Allergy Relief & Chiropractic

The next time you sneeze, it may be a good time to visit a chiropractor. Yes, a chiropractor. Most people never think about it, but chiropractic care can help provide allergy relief.

That’s because chiropractic care, often thought necessary for only back and neck problems, can help with keeping the body operating at peak performance. The body’s immune system helps with preventing disease and infection, dealing with stress and overall well being. The immune system also tackles the invasion in a body of foreign substances such as pollution, dust, dead cells, etc. Current research is showing that there is a direct link between the nervous system and the immune system. Chiropractors remove nerve interference and allow the immune system to work optimally.

The immune system is affected by nerves and hormones. An immune system not operating effectively can:

- Fail to recognize and remove abnormal cells such as those that are cancerous.
- Be unable to fight infections.
- Overreact to things such as bee stings, penicillin, certain foods, pollen etc.
- Become depressed making you more vulnerable to disease.

Allergic reactions are the most frequent immune disorders and happen when the body’s immune system overreacts to allergens such as dust, pollen, pet dander, etc. The response is that the body overproduces neutralizing chemicals such as histamines to correct the problem.

What causes allergies? No one knows for sure. Some theories say it’s our increasing sterile environment. Others suspect the overuse of antibiotics and vaccinations. The idea here is our immune system is at its best when fighting off disease, parasites, and bacteria all by itself. The more we try and help it, the weaker it becomes. It is proven that children who live on farms and are exposed to different animals and the outdoors have fewer allergies than those who are not exposed.

Traditional allergy treatments only deal with the symptom without addressing the cause. This is because western medicine has no cure for allergies. Worse yet, antihistamines used over time or combined with other medication can be deadly. More recently, Canadian researcher Lorne Brandes, in an article published in the May 1994 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, has produced research showing that certain antihistamines (Claritin, Hismanal and Atarax) make cancerous tumors grow faster in lab rodents.

But just how can chiropractors help with such problems? The answer is simple, chiropractic care releases stress on a patient’s nervous system. This allows the immune system to operate more effectively, which is beneficial to anyone and especially those suffering from allergies.

The chiropractic approach is to remove subluxations, a term for a misaligned spinal vertebra interfering with a nerve's transmission. Subluxations place stress on the nervous system. Free from nervous system stress, your body will work more effectively to neutralize the allergy-causing chemicals in your environment.

No matter what disease or condition you have, you can benefit from a healthy spine. Spinal health can be as important for your overall healing as proper nutrition. Are you and your family carrying the vertebral subluxation complex in your spines? Only a chiropractic spinal checkup will tell. A healthy spine can improve your life – see your chiropractor for periodic spinal checkups.

Drs. Nicole & Hugo Orozco can be reached at (904) 425-8070 or at info@livewellforlife.com.

Chiropractic Care for Children Increasing

The headline above comes from a November 30, 2010 article on the news website AllVoices.com. This article starts off by reporting, "Increasing number of parents are now using chiropractic care as part of their children's health regimen." The author of the article, Debbie Nicholson, also notes that the Centers for Disease Control indicate that in the United States a minimum of 3% of all children regularly receive chiropractic care.

The article explains that chiropractic for children is used mostly for preventative and wellness care. The author notes, "Health of the spine impacts the total nervous system which controls and synchronizes all the systems contained in the body such as respiratory and immune."

In the second section of the article the author discusses Chiropractic care for learning disorders and dyslexia. Nicholson starts this section by reporting that the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research recently published a study showing that chiropractic care offers a broad range of benefits for children with learning disorders and dyslexia.

Nicholson explains how chiropractic helps by stating, "The ongoing stimulation of the brain comes from the spine and the position of muscles constantly change to the force of gravity. If a misalignment in the spine occurs called vertebral subluxation, the brain does not receive proper stimulation which produces problems in other areas of the body." She continues, "Chiropractic adjustments improve the functioning of the spine and vigorously stimulate the nerve pathways of the cerebellum and other brain areas. In children it aides the brain to function properly for learning.

The remainder of the article reports on case studies involving chiropractic helping children with headaches, sports injuries, hyperactivity and colic. In her conclusion to the article, Debbie Nicholson sums up the benefit of chiropractic for children by saying, "Many children even those of school age benefit from chiropractic care. A child's spine needs just as much attention as an adult. Adjustments made for functional problems which develop in a child's spine can be corrected by a chiropractor using adjustments geared to the source of the problem."

That is why 30% of our patients are the children of our patients. We firmly believe that the children are the future and that's why it's our highest priority to make sure they get there healthy!

Please ask us for more information about pediatric chiropractic and why every child, adult, and family should have their spines and nervous system's checked by a chiropractor regularly.  Visit us at www.livewellforlife.com or email us at info@livewellforlife.com.

What is Webster Technique?

Often we get asked how chiropractic can benefit expectant mothers and we love to discuss this. Dr. Nicole Orozco has enhanced training on how to care for pregnancy and pediatric patients. Being that our practice is about 30% children and 20% expectant mothers we always love to elaborate on the topic, especially when it comes to discussing the Webster Technique.

Chiropractic care is health maintenance of the spinal column, discs, related nerves and bone geometry without drugs or surgery. It involves the art and science of adjusting misaligned joints of the body, especially of the spine, which reduces spinal nerve stress and therefore promotes health throughout the body.

Is chiropractic care safe during pregnancy?

There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. All chiropractors are trained to work with women who are pregnant. Investing in the fertility and pregnancy wellness of women who are pregnant or trying to conceive is a routine care for most chiropractors.

Some chiropractors though take a specific interest in prenatal and postnatal care and seek additional training. Below represents designations of chiropractors who have taken advanced steps in working with infertility and pregnancy wellness.

- DACCP - Diplomate with ICPA reflecting highest level of advanced training
- CACCP - Certified with the ICPA reflecting advanced training
- Member of ICPA reflecting special interest
- Webster Certified - trained to work specifically with pelvic balance in pregnancy

Chiropractors that have been trained to work with pregnant women may use tables that adjust for a pregnant woman's body, and they will use techniques that avoid unneeded pressure on the abdomen.

A chiropractor who is trained in the needs of women who are pregnant will also provide you with exercises and stretches that are safe to use during pregnancy.

Why should I have chiropractic care during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, there are several physiological and endocrinological changes that occur in preparation for creating the environment for the developing baby. The following changes could result in a misaligned spine or joints:

- Protruding abdomen and increased back curve
- Pelvic changes
- Postural adaptations

Establishing pelvic balance and alignment is another reason to obtain chiropractic care during pregnancy. When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother's ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth. Breech and posterior positions can interfere with the natural ease of labor and lead to interventions such as c-sections.

The nervous system is the master communication system to all the body systems including the reproductive system. Keeping the spine aligned helps the entire body work more effectively.

What are the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy?

Chiropractic care during pregnancy can provide benefits for women who are pregnant. Potential benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:

- Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
- Controlling symptoms of nausea
- Reducing the time of labor and delivery
- Relieving back, neck or joint pain
- Prevent a potential cesarean delivery

What about chiropractic care and breech deliveries?

The late Larry Webster, D.C., Founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), developed a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment which enables chiropractors to establish balance in the pregnant woman's pelvis and reduce undue stress to her uterus and supporting ligaments. This balanced state in the pelvis has been clinically shown to allow for optimal fetal positioning. The technique is known as the Webster Technique.

It is considered normal by some for a baby to present breech until the third trimester. Most birth practitioners are not concerned with breech presentations until a patient is 37 weeks along. Approximately 4% of all pregnancies result in a breech presentation.

The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported in the July/August 2002 issue an 82% success rate of babies turning vertex when doctors of chiropractic used the Webster Technique. Further, the results from the study suggest that it may be beneficial to perform the Webster Technique as soon as the 8th month of pregnancy when a woman has a breech presentation.

Currently, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) recommends that women receive chiropractic care throughout pregnancy to establish pelvic balance and optimize the room a baby has for development throughout pregnancy. With a balanced pelvis, babies have a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth, and the crisis and worry associated with breech and posterior presentations may be avoided altogether. Optimal baby positioning at the time of birth also eliminates the potential for dystocia (difficult labor) and therefore results in easier and safer deliveries for both the mother and baby.

For more information regarding chiropractic, pregnancy chiropractic, or the Webster Technique contact Dr. Nicole Orozco at (904) 425-8070 or email at info@livewellforlife.com.

Resource: American Pregnancy Association

Pediatric Chiropractic Recognition

On September 13, 2005, Medical News Today published the announcement of the creation of chiropractic guidelines for pediatric care. The guidelines "The Child Patient: A Matrix for Chiropractic Care" was originally released as a supplement to its peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP) Vol. 6, No.3, 2005.

The release is noteworthy in two respects. This is the first time guidelines such as these have been published with parameters establishing the necessity of chiropractic care for children of all ages. But additionally, since these guidelines were published as a supplement to a scientific, peer reviewed journal, the medical news outlet "Medical News Today" picked up the release and published it in their general release available for all physicians and the general public.

Dr. Joan Fallon, Board of Directors member of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) and past chair and current Executive Committee member of the ICA Pediatrics Council stated, "The foundation of chiropractic care is the presence of subluxation." She continued, "For children, subluxation manifests itself differently than in adults, and also may occur as a result of multiple non- pain producing activities especially in the very young child. The Matrix closely examines the presence of subluxation in the child with respect to their anatomy, physiology and development."

Dr. Lora Tanis, Chairperson of the ICA Pediatrics Council noted the importance of these guidelines by stating, "This is an invaluable contribution to the profession and to the public at large because for the first time we have a published document that explains why infants and toddlers need chiropractic care and how the need and/or frequency of care relates to birth trauma, immune system maturity and developmental milestones along with any abnormal, congenital, traumatic or acquired injuries the child may have."

Contact us at (904) 425-8070 for more information on how chiropractic can help your child grow healthy and develop optimally.

Resource: Medical News Today

Case Study: Asthma, Allergies, & Chronic Colds

A case study involving a 7-year-old boy suffering chronic colds, allergies, and asthma since the age of 5 months, who was subsequently helped with chiropractic, was documented in the August 17, 2009 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health.

In this study the young boy's parents explained that their son had been suffering from his problems since age 5, and was now taking the medications Alavert daily for allergies and Albuterol for asthma as needed. The child also required nebulizer treatments for his asthmatic episodes. Additionally steroid injections were also used "regularly". Because of his illnesses he missed 1-2 days of school per month. He also had monthly visits to the medical doctor for all his health issues.

Finally his parents brought him to a chiropractor to see if he could be helped. The chiropractic examination revealed multiple postural abnormalities and changes in the boy's ranges of spinal movement. Additionally areas of the spine felt abnormal to the doctor's touch. These findings are all indicative of spinal subluxations. Subluxations are when bones of the spine are positioned incorrectly and create pressure or irritation on nerves. This causes changes in the function of the nervous system and can result in a variety of health issues depending on the severity of the nerve system interference and the areas of the nervous system involved.

Specific chiropractic care was initiated on the boy at the initial frequency of 3 visits per week for the first month of care. Within two weeks of the child's first chiropractic adjustment, the patient's mother indicated that her son no longer was dependent on his prescription medication for allergies, so they decided to discontinue them on their own. His parents also reported that his frequency and severity of the asthma attacks had greatly improved, and he no longer required his nebulizer treatments since beginning chiropractic care.

According to the study records within 3 months of the initiation of chiropractic care, the boy's mother reported that all the young boy's initial complaints were addressed successfully. The child continued chiropractic wellness care, and after a 16 month follow up, it was noted that the boy experienced only 1-2 minor colds or sinus infections and required the use of his nebulizer on only two occasions. Neither the patient nor his mother reported any adverse reactions to the chiropractic care.

To see if chiropractic can help your child naturally with asthma and allergies please visit us at www.livewellforlife.com.

Resource: Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health.

Bulletproof Your Pregnancy

6 things to do before you become pregnant

One approach to improving birth outcomes is to focus on improving health before pregnancy. “Entering pregnancy healthy gives you the best possible chance to stay that way yourself and have a healthy baby,” Spong says. “If you have health problems, get those under control. Get yourself in as good shape as you can for that baby.”

And if you aren’t planning a pregnancy in the near future? There’s no downside to optimizing your health. Plus, over half of all pregnancies are unplanned, so it only makes sense for women who are sexually active to consider their reproductive health.

A two-year collaborative effort by experts from government agencies, national medical organizations, and nonprofits such as the March of Dimes yielded recommendations for health-care providers and consumers to improve preconception health and care. Here are the top five.

1. Take folic acid. Aim for 400 mcg of a day starting at least 3 months before becoming pregnant to cut the risk of neural tube (i.e. nervous system) defects by at least half.

2. Stop bad habits. That means smoking, drinking alcohol excessively, and using illegal drugs. Smoking is associated with premature birth, low birth weight, and other pregnancy complications. It’s never safe to smoke or use recreational drugs during pregnancy because those substances can harm the developing fetus even before you realize you are pregnant.Any alcohol during pregnancy—especially during the second half of the first trimester—puts your baby at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome, according to a recent study.

3. Take control of chronic disease. If you have a health condition such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, or high blood pressure, be sure to get it under control. For example, losing excess weight before pregnancy decreases the risk of neural tube defects, pre-term delivery, gestational diabetes, blood clots, and other adverse effects.

4. Watch for harmful drugs and supplements. Talk with your general practitioner about any over-the-counter and prescription medicine you are taking, talk to your chiropractor about vitamins and other dietary or herbal supplements. Some medication, if not all, can cause miscarriages and birth defects and shouldn’t be taken by women who are, or might become, pregnant.

5. Avoid toxins. Those include hazardous chemicals or potentially infectious materials at work or at home. Stay away from solvents such as paint thinner. Don’t change the litter in your cat’s box; let someone else do it. And avoid handling pet hamsters, mice, and guinea pigs because they can carry a virus that can harm your baby.

6. Get adjusted. Chiropractic has been shown to promote neurological function (i.e. nerve supply to uterus) and help ensure ease and success of pregnancy. For more information about prenatal chiropractic visit us at www.livewellforlife.com.

Resources: Consumer Reports

Enter Chiropractic...

Allergies and asthma are big business and people don’t usually think about Chiropractic when they are suffering with these conditions. Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and approximately 20 million suffer from asthma. With some overlap between the conditions, more than 60 million Americans experience either allergies, asthma, or both.

The costs for medications, hospital and emergency room admissions for asthma and allergy related illnesses, and loss of business productivity are huge – approximately $18 billion annually. And, the impact on children is significant and ongoing – 14 million school days are missed annually due to allergies and asthma. These disorders are the number one reason for school absenteeism.

Standard treatment for allergies and asthma consists of a variety of medications, and if you have one of these disorders, you know all about the meds. For allergies, typical medications include antihistamines and corticosteroid nasal sprays. You may also undergo more aggressive therapy – desensitization injections, known as immunotherapy, which are given regularly over a period of years.

For asthma, the gold standard of medication is inhaled corticosteroids. Asthma inhalers are now so much a part of daily life that they appear regularly as props on television serials and in film. In plot-driven, contrived “difficult” moments, lead actors – children and adults – pull out their inhalers and take a quick dose.

The challenge, of course, with allergy and asthma medication is there is no end-point. There is no cure. Asthma and allergies, for the most part, are lifelong conditions requiring lifelong medication. Might there be a better way, an alternative solution?

“Alternative” is the key word. Medical treatment is designed to combat symptoms, and is successful to a certain extent with allergies and asthma. Underlying causes are not addressed, however, and symptoms continue year after year. What else might be done?

Enter chiropractic care. Chiropractic health care in our office, with its unique comprehensive approach, is able to offer positive benefit to a variety of conditions and ailments. In the case of allergies and asthma, these “hypersensitivity conditions” may respond well to therapy designed to normalize the body’s flow of nerve signals. To use a metaphor, chiropractic treatment removes roadblocks to the body’s natural healing abilities. Restoring these imbalances may help reduce such hypersensitivity reactions.

Chiropractic care frequently includes nutritional counseling, a critical component for people with allergies and asthma. Such individuals need as much physical optimization as possible, and nutritional awareness is key. A balanced food plan will help support all metabolic systems, reduce irritation caused by deficiencies, and provide fuel for exercise programs.

The benefits of chiropractic care are wide-ranging, and may be very useful in cases of hypersensitivity disorders such as allergies and asthma.

Visit us at www.livewellforlife.com for more information regarding our body signal of the month and how we can help!

Making Your Own Baby Food

Making your own baby food is easy and economical. All you need is a blender (preferably a baby bullet) or food processor (although in many cases a fork will do the trick), and some empty ice cube trays handy for freezing small portions for future use.

Start with local, seasonal, organically grown produce. Peel and pit fruit as necessary. Peel and cook vegetables and hard fruits like apples. Preserve the maximum vitamins and minerals by steaming.

At first, puree or mash food thoroughly. You may also add breastmilk to the puree, both to give it a thinner consistency and to make the flavor more familiar to your baby. Over time, add less liquid and mash the food less to let your baby experience the different textures of food.

Only portion out what you think you baby will eat and refrigerate or freeze the rest.

What Babies Like

Babies tend to enjoy yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, squash, and bananas. They have more varied reactions to green veggies.

After you’ve introduced a dish, try mixing your babies’ favorites with things they are not so thrilled with. Remember the “Rule of 10”—it may take ten “introductions” to a food before your baby really even tries it.

You may notice your child expressing interest in your food. As long as it isn’t an allergen concern (see below) or a choking hazard, by all means let them try it. Many parents even forego “baby food” altogether and just slowly introduce their babies to the family meals as appropriate.

Try not to feed your child the same similarly textured food for long periods of time. Otherwise, you’ll lose an opportunity to teach your child about the variety of flavors and textures available in different foods. Indeed, one big advantage to making your own baby food is that you can introduce more flavors and textures than are available commercially. The baby bullet cookbook (guide) is a fantastic resource to when and how to introduce certain foods.

Watch Out: Foods to Avoid

Wait until your child is 1-year old to introduce honey, dairy, eggs, strawberries, tomatoes, citrus, and nuts. Honey can contain botulinum spores that, while harmless to older children and adults, and germinate into botulinum toxins in the immature digestive tracts of babies, causing infant botulism. The other foods are common allergens whose effects can be minimized when introduced at a later age.

Beets, carrots, turnips, spinach and other greens can all contain nitrates. Nitrites are converted to nitrates when ingested and can cause anemia. Since nitrites come from the soil where vegetables are grown, check your area, in some regions (like the San Francisco Bay Area) local produce doesn’t face this problem. If your area does and you want your baby to try these foods, buy commercially produced baby foods (which are tested for nitrites) for those foods.

Commercial ground beef is a worrisome source of e. coli. Yet children do love it. If you want to feed your child ground beef, invest in a home grinder ($30-50) and grind your own. Wash and dry the meat before grinding. To further reduce risk of contagion, bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil the meat for 30 to 60 seconds before grinding to “sterilize” the potentially contaminated exterior.

Be Clean!

Always practice good hygiene and use clean utensils when preparing and storing baby food. Babies’ systems are more susceptible to cross-contamination and food-borne illness.

Do you make your own baby food? Why or why not?

For further insight on making your own baby food contact Dr. Nicole Orozco at (904) 425-8070 or visit us at www.livewellforlife.com

10 Pregnancy Procedures to Avoid

Despite a health-care system that outspends those in the rest of the world, infants and mothers fare worse in the U.S. than in many other industrialized nations. The infant mortality rate in Canada is 25 percent lower than it is in the U.S.; the Japanese rate, more than 60 percent lower. According to the World Health Organization, America ranks behind 41 other countries in preventing mothers from dying during childbirth.

With technological advances in medicine, you would expect those numbers to steadily improve. But the rate of maternal deaths has risen over the last decade, and the number of premature and low-birth-weight babies is higher now than it was in the 1980s and 1990s.

Why are we doing so badly? Partly because mothers tend to be less healthy than in the past, “which contributes to a higher-risk pregnancy,” says Diane Ashton, M.D., deputy medical director of the March of Dimes.

But another key reason appears to be a health-care system that has developed into a highly profitable labor-and-delivery machine, operating according to its own timetable rather than the less predictable schedule of mothers and babies. Childbirth is the leading reason for hospital admission, and the system is set up to make the most of the opportunity. Keeping things chugging along are technological interventions that can be lifesaving in some situations but also interfere with healthy, natural processes and increase risk when used inappropriately.

Topping the list are unnecessary cesarean sections. The rate has risen steadily since the mid-1990s to the point that nearly one of every three American babies now comes into the world through this surgical delivery. That’s double or even triple what the World Health Organization considers optimal.

Some people say that the increase in C-sections and other interventions stems mostly from women, who may be requesting more of the procedures. That could be a contributing cause but it’s not the major one, says Carol Sakala, Ph.D., director of programs at Childbirth Connection, a nonprofit organization that promotes evidence-based maternity care.

“We see rates going up across all birthing groups, including all ages, races, and classes," Sakala says. "What we are seeing is a change in practice standards, a lowering of the bar for what’s an acceptable indication for medical interventions.”

10 overused procedures

Of course, the idea is not to reject all interventions. The course of childbirth is not something that anyone can completely control. In some situations, inducing labor or doing a C-section is the only option. And complications are the exception, not the norm. But when they’re not medically necessary, the interventions listed below are associated with poorer outcomes for moms and babies.

1. A C-section with a low-risk first birth

While C-sections are generally quite safe, “the safest method for both mom and baby is an uncomplicated vaginal birth,” says Catherine Spong, M.D., chief of the pregnancy and perinatology branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The best way to reduce the number of C-sections overall is to decrease the number of them among low-risk women delivering their first child. That’s because having an initial C-section “sets the stage for a woman’s entire reproductive life,” says Elliott Main, M.D., chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the California Pacific Medical Center and director of the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative. “In this country, if your first birth is a C-section, there’s a 95 percent chance all subsequent births will be as well,” he says.

A C-section is major surgery. So it’s no surprise that as rates for the procedure go down, so do the numbers for several complications, especially infection or pain at the site of the incision. Rare but potentially life-threatening complications include severe bleeding, blood clots, and bowel obstruction. A C-section can also complicate future pregnancies, increasing the risk of problems with the placenta, ectopic pregnancies (those that occur outside the uterus), or a rupture of the uterine scar. And the risks increase with each additional cesarean birth.

Babies born by C-section can be accidentally injured or cut during the procedure and are more likely to have breathing problems. They are also less likely to breast-feed, perhaps because of the challenges of starting in a post-surgical setting.

In some situations, such as when the mother is bleeding heavily or the baby’s oxygen supply is compromised, surgical delivery is absolutely necessary. But women can maximize their chances of avoiding an unnecessary cesarean by finding a caregiver and birthing environment that supports vaginal birth.

When choosing a practitioner and hospital or birthing center, ask about C-section rates, particularly rates for low-risk women having their first child. The target rate for that population should be around 15 percent, according to the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). Although it can be difficult to find a hospital with a C-section rate that low, you might be able find one that meets the more modest goal of about 24 percent, which was set by the government’s Healthy People 2020 initiative.

About a third of the babies born in the U.S. are now delivered by C-section.

2. An automatic second C-section

Just because your first baby was delivered by C-section doesn’t mean your second has to be, too. In fact, most women who have had a C-section with a "low-transverse incision" on the uterus are good candidates for a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), according to ACOG. (Note that a "bikini scar" on the skin does not indicate the type of uterine scar.) About three quarters of such women who attempt a VBAC are able to deliver vaginally.

Yet the percentage of VBACs has declined sharply since the mid-1990s, particularly after ACOG said in 1999 that they should be considered only if hospitals had staff “immediately available” to do emergency C-sections if necessary. And some obstetricians don’t do VBACs because they lack hospital support or training or because their malpractice insurance won’t provide coverage. So women seeking a VBAC delivery might have trouble finding a supportive practitioner and hospital.

“It’s tragic, really,” Main says. “In many parts of the country, the option has all but disappeared.”

In response, ACOG recently relaxed its guidelines. For example, it makes clear that while it’s preferable for staff to be at the ready, hospitals can make do with a clear plan for dealing with uterine ruptures and assembling an emergency team quickly. Experts we spoke with say it’s too early to tell if the move will lead to a change in clinical practice.

Although some women turn to home births as an alternative, our experts say that isn’t a good idea in this situation. “The risk of uterine rupture is low,” Main says, “but if it happens, it can be catastrophic.”

Instead, if you had a C-section, find out whether your obstetrician and hospital are willing to try a VBAC. Let them know that you understand that you your baby will be monitored continuously during labor, and ask what the hospital would do if an emergency C-section became necessary.

Vaginal births after a C-section have declined sharply since the late 1990s.

3. An elective early delivery

A full-term pregnancy goes to at least 39 weeks, but over the last two decades many doctors have come to think they can deliver babies sooner than Mother Nature intended. Between 1990 and 2007, births at 37 and 38 weeks increased 45 percent, according to the March of Dimes. At the same time, full-term births dropped by 26 percent.

Because nearly all late preterm babies survive and eventually thrive, many doctors see no harm in moving up a delivery date to fit a schedule. “Although we knew 39 weeks or later was the optimal time for delivery, until recently there wasn’t a good evidence showing that a lot of maturation took place after 37 weeks,” says Ashton of the March of Dimes, who terms research from the last five years “eye opening.”

Late preterm babies “may look like full term babies,” she says, “but they are different in important ways.”

It turns out that carrying an infant to term has health benefits for both moms and babies. Research shows that babies born at 39 weeks or later have lower rates of breathing problems and are less likely to need neonatal intensive care. Full-term babies may also be less likely to be affected by cerebral palsy or jaundice, have fewer feeding problems, and have a higher rate of survival in their first year. Some research even suggests that full-term infants benefit from cognitive and learning advantages that continue through adolescence.

Perhaps because late preterm infants have more problems, mothers are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression. In addition, the procedures required to intentionally deliver a baby early—either an induced labor or a C-section—also carry a higher risk of complications than a full-term vaginal delivery. “There is just much more chance of things going wrong if you interrupt the normal course of pregnancy,” Spong says.

Of course, some babies arrive sooner than expected and complications during pregnancy, such as skyrocketing blood pressure in the mother, can make early delivery the safest option. But hastening the conclusion of an otherwise healthy pregnancy—even by a couple of days—is never a good idea.

The rate of early deliveries varies widely among hospitals, as demonstrated in the table below of all six hospitals in Utah that report that data to Leapfrog Group. It shows the percentage of early deliveries in each hospital that were done without medical reason. See the rates of planned early deliveries for the hosptials in your state on Leapfrog's website.
The rate of scheduled early deliveries varies widely in six Utah hospitals.

4. Inducing labor without a medical reason

The percentage of births resulting from artificially induced labor more than doubled from 1990 to 2008. “In many ways the system has become centered on convenience rather than evidence-based care,” says Sakala of the Childbirth Connection. She points out that it’s no coincidence that more babies are born on Tuesdays than any other day of the week. “The births are scheduled so that parents and providers can all be home by the weekend.”

But whether artificially induced or spontaneous, labor is labor, right? “Absolutely not,” says Deborah Bingham Dr.PH., R.N., vice president of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. She points out that women who go into labor naturally can usually spend the early portion at home, moving around as they feel most comfortable. An induced labor takes place in a hospital, where a woman will be hooked up to at least one intravenous line and an electronic fetal monitor. In addition, most hospitals don’t allow eating or drinking once induction begins.

"An induced labor may also occur prior to a woman's body or baby being ready," Bingham says. "This means labor may take longer and that the woman is two to three times more likely to give birth surgically." In addition, induced labor frequently leads to further interventions—including epidurals for pain relief, deliveries with the use of forceps or vacuums, and C-sections—that carry risks of their own. For example, a 2011 study found that women who had labor induced without a recognized indication were 67 percent more likely to have a C-section, and their babies were 64 percent more likely to wind up in a neonatal intensive care unit, compared with women allowed to go into labor on their own.

Induction is justified when there’s a medical reason, such as when a woman’s membranes rupture, or her “water breaks,” and labor doesn’t start immediately, or when she’s a week or more past her due date.

5. Ultrasounds after 24 weeks

Unless there is a specific condition your provider is tracking, you don’t need an ultrasound after 24 weeks. Although some practitioners use ultrasounds after this point to estimate fetal size or due date, it’s not a good idea because the margin of error increases significantly as the pregnancy progresses. And the procedure doesn’t provide any additional information leading to better outcomes for either mother or baby, according to a 2009 review of eight trials involving 27,024 women. In fact, the practice was linked to a slightly higher C-section rate.

6. Continuous electronic fetal monitoring

Continuous monitoring, during which you’re hooked up to monitor to record your baby’s heartbeat throughout labor, restricts your movement and increases the chance of a cesarean and delivery with forceps. In addition, it doesn’t reduce the risk of cerebral palsy or death for the baby, research suggests. The alternative is to monitor the baby at regular intervals using an electronic fetal monitor, a handheld ultrasound device, or a special stethoscope. Continuous electronic monitoring is recommended if you’re given oxytocin to strengthen labor, you’ve had an epidural, or you’re attempting a VBAC.

7. Early epidurals

An epidural places anesthesia directly into the spinal canal, so that you remain awake but don’t feel pain below the administration point. But the longer an epidural is in place, the more medication accumulates and the less likely you will be able to feel to push. Epidurals can also slow labor. By delaying administration and using effective labor support strategies, you might be able to get past a tough spot and progress to the point you no longer feel it’s needed. If you do have an epidural, ask the anesthesiologist about a lighter block. “Ideally, a woman should still be able to move her legs and lift her buttocks,” Main says.

8. Routinely rupturing the amniotic membranes

Doctors sometimes rupture the amniotic membranes or “break the waters,” supposedly to strengthen contractions and shorten labor. But the practice doesn’t have that affect and may increase the risk of C-sections, according to a 2009 review of 15 trials involving 5,583 women. In addition, artificially rupturing amniotic membranes can cause rare but serious complications, including problems with the umbilical cord or the baby’s heart rate.

9. Routine episiotomies

Practitioners sometimes make a surgical cut just before delivery to enlarge the opening of the vagina. That can be necessary in the case of a delivery that requires help from forceps or a vacuum, or if the baby is descending too quickly for the tissues to stretch. But in other cases, routine episiotomies don’t help and are associated with several significant problems, including more damage to the perineal area and a longer healing period, according to a 2009 review involving more than 5,000 women.

10. Sending your newborn to the nursery

If your baby has a problem that needs special monitoring, then sending him or her to a nursery or even an intensive care unit is essential. But in other cases, allowing healthy infants and mothers to stay together promotes bonding and breast-feeding. Moms get just as much sleep, research shows, and they learn to respond to the feeding cues of their babies. Allowing mothers and babies to stay together is one of the criteria hospitals must meet to be certified as “baby friendly” by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

For more information on things to do for a natural pregnancy visit our website at www.livewellforlife.com


Resource: Cnsumer Reports

Asthma and Chiropractic

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that narrows the airways, making it difficult for the affected person to breathe properly. It can be a frustrating and stressful condition for children and adults alike, and while there is no "cure", many people receive temporary relief with the help of inhalers, steroids and other types of prescription drugs. Still, there may be more natural and less harmful alternative options available.

What Causes Asthma?

Asthma can be triggered by a number of environmental factors including weather conditions, high temperatures, very cold temperatures, high humidity and general allergies from cut grass, ragweed or pollen. Infections such as the flu or cold virus can also trigger asthma symptoms. Too much physical exertion which encourages heavy breathing often leads to an asthma attack, so sufferers must be careful with the types of exercises and sports they participate in. Dust and fumes in the home are other common triggers for asthma sufferers, so many sufferers need to keep their homes as free of dust and other irritants as much as possible.

Asthma Treatment Options

Currently, asthma sufferers use inhalers to ward off serious breathing problems when they feel an attack coming on, but depending on the frequency and severity of their attacks, they may also be required to take prescription drugs.

Some people experience tremendous relief from asthma symptoms after undergoing chiropractic care. Chiropractic works by restoring healthy nervous system functioning, which can affect the respiratory system. According to Dr. Ray Hayek who was involved with conducting trials on the effectiveness of chiropractic care for asthma in Australia, correcting spinal misalignments had a very positive effect on the asthma sufferers. The patient group displayed significant improvements in asthma symptoms, and also reduced their cortisol levels, which helped improve their health overall. The patients were monitored for the long-term, and results of the study showed that many experienced far fewer asthmatic attacks.

Effects of Chiropractic Care for Asthma

While some asthma sufferers report immediate results from chiropractic care, others may experience a more gradual recovery. An improvement in asthma symptoms may take several months. Light spinal adjustments and cervical adjustments may help some people improve asthma symptoms and reduce the frequency of asthma attacks.

While chiropractic care is often sought after for back pain, many medical professionals believe that chiropractic care can be used to improve symptoms related to various disorders and diseases. Improving nervous system functioning can help to increase overall well-being and promote healthy breathing.

Learn more about chiropractic care by contacting Live Well for Life Chiropractic @ (904) 425-8070 or visit us at www.livewellforlife.com

Proof Is In The "Pudding"

An interesting comparison between the Natural Health approach and the Pharmaceutical Medical approach. It comes from a study entitled: A Comparative study of the Health Status of Children Raised Under the Health Care Models of Chiropractic and Allopathic Medicine.

Chiropractic VS. Allopathic(Medical) Care for Kids

1. There is a “definite correlation between chiropractic care and superior health”.

2. 69% of the chiropractic children have never had otitis media (middle ear infection), while only 20% of the medical children never had otitis media.

3. Chiropractors contend that chiropractic care improves quality of life, stimulates the immune system, and confers superior health.

4. 95% of the chiropractors considered that chiropractic has a “positive effect on their children’s health.”

5. “This study has shown that children raised under chiropractic care are less prone to infections processes such as the otitis media and tonsillitis, and that their immune systems are better able to cope with allergens such as pollen, weeds, grasses, etc., as compared to children raised under allopathic care.”

6. This is a significant decreased history of antibiotic use among the chiropractic children, “indicating a lowered susceptibility to bacterial infections as a result of greater immune system response.”

7. The chiropractors responded that the “recovery period from any trauma or illness by their children was more rapid than that of their children’s peers.”

8. Non-immunized chiropractic children who came down with those childhood diseases seem to have minor diseases that were not incapacitating. “The hypothesis that chiropractic care maintains the immune system is supported by the observation that even though the children did have the disease, their lifestyles were not affected and recovery periods were short.”

9. Comments from medical pediatricians indicate that a number of them believe that, essentially, all children suffer from otitis media and that all children have at least one course of prescribed antibiotics. “These are fallacies propagated within allopathic medicine, as demonstrated by this study.”

10. “This study has shown that there is validity in the premise that chiropractic has a positive effect on the health status of individuals.”

11. 91% of the chiropractic children started chiropractic care by age 1.

12. The results of the study confirmed the benefits of the chiropractic model of health care on the health status of children.

13. Allopathic healthcare is primarily disease treatment. Chiropractic healthcare is primarily preventative

14. 94% of medical children are vaccinated while only 25% of chiropractic children are vaccinated (from abstract).


For more information on pediatric chiropractic care visit us at www.livewellforlife.com


Resource: Journal of Chiropractic Research—Research Forum Summer 1989; Vol. 5, No. 4, pp.101-103

Water Birth Benefits

If you’re considering a natural pregnancy and birth, you’ll probably want to add home or birth center water birth to the list of topics you and your husband are studying. While this process of giving birth in a carefully controlled water tub has been slow to catch on in hospitals, more of them are offering this service to expectant mothers than ever before. This is largely because of the overwhelming benefits of a water birth for both mother and baby, which are listed below.

Pain Management

The decrease in delivery pain provided by a water birth is second only to an unnatural hospital’s epidural anesthesia, which means that it’s extremely effective in reducing mom’s pain. Having a water birth is a better way to control pain than using any type of pain medication, and it’s undoubtedly the healthiest way. So if you’re hesitant to use drugs or anesthesia during your birth process, rest assured that you can avoid these potential dangers while keeping your pain under control naturally.

Avoidance of Epidural Anesthesia

Many moms-to-be decide against epidural anesthesia for a variety of reasons. A lot of those reasons have to do with the negative effects of an epidural on both mother and baby, so having a home or birth center water birth will enable you to avoid these effects entirely. Here are some of the complications linked to epidurals, all of which are less likely to occur in water births:

- Decreased uterine function and longer births
- Increased rate of operative deliveries (c-sections and use of forceps or vacuum extraction)
- Unsuccessful positioning of the fetus for normal birth, most likely caused by the epidural’s tendency to impede the mother’s pelvic muscle function
- Mother’s hypotension (low blood pressure), which can cause a dangerously low fetal heart rate
- Mother’s fever during labor, which often results in antibiotic treatment and longer hospitalization for the baby
- Mother’s inability to move or walk during labor, feel contractions, know when to push, and help the birth process along by using pelvic muscles.

Decreased Potential for Tearing

Women who give birth in the water have fewer tears occurring during the birthing process. This results in fewer stitches and a faster recovery time after delivery. The decrease in tears is most likely due to the mother’s ability to relax more successfully in the water.

Better Mobility & Relaxation for Mom

Even when a new mom has been pregnant for what seems like an endless number of months and has dealt with the difficulty of moving her larger body through space, water has the effect of helping her feel mobile, comfortable, and even graceful again. That “weightless” feeling that results from being partially submerged in water helps her move throughout labor and delivery, enabling her to provide more assistance to the baby moving through the birth canal. The relaxing effects of a warm bath also help mom to feel less pain and stress, making the birthing process more comfortable for her and the baby.

Faster Birth with Fewer Complications

In the end, having a water birth means fewer complications (like c-sections and other drastic interventions) and tends to speed up the delivery process naturally. Because mom can control her muscles and respond to her contractions without feeling as much pain as she would with a “dry” birth, she can provide more pushing force to help the baby emerge faster. A shorter labor and delivery period can mean less pain, stress, and recovery time – what mom wouldn’t want that?

If you’re considering a water birth, your next step is to find a local birth center that provides this service or a midwife and doula who can come to your home, then find out about the processes and policies involved for each option. This can help you decide for certain whether or not you’re interested in having a water birth.

For more information on natural birthing please visit http://naturalbirthchoice.com/

Also, for more information on natural chiropractic care please visit us at www.livewellforlife.com

Resource: Mothers Naturally

The "Science" Behind Chiropractic Pt. 2

Subluxations - Health's Worst Enemy

In order to enjoy sound health, the individual must maintain an exact structural balance of the spinal column. Anything less than that leads to poor health and a constant grasping after good health.

It is the stresses and strains, knocks and bumps of living that sometimes overcome this balance. Just look at others around you: heads forward, slumped shoulders, hollow backs, protuberant bellies, knock knees and flat feet.

You can be sure these people suffer from attendant health problems: heart trouble, stomach trouble, liver trouble, headaches, sinus trouble, sciatica and ear trouble are only a few. They may suffer from any of the nearly 400 different diseases or conditions caused by misaligned vertebrae impinging on nerves.

How Nerves Become Impinged

An adult spine is composed of twenty-four moveable bones called vertebrae. Each vertebrae has the general shape of a person's ring. The rings are stacked one on top of another forming a vertical tunnel.

The delicate spinal cord - just thicker than a pencil - is suspended from the brain and extends down through the tunnel formed by the ring-like vertebrae. Smaller nerves lead from the spinal cord through openings between the vertebrae. These openings are called foramen. The nerves emerge in pairs, one to the right and one to the left. There are thirty-one pairs of nerves. Each nerve goes to and controls your tissues, organs and organ systems of the body. When the spinal column is in proper alignment, the nerves pass unimpeded through the foramen. But when one or more vertebrae become misaligned, the nerve is impinged, and normal nerve function is cut off to the parts of the body served by that nerve.

Sometimes misaligned vertebrae correct themselves. But most subluxations need outside assistance for correction. The only qualified assistance is chiropractic care.

The Chiropractic Story

The principle of chiropractic was discovered September 18, 1895 by Dr. Daniel Palmer in Davenport, Iowa. On that day, Palmer was in his office carrying on a shouted conversation with the deaf janitor of the building, Harvey Lillard.

Lillard was explaining in shouts to Palmer that about 17 years earlier while working in a cramped, stooped position, something had "popped" in his back Since that time, his hearing had become progressively worse.

Dr. Palmer, a curious, intelligent man, examined Lillard's back and found a painful, misaligned vertebra at the spot where something had "popped" 17 years earlier. He suspected a connection between this misaligned vertebra and Lillard's impaired hearing-and reasoned that if something had gone wrong in his back and caused deafness, the correction of the misaligned vertebra should bring back Lillard's hearing.

Using his hands, Palmer repositioned the vertebra with a gentle thrust. Lillard's hearing improved immediately. In that moment, Palmer made the breakthrough that had eluded the greatest medical minds of all the ages ... he had discovered the cause of nearly all human disease.

During the next few days, Palmer continued the hand treatments on Lillard's spine. Within a week, Lillard was able to hear as well as anybody and was telling anybody who would listen about Dr. Palmer's hand treatments.

Dr. Palmer's fame quickly spread as he proved that the hand treatments were effective in all sorts of disease conditions. He became a world-renowned specialist in the spine and nerve system.

His research into the cause of disease had led him to the conclusion that misalignment of the spinal column interferes with normal nerve function and thus, an alteration of normal body functions.

Pinched Nerves Do Cause Dis-ease

Everyone knows that pinched nerves in a broken back can cause partial paralysis of the legs and that if nerves are severely compressed, complete paralysis results.

Why then do some of us shut our minds to the same pinched nerve probability when (for instance) the lungs, heart, stomach or other parts of the body become diseases? Such thinking is inconsistent.

Lung, heart and stomach conditions need the same consideration that more obvious forms of paralysis receive. Tissue deprived of nerve energy (impulses) cannot maintain health without nerve guidance from the brain.

Nature Heals with Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors do not need to give medicine to cure the sick. They know that nature provides each person with a built-in druggist capable of compounding medicines, hormones, enzymes and antibiotics. Just as there is a health kit inside your body that heals cuts, mends broken bones and repairs damaged organs ... so is there a doctor on the inside who can prescribe everything you need...in the exact dose needed ... and without harmful side effects. The human body is capable of healing itself of every known disease provided nothing interferes with normal nerve function

The Doctor of chiropractic works with the spine and nerve. He was the first to recognize that spinal bones (vertebrae), twisted even slightly out of place, impinge the major nerve trunks at the point where they pass through the small openings between the vertebrae, thus causing pain and disease.

You'll fund your chiropractor to be an intelligent, scientifically trained doctor. Many years of professional schooling in basic and clinical sciences have given him the necessary background for discretion and judgment in caring for the sick and diseased.

He knows that each patient is an individual that each spinal column is different ... and that each spinal column needs specific chiropractic care.

The chiropractor is the only doctor in your community with the know-how to restore normal nerve function, the natural way to lasting health .

That's how Chiropractic heals when medicine fails.


For more information visit us at www.livewellforlife.com