Understanding Chiropractic Care for Kids

A growing number of families in the U.S.—both parents and children—are discovering the benefits of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including chiropractic care.

The good news is that

you’re never too young or too old to benefit from

the types of therapies a

skilled chiropractic physician can provide. 

Today’s state-licensed chiropractors generally have the training and experience to work with patients from early childhood through to advanced age. However, some practitioners also choose to focus on the unique needs of specific types of patients.   

Many chiropractors who specialize in pediatrics are members of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) and have attended postgraduate courses that focus on the care of pregnant mothers, infants and children.

The ICPA is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1986 by Larry Webster, DC.  The association offers advanced training workshops and seminars for healthcare professionals, in addition to its chiropractic certification. It also has a referral service for parents and publishes a wide variety of materials designed to educate the general public about chiropractic medicine for children and adults.

How Children May Benefit From Chiropractic Care

As children enter school and begin interacting more with other kids in a different setting, they become susceptible to having their spine and nervous system compromised. From poor sitting posture in the classroom to heavy backpacks in the hallways and rough-housing on the playground, there are a variety of new health risks. Chiropractic care can help address these sorts of risks as well as others that may seem less obvious.

For instance, there is evidence that chiropractic care may help prevent or relieve many common cold and allergy symptoms, including sneezing, coughing and itching or watery eyes. This is not to say that a visit to the chiropractor will “cure” the common cold or that the underlying illness will be eliminated, even temporarily.  However, the research suggests that spinal manipulation and other therapies frequently used by the chiropractor may help to strengthen a child’s immune system over time.

Treating Infants

Chiropractic treatments are tailored to every child according to their specific circumstances, including their height and weight. There is no minimum age and even newborns may safely benefit.  In fact, chiropractic care is encouraged for babies as a chiropractic physician may be able to detect spinal problems that could lead to colic, ear infection or asthma. Early detection may help prevent the development of these conditions and other complications while improving a young patient’s quality of life.
Communicating with Members of Your Child’s Healthcare Team

As both adults and children are turning to alternative medicine as a way to prevent or treat common ailments, there is an increasing need for patients (or their parents) to communicate effectively with members of an expanded healthcare team.  In most cases, your child’s  primary care doctor (usually a pediatrician, general practitioner or chiropractic physician) will play a key role in coordinating care.

Remember that a good chiropractor will always tell you when a particular condition may be outside his or her scope of practice and will refer you to other specialists as appropriate.

Studies have shown that children who visit the chiropractor on a regular basis are likely to grow up with better posture and have fewer illnesses than their classmates. 

If you’d like to find out more about children and chiropractic care, please call Dr. Wintermute at (949) 559-7999 today to make an appointment.

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References
 
Fysh, Peter DC (December 16, 1994) Upper Respiratory Infections [Electronic version] Dynamic Chiropractic, Vol. 12 No. 26; Retrieved August 30, 2011
 
International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) homepage (2010) Retrieved August 30, 2011: from http://icpa4kids.com/about
 
Palevsky, Lawrence M.D. (October 8, 2008) Holistic Approaches to Asthma, Retrieved August 30, 2011; from http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/holistic-approaches-to-asthma.html

What are Trans Fats?

Stay on the Lookout for Trans Fats

You’ve probably heard that trans fats are bad for you. You may even be looking for them on product labels. But what about all the foods that don’t have nutrition labels on them, such as French fries or doughnuts?

When it comes to these foods, trans fats may be hiding in plain sight. That’s why it is important for you to have a basic understanding of where you are most likely to encounter them. By knowing a little more about trans fats, you can make more informed food choices.

Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids, come from the hydrogenation of polyunsaturated oils and are used in place of healthier oils in many foods. Say what? Unless you majored in chemistry, that probably makes zero sense to you, so allow me to explain.

Naturally occurring vegetable oils – such as canola, sunflower, or corn oil – don’t contain any trans fats. People have to intentionally create trans fats. So if we know they are bad for our health, why do we do it? There are several reasons – all of which serve the needs of the food industry, not individuals. Trans fats:

• Increase the shelf life of products
• Make vegetable oils more suitable for repeat use in deep fryers
• Decrease product refrigeration requirements
• Are less expensive than butter or lard

Have you ever noticed that butter is stocked in the refrigerated section of grocery stores, but packaged baked goods like muffins aren’t? Yet the muffins still resist spoiling. Why? It’s because the kinds of pure vegetable oils and butter we cook with at home are often substituted with trans fats when foods are prepared on a commercial scale.

The trans fats come from adding hydrogen atoms (partially hydrogenating) to unsaturated fats. This process raises the melting point of the fat – so that it will be more solid at room temperature and won’t require refrigeration to hold its shape.
Up until 2006, food manufacturers were not required to list trans fats on product labels.

Now the FDA requires food manufacturers to list the presence of trans fats.  And although the FDA did not set any limits on the amounts of trans fats that are allowed to be present in our foods, they did say that it should be “as low as possible.

Experts believe that there are nearly 50,000 products on the market that contain trans fatty acids. While the term “trans fats” might not specifically appear on the nutrition label, you will see terms such as shortening and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. The closer to the top of the nutrition label these trans fats appear, the higher the percentage that are present.

Consumer health groups have begun to pressure food manufacturers to remove trans fats from their products altogether. Some have gone so far as to file law suits demanding that a particular product be removed from the shelves unless trans fats are eliminated from the ingredients.

While that battle is fought at the highest levels, individuals can take control of their own health by recognizing the types of food likely to contain high levels of trans fat. Stay on the lookout for trans fats in fried foods, in unrefrigerated baked goods and in snack foods such as cookies and crackers.

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Bibliography
 
Dietary Fats Explained MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved 9 5, 2011, from MedlinePlus Health Information from the National Library of Medicine: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000104.htm
 
Trans fat. (n.d.). Retrieved 9 5, 2011, from Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat
 
Trans fat definition Cholesterol Information Produced by Doctors For Patients Experiencing High Cholesterol Levels. (n.d.). Retrieved 9 5, 2011, from MedTerms.com: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11091

Safe Soccer Headers

Proper Form is the Key to Safe Soccer Headers

The question of whether repeated headers in the game of soccer have a long-term impact on the brain or cognitive function is a raging debate among experts with no clear answer one way or another.

An LA Times article on the subject makes this clear in its opening line…"Like a loose ball in a kids' game, argument over the safety of heading in soccer has parents, coaches and scientists scrambling all over."

The one place where there is solid agreement is that proper form is the key to preventing injury. Even if your child plays in a league where heading isn’t allowed, kids will emulate in the backyard what they see the top soccer players doing on TV.

Take a moment to learn the basics of proper form so you can double check what you, your child and your child’s coach are doing. Here are a few dos and don’ts to look for:

Do strike the ball with the head. Don’t allow the ball to hit you in the head.

The main thing to remember is that the player should actively ‘strike the ball with the head’ rather than allowing the ball to ‘hit them in the head’. It is very hard to learn the skill of intentionally hitting a flying object with your head! The player needs to be active and purposeful in heading the ball, not passive.

Do keep your eyes open and locked on the ball. Don’t close your eyes when heading a soccer ball.

The most common mistake that young players make is closing their eyes. Instead, keep the eyes open and locked on the part of the ball you want to head.

Do use the whole body to generate your power. Don’t try to use your neck muscles.

Another mistake is believing that the power in a soccer header comes from the neck muscles. It doesn’t. In a traditional header, the power comes from the upper body. The back is arched in preparation for the header and the torso is trust forward to contact the ball. All the while, the chin is tucked toward the chest.

This stabilizes the neck. In a diving header, the neck position is locked and stabilized and the entire body is propelled forward to contact the ball. The power comes from the jump and gravity, not the neck.

Do use a ball that is age-appropriate. Don’t use a wet ball for practice.

Soccer balls come in different sizes for a reason. When practicing headers, make sure you are using the right size ball for your age and not a ball that is too large and heavy. Also, as a soccer ball gets wet, the weight increases by 20% or more, so for practice, choose a dry ball.

As we stated at the beginning of the article, the debate about whether heading a soccer ball is safe for children (and adults) rages on. What we do know for sure is that kids will do it with or without proper instruction and that proper technique is the key to injury prevention. As adults, our job is to provide the proper instruction to keep our kids safe playing ‘the beautiful game’.

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Bibliography

Dreyfuss, I. (2001, May 20). Experts Face Off About Soccer Heading. LA Times.
 
Institute for Sports Medicine Heading the Soccer Ball. (n.d.). Retrieved 9 9, 2011, from Children's Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL: http://www.childrensmemorial.org/depts/sportsmedicine/heading-soccer-ball.aspx
 
Kirkendall, D., & Garrett, W. E. (2001). Heading in Soccer: Integral Skill or Grounds for Cognitive Dysfunction? Journal of Athletic Training, 36(3), 328-333.
 
Soccer Training Heading the Ball. (n.d.). Retrieved 9 9, 2011, from ExpertFootball.com: http://expertfootball.com/training/heading.php

Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative Disc Disease and Chiropractic Care

Whether they first see the phrase in print or hear it for the first time in a doctor’s office, “degenerative disc disease” is a term that many chronic back pain sufferers will encounter. It’s part of a brand new vocabulary that many patients learn as they try to understand their condition and navigate healthcare choices. But what does it really mean?

Degenerative disc disease is not actually a disease at all. Rather, it refers to normal changes in your spinal discs that tend to occur naturally as your body ages. Spinal discs are the soft “separators” between your vertebrae that cushion the individual bones and give your spine its flexibility. Healthy ones are thick and soft. Unhealthy ones are thinner and more brittle.

Over the years, these discs may gradually become less effective as the amount of fluid inside is reduced or cumulative wear and tear damages the discs and raises the risk of bulging, rupture or disintegration. The truth is that by the time we reach middle age, most of us already have degenerating discs, whether we’re experiencing any pain or not. And even with our best imaging technology, it can be very difficult to tell whether this degeneration is actually the source of a patient’s problems.         

So from a patient’s point of view, this bit of language—degenerative disc disease—can be both confusing and frustrating since it suggests a diagnosis but doesn’t usually come with a clear set of treatment options attached.  In some ways, it may actually seem like a “catch-all diagnosis” or “un-diagnosis”.

Can I Benefit From Chiropractic Care if I Have Degenerative Disc Disease?

Sometimes patients who’ve been told they have degenerative disc disease wonder if chiropractic adjustments can still help them or if they’re safe.

The answer to these questions depends on the patient’s individual circumstances, including whether the damaged discs are herniated or ruptured (bulging or broken) or have caused other conditions, such as osteoarthritis (a breakdown of the tissue that protects joints) or spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the channel within the spine that holds the spinal cord).  

Chiropractic physicians are specially trained to diagnose the underlying causes of back pain and to recognize when specific types of treatment may be either ineffective or harmful in situations where patients have degenerative disc disease. Since they are often skilled in a wide range of conservative, non-surgical therapies, most chiropractors will recommend low-force, non-thrusting techniques in situations involving disc degeneration and related complications. They may also employ traditional spinal adjustments based upon the results of a careful evaluation of the patient.

Chiropractic care generally focuses on addressing back pain at its source as well as improving the spine’s stability and mobility. While there is no cure for degenerative disc disease, an effective treatment plan will usually combine manual therapies (such as manipulation or massage) with supervised exercise and/or nutritional programs and lifestyle changes designed to minimize its impact.

If you’re wondering what chiropractic care could do for you or someone you care about, please call Dr. Wintermute at (949) 559-7999 today to schedule a consultation.

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Bibliography
 
Degenerative Disc Disease - Topic Overview. (2011, July 21). Retrieved September 2011, from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/tc/degenerative-disc-disease-topic-overview
 
Arn Strasser, D. (n.d.). How a Chiropractor Treats Degenerative Disc Disease. Retrieved September 2011, from spineuniverse.com: http://www.spineuniverse.com/experts/how-chiropractor-treats-degenerative-disc-disease
 
New York Times Back Pain In-Depth Report. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2011, from nytimes.com: http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/back-pain-low/print.html
 
Peter F. Ullrich JR, M. (n.d.). Degenerative Disc Disease. Retrieved September 2011, from spine-health.com: http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/degenerative-disc-disease/what-degenerative-disc-disease

Chiropractics vs Back Surgery

Comparing the Risks: Spinal Manipulation versus Back Surgery 

While most people seeking medical care for back or neck pain recognize that they may have treatment options (often including chiropractic care and surgery), many do not understand the potential benefits and risks associated with those choices.

Patients who ask family, friends or coworkers for advice all too often hear secondhand stories about healthcare “miracles” or “nightmares” experienced by a friend’s uncle, a wife’s boss or a father’s golfing buddy.

The clinical facts—on the other hand—are often less accessible to the average person and tend to leave a smaller impression. However, for those who want a broader perspective on their treatment options, there are several high-quality research resources available. The American Journal of Medicine and Spine (among others) have featured information on the risks involved with surgery and spinal manipulation.

Headline:  Both Surgery and Manipulation Present Risks

Patients who are suffering with neck pain and considering both surgery and chiropractic treatment should be aware of the risks and discuss them openly with their healthcare providers.

In the case of any surgery, there may be serious complications from anesthesia, excessive bleeding, blood clots that lead to pulmonary embolism and infection. These general risks are added to the more specific risks of surgery on the spine. These may include a dural tear (the dura surrounds the spinal cord and a tear can cause leaking of cerebrospinal fluid), spinal cord injury and persistent or increased pain from an unsuccessful procedure.

Spinal manipulation may also cause dangerous complications. Spinal manipulation has been associated with disc herniation, cauda equina syndrome (pain, weakness or loss of bladder and bowel function) and vertebrobasilar accident (a tear in a major artery of the neck). These complications can be just as serious as the complications associated with surgery. 

If similarly severe complications may result from either course of treatment, how can a patient weigh the risk of each option? Managing risk isn’t just about understanding “worst-case”-type scenarios, it’s also about understanding how likely these and other complications are to occur. This is where some additional research findings can help. 

How Frequently Do Serious Complications Actually Occur?

In April 2010, the journal Spine (published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins) included an article that summarized the incidence of adverse events in spinal surgery based on the authors’ review and analysis of the existing literature.

They found complication rates for spinal surgery ranging from 5% to 19%. Similarly, the American Journal of Medicine in 2002 published the results of a study that examined the incidence of serious adverse events for spinal manipulation. By comparison, researchers involved in that work reported complication rates ranging from one out of every 400,000 manipulations to one out of every two million.

So now we can see that the risk of a serious adverse event from spinal manipulation is extremely low relative to the risk posed by surgery. That’s one reason that the Mayo Clinic and many other reliable healthcare organizations around the world consider spinal manipulation very safe when performed by someone trained and licensed to provide this type of chiropractic care.

Whenever we talk about risk, it’s always important to remember that almost everything we do can be ‘associated’ with some type of adverse event. Driving a car, handling scissors, and even eating dinner can all lead to serious complications. The best way to handle these risks, including the risks of spinal manipulation, is to understand them and keep them in perspective.

Healthcare providers are uniquely qualified to help you do that. If you or someone you care about is interested in chiropractic care—including its potential benefits and risks — please call Dr. Wintermute at (949) 559-7999 to make an appointment.

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References
 
Dekutoski, MD, M. B., Norvell, PhD, D. C., Dettori, PhD, J. R., Fehlings, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS, M.G., & 

Chapman, MD, J. R. (2010). Surgeon Perceptions and Reported Complications in Spine Surgery. Spine, 35(9S).  Retrieved August 31, 2011, from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/721611

Staff, M. C. (n.d.). Chiropractic adjustment: Risks - MayoClinic.com. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved August 31, 2011, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chiropractic-adjustment/MY01107/DSECTION=risks

Stevinson, MS, C., & Ernst, MD, PhD, E. (2002). Risks Associated With Spinal Manipulation. The American Journal of Medicine, 112(7), 566-571. Retrieved August 31, 2011, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002934302010689