The term epilepsy refers to any disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Seizures are temporary disturbances of cerebral (brain) function due to abnormal neuronal discharges. There is some evidence that some seizures can be caused by a misalignment of the spinal cord.

A 5-year-old female was experiencing 30-70 seizures per day. She entered into a team evaluation and treatment plan at thePalmer Chiropractic Clinic. Upon x-ray it was found the patient’s upper spine was out of alignment.

The patient was adjusted on three consecutive days. After the first adjustment her right leg changed from one inch deficiency (in length) to no noted deficiency. On the second day, from 1:00 PM and for the rest of the day the patient had no more seizures.

After less than one month of chiropractic treatment the seizures were gone completely. After 60 days of care her medication was reduced by 50% and at most she experienced 6 seizures a day if she had any seizures at all.

A study was done of 24 students who had been diagnosed as having learning and behavioral impairments. The group was split in two; twelve students were given regular chiropractic adjustments, and the other twelve were on either medication, central nervous system stimulants or tranquilizer type drugs, or both, or had been on medication. The study evaluated changes in the following thirteen symptoms:

The study concluded that chiropractic treatment was more effective for the wide range symptoms common in the neurological dysfunction syndrome in which the thirteen symptom areas were considered.

Reduction of hyperactivity and improvement in attention span in the two groups was approximately equal initially; however the effectiveness of medication alone was not as sustained as the effects of chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic was twenty to forty percent more effective than the commonly used medications.

When a baby somehow gets in the wrong position to easily make its way down the birth canal, the MDs only solution is a cesarean section delivery. Chiropractic intervention may provide a far better solution than cesarean delivery.

A fine case in point comes from the recent success of a mother-to-be in the Monterey, California, area. The 36-year-old woman who was 32 weeks pregnant received word from her obstetrician that her baby was in a high risk position in her womb. Ultrasound showed that the baby was actually turned a full 180 degrees from the normal head-down position.

Rather than face the possibility of a cesarean delivery, the woman sought the help of a chiropractor skilled in doing an adjustment that could turn the baby a full 180 degrees. The Doctor of Chiropractic consulted was skilled in an adjustment known as the Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique. (In-Utero refers to “intrauterine,” which means “occurring or situated within the uterus or womb.”)

Basically, what occurs is that forces external to the developing fetus obstruct its normal movement. These “constraints” can prevent the developing fetus from attaining a proper headdown position. Today, nearly 13% of all cesarean deliveries performed are due to this breech presentation.

The Webster Technique can be performed by a growing number of Chiropractors and involves specialized analytical knowledge and ability to make a series of correct adjustments. Analysis involves checking the proper relationship of the bones of the pelvic area. The adjustment involves a 2-step process. Light force is applied to the sacrum (one of the pelvic bones) in Step 1. This is followed by an analysis of muscle tension or spasm in the stomach and relieving this in Step 2. Together, the causes of the constraints on the baby in the uterus that may lead to cesarean delivery are able to be relieved.

The California woman said this about her treatment, “I felt great relief after the first adjustment.” She received just two adjustments from her chiropractor. A new ultrasound showed the baby was now in the proper head-down position. “Immediately after the first treatment I felt he moved,” the woman said.

It should be noted that for this treatment to produce the proper results it should be done prior to the 34th week of delivery. After that time, success rates have been shown to decline.

If there is any question about cough and cold medicines being completely safe for children, well consider this. Annually, about 7,000 children ages 11 and younger require a hospital emergency room visit because of an adverse reaction to one of these substances.

This figure comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To arrive at this total, a CDC study reviewed 2004-2005 data provided through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. The information came from a cooperative adverse drug event surveillance project done to describe emergency department visits due specifically to cough and cold medications. The results were published online in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal, 

Pediatrics

“Parents need to be vigilant about keeping these medicines out of their children’s reach,” said Dr. Denise Cardo, director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion for CDC. “They should refrain from encouraging children to take medicine by telling the children that medication is candy.” Dr. Cardo also suggested that adults should avoid taking adult medications in the presence of their young children as this may encourage a child to do the same without the proper supervision.

On January 17, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory recommending that over the counter cough and cold medications not be used for children. Several months earlier an advisory committee of the FDA had reached the same conclusion. In anticipation of these actions, major manufactures of cough and cold medications had begun voluntarily withdrawing these medications from the market in November.

Currently, the FDA is continuing an investigation into the safety of cough and cold medications for children ages 2 to 11. In the meantime, the FDA warns that parents should definitely not give cold and cough medications to younger children that were intended for older children. One final advisory to parents is that they should dispose of any previously purchased products that were intended for children age 2 and younger.

MANY EAR TUBE INSERTIONS MAY BE UNNECESSARY IN CHILDREN

 Parents of children with ear problems should be wary of quick recommendations by doctors to insert ear tubes. A new study found that in many cases ear tubes are surgically inserted too soon, thus subjecting children to general anesthesia for a medical procedure that may be unnecessary.

Ear tubes, known medically as tympanostomy tubes, are small implants that ventilate the middle ear space to the ear canal through the tympanic membrane. These tubes are often inserted to treat children who have frequent or reoccurring middle ear infections or a persistent flow of fluid in the middle ear even though they show no signs of infection.

Attempting to solve these issues with the insertion of ear tubes is a common practice. The procedure of inserting the tubes requires that the child be placed under general anesthesia. In the United States alone, over 500,000 children experience this possibly unnecessary surgery every year.

Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City were determined to find out if these procedures were absolutely necessary. Study leader Dr. Salomeh Keyhani, an assistant professor in the center’s Department of Health Policy and her colleagues examined clinical data for 682 children who received ear tubes from five New York Metropolitan area hospitals in 2002. Data was collected from pediatricians, otolaryngologists, and hospital charts for each child for the year prior to surgery.

The persistence of ear infection and fluid discharge is the key to making a medical decision to insert ear tubes. According to a consensus of the American Academies of Pediatrics, Family Physicians and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, the general recommendation is that children should not receive ear tubes unless the fluid problem continues for at least 3 to 4 months consecutively.

“One of our key findings is that more than three quarters of children in our study who got ear tubes had fluid for less than a month and a half,” said Dr. Keyhani. Had a medical professional suggested watchful waiting or alternative medical treatment, many of these surgeries might have been unnecessary.

“Ear infection is the most common illness which children present to the doctor,” she said. “We found that many children are getting surgeries for minor disease and the typical child who gets ear tube surgery does not have a disease severe enough to warrant the operation. If the study findings could be applied to the rest of the country, it would be particularly troubling.”

The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has taken a good look at children watching TV. It probably will come as no surprise to learn that the researchers were not very pleased with what they saw.

The concern for the viewing habits of children stems from multiple reasons. It has to do with the amount of time children spend in front of a TV or computer monitor. It holds additional interest of note when looking at the body positions of children viewers. It compounds in importance when noting bone development and muscle strength during childhood and how activities pursued during these formative years may carry major implications for adult years.

The number of hours children spend in front of a TV or computer monitor may come as a complete surprise to some as reported in the

Daily Record 

Boys nearly doubled this with an average of 41 hours per week for TV and video game viewing. The research went on to note that children who watch TV for large amounts of time are more likely to suffer spinal problems and pain. Much of this has to do with body positions assumed while watching the TV. Over one-quarter of the children were observed lying down with their heads up, thus placing extra tension on the neck and upper back areas.

All of this time spent in a non-active posture does not permit the spine to strengthen during the years of development which continue to around the age of 18. “The major factors in children’s back problems are a more sedentary way of life and lack of exercise,” said Dr. Chris Turner, a West London Chiropractor. “This means their muscles do not work very well and leads to strains when they are used, especially for lifting relatively heavy weights, including school bags.”

While pain and discomfort may result for some children, not all of them will have this experience when it comes to the spine. This would make it a very good parental practice to bring a child in for a spinal examination. The reason for this would be that undetected spinal problems in children may be the cause of serious spinal degeneration in later adult life. It is not uncommon for

Chiropractors who examine x-rays of an adult spine to detect degenerative conditions which had their beginnings in childhood. Along with this healthy advice, children should be encouraged to get up and move about frequently when watching TV or sitting behind the computer. This should be done every 40 minutes or so, according to the BCA. This duo of TV and Computer is certainly not the only source of potential childhood structural problems, but it certainly would be an excellent area for a parent to pursue in helping to guarantee their child’s healthy future.

4

What new parent hasn’t been warned that their own sleeping patterns are going to be severely altered when they have a newborn baby in the house? However, when that young child has severe sleeping problems of its own, this scenario can become a nightmare for both parents and child alike.

A case study was recently published in the scientific publication the 

The average number of hours a child of 9 months is predicted to sleep is about 14 hours per day. This child’s sleep amount was well below that number. In addition to severe sleep disruption, she was also noted to be extremely fussy. She also was experiencing difficulty with breast feeding to one side, exhibited generally unsettled behavior and could not turn her head to the left. These problems had been occurring since birth, the article noted.

An initial examination of the girl confirmed a reduced range of neck motion to the left. There seemed to be significant muscle tension in the left and upper neck area as well. Upon being touched in the neck, the child exhibited signs of being in pain by crying and quickly moving her head away.

Viewing the results, her chiropractor determined that there were subluxations (partial dislocations) present in the child’s cervical area. An appropriate course of adjustments was initiated. The results of treatment were immediately evident and impressive. After just one adjustment, the baby girl fell asleep for 5 hours in the afternoon. This was followed by nighttime sleep of 2 periods of 6 hours each.

In addition to dramatic improvements in sleep pattern, much to the satisfaction of her parents as well, the child displayed greatly improved neck motion that was soon noted in response to sound on her left side. Additionally, the infant soon began to feed freely and comfortably.

The conclusion drawn by the authors was that the subluxation evident in the child’s neck area was at least partially responsible for the disrupted sleep pattern. The dramatic improvements after just one Chiropractic adjustment pretty much speak for themselves. It could likely be surmised as well that the infant’s parents were much better rested themselves following treatment and are very thankful for Chiropractic.

Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics

The safety of Chiropractic for children is getting a boost from the findings of two practice-based studies. These International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) reports provide additional evidence about the safety and effectiveness of Chiropractic care for children of all ages.

The first study involved 812 pediatric clinical cases totaling 7,436 separate office visits. Girls totaled 382 and boys 430 with ages ranging from under 1 day up to 18 years for those treated. Of those, 153 were totally new to Chiropractic and 346 were examined as part of a “wellness checkup.” The most common complaints attended to were ear, nose and throat/respiratory disorders followed by musculoskeletal problems involving the neck area and spine. Gastrointestinal disorders were also reported.

More than 90% of the chiropractors reported patient improvement for their original complaints with 717 of the children reporting improvements. Only 9 of the children reported any treatment-related aggravations such as soreness. No treatment-related complications were reported for any of the 812 children during over 7,400 office visits.

Even more interesting, according to the ICPA, was that many of the children reported healthy improvements beyond the complaints they originally mentioned. Of the Children, 74 reported improvements such as greater range of motion, improved sleep, improved immune function and improved mood.

In the second study, parents of children receiving Chiropractic care where asked to provide information on the success of treatment. Several hundred parents responded representing thousands of Chiropractic visits by their children.

Parents by and large reported both an improvement in the condition the child was brought in to treat, plus improvements unrelated to that first issue. A large percentage of parents reported improved disposition in their child, improved immune function and improved sleep. Only 2 cases reported treatment-related aggravations and neither of these was of a serious nature requiring discontinuation of office visits.

Evidence of studies and individual successful cases continue to mount showing the benefits of Chiropractic care for children, plus carryover benefit to parents and others who come into their lives.

When should a child have their very first Chiropractic examination? The recommended answer to that would be as soon after birth as possible and then continue to have them adjusted right onthrough childhood.

A child is susceptible to spinal trauma from the birth process and all the way through their childhood when they take many spills and tumbles during the growing up process. All during this time the child’s spine is growing and developing at a rapid rate – about a 50% increase in length during their first year of life. This is equivalent to a 6-foot tall person growing to 9 feet in just 12 months.

One person who has received Chiropractic exams and adjustments since a very early stage of his life is actor Jonathan Lipnicki, now 17. Audiences of all ages know him from his roles in the

Stuart Little movies and as a youngster in the movie Jerry McGuire

Jonathan’s uncle is a chiropractor and gave him his first adjustment when he was just several months old. “It’s a good way to live,” he said. “You perform at your best, whether it’s academically or physically.” In encouraging early childhood Chiropractic he added, “If you want to perform at your ultimate best, if you want to be the best you can be in sports and in school, mentally and physically, Chiropractic is the way because everything has to do with your nervous system. And if you can clear up any subluxation (partial dislocations of vertebra) in there, you’ll be pretty much OK.”

The next question parents may ask is, “What types of childhood problems might be solved by a visit to a Chiropractor?” An article inn

Doctors of Chiropractic have been providing safe and effective care to children for nearly 100 years with published studies in Europe and the United States confirming the effectiveness of Chiropractic for this entire variety of childhood illnesses and structural irregularities. In fact, the scientific evidence continues to grow. The

This can have an effect on the child’s health now and in the future. “Pain and malfunction may not show up for many years,” the article concludes. Parents would do well to have a child examined early for good health and to save potential later life problems.

Parents and Kids  magazine article has one final important warning. “Nerve system stress left unaddressed impairs the child’s ability to function in a state of optimal health and well-being.”Parents and Kids  magazine made reference to the common reasons a child should be checked and likely helped. These include: a difficult birth, difficulty nursing, colic, reflux, trouble sleeping, ear infections, frequent colds and infections, allergies/asthma, behavioral problems (Attention Deficit Disorder), postural abnormality, head tilting, high shoulder or hip ailments.

The report of a case history about a child who received Chiropractic help for a chronic constipation problem points out both the immediate and the long range benefits of a successful adjustment program.

A recent issue of the 

 Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics  (JMPT) tells the story of an 8-year-old boy who was troubled with bowel movement problems since birth. Before he paid a visit to a chiropractor, his condition was such that he’d only have a bowel movement at 7 to 10 day intervals. In fact, at times this even approached 2 weeks and these movements were reportedly quite painful for the boy.

The boy was by all other indications quite healthy. Medical treatment, in an attempt to solve the problem, had included laxatives, high fluid intake and a high fiber diet. All of these produced no positive or desired effect on his condition.

Chiropractic examination revealed that the boy had a subluxation (a partial dislocation) in the sacral region (lowest portion) of the back. Care began immediately with adjustments given to correct the subluxation. This continued with 2 visits per week for 4 weeks.

The result of just 1 visit to the chiropractor was a dramatic improvement in the boy’s condition. His mother was very pleased to report that the boy had a bowel movement on the first day of his visit and again just 2 days later. She also reported over the course of the 4 weeks of ensuing treatment that the condition continued to improve.

Interesting statistics pointed out by the study show that 3 percent of childhood doctor visits are for constipation issues. The figure rises to nearly 30 percent of all visits to pediatric gastroenterologists. Treatments generally include dietary management, biofeedback and laxatives.

Statistically, according to the study, between 30 percent and as high as 50 percent of children do not respond to these treatments and continue to have long-term problems.

The results of Chiropractic treatment with this boy and improvements in his life were immediate, continuing and long term. Follow up 1 month after treatment revealed consistent normal bowel functions. Several months later, another follow up revealed the same positive results. Finally, a phone call to the boy, now 13 years after treatment, reported normal bowel function. In fact, he said that his bowel function was nearly “clock-like” with daily movements.

How’s that for producing life-changing improvements? Short-term Chiropractic intervention brought about very positive, long-term results.