Why Do We Do What We Do?

There’s an experiment that I’ve heard about involving a frog. I’ve never done this myself, nor do I suggest you do it because you’ll kill the frog!

If you take a little frog and drop it into a beaker of boiling water, it will immediately jump out, of course. However, if you take the same frog and place it in a beaker of room temperature water, then gradually heat the water to boiling, the frog will not jump out. It will literally sit in the water and boil to death!

What’s the difference between the two scenarios? The first is sudden and the second is gradual.

The second situation seems completely ridiculous (even for a frog!), but don’t we do the same thing ourselves on a daily basis? When it comes to our health, except in the cases of sudden and dramatic injury or illness, most people pay virtually no attention to this all-pervasive aspect of our lives. Then, once the inevitable breakdown occurs, we reach out for medication (prescription or non-prescription) to manage our problem. Eventually, however, this short-sighted approach will eventually fail, and then we must undergo surgery, heart by-pass, chemotherapy, etc.

I see this all-too-common scenario everyday in practice. You can certainly see it in hospitals! The tragedy of all this is that much of the time it could have been prevented.

The big advantage that we have over the frog is that we possess the power of reason and can choose to take a proactive wellness approach to our health. This, of course, requires a high level of self-esteem, commitment, and perseverance. However, the rewards can be so great and wonderful that it’s worth this effort. You may have heard that the magnitude of the reward is proportional to the difficulty of the task. That’s what’s operating here.

Unfortunately, this personal responsibility is not one that is nurtured or fostered in our society, and we’ll be discussing this in more detail next month. See you then!

Dr. Paul is the owner of Weber Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre in Port Hope. He can be reached at 905-885-9306 www.drpaulweber.com.

Who's the Doctor, Doctor?

Turn on any television medical drama or soap opera and what do you see? Young, heroic doctors dramatically rescuing people from the jaws of death. The news is frequently inundated with stories about a new wonder drug, miracle cure or high surgery for this or that terrible disease. Most of the time we thank our doctors profusely when they help us with some troubling ailment. And the worse the affliction, the more lavish the praise. Indeed, I have been the recipient of such gratitude on numerous occasions throughout my career.

Of course, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t feel a profound sense of satisfaction when my chiropractic ministrations have made a positive change in the health condition of a patient. But I must tell you that when you get better neither I nor any doctor can take the credit. Why? Well, let me ask you: Who is really doing the healing, you or the doctor? It’s YOU!!!

Let’s look at a few examples. Suppose you get a cut on your finger. After cleaning the wound, you put some antibiotic ointment on and a bandage over the cut. And in a few days, the cut has healed. But try this experiment: Take a nail and scratch the paint on your car. Then rub some antibiotic ointment on the scratch and put a bandage in place. How long do you think you’ll have to wait before the paint scratch heals up? You might be waiting a long time!

How about some more gruesome examples: Let’s say you went into a morgue, broke the leg of a cadaver, and then placed an immobilizing cast on the leg. Once again, you might be waiting a very long for the broken bone to mend.

Or what if I, as a chiropractor, gave an adjustment to this same cadaver? What do you think would happen? Nothing!

So you see, no matter what intervention is applied, no matter how skilful or elaborate, no healing or recovery will occur unless this doctoring is applied to a living breathing, human being with the ability to self-heal. In other words, you’re the doctor!! Pat yourself on the back! All the people we call “doctors” are really just facilitators of healing, albeit very essential and necessary facilitators.

Of course, all this miraculous self-healing and self-regulating activity that you do on a daily basis is ultimately controlled by your nervous system, which is precisely the area of concentration for chiropractors.

So, next time you have a great healing experience, go ahead and thank the doctor…both doctors! 

Dr. Paul is the owner of Weber Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre in Port Hope. He can be reached at 905-885-9306. http://www.drpaulweber.com/

Chiropractic During Pregnancy?      

Over the last 2 months we covered the issue of chronic ear infections. Prior to that, we discussed bedwetting. We’ll be looking at other common childhood health issues in future columns, however, this month I’d like to discuss where the good health of your children really begins…before birth!

It certainly goes without saying that the health of a mother-to-be will profoundly affect the health of her child in utero. Today’s modern women, especially pregnant ones, are much more knowledgeable about diet and nutrition, exercise, etc. and how maintaining optimal health will ensure the greatest chance of a healthy child and minimize the possibility of complications during pregnancy and labour.

Many women also realize the importance of regular chiropractic care during this critical time. Indeed, if there’s one group of people who need chiropractic spinal check-ups more than any other, it’s pregnant women. This is true because of the physical and chemical changes that a woman’s body goes through as pregnancy ensues. As weight gradually increases in the abdomen, the centre of gravity shifts, often resulting in back pain. Contributing to the picture, hormonal changes relax the ligaments of the pelvis, allowing for stretching during childbirth. This increased flexibility can aggravate spinal problems.

By reducing the effects of spinal stress, chiropractic care will enable the mother to remain active throughout her pregnancy.

In fact, chiropractic care may even make labour and delivery easier. A study conducted by Irvin Henderson (a member of The American Medical Association) concluded that women who received chiropractic care during the 3^rd trimester of pregnancy were able to carry and deliver with more comfort.

So now let’s try to clear up a few questions that many mothers-to be have:

Do I need to have back pain to see a chiropractor? No. Chiropractic care should be considered preventive maintenance. And of course, it might make your labour easier, even if you don’t have pain right now.

Will it be difficult or uncomfortable to receive chiropractic adjustments as my abdomen gets bigger? Not at all. Chiropractors are trained to adjust the spines of pregnant women, and many adjusting tables have special modifications for this purpose.

How late in pregnancy can I receive adjustments? You can receive adjustments even during labour.

Can my new baby receive chiropractic care? Due to the potential trauma of birth (especially in the upper spine), it is essential that newborns be checked by a chiropractor and receive an adjustment, if needed. Naturally very gentle special techniques are used.

In summary, by optimizing your well-being, chiropractic can help you to focus on the beautiful experience of pregnancy and the intimate bond between mother and child.

 

Dr. Paul is the owner of Weber Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre in Port Hope. He can be reached at 905-885-9306

www.drpaulweber.com

Chronic Ear Infections, Part 2

Last month we introduced the issue of chronic ear infections. Remember we stated that occasional ear infections are a very common occurrence in childhood. We also discussed the drawbacks of excessive antibiotic usage, namely, the possibility of encouraging drug-resistant bacteria. It’s usually best to allow your child’s own immune system to fight the infection, if possible. Childhood is, after all, a period of immune system building. This is why many in the medical community now take a wait-and-see approach first – good idea.

We also talked about the problem of chronic, recurrent ear infections, and that one of the most common treatments for these are the insertion of ear tubes. Again, there are risks associated with this surgery, such as the risks of general anaesthesia. There is also potential for scarring of the eardrum. Most importantly, however, is that although these tubes allow for drainage of fluid, they do not address the cause of the chronic infections in the first place. Remember that surgery is always an option you can turn to if all other measures have failed, but it most definitely should be the last option. Unfortunately, I see many parents (with the best of intentions, of course) who are too quick to go with this option.

So what about different approaches? As a chiropractor I see chronic ear infections as a malfunction of the immune system, and hence, lowered resistance; your child cannot fight off the infection adequately. This malfunction usually results from spinal stress which causes interference to the nervous system, especially in the upper cervical region (top bones of the neck, just below the skull).

So what causes this stress to the upper spine? Well, one of the most common causes is birth itself. How many of you have been through it? The stress of an average, uncomplicated delivery may cause a vertebral subluxation in the delicate bones of a baby’s spine, which in turn will affect the way your child’s nervous system and immune system reacts to the world around him. And since the nervous system controls a myriad of body functions, the same interference can manifest itself in different ways at different times of life. It may start out as colic in infancy, ear infections in the toddler years, ADHD later on, then finally headaches and migraines in the teen and adult years.

Once again, these various health issues are not the problem. They are effects, not the cause. You can treat each of these individually, or you can get to the root problem. A good analogy would be if all the lights in your house suddenly went out, would you change all the individual light bulbs, or would you check the fuse box? Obviously, the latter.

Many parents are turning to chiropractic to help with childhood health problems, including ear infections, and reporting fantastic results.

The following suggestions should help if your child suffers from recurrent earaches:

1. Avoid sugar, sweets, and junk food.
2. Avoid cow’s milk (call our office for alternatives)
3. Vitamin C daily
4. Echinacea

Most importantly, however, you need to have your child’s spine evaluated by a chiropractor, to check for spinal nerve stress.

For more information, please check out the websites listed below, and certainly give our office a call as soon as possible at 905-885-9306. We can help!

www.drpaulweber.com

http://www.icpa4kids.org/

Chronic Ear Infections, Part 1

Last month we talked about the problem of bed-wetting in children. This month I’d like to tackle another common childhood health issue: ear infections (especially chronic ear infections).

Childhood ear infections (otitis media) can sometimes be frightening to parents because they often appear suddenly, usually at night, and with little warning. Ear infection is the most common illness affecting babies and young children, and is the number one reason for visits to the paediatrician.

The most common treatment for ear infections is antibiotics, which can be effective if the culprit is bacterial, but will do nothing in the case of a viral infection. But according to many research studies, even antibiotics are not much more effective than the body’s own immune system. In fact, although there most definitely are times when antibiotic therapy is appropriate, many doctors now take a wait-and-see approach before reaching for the prescription pad.

Before I go further I should emphasize that I am not a medical doctor, and therefore I cannot give you specific advice about things like antibiotics. The purpose of this article is simply to provide general information and to make you think a little differently about this issue.

Having said all this, occasional ear infections are very common. I certainly suffered a few when I was a kid. Almost half of all children will have at least one middle ear infection before they’re a year old, and two-thirds by the age of 3. A much more troubling problem is the case of chronic, recurrent ear infections. This is where the child has one earache after the other, month after month. Usually, repeated doses of antibiotics are prescribed. However, repeated doses of antibiotics can lead to drug-resistant bacteria, a problem which is becoming increasingly recognized by the medical profession. Of course, if the antibiotics are of little or no effect, they are often followed by a surgical procedure called tympanostomy or myringotomy, commonly known as “ear tubes”. The purpose of the tubes is to relieve pressure in the ear and prevent fluid build-up. Although this treatment certainly serves that purpose, the procedure has to be repeated in 20-30% of cases. This surgery also requires general anaesthesia, which is not to be taken lightly with small children.

But regardless of the effectiveness or risks associated with these treatments, they don’t address the underlying cause of why your child suffers one earache after the next.  Why does little Jimmy get repeated infections, while his brother Joey, who lives in the same house, goes to the same school, and participates in many of the same activities, does not? The ear infections are the effect; but there has to be a cause for their continual recurrence.

We’ll delve into that issue next month. In the meantime, if your child suffers with this problem, please don’t wait till next month to find out the answer; call us. We’d be glad to help.

Also, don’t forget our website, Blog, and Facebook page if you’re looking for additional information. We’ll see you in May!

Bed Wetting

As I promised I would last month, I’m going to begin discussing the chiropractic management of specific health issues, although I may on occasion go back to some of the “general” ideas already presented (I don’t want you to forget this stuff!).

This month I’d like to discuss a topic which causes a lot of grief for many kids and their parents. I’m talking about the issue of nocturnal enuresis, AKA bed wetting.

All children, of course, wet the bed for the first few years of life, but by the age of 4 or 5, most kids should be able to establish proper bladder control. However, it is estimated that 20% of kids continue to wet the bed regularly after this age. Not OK! In most cases, bed-wetting is considered as an unfortunate childhood problem, and no treatment is sought. Many frustrated parents resign themselves to waiting until their child eventually grows out of the problem (hopefully, sooner rather than later!). In the meantime, we have a very uncomfortable, embarrassed and ashamed child.

Be wary of ads suggesting that it is okay for children to wet the bed because there are now school age diapers available. While the diaper may allow your child to participate in sleep-overs and similar activities, it is a band-aid solution. Diapers do not address the underlying cause of the problem.

Emptying the bladder is controlled by internal muscles (called the ditrusor and trigone muscles). Of course, as we’ve stated in previous articles, it is the nervous system which controls all the functions of your body, including these muscles! And so, if there is interference or “static” affecting the nerve signal to the bladder, malfunction and lack of bladder control can be the unfortunate result.

The nerves which control bladder control come primarily from the sacrum (tailbone). The sacrum develops as five separate segments, and remains that way until the onset of puberty, where the process of fusion begins and continues until the mid-twenties. But during early childhood, misalignment of one of the segments can occur from repeated trauma from falls, learning to walk, bouncing in car seats, etc. This in turn will cause irritation to the delicate nerves which exit from the tailbone, hence, resulting in a malfunctioning bladder.

The chiropractor’s job in these cases is to locate exactly where this nerve interference is occurring, then to correct the underlying cause of the problem. The results can be quite amazing! So, if your child is experiencing difficulty with bladder control, please call us. We can help!

One more thing: I’d like to thank my fellow SNAP contributor, Dr. Steven Levinson, for his vote of confidence for chiropractic in last month’s issue. And yes Dr. Levinson, my muscles are probably bigger than yours!

Dr. Paul is the owner of Weber Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre in Port Hope. He can be reached at 905-885-9306. Please check out our website.

www.drpaulweber.com

Time for Review

Hello again everyone! It’s good to be back here talking to you after a month’s hiatus. I think we should review what we discussed last year. Remember, that your nervous system is the master controlling system of your body. It’s the central computer that controls and coordinates all the myriad self-regulating and miraculous self-healing functions of the body.

So, if there is some kind of interference in the communication network of the nervous system (you body’s information highway), your body will “do its own thing” and the result is malfunction and ill-health. My job then as your chiropractor is to restore “law and order”.

Now, note what we said: Your nervous system controls and coordinates ALL of the body’s functions, not just the joints and not just pain. Yet, when I’m out in the community or at a social function, and someone whom I’ve just met finds out that I’m a chiropractor, what do you think usually happens next? That person will pretend he has a back injury, grab his lower spine and moan! Of course, this is all simply done in jest, but you can probably imagine for chiropractors after awhile this joke gets kind of…OLD!!

Seriously though, the truth is that chiropractic has a remarkable track record for the alleviation of back and neck pain, but it has so much more to offer. What about your uncle with his colitis, your sister’s infertility, or your next door neighbour’s menstrual cramps?

Next month I’ll begin to talk about some of these conditions in more detail, but to finish off this month’ installment, let’s discuss the chiropractic care of children.

When a new patient enters my office and I discover that person is a parent, I always encourage him or her to bring their children in for a spinal check-up. Why? Most young kids do not suffer from back pain, obviously. But as we’ve just discovered, many other ailments can arise from nerve interference. That’s why chiropractic can help kids with problems like ADHD, chronic ear infections, asthma, bed-wetting, etc.

But even when your children don’t suffer with these issues and are in apparent good health, it’s still wise to have their spines checked. Why? Because most of the problems I see as a chiropractor in adults actually have their origins in childhood. Remember we said last month that spinal health issues are usually insidious, just like dental problems. Think of all the bumps and falls your kids experienced when learning to walk or ride a bike? What about the tumbles they take out on the playing field. Your kids seem to recover from these stresses fairly easily, or do they? Much of the time these “harmless” injuries result in health issues decades later. It’s certainly something to think about.

For more information about chiropractic for kids, please check out the website of yours truly and that of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (both listed below).

We’ll see you in March!

Dr. Paul is the owner of Weber Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre in Port Hope. He may be reached at 905-885-9306.

www.drpaulweber.com

http://www.icpa4kids.org/