The immunization schedule in this country keeps growing ever more complex as time goes on. (Or, we might say, as “Big Pharma” finds more and more ways to make a profit.)

Thirty years ago, infants were only vaccinated against five diseases – diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, rotavirus and polio. Now, according to standard immunization schedules, healthy infants are scheduled to receive immunizations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, varicella, and pneumococcus.

The CDC’s recommended vaccination schedule now states that American children should receive 25 to 30 vaccines before they are 5 years old. But look at the grid for these immunizations: When your tiny, helpless baby is just 2 months old, he or she could visit the doctor and be immunized for – all in one day – Hepatitis B, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Haemophilus influenza B, pneumococcal and polio. At 12 months, the list is even more horrible.

And while an adult may have more strength with which to fight back, the assault does not stop. What vaccines would the CDC recommend for healthy adults? The Singer Health Report writer, an exceedingly healthy female of 58 years, consulted the CDC’s quiz, What Vaccines Do You Need? (http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/adultImmSched). Answering the questions (not living in a nursing home, don’t plan to travel internationally soon, etc.) the writer found that she needs a booster of Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis and a seasonal flu shot. By receiving these shots, she would receive 50 mcg. of thimerosal, and doses of aluminum, hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde!

Next, the quiz was consulted for an extremely healthy 45-year-old male who travels internationally for business and who lives with his mother-in-law from Venezuela. He would need the following vaccines: Measles, mumps and rubella, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, seasonal flu, Meningococcal and the Tetanus, Diptheria and Pertussis booster. This healthy person, if he caught up on his vaccinations before his next international trip, would receive 75 mcg of thimerosal plus multiple doses of aluminum, hydrochloric acid, monosodium glutamate and formaldehyde.

To understand this assault on health from this multiplicity of vaccines, it would be necessary to go much further than just an analysis of the effects of thimerosal. The effects of all the other additives and the forms of the viruses themselves – and the sheer volume of confusing and challenging material to the immune system – must be examined in detail before this subject is put to bed.

Source: National Academy of Sciences, Infant Immunizations Not Shown to Be Harmful to Children’s Immune Systems, February 20, 2010, http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=10306

Source: Centers for Disease Control, Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 0 Through 6 Years, 2010, http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/downloads/child/2010/10_0-6yrs-schedule-pr.pdf

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, What Vaccines Do You Need?, January 12, 2010, http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/adultImmSched/

Source: Institute for Vaccine Safety, Thimerosal Content in Some US Licensed Vaccines, February 23, 2010, http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

The common cold holds down the number one spot for office visits, but it might be a surprise that following close behind in the number two spot are sports and exercise related injuries. Sports injuries have long been moving up the list of the most common reasons that Baby Boomers seek medical attention and have now become more common than anything except colds.

On one hand, there is something positive to be seen in this statistic. It means that Baby Boomers are actually exercising with greater frequency. On the down side, encouraged by doctors to follow an exercise program of three to five times per week, the now mainly middle-aged boomers (78 million of them born between 1946 and 1964) are experiencing injuries in record numbers, too.

The types of injuries sustained and the medical treatment prescribed for them is becoming all too common in society today. Boomers are getting knee and hip replacements, surgery for cartilage and ligament damage and treatment for a whole slew of stress fractures, tendonitis, bursitis and arthritis, as well as endless prescriptions for pain killers, anti-inflamitories and muscle relaxants.

In addition to the cost of doctor visits, hospital stays and surgery, lost time in the workplace totaled 488 million days of restricted work among middle-aged Americans as early as 2002 as provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Costs associated with emergency room visits have risen sharply in recent years, too.

Chiropractors have long been strong supporters of exercise as part of a healthy patient lifestyle. A recent national survey of Chiropractors showed that the overwhelming majority of Doctors of Chiropractic support a healthy patient lifestyle: 97.8% recommend exercise, 93.6% recommend maintenance and wellness care, and 93.2% even provide ergonomic (equipment design) recommendations.

Unfortunately for Baby Boomers, enough of them are not heeding the advice of chiropractors or are not seeking out chiropractors as their healthcare provider in adequate numbers. In fact, according to a recent survey of Complementary and Alternative Medicine that included 31,044 Americans, only 7.5% of the general population utilizes Chiropractic services.

Americans would be well advised to increasingly seek out the advice of a Chiropractor to put them on the straight and narrow when exercising. They would receive education in how to reduce the growing prevalence of obesity, heart disease and diabetes that is becoming a plague upon the Boomer generation.

Most professional sports teams today have a chiropractor on staff to handle an assortment of injuries and to help in the planning of a team’s total wellness program. Individual Baby Boomers would be wise to add a chiropractor to their medical support team to help them achieve a happier, healthier and more injury-free lifestyle.

Sources: The World Chiropractic Alliance. http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2006/jun/e.htm

A study conducted at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has linked antibiotics to allergies and asthma in children. Children who received antibiotics within their first six months were at an increased risk of developing asthma and allergies by the age of seven.

448 children were followed from birth to seven years; the children were divided by gender into even groups.

Researchers collected data about all prescribed oral antibiotics; blood tests that measures immunoglobulin E (the antibody that causes allergies); skin reaction tests that determines if a person is hypersensitive to an allergen, and on all clinical visits. Researchers also collected environmental samples from the homes of the children.

The data was collected before birth and then at the first four birthdays. Each child was then evaluated at 6 to 7-years-old by a certified allergist.

Forty-nine percent of the children had received antibiotics by the age of six-months; the most commonly prescribed antibiotic was penicillin. Other finding included:

• Children who received antibiotics by six months old were 1.5 times more likely to develop allergies by age seven than children who did not receive antibiotics, and 2.5 times more likely to develop asthma.
• Children who lived with less than two pets by the age of six months given at least one antibiotic were 1.7 times more likely to develop allergies and three times more likely to develop asthma.
• Children whose mothers had a history of allergies were twice as likely to develop allergies. Those who were breast-fed more than four months, and received antibiotics by six months were three times as likely to develop allergies; the risk of asthma was not influenced by breast feeding and antibiotics.

According to Christine Cole Johnson, PhD, lead author of the study and senior epidemiologist for Henry Ford’s Department of Biostatistics and Research Epidemiology, “…we need to be more prudent in prescribing antibiotics for children at such an early age. In the past, many of them were prescribed unnecessarily, especially for viral infections like colds and the flu when the antibiotics would have no effect anyway.”

SOURCE: Henry Ford Health System press release, Science Daily, October 1, 2003; WCA News,
www.wcanews.com, October 2003; www.newscientist.com, September 30, 2003; BBC News, news.bbc.co.uk.

Spring is here, and along with it in many parts of the country come sneezes, itchy eyes and more. It’s called hay fever, a hyper-reaction of our immune systems to air-borne pollen from blooming plants and trees.

If you have hay fever, you are not alone. More than 26 million Americans suffer from hay fever symptoms, and 14.6 million Americans have asthma, which often accompanies hay fever.

The “hay fever season” is different for different people. Trees, grasses, and weeds produce pollen during different seasons. People who are sensitive to tree pollen may suffer in the early spring when trees are producing pollen. In the late spring and early summer, about half of all hay fever sufferers are affected by grass pollen. From midsummer to late fall, ragweed causes the most hay fever. Some people react to more than one type of pollen, so their “season” can be from early spring to the first frost.

There are many people who suffer from allergic reactions to dust and dust mites, mold and fungus spores, pets, furs, chemicals and a host of other airborne substances that attack their weakened immune systems all year long.

For both seasonal hay fever and year-round allergies, symptoms can include running nose, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, sneezing, itchy reddened eyes, conjunctivitis and sore throat. Allergies can affect the trachea and the lungs, causing shortness of breath, chest congestion, wheezing and asthma. Hay fever can even turn into an infection, and when severe, cause fever and headaches.

Treat the Cause, Not the Symptoms

Conventional therapies call for antihistamines, decongestants, oral steroids, and corticosteroid sprays, bronchodilator inhaler, and allergy injections. All of these just treat the symptoms and many have unpleasant side effects.

A growing number of hay fever sufferers are finding relief from alternative, drug-free approaches, such as Chiropractic adjustments, Acupuncture, and dietary changes to help boost immune systems.

Using a combination of natural remedies and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic may be all you need to treat the cause of the hay fever, relieve the symptoms and even find a permanent improvement. The right combination of treatments can diagnose and treat the underlying imbalances that cause the allergies in the first place.

SOURCES: Acupuncture.com, April 2007, http://www.acupuncture.com/newsletters/m_apr07/main2.html;
American Lung Association, http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35050#seasons

AUTISTIC CHILD DEVELOPS SKILLS, HAS IMPROVED LIFE WITH CHIROPRACTIC

 The growing statistics on the number of autistic children in our society today are quite alarming. Some reports have it that autism is now occurring in an estimated 1 in 150 births in the United States.

 At the same time, more and more cases where children diagnosed with autism who are being helped by Chiropractic are continuing to be recorded. The study here of a 3-year-old child who was helped by Chiropractic intervention is another such important case as reported by the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research.

 This child had been diagnosed with autism about 1 year prior to her first visit to a chiropractor. At the time of her examination, she had social interaction skills that were below the norm for a child her age. She also had learning difficulties, and her language skills consisted only of communicating by screaming and outbursts of temper tantrums. She was not able to communicate through speech that would be normal for her age.

 The child’s mother was able to offer some information regarding the onset of the child’s autism. It was her observation that the symptoms were noticeable following the girl’s first set of vaccinations when she had reactions that were different than before and after she had slept for 24 hours.

 Testing of the child by her chiropractor included a full evaluation of her spine and her muscle function. It was decided that Chiropractic adjustment should focus on subluxations (partial dislocations of the vertebrae) in her spine and a protocol of gentle interventions were begun.

 In all, the child had 28 Chiropractic visits spread over a 10 week period. Initially, the girl was very apprehensive about her adjustments and didn’t like to lie down on the chiropractor’s table. However, this fear was all but gone by her 5th visit and she was soon lying on the table by herself and was happy to take hold of her Chiropractor’s hand.

 During her 10th visit, her mother said that the child began to verbalize for the first time. Later in the week, she even started to laugh. This improvement continued on throughout the first month of care when the child began to show expressions of joy and spontaneity while being less hyperactive. Meanwhile, her posture was improving, too.

 “This case report illustrates how an improvement respectively in both subjective and objective behavioral patters and nerve system symmetry follow Chiropractic care in a child with autism,” said the authors of the study. And, with the growing evidence that Chiropractic can benefit children with autism, it only makes sense that every child who shows symptoms of the disorder should be examined by a chiropractor to determine if help is possible.

 Source: Kid Chiropractic. “Improvement in a 3-Year-Old Autistic Child Following Chiropractic – Case Study.” April 2008. http://www.kidchiropractic.com/ and the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. http://www.jvsr.com/abstracts/index.asp?id=345

CHIROPRACTIC BRINGS ADHD RELIEF, OFFERS MUCH SAFER SOLUTION THAN DRUGS!

Evidence continues to mount in favor of Chiropractic intervention having the ability to bring relief from the symptoms that have now commonly been lumped into the label of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is especially evident cases when an accident or injury has occurred to a child or adult who previously showed no signs of any of the difficulties with concentration associated with ADHD.

 Case in point of this study involves a child of 6 years of age, a person of any age could suffer the same lack of concentration ability following an accident or a severe blow. This could occur through an auto mishap, a slip-and-fall injury, sports contact or even a work-related trauma that is part of daily life. While drugs are now frequently prescribed by the medical community to handle the ensuing “attention” problems, a Chiropractic adjustment may really be all that is necessary for normal function to return.

 A case discussing the events that happened to this child who struck his head while on the playground was recently presented by an Australian-American Chiropractic group. The child was knocked unconscious by the impact and, in the months that followed, his teachers noted his concentration problems, inattentiveness and even disruptive behavior. The boy developed all of the classic symptoms so commonly labeled as ADHD. He was unable to sit still in the classroom and his grades began to plunge.

 Drugs were a main part of the medical prescription for handling the boy. Unfortunately, but expectedly, these did not bring any lasting relief or help to the child. In spite of the powerful drugs, his headaches and neck pains persisted. Finally, 18 months after the accident, his mother brought him to a chiropractor.

  It may seem remarkable, but the boy only required 3 visits to the chiropractor over a 3 week period to put him back on the road to good health and classroom success. The diagnosis was a subluxation, a partial dislocation of the vertebrae.  He continued with regular checkups and after 9 months continued to do very well.

 An accident or blow which involves the head, neck and back being in pain is increasingly being documented as a trigger or aggravating factor to ADHD. This evidence and case studies such as this one can be of great value in spreading the word that drugs are not the universal solution for the handling of ADHD as has become so common in the world today. When drugs are administered, the concentration problems that are not handled can even lead to further accidents and more subluxations. Thus, the drugging solution could lead to a vicious circle that includes more injuries, more subluxations and an continued worsening of the ADHD symptoms.

 However, when the symptoms of ADHD are handled through Chiropractic, tremendous benefits frequently occur. First off, the pain and discomfort is either reduced or eliminated for the patient. Next, the relief provided to the nervous system through the correction of the subluxation are also extremely beneficial. Concentration ability often returns quickly, and the person gets more enjoyment out of life while doing better at school or at work, whatever the case may be.

 Chiropractic adjustments of the person suffering from, so called, ADHD can lead to a better overall state of health and increased productivity without drug intervention. Again, the simple motto for handling such ADHD issues should resound, “Say no to drug and say yes to Chiropractic!”

 Source: Dynamic Chiropractic. “Pain Relief. Safe Behind the Wheel.” January 2008. http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/26/02/15.html

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.”

 Source: The World Chiropractic Alliance. “Most Tympanostomies for Ear Infections Unnecessary.” February 2008. http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2008/feb/l.htm

GET A JUMP ON COLD, FLU SEASONS WITH IMMUNE

SYSTEM ENHANCING ADJUSTMENTS

One of the many benefits of Chiropractic care is that it can provide excellent benefits toward fighting against and warding off the flu. Spinal adjustments provided by chiropractors have an excellent track record in increasing the immune function of the body and helping it to stay healthy – especially during cold and flu season. 

The reason for this success is because Chiropractic works to increase the function of the immune system. It does so by correcting spinal abnormalities known as subluxations (minor dislocations of the vertebra). These subluxations are known to cause interference with the proper function of the nervous system by placing undue pressure on the nerves themselves. As the nervous system controls all bodily functions, including those of the immune system, Chiropractic adjustments go a long way toward contributing to overall health and wellness.

The interaction between the nervous and immune systems has been shown to be positively affected by Chiropractic adjustment. “Through research, we know that Chiropractic has beneficial effects on immunoglobulins (a naturally occurring antibody), B-lymphocytes (these are the white blood cells), pulmonary (of the lungs) function and other immune system processes,” said Dr. Matthew McCoy, who serves as the editor of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research.

 One such study tested the response of white blood cells as important infection fighters. When Chiropractic manipulation was applied to the middle of the back, it was found that white blood cells were present in significantly higher number than prior to the adjustment. What this study demonstrated was that the adjustment provided an “enhanced respiratory burst” that helped immune cells to destroy invading viruses and bacteria. In so doing, they provided greater resistance toward the invasion of the flu virus.

 Another large study examined the overall improvement of people who had experienced Chiropractic care. A wide variety of benefits ensued, showing between 7 and 28 percent improvements to people suffering from spinal discomfort, fatigue, incidence of colds and flu, headaches, allergies and physical pains. Specifically of interest to cold and flu sufferers is that a 15% reduction in colds and flu was achieved by this group of 2,818 individuals who received regular Chiropractic care.

 In addition to providing needed adjustments, chiropractors are concerned with the total well-being of the individual and educate their patients toward positive health and lifestyle practices. Getting ample rest, drinking adequate water, exercising regularly, choosing a proper diet and correctly using multivitamins and minerals are essential to staying resistant to colds and flu.

Source: The World Chiropractic Alliance. “Flu Season Wellness Plan Should Include Chiropractic.” 2004. http://www.wcanews.com/archives/2004/nov17b.htm

RISE IN C-SECTION DELIVERIES REACHES NEAR ONE-THIRD OF ALL U.S. BIRTHS

The number of Caesarean Sections performed in United States hospitals has soared over those performed just a decade ago. Charges by U.S. hospitals for the procedure have netted over $17.4 billion annually for these operations alone.

According to the most recently available numbers provided the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of women who now have the C-section procedure is nearing 1/3 of all births. About 1.3 million women in 2005 gave birth through a C-section. This figure represents a 38 percent increase over 1995. That year, about 800,000 C-sections were performed in the U.S.

C-sections have their rightful place in deliveries when complications would be thought to put either the mother or the child at risk. An umbilical cord wrapped around the child’s neck or a breech delivery would be two common reasons for a C-section delivery.

More recently, C-sections are being performed for many other reasons including convenience, a feeling by attending physicians that the procedure reduces lawsuit risk and even the idea that this type of delivery is better for the mom and child than a normal vaginal delivery.

The area of sharpest decline in vaginal deliveries occurred in the case of those mothers who had previously given birth via C-section. Vaginal deliveries of subsequent children dropped 60 percent from 157,200 in 1995 to just 63,300 in 2005. Apparently some doctors and hospitals are not allowing a woman to consider and attempt vaginal delivery following a C-section delivery.

Another major contributing factor to the increase in C-sections would logically be financial. In 2005, hospitals charged a total of $17.4 billion for about 1/3 of the deliveries through C-section.

Hospitals took in just $21.3 billion for the remaining 2/3 of the deliveries. Clearing, the profit lies in C-section deliveries!

Consider the difference in costs based on 2003 figures as provided by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

• Vaginal birth with no complications: $6,239.
• Vaginal birth with complications: $8,177.
• C-section with no complications: $11,524.
• C-section with complications: $15,519.

At about $5,000 more for an uncomplicated C-section and over $7,000 more for a complicated procedure above vaginal delivery, is it really any wonder that the medical profession, as well as hospitals, might like to see the number of C-sections rise even higher in the years to come?

http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2008/jun/j.htm

Source: The World Chiropractic Alliance. “Number of C-sections Soar: Hospitals Made $17.4 Billion on Procedures.” June 2008.

STEROID USE BY STUDENT ATHLETES PRESENTS SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERNS

The use and rumored use of performance-enhancing steroids by professional athletes remains an all too common occurrence in sports today. Plus, with this being an Olympic year, drug testing for performance-aiding substances will likely receive frequent mention. But what about younger athletes? Has the search for better athletic performance found its way into our youth programs? To what extent has the search for heightened ability on the playing field reached the high school level?

According to a 2007 survey of 48,025 students who attend 403 public and private schools in the United States, the use of steroids was deemed to be remarkably high. In this study, 2.2 percent of high school seniors reported that they had used a steroid drug at least once in their lifetime.

Anabolic and androgenic steroids are synthetic hormones that increase a person’s metabolism and are aimed at producing greater muscle growth and strength. Basically, they are simulated sex hormones that cause the body to develop at a faster rate and produce greater physical strength.

While the use of these enhancing substances is banned by professional sports governing bodies and considered illegal in many countries, this does not seem to stop athletes from seeking them out at every level of sport.

“Steroid use among America’s youth who are emulating professional athletes is a serious problem that can lead to serious and often disastrous health outcomes including baldness, acne, nausea, liver damage, even heart disease and stroke,” says Gerald W. Clum, D.C., who is president of Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, Calif.

Dr. Clum warns student athletes away from taking steroids as youngsters will usually be disappointed that steroid use will not produce the promised results. At the same time, they can have some potentially deadly ramifications. He warns parents to be aware of changes in a child that could signal steroid use.

“It is imperative for parents to be on the alert for signs of steroid use, especially among teenage athletes,” said Dr. Clum. “When teens become overly concerned about physical performance, undergo significant changes in their physical appearance, exhibit serious mood swings or rage-like behavior, these could be signals of steroid use.”

A consultation with a natural healthcare provider about healthy diets and exercise can lead to enhanced performance in a very natural way. Parents who are concerned that a child might be taking measures to enhance their performance would be wise to check with their chiropractor or acupuncturist about the warning signs. Together, they could work toward a solution and offer an educational program that would lead to the performance level the youth seeks, but in a very healthy and safe manner.

Source: The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. “Steroid Use Among American Youth Alarms Health Professionals.” March 2007.

http://www.f4cp.com/press_releases/SteroidUseAmongAmericanYouthAlarmsHealthProfessionals.htm