Dr. Kevin W. Ross's April 2004 RechargeYourLife.com Newsletter

We're back on line! It's been a long road, but thanks to one of our patients who is very adept in the internet, we are up and running again! There have been a number of changes behind the scenes, most of which will be transparent to you... but one you need to know about is the "unsubscribe" ability we have added. If you ever want to discontinue receiving our newsletter, you simply click on the link at the end of this newsletter and follow the directions. Hopefully, though, you enjoy this newsletter as much as we do preparing it for you... remember, the more we know about our bodies and things that affect it, the more able to make good decisions about our health!

We get a lot of questions about Kids and Chiropractic. Many people are relunctant to seek care for their kids even though they know the benefits of chiropractic for them. Let us reassure you, kids need chiropractic too! Everyone is better off with no subluxations. Did you know that over 40% of Dr. Ross' practice are made up of kids? Here's a wonderful success story from a mother of a young patient that just might give you or someone you know the encouragement they need to give the gift of chiropractic to their kids... (reprinted with permission)

I want to express my appreciation for the incredible way you helped our youngest daughter, Mia. Mia came to you at 6 months old, and after inquiring about her health, we noticed two things: Mia has several food allergies (although being breastfed exclusively, she is allergic to my eating dairy, corn, soy and oats). If I ate one of these "offending foods" Mia would have a red skin reaction within 6-8 hours, and quickly progress to eczema (rough, scaly red skin) on her legs and elbows. It would take a week or more to relieve her eczema, so long as no offending food was eaten during that time. The other issue was her bowel movements: I considered her breastfed movements of every 2-3 days to be a variation of normal, although my two older children had daily bowel movements as infants.

You identified that her pelvis was out of alignment, and after one adjustment, Mia changed. Within two days, she was having 2-3 bowel movements a day! I now realize that a variation in bowel movements may be an indication of subluxation, and will now be aware of this when speaking with mothers of babies who develop symptoms similar to Mia's.

Now that Mia has increased the number of daily bowel movements, I noticed a wonderful side effect. The increase in her bowel movements has allowed her system to clear out offending food allergies quicker, which means less exposure to the allergens. Consequently, her eczema cleared up! Now when I do eat an offending food, Mia's body still reacts, but the severity of her reaction in much less than before.

Thank you for treating Mia, and helping her body to work as it is designed to. As a certified childbirth educator, I teach couples how to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby through a positive birth experience and positive parenting practices. I provide resources to my couples, and I will continue to highly recommend you as a contact for the health and well being of their infants and children!

Mother stated that if not for chiropractic, baby would not have continued nursing due to problems latching. Baby had immediate latching after 1st adjustment.

2 year old walking affected by rotating foot. After adjusting hips and knees she has returned to a normal gait.

Small child suffering from reoccuring illness was far better and recovered more quickly and without antibiotics since getting adjusted.

Mom reports infant could not kick his legs out, but since starting care, he is kicking all over.

"Focus" problems of young boy since birth with problems now at school. Almost immediately after starting chiropractic care he no longer has focus problems, is much happer, active and outgoing.

Mom says baby with head tilt improving and taking better naps and more calm.

How to stay young and healthy
As we increase in years too many of us begin suffering from a very common condition called DS,

otherwise known as "disuse syndrome." It's often caused by getting into a rut and not climbing out!! Remember, if you don't use it, you lose it. If you stay indoors your skin gets pasty and dull; if you don't give your muscles something to do they get weaker and smaller; if you sit around your joints lose lubrication and age faster; if you don't drink enough water you dry up; if you don't stay creative you get bored and depressed; if you don't have love in your life you stupefy; if you don't correct your subluxations you lose energy, balance and deteriorate; if you don't eat nourishing foods you get sick - there are so many ways to do yourself in.
To cure DS: go for a walk every day, run around a bit, sing, make music, play, get some sun (it's good for you, just don't overdo it), drink lots of water, eat organic foods (and avoid junk), get massages, see us for spinal adjustments, give and get hugs and most importantly laugh a lot - preschoolers laugh an average of 400 times a day, adults only around 8 times a day (they seem to cry more too). What does that tell us? Open yourself up to laughter, love and tears and your heart will always be young. If your heart is young, your mind and body will surely follow. As 90 year old Jack LaLane, the world famous health advocate, chiropractor (and role model) says: "Old age is always 20 years away."
PS Hanging upside down is good too - it gives you a different perspective on life.

Our computer got hit
In this world of computer viruses it was just a matter of time before we got hit. We recently received the following message: "ALERT: You have just received the Amish Virus. Since we do not have electricity nor computers, you are on the honor system. Please delete all of your files. Thank thee."

Fibromyalgia and Chiropractic
Millions of people suffer from fibromyalgia: fatigue and radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning muscle, tendon and joint pains. Other symptoms include "tender points" on the neck, shoulders, chest, rib cage, lower back, thighs, knees, elbows and buttocks and increased sensitivity to pain, heat, cold, touch and bright lights.
As if the above weren't bad enough add sleeplessness, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, irritable bladder (interstitial cystitis), depression and/or anxiety. What can fibromyalgia sufferers do?

The medical approach
Fibromyalgia is a medical mystery. (1) Injections of novocaine, procaine and xylocaine; cooling sprays; muscle relaxant drugs; cortisone injections; and other drugs have been tried with mixed results. Heat, massage and other modalities have had limited success.
Research is pointing to spinal trauma as a cause. In one study adults with neck injuries had a 13 fold increase of fibromyalgia within one year of their injury. (2) Others have found an association between trauma and fibromyalgia. (3).

The chiropractic approach
More fibromyalgia sufferers are seeing chiropractors. In one study of 5 men and 18 women (age 11 to 76) with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome every patient was able to resume normal activities including full time work and maintained their improvements one year later at follow up. "Improvement in symptoms of 92-100% was achieved in both syndromes...." (4)
In another study 45.9% of those with fibromyalgia experienced moderate to great improvement under chiropractic care while anti-depressant medication benefited 36.3% and exercise helped 31.8%.(5) In another study 60% of patients had at least a 50% reduction in pain symptoms with chiropractic. (6) Similar results were found with those suffering from fibromyalgia with tender/trigger points, numbness, tingling, and pain.

Surely every fibromyalgia sufferer should visit a doctor of chiropractic. It may make the difference they're been searching for.

BabyWalkers
Another study shows babywalkers are a bad idea. Researchers studied 102 babies using babywalkers. Babywalker use was associated with delay in achieving normal milestones. "Babywalker use was not associated with achieving sitting with support, sitting alone, standing with support, and walking with support. We found strong associations, however, between the amount of babywalker use and the extent of developmental delay." Baby walkers also increase injuries in infancy. (7)

We're from the government and we're here to help you
"It's embarrassing. We had a paralegal who did bad research." Aliso Viejo, CA City Manager David J. Norman explaining why the city almost banned dihydrogen monoxide H20 (water) due to its perceived health risks.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/8185305.htm

Chiropractic Questions and Answers
What Is the Youngest Age for Chiropractic Care? There is no age limit. Newborns may need to be adjusted, especially if they had a difficult or traumatic birth. Chiropractors had adjusted sick newborns in hospitals with miraculous recoveries reported.
On the upper end of life, people can be adjusted well into their advanced years with no ill effects. Of course your chiropractor is trained to know if there is any condition that would contra-indicate a certain adjustment technique and we tailor our care to every patient so that they get the spinal adjustment that is the safest and most comfortable for them to receive.
Chiropractic is for people of all ages.

Even teenagers need Chiropractic
Even alien life forms such as teenagers need spinal care. Bring in your child for a quick chiropractic check-up. We can't promise the music they listen to will be better but you never know - adjustments are known to do pretty incredible things. But they are able to locate subluxations they are carrying and correct them now before they cause problems later.

Words of wisdom
Our cells are constantly eavesdropping on our thoughts and being changed by them. A bout of depression can wreak havoc with the immune system; falling in love can boost it. Despair and helplessness raise the risk of heart attacks and cancer, thereby shortening life. Joy and fulfillment keep us healthy and extend life. This means that the line between biology and psychology can't really be drawn with any certainty. A remembered stress, which is only a wisp of thought, releases the same flood of destructive hormones as the stress itself. - Deepak Chopra

Chiropractic and Spinal Research

Remember, all people can benefit from chiropractic care no matter what condition they may have.
Disc herniation. A 44 year-old man had severe neck pain, constant burning, left arm pain, left shoulder pain and left index finger tingling. An MRI scan revealed a large left herniated disc at the C6-7 level. By the fifth week of chiropractic care the patient's symptoms completely resolved. An MRI 14 months later revealed that the herniation had disappeared. (8)
Whiplash and lower back. This study interviewed 52 patients who had been involved in a whiplash injury. The patients in this study had no previous motor vehicle accidents, were wearing lap and harness seat belts and had no previous low back pain. The researchers found that 85% of the patients reported lower back pain after the whiplash. People who suffer whiplash injuries will go on to develop low back pain. (9)
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is the case of a 10-year-old boy with a three year history of hyperactivity, ear infections, headache and allergic symptoms. Chiropractic analysis revealed cranial, cervical, thoracic and pelvic subluxations. After his first few adjustments all his physical health problems had cleared up. By his 11th adjustment all hyperactivity symptoms had abated. (10)

Hot tub ok if you have high blood pressure?
You've read the signs at the side of the hotel Jacuzzi or hot tub saying if you have a heart problem or high blood pressure it's not safe to enter. But is that really true? Not according to researchers who assessed the health risks for themselves. They got 21 patients with stable hypertension to sit in a hot tub for 10 minutes and guess what? Their blood pressure actually went down when they were in the tub, and then rose within 10 minutes of them getting out of the tub. (11)

Humor

Quantas Airlines asks every pilot to fill out a form called a gripe sheet, telling mechanics problems encountered with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problem, writing on the lower half of the form the action taken. Below are examples of actual forms. By the way, Quantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident. (P = problem logged by pilot. S = Solution and action taken by the mechanics.)

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're there for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

See you next month - and don't forget to stay young by using your body and mind and heart every day. Don't forget to call your mother (and father).

Want copies of this newsletter for your friends? Please feel free to forward this to them (hey - this isn't Napster! Share it with your friends with our blessings!) Please remember that everyone needs to be free from subluxations, so bring your friends and loved ones for a spinal checkup.

Have a great and healthy day!
Dr. Ross

References
1. Wolf F, Anderson J, Harkness D et al. Prospective, longitudinal study of service utilization and costs in fibromyalgia. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 1997;40:1560-1570.
2. White KP and Carette S. Trauma and fibromyalgia: is there an association and what does it mean? Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2000;29(4):200-216.
3. Buskila D, Neumannn L, Vaisberg G, et al. Increased rates of fibromyalgia following cervical spine injury: a controlled study of 161 cases of traumatic injury. Arthritis Rheum. 1997;40:446-452.
4. Amalu WC. Upper cervical management of primary fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome cases. Today's Chiropractic. May/June 2000;76-86.
5. Hain S and Hain F. Combined ischemic compression and spinal manipulation in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a preliminary estimate of dose efficacy. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2000;23(4):225-230.
6. Blunt KL, Rajwani MH and Guerriero RC. The effectiveness of chiropractic management of fibromyalgia patients: a pilot study. J Manipulative Physiological Therapy. 1997;20(6):389-99.
7. Garrett, M. et al Locomotor milestones and babywalkers: cross sectional study. British Medical Journal 2002;324:1494 ( 22 June ) http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/324/7352/1494
8. Reabsorption of a herniated cervical disc following chiropractic treatment utilizing the atlas orthogonal technique: a case report. Robinson, Kevin. Abstracts from the 14th annual upper cervical spine conference Nov 22-23, 1997, Life University, Marietta, Ga. Pub. in Chiropractic Research Journal, Vol. 5, No.1, Spring 1998.
9. The relationship between whiplash injury and subsequent lower back complications. Neel SS et al. Chiropractic Oct 1988;1(3):86-88.
10. Case study: the effect of utilizing spinal manipulation and craniosacral therapy as the treatment approach for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Phillips CJ. Proceedings on the National Conference on Chiropractic and Pediatrics (ICA), 1991:57-74.
11. CMAJ, 2003;169:1265-8.