Tidbits Blog – Page 16

Should you bring your sick child to a Chiropractor?

November 24, 2009 by Terry Weyman

By: Dr. Amir Mahmud

With the flu season upon us and both kids and adults getting sick I decided to write an article about how kids can benefit from regular chiropractic care in boosting their immune system and keeping their bodies healthy as they grow. So can chiropractic care really help kids? Let’s take a look at different stages of a kid’s life, how they might get injured, and as a result benefit from an adjustment.
One of the first places the human body encounters stress is at birth. The birthing process can be and is often very traumatic to an infant. One easy method to tell if a baby’s neck is misaligned is to watch where he or she looks in a car seat. If the baby constantly looks in the same direction, the vertebrae in their neck are most likely fixed.

As babies grow and learn to crawl and walk, they tend to fall. As a result they start to affect proper joint and muscle motion. As they continue to grow their spines are modified by their newly acquired body positions and by gravity. It is important to have a child’s spine checked at the major milestones of development, especially at the crawling and walking stages to ensure they have proper biomechanics.

As kids start playing sports, especially contact sports they start noticing aches and pain in their backs. Heading the ball when playing soccer, sliding into bases during little league, being hit by the ball or by other players in baseball or basketball can all cause misalignments in a child’s spine.

In addition to restoring proper biomechanics, adjustments can also help kids with boosting their immune system by enhancing the communication of the nervous system. Furthermore, Infantile Colic and Otitis Media are two common childhood conditions in which research has shown chiropractic can provide beneficial effects.

Infantile Colic:

This condition is described as unexplainable and uncontrollable crying in babies up to 3 months of age for more than 3 hours per day, more than 3 days a week, and for more than 3 weeks. Additional symptoms include the baby’s knees pulled up to the chest, clenched fist, and extension of the trunk or extremities. A Denmark study (Klougart N, Nilsson N, Jacobsen J. Infantile colic treated by chiropractors: a prospective study of 316 cases. J Manip Physiol Ther 1989; 12(4): 281-8) showed that 94% of the infants who received chiropractic care noted a significant decrease of crying time within two weeks of treatment.

Otitis Media:

This condition is described as a clinical term for middle ear infection. The child can present with tugging on the ear, poor sleep, fever, irritability, ear and nasal discharge, decreased appetite and crying. By the age of 3, over two thirds of children have had a middle ear infection. A study conducted on 332 children (ages 27 days to 5 years old) with recurrent bouts of Otitis Media, who showed no response to antibiotics, showed that after getting adjusted the children healed quickly and had fewer repeat infections.Falon JM. The role of the chiropractic adjustment in the care and treatment of 332 children with Otitis Media. Journal of clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. 1997;2(2):167-183

So bring in your kids to your Chiropractor and lets all stay healthy in the upcoming holiday season!!!

Dr. Amir Mahmud is one of the Sports Chiropractors at Chiropractic Sports Institute in Westlake Village. You can contact him at www.gotcsi.com

Cell phones- are they as safe as you think?

November 8, 2009 by Terry Weyman

By Dr. Terry Weyman

Some patients call me the “Cell Phone Ogre”. With the “no cell phone” signs in the office, I have set a policy that all cell phones are to be turned off when coming to CSI. Well, studies are showing that there are more reasons to turn off your phone other than, “We don’t want to hear other people’s conversations”. Cell phones are becoming a staple in the 21st century. Approximately 60,000 to 70,000 cell phones are sold each day in the United States. Over 110+ million Americans use cell phones. And worldwide, it is estimated that approximately 1 billion people use cell phones. As the number of cell phones, cell phone towers, and other wireless antennas increase rapidly in industrialized nations, should you be concerned about the effects that regular exposure to radio frequency radiation can have on your health?

If you are a parent, an athlete or one who is fighting illnesses or stress, the answer is yes, you SHOULD be concerned about the effect that wireless devices and broadcasting antennas can have on your health. We research our schools, we research before we make large purchases, but when it comes to our health or making healthy decisions we sometimes “go with the flow”. As a society we are, at times, more concerned about how we may appear to others than making the right decision that will effect our well being. There are a few websites that every parent, athlete, student and businessperson should visit. The information MAY save your health, give you some valuable tips, and or teach you how you can get more “power from your body”. The information is out there, to ignore it is well, ignorance at its best. To think this does not pertain to you, well that is just plain, shall I say it, yep, stupid. The excuse to give your child a cell phone so you can stay in touch is truly, more a control issue than a valuable argument. Please, take the time to read these studies. There are many more where these came from. After reading through them, ask the hard questions, what if they are right?

Council on Wireless Technology impacts http://energyfields.org.
Cell phone dangers http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/newcelldangers.htm
Two year study on cell phone dangers: http://www.rense.com/general26/2yrs.htm
Many Nations banning cell phones for kids http://drbenkim.com/cell-phone-warnings.htm
Europe reports on cell phone dangers http://www.rense.com/general60/tetra.htm
Mobile radiation and health http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health

Some of the highlights of all the studies point in the same direction, possible danger! Cell phones and wireless phones emit microwave radiation that can effect all the cells in our bodies. Think of putting a glass of water in a microwave oven and turn it on. What does the water do? It boils. Below are key points brought up in many of the studies

1. Regular exposure to radio frequency radiation may interfere with the electrical fields of our cells. Cell and wireless phones are bad, blue tooth ear pieces are the worst! Common health challenges that have been linked to regular exposure to radio frequency radiation include:
o Abnormal cell growth and damage to cellular DNA
o Difficulty sleeping, depression, anxiety, and irritability
o Childhood and adult leukemia
o Eye cancer
o Immune system suppression
o Brain and jaw cancer
o TMJ disorder
o Calcium uptake issues
o Hearing and ear problems
o Attention span deficit and memory loss
o Infertility

2. Children are at much higher risk than adults of experiencing health problems related to regular exposure to radio frequency radiation; thinner and smaller skulls translate to greater absorption of radio frequency. Many countries are looking to ban cell phones usage for children under 12. Russia is looking at banning under the age of 18.

3. From the early 1950’s to the mid 1970’s, the U.S. embassy in Moscow was purposefully bombarded by radio frequency radiation 24 hours a day. The U.S. embassy workers experienced what the perpetrators identified as “Radio Frequency Sickness Syndrome.”
After some time of concentrated radio frequency radiation exposure, the American ambassador developed leukemia. The next American ambassador also developed leukemia. Blood tests performed on embassy staff members showed irreversible DNA damage.

4. Dr. Jerry Phillips, a biochemist researcher, began studying cell phone safety for Motorola more than a decade ago. When he started generating data that indicated that cell phones have negative effects on human health, Motorola took a number of steps to delay publication of Dr. Phillips’ work.
According to Dr. Phillips, Motorola’s main concerns with his data were how to handle public relations and how to spin the results in a way that was favorable to the industry.
Dr. Phillips also indicates that the only significant money that is available to do research on cell phone safety issues is industry money. This is why he has no faith in studies that are coming out.

5. You can use a radio and microwave detector to measure the amount of harmful radiation that your living and work spaces are penetrated by. The detector used in the documentary is called the “Microalert Radio/Microwave Alarm.”
Recommendations for Cell safety: (according to wikipedia)
Some national radiation advisory authorities, including those of Austria, France, Germany, and Sweden have recommended measures to minimize exposure to their citizens. Examples of the recommendations are:
• Use hands-free to decrease the radiation to the head.
• Keep the mobile phone away from the body.
• Do not use telephone in a car without an external antenna.

The use of “hands-free” was not recommended by the British Consumers’ Association in a statement in November 2000, as they believed that exposure was increased. However, measurements for the (then) UK Department of Trade and Industry and others for the French l’Agence française de sécurité sanitaire environnementale showed substantial reductions. In 2005 Professor Lawrie Challis and others said clipping a ferrite bead onto hands-free kits stops the radio waves travelling up the wire and into the head.
It’s said we only use a small portion of our brains ultimate potential. As a society we keep advancing the technology but are these advancements always for the better? Sometimes yes, but sometimes we exchange one evil for another. My goal is always looking at ways to achieve better health, higher athletic performance and mortal wellbeing. The topic of cell phone safety is not a new one and you can find position papers on both sides of the safety issue, but what does your gut, intuition and logic tell you? The answer to THAT may be your best defense of all!

Guidelines for Head injuries in contact sports

October 16, 2009 by Terry Weyman

In lieu of the recent tragedy that happened to the young football player in Simi Valley I have felt compelled to put this article together. Please share it with all your friends who participate in high action and contact sports. I have been associated with high action and contact sports for over 20 years and it saddens me when I hear of accidents such as this. Most of these accidents are just that, they are rare accidents. However, understanding brain injuries and knowing what to do is an important part of the “recovery” phase.

I recall an article that addressed head injuries in youth sports. On March 14, 1997, an Issue of MMWR of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes two cases of second-impact syndrome that resulted in deaths. One case involved a high school football player in 1991 and the other a college football player. In each case, the player did not require hospitalization, and each player was sent home for close monitoring with no follow up guidelines. The American Academy of Neurology has developed guidelines for preventing second-impact syndrome and reducing the frequency of other cumulative brain injuries. These are different than the “Famed” Colorado guidelines and air on the side of being conservative.

Summary of Recommendations for Management of Concussions in Sports

The most common head injury is the concussion. Concussions are a form of brain injury that should not be taken lightly. The after effects of a concussion, post-concussion syndrome, can linger for days or weeks. Concussions are an unfortunate side effect of collision sports such as football, hockey, lacrosse, motorcycle and bicycle riding. They range in severity from the minor (“I just had my bell rung”) to major, life threatening brain contusions (“he was knocked out cold”).

A concussion is defined as a clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient post-traumatic impairment of neural function owing to mechanical forces. A concussion occurs when the body is moving rapidly through space and suddenly stops. Keep in mind that the brain is traveling at the same velocity as the rest of the body. When the body suddenly stops, the brain continues to move at the same velocity in the same direction. The brain then hits the skull and bounces back, hitting the opposite side of the skull until it loses momentum. This occurs due to the fact that the brain is floating in the cerebral spinal fluid, and does not actually touch the skull.

When the brain strikes the skull, a portion of it is damaged. When enough damage is done, it begins to operate improperly. This is when the outsider notices the symptoms of the concussion. The effects of these repeated blows to the brain are cumulative, that is, one blow intensifies the effects of the previous. Because of this, an athlete may take what appears to be a slight blow to the head or body and then show the symptoms of the concussion.

There is no standard classification system for concussions. Four of the leading researchers in head injuries maintain their own classification system. The symptoms of each degree of concussion are often very similar, and it is easy to be confused when assessing a head injury. However, the latest protocol that is recognized as the leader is the information by the ANA (American Neurological Association).

Definitions from the ANA and treatment recommendations for each category are presented below.

Grade 1 Concussion

• Definition: Transient confusion, no loss of consciousness, and a duration of mental status abnormalities under 15 minutes.

• Management: The athlete should be removed from sports activity, examined immediately and at 5 minute Intervals, and allowed to return that day to the sports activity only if post concussive symptoms resolve within 15 minutes. Any athlete who incurs a second Grade 1 concussion on the same day should be removed from sports activities until asymptomatic for 1 week.

Grade 2 Concussion

• Definition: Transient confusion, no loss of consciousness, and a duration of mental status abnormalities15 minutes or longer.

• Management: The athlete should be removed from sports activity and examined frequently to assess the evolution of symptoms, with more extensive diagnostic evaluation if the symptoms worsen or persist longer than 1 week. The athlete should return to sports activity only after being asymptomatic for 1 full week. Any athlete who incurs a Grade 2 concussion subsequent to a Grade 1 concussion on the same day should be removed sports activities until asymptomatic for 2 weeks.

Grade 3 Concussion

• Definition: Loss of consciousness either brief (seconds) or prolonged (minutes or longer).

• Management: The athlete should be removed from sports activity for I full week without symptoms if the loss of consciousness is brief or for 2 full weeks without symptoms if the loss of consciousness is prolonged. If still unconscious or if abnormal neurologic signs are present at the time of initial evaluation, the athlete should be transported by ambulance to the nearest trauma hospital. An athlete that has suffered a second grade 3 concussion should be removed from sports activity until asymptomatic for 1 month. Any athlete with an abnormality on CT or MRI brain scan consistent with brain swelling, contusion, or other intracranial pathology should be removed from sports activities for the season and discouraged from future return to participation in contact sports. Source: New standards for head trauma subcommittee, American Academy of neurology 1997

With any head injury the patient needs to be monitored (no matter what the patient says, does or thinks) by a parent, mature teammate or friend. Since a head injury can alter mental function, personality and the ability to make clear and well thought out decisions, sometimes the decisions are left up to the “significant other”. Following any head injury a comprehensive exam should follow to insure the athletes safety. Also, knowing what to do if any injury occurs can mean the difference, at times, between life and death.

Patient instructions following a head injury

Before I tell you what not to do if you SUSTAIN an injury, I need to address a common problem that many athletes do prior to “game time”. Since a concussion is essentially a “bruise to the brain” anything you take prior to participation that could thin the blood is not recommended. If you participate in any high impact sport DO NOT take aspirin, advil, alleve or any other supplement or medication prior to participation due to the fact that this could thin the blood and make ANY bleed worse.

Common symptoms of a head injury include: headaches, nausea and slight dizziness. There may be swelling and pain at the site of impact. A head injury can cause slow bleeding or other problems inside the head that may not be detected at the initial exam. Make sure you consult any health care provider if any symptoms change or worsen.

Home treatment:

• Do not take any sedatives or sleeping pills
• Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen, motrin, advil, alleve, nuprin or any other medication that can thin the blood
• If needed, the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) is recommended for pain only
• Do not drink alcohol or tea
• Do not exert yourself or participate in PE (follow guidelines above)
• Do not eat or drink much for the first 24 hours (clear liquids are the best)
• Sleep with head slightly elevated
• Avoid hot tubs and Jacuzzis for the first 48 hours

I hope this information is helpful to anyone involved with high action or contact sports. Be safe so you can play another day! Please pass this on to anyone you may know and have them sign up for our newsletter for more upcoming tips. www.gotcsi.com

The Swine flu

October 8, 2009 by Terry Weyman

What is “Swine Flu” or H1N1?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Swine flu (official name is H1N1) is a new version of the influenza virus. The Swine flu was first detected in the US in April 2009. The reason this strand of influenza virus is called the “Swine Flu” is because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to the influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs (swine).

How can Swine Flu be transmitted and who can it affect?

Swine flu can be transmitted from person to person just like the regular flu does by coughing or sneezing. It can also be transmitted by touching an object that the virus is on and then touching your nose or mouth.
One thing that is different between the Swine Flu and the seasonal flu is that the Swine Flu does not affect adults older than the age of 64 as much as it does affect children and adults younger than the age of 60. The reason for this is that it has been found that people under the age of 60 do not have the existing antibodies in them which would naturally protect them from the virus.

What are the symptoms of the Swine Flu?

Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. In severe cases the swine flu can progress and symptoms vary depending on the age group. The following is a breakdown on how the symptoms vary in children and adults.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Prevention:
Here are some recommendations on how to prevent you from getting sick:
• Practice good hygiene (cover your mouth while coughing/sneezing,wash your hands with warm water and soup prior to eating)
• Avoid close contact with sick individuals
• Drink plenty of water
• Get adequate sleep (7-8 hours/night)
• Avoid alcohol use
• Avoid tobacco use
• Avoid excessive intake of sugars
• Exercise 3-5 days per week
• Get adjusted regularly???

o So you might ask “how can getting adjusted regularly prevent me from getting sick?”

 According to a study performed by Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York’s Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University, the chiropractic patients were found to have a 200% greater immune competence than those people who had not received chiropractic care, and they had 400% greater immune competence than those people with cancer and other serious diseases.

Is there a natural cure for Swine Flu?

Although there are no natural cures for Swine Flu you can take remedies, vitamins, and minerals to help with fighting the virus and its symptoms.
• Treatment for Swine Flu Chest Congestion: Eucalyptus, tea tree and lemongrass oils rubbed on the chest for congestion
• Remedy for Swine Flu & Cold Symptoms:
Vitamin C with bioflavanoids (1000-3000mg/daily); Echinacea tincture daily, Zinc (50-100mg/daily)
• Some say that the flu “begins in the gut and ends in the gut”. This means that if you have good digestion, you will increase your resistance to this and other flu strains. Take a probiotic daily. Probiotics have been shown to be an effective natural treatment for swine flu.
• If you do feel the flu symptoms coming on, get adjusted to boost your immune system.
• Here at CSI we have had great success with treating the seasonal flu’s with our detox footbath combined with cold laser therapy.

Should I get vaccinated?

So here are some of the questions you might be asking yourself at this time.
Should I get vaccinated? Will the vaccine protect me? Is there a side effect to the vaccine?

Before I answer those questions let’s take a look at a few interesting facts.Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

According to the CDC “Most people who have become ill with this new virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment”. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

They go on to state that “Each year, in the United States, on average 36,000 people die from flu-related (seasonal flu) complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes”.

Now back to answering the questions about vaccination.

• One thing to keep in mind is that viruses are great at mutating and changing into a different strain, so it is difficult to come up with a vaccine that effectively will prevent you from getting sick. And if you do decide to get the vaccine you are not 100% guaranteed to be safe from the virus.
• Once you do take the vaccine there might be side effects. The last ‘Swine Flu outbreak’ in the U.S. was in 1976 and according to the statistics from that outbreak:
o More people died from the vaccination than from swine flu
o 500 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) were detected.
 GBS is auto immune disorder, affecting the peripheral nerves and causing paralysis, inability to breathe, and even death.
• http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/gbs_qa.htm
o The vaccine may have increased the risk of contracting GBS by eight times.
o The vaccine was withdrawn after just ten weeks when the link with GBS became clear.
o The US Government was forced to pay out millions of dollars to those affected
Having said all this, I am not trying to down play the seriousness of the flu but before you go out there and inoculate yourself with a vaccine, educate yourself and learn the truth.

Dr. Amir Mahmud

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED?

October 4, 2009 by Terry Weyman

By: Dr. Terry Weyman

It’s HOT. With the heat, talks of dehydration and heat related illness come to the headlines. Southern California’s hot fall football games, firefighters working the fires, cycling and Triathlons, Fall Motocross races, soccer games and other fall sports. To stay safe you need to understand and comprehend water intake and the requirements each body has to function on a normal level. In the news several months ago, there was a report about 10 people who were taken to the hospital for heat related illness at a rock concert over the weekend. With the fires blazing last week, firefighters need to maintain a high level of fluid intake to maintain body function. Body water and athletic performance are directly connected, and when understood, can be the difference between a winning performance and or/ survival.

Your body needs about 1 ml of water for every calorie that you expend. For example, if you burn 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day (moderate to aggressive athletic workouts), you would need between 4 to 5 liters of fluid to replace what was lost and to keep the biochemistry in proper balance. Monitoring body weight before and after training is the best way to keep up with your body’s fluid needs, which sweating increases. If you don’t believe that hydration can affect athletic performance ask Lance Armstrong. He lost 15 lbs due to dehydration following the first time trial of the Tour de France in 2002 and suffered the next few days more than usual.

Although a 2% weight loss due to dehydration may not cause any “symptoms”, it does decrease physical and mental performance.

Water Loss as % of Body Weight
2% – Difficulty in controlling normal body temperature
3% – Reduced muscular endurance time
4%-6% – Reduced strength, power, endurance and heat cramps
6% – Severe heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke

During exercise, especially in the heat, some of the water that naturally circulates through your body is used by your sweat glands. Inadequate fluid balance can result in a chain reaction that can be severely detrimental to your health. The first step in this reaction is a decrease in blood volume, which increases the heart rate in an attempt to get the fluids to the vital organs. The body’s next reaction is to constrict the blood vessels in order to maintain proper blood pressure. However, this reaction will cause the body temperature to rise due to the heat produced by the working muscles which can’t be transported to the skin’s surface. This leads to heat illnesses such as heat cramps, exhaustion and heat stroke.

To avoid this chain reaction you must stay properly hydrated during your exercise. The recommended fluid intake for exercise or training is 8 to 12 ounces fifteen minutes before you begin your exercises. During your training, drink 4-6 ounces every 10 to 15 minutes. After you have completed your training, you should consume 16 ounces for every pound lost (weigh yourself before and after exercise to determine weight loss). If you are working out longer than 60 minutes, a sports drink may be helpful in delaying fatigue by providing additional energy for working muscles. It will also be helpful in the overall chemistry balance since it will be replacing needed electrolytes that are lost during the sweating process. A 5 to 8% concentration of carbohydrates (as seen in most sports drinks) has been shown to be absorbed quickly. The small amount of electrolytes can also aid in the absorption of water from the intestines. A great product on the market for electrolyte replacement is a powder called Endura, made by a company called Metagenics. You can find this product at some bike shops or at health care facilities. Remember, this simple equation. First hour, water only. Second hour a mix of water and sport drink, third hour sport drink (electrolyte replacement). Due to the salts and sugars in the sports drinks, drinking too early can clog the sodium and calcium channels causing the athlete to go into a state of early dehydration. You can also increase the risks of cramping by drinking a sport drink too early.

With the heat of the summer here, be smart in your training. Do not exercise during the hottest times of the day (10-3), stay hydrated and properly warm up and cool down. To avoid heat illness and decrease your overall performance, remember this: an athlete should never be thirsty!

Dr. Terry Weyman is the clinic Director for the Chiropractic Sports Institute. All the Doctors at CSI specialize in the care of the active person. For further information they can be contacted at www.gotcsi.com

Should you bring your sick child to a Chiropractor?

Cell phones- are they as safe as you think?

Guidelines for Head injuries in contact sports

The Swine flu

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED?

About Dr. Terry Weyman

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