & Infirmary of Chiropractic. In 1898, he accepted his first students. Although he never used drugs, under Palmer’s care, fevers broke, pain ended, infections healed, vision improved, stomach disorders disappeared, and of course, hearing returned. Often surprised at the effectiveness of his adjustments, D.D. Palmer returned to his studies of anatomy and physiology to learn more about the vital connection between the spine and one’s health. He realized spinal adjustments to correct vertebral misalignments, or subluxations, were eliminating the nerve interference causing the patients’ complaints.

“I am not the first person to replace subluxated vertebrae, but I do claim to be the first person to replace displaced vertebrae by using the spinous and transverse processes as levers…and to develop the philosophy and science of chiropractic adjustments.” D.D. Palmer, Discoverer of Chiropractic

Today’s Chiropractors continue the work of locating and reducing spinal misalignments. The spine houses the nervous system which is the master control system of the body. Thanks to D.D. Palmer and his son B.J. Palmer, millions of people world wide receive relief from needless pain and suffering every week through chiropractic adjustments and are therefore able to express true health and potential on every level unhindered.

Chiropractic is a science, art and philosophy which allows the body to reach it’s inborn potential and capacity to heal without the use of drugs or surgery. The Chiropractic profession is leading the Wellness Revolution aimed at getting people well and helping them maintain that wellness. With today’s health care problems at their peak, chiropractors are willing to think outside the realm of common thought so that better, safer, more natural solutions can be created.

Do you know someone who is not reaching their health and life potential? Maybe it is time to introduce them to Chiropractic!

Feeling Good About Yourself

Too often, we only care about mental health when dealing with a problem suffered by ourselves or a loved one, but actually, there’s a lot you can do to improve your mental health and feel good about yourself, as described in “The Six Pillars of Self Esteem,” written by the expert in the field, brilliant psychologist Nathaniel Branden.

“Of all the judgments we pass in life,” Branden says, “none is as important as the one we pass on ourselves. Nearly every psychological problem — from anxiety and depression to self-sabotage at work or at school, from fear of intimacy to chronic hostility — is traceable to low self-esteem. In the chaotic and competitive world we face today, both personal happiness and economic survival rest on how well we understand self-esteem and nurture it in ourselves and in others.”

Branden offers six simple rules that help to build self esteem, six practices to live by that enhance your self worth so you feel good about yourself, and will help you support others around you, your children, parents, siblings, friends, neighbors and co-workers, to feel good about themselves too.

• Live consciously. Make choices and decisions about who you are and what you intend to do, and live by those standards.

• Accept yourself for who you are. No one is perfect, and everyone has positive qualities. Make it okay to be you.

• Take responsibility for what you do. If you do something well, be gracious and receive the praise proudly, if humbly. If you make a mistake, apologize and do what you can to make it right.

• Assert yourself properly. You matter, and if you have a position on something, let it be known. Your willingness to voice your opinion could make a big difference in solving the problem or addressing the task at hand – don’t keep your light under a basket.

• Live purposefully. There is a reason you are here, and a meaning to your life – be optimistic and drive to accomplish what is most important to you, based on your personal beliefs and values.

• Demonstrate personal integrity. Keep your word. Do what you say you’re going to do. Be clear in your expectations of others, accommodate their frailties, and hold yourself to your highest ethical guidelines.

No one can feel good about you for you – only you can decide to feel good about yourself. It reduces stress, avoids mental health issues, and makes it more fun to be around you. And, building up your children in strong and noble thought is the foundation of good parenting.

Healthy Habits - An Important Key to a Better Life

In this time of instant information through television and the internet, we have so much input, sometimes it’s hard to know our best course of action. Here’s a list of healthy habits that can cut through the noise and focus you on the actions and behaviors that will serve you best.

• Get enough rest. This is a common mistake, and a costly one – depriving yourself of sleep can compromise every aspect of your lifestyle, from mental sharpness to physical strength. It’s ideal to get 7-8 hours each night, but if that’s not possible, at least make sure your bed is comfortable and supportive, your pillows are not too hard or too high, and that you avoid eating or watching upsetting television before bedtime. Ask your doctor of chiropractic about your mattress or any special pillows that may support you better

• Drink enough water. Dehydration is a sneak thief of good health – often missed by doctors, it is at the root of many health issues. It robs us of normal function, and prevents our bodies from experiencing proper breathing, digestion, circulation, and cleansing of waste products. You need anywhere from eight to twenty glasses of water each day, depending on your body weight and other dietary choices – some authorities say half your body weight in ounces, so if you weigh 128 pounds, you need 64 ounces, about 8 glasses, and if you weigh 192 pounds, you need about 12 glasses.

• Eat wholesome foods. Avoid processed, sugar-laden or heavily fried foods, and find the right eating rhythm for you – some people like three square meals, others prefer five or six smaller meals, so figure out what your body responds to best. A variety seems to appeal to most people, and the healthiest foods for you to choose are live foods – fruits and vegetables, with high water content. Moderate your intake of sugars, fats and alcohol – you can have some, but 70% or more of your diet should consist of live foods, for optimal health.
  

• Take things in stride. Stress is a killer, driving up blood pressure, preventing normal digestion, increasing toxicity and generating overall bad feelings. If you can learn to reduce or defuse your stresses, you will be healthier in every way, and that doesn’t mean take more anti-depressants – lifestyle choices like exercise, meditation, and meaningful conversation can all relieve stress and make your like happier – get on it and do it every day.

• Exercise regularly. That doesn’t mean lift your car or run twenty miles – it just means you need to use your body or else you will lose it. Something as simple as parking your car at the other end of the parking lot and walking the hundred yards to your workplace each day is a good start. Many researchers believe that as little as three thirty minute sessions of light exercise, like walking, stretching or swimming, can make a profound change in your metabolism, leading to more fitness, less overweight, and better health in general.

• Consult the appropriate professionals to get the advice and care you need. Visit your dentist for your teeth, your optometrist for your eyes, your podiatrist for your feet, and make sure to include your chiropractor for your spine and nerve system. Your body needs some maintenance to work at peak efficiency – let the experts help you and advise you for optimum health and wellness.

Don't fall into the trap of only taking action when you are sick- be proactive, develop healthy habits and you will be delighted with the results!

Benefit Ride - Help Us Help Them

Benefit Ride!
Saturday, September 17, 2011

Help Us Help Them!

Join other riders to help benefit Harvest Food Outreach, sponsored by Castlewood Canyon Church, an agency with Food Bank of the Rockies.

Ride Info:

Registration: 8:30am at the Franktown Fire Station (Intersection of Hwy 83 & Hwy 86 - one block south on the right)

Cost: $25 per motorcycle - All donations provide food assistance to those in need.

Ride starts at 9:00am

Door Prizes & Food at Harvest Food Outreach at 10:30am - 599 Topeka Way, Castle Rock

For more information visit us online at: www.ccanyonc.org
or call Jack at 303.688.8730