Hey there.
Love this blog, but the set up etc was driving me a little crazy. So I have moved over to amyeaustin.wordpress.com Slowly getting all of the blogs on this site moved, while adding some great ones.
Come on over :o)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Are You Toxic Questionnaire
Here is a great check list to look at the degree to which your body is toxic.
Read each statement, for every yes give yourself a point. The Scoring follows the questionnaire.
Do you breath air on a daily basis?
Do you live in a major metropolitan area?
Does your occupation expose you to toxins?
Do you use fluoridated toothpaste to brush your teeth daily?
Do you have "silver" dental fillings?
Have you ever had a tooth extracted and or root canal fillings?
Do you use unfiltered tap water to brush your teeth, take a shower, wash your hands, do dishes etc?
Do you use unfiltered tap water to make coffee, tea or other hot beverages?
Do you use commercial household cleaners?
Do you use cosmetics, deodorants, antiperspirants or commercial hand creams?
Have you ever take prescription medications or over the counter medications, including birth control?
Do you have carpet in your home or office?
Do you eat non organic fruits, vegetables or meats?
Do you have clothes that you dry clean?
Do you wear synthetic materials (such as polyester, spandex)
Do you eat processed foods that come from a box or can?
Do you eat from fast restaurants at least once a month?
Have you ever smoked or been exposed to second hand smoke?
Do you eat in restaurants more then twice a week?
Do you use bug sprays in your home on your body or have a pest control system at work?
Do you use weed killers, pesticides or fertilizers on your lawn and garden?
Do you dye or bleach your hair?
Do you wear cologne or perfume?
Are you overweight, underweight or have cellulite deposits?
Do you drink alcoholic beverages regularly? (more then once a month)
Do you eat fish more then twice a week?
Do you swim in a pool or lake?
Do you live near an airport?
Do you work in an environment with florescent lighting?
Do you drink non-organic coffee or tea?
Do you ever feel tired, lethargic or sluggish when you wake up or throughout the day?
Do you have difficulty concentrating ?
Do you feel depressed or have mood changes?
Do you get more then one or two colds per year?
Do you have postnasal drip, congestion or a stuffy nose when you wake or throughout the day?
Do you have bad breath, or ever have a bitter or metallic taste in your mouth?
Is you tongue coated with a white film?
Do you have a strong body odor?
Do you have strong smelling urine?
Do you have trouble sleeping or feel unrefreshed when you wake up even after a sound sleep?
Are you nails weak, soft or brittle?
Do you have dark circles under your eyes?
Do you often feel stressed or anxious?
Do you have allergies to household items such as dust or mold?
Do you have eczema, dry skin, acne or rashes?
Do you gain weight easily?
Do you have food cravings for high carb foods or sugary foods?
Do you have pain or discomfort on the right side of your stomach occasionally or after eating?
Does dietary fibre cause you to be constipated?
Do you have sensitivity to perfumes or other chemical odors?
Do you have persistent joint and or muscle pain?
Do you get chronic infections?
Do you have a headache more then 3 times a month?
The results:
If you score less then 10. This is a great sign! Chances are you have already started to live a cleansing lifestyle. Keep up the good work and cleanse daily to avoid the everyday toxins that we can't avoid.
If you said yes to 11-24 of the questions: Defiantly room for improvement. Your exposure to toxins is high and you are suffering from the toxins you are exposed to on a daily basis. You need to examine the things in your life that you can control and reduce the toxins around you. A 30 day deep cleanse if you do not have any excess weight to lose will help you release the toxins from your body. Following up with monthly deep cleansing for at least 1 or 2 days will help keep the toxins from leading to health issues. If you have weight to loss, back to back 30 day cleanses until you have reached your weight goal will benefit you greatly.
If you said yes to 24+. You are highly toxic! You most likely have daily aches and pains that no matter what you do will not go away. This type of lifestyle will, if it already hasn't, puts you at risk for serious health issues. You need to place yourself on a 30 day cleanse and continue this until you can answer in the other 2 categories preferably the 10 and under.
SOOOOOOOOOOOO the question becomes now what do I do?
No matter your score you NEED to cleanse your body of the toxins going in, and let's face it, if you breath they are going in. You can lesson the amount greatly by eliminating the things on the list above, but we can't walk around in a bubble with purified air all day-although I might be willing to try one day!
Best way to cleanse by far of all the ones I have tried is 100% Isagenix. The proof is in the pudding and the pudding tastes awesome and has such huge results!
Come visit my website then ask me how to get started. www.amyeaustin.isagenix.com
Read each statement, for every yes give yourself a point. The Scoring follows the questionnaire.
Do you breath air on a daily basis?
Do you live in a major metropolitan area?
Does your occupation expose you to toxins?
Do you use fluoridated toothpaste to brush your teeth daily?
Do you have "silver" dental fillings?
Have you ever had a tooth extracted and or root canal fillings?
Do you use unfiltered tap water to brush your teeth, take a shower, wash your hands, do dishes etc?
Do you use unfiltered tap water to make coffee, tea or other hot beverages?
Do you use commercial household cleaners?
Do you use cosmetics, deodorants, antiperspirants or commercial hand creams?
Have you ever take prescription medications or over the counter medications, including birth control?
Do you have carpet in your home or office?
Do you eat non organic fruits, vegetables or meats?
Do you have clothes that you dry clean?
Do you wear synthetic materials (such as polyester, spandex)
Do you eat processed foods that come from a box or can?
Do you eat from fast restaurants at least once a month?
Have you ever smoked or been exposed to second hand smoke?
Do you eat in restaurants more then twice a week?
Do you use bug sprays in your home on your body or have a pest control system at work?
Do you use weed killers, pesticides or fertilizers on your lawn and garden?
Do you dye or bleach your hair?
Do you wear cologne or perfume?
Are you overweight, underweight or have cellulite deposits?
Do you drink alcoholic beverages regularly? (more then once a month)
Do you eat fish more then twice a week?
Do you swim in a pool or lake?
Do you live near an airport?
Do you work in an environment with florescent lighting?
Do you drink non-organic coffee or tea?
Do you ever feel tired, lethargic or sluggish when you wake up or throughout the day?
Do you have difficulty concentrating ?
Do you feel depressed or have mood changes?
Do you get more then one or two colds per year?
Do you have postnasal drip, congestion or a stuffy nose when you wake or throughout the day?
Do you have bad breath, or ever have a bitter or metallic taste in your mouth?
Is you tongue coated with a white film?
Do you have a strong body odor?
Do you have strong smelling urine?
Do you have trouble sleeping or feel unrefreshed when you wake up even after a sound sleep?
Are you nails weak, soft or brittle?
Do you have dark circles under your eyes?
Do you often feel stressed or anxious?
Do you have allergies to household items such as dust or mold?
Do you have eczema, dry skin, acne or rashes?
Do you gain weight easily?
Do you have food cravings for high carb foods or sugary foods?
Do you have pain or discomfort on the right side of your stomach occasionally or after eating?
Does dietary fibre cause you to be constipated?
Do you have sensitivity to perfumes or other chemical odors?
Do you have persistent joint and or muscle pain?
Do you get chronic infections?
Do you have a headache more then 3 times a month?
The results:
If you score less then 10. This is a great sign! Chances are you have already started to live a cleansing lifestyle. Keep up the good work and cleanse daily to avoid the everyday toxins that we can't avoid.
If you said yes to 11-24 of the questions: Defiantly room for improvement. Your exposure to toxins is high and you are suffering from the toxins you are exposed to on a daily basis. You need to examine the things in your life that you can control and reduce the toxins around you. A 30 day deep cleanse if you do not have any excess weight to lose will help you release the toxins from your body. Following up with monthly deep cleansing for at least 1 or 2 days will help keep the toxins from leading to health issues. If you have weight to loss, back to back 30 day cleanses until you have reached your weight goal will benefit you greatly.
If you said yes to 24+. You are highly toxic! You most likely have daily aches and pains that no matter what you do will not go away. This type of lifestyle will, if it already hasn't, puts you at risk for serious health issues. You need to place yourself on a 30 day cleanse and continue this until you can answer in the other 2 categories preferably the 10 and under.
SOOOOOOOOOOOO the question becomes now what do I do?
No matter your score you NEED to cleanse your body of the toxins going in, and let's face it, if you breath they are going in. You can lesson the amount greatly by eliminating the things on the list above, but we can't walk around in a bubble with purified air all day-although I might be willing to try one day!
Best way to cleanse by far of all the ones I have tried is 100% Isagenix. The proof is in the pudding and the pudding tastes awesome and has such huge results!
Come visit my website then ask me how to get started. www.amyeaustin.isagenix.com
Friday, May 4, 2012
Chiropractic Care-Why Your Health Will Thank You
WE'VE MOVED-TO SEE THIS ARTICLE PLEASE VISIT US AT OUR NEW SITE
http://onlynaturals.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/chiropractic-care-why-your-body-needs-a-chiropractor/
Good day all.
Can't believe I have never taken the time to write specifically about Chiropractic Care. It's made it's way into several of my blogs, but today I am going to give it it's own blog.
I've chatted with many people about chiropractic care, everyone falls into one of these categories
a) totally believe in chiropractic
b) chiropractic is only for when my back hurts
c) have seen a chiropractor and it was not a good experience, will never go back
c) I will NEVER let a chiropractor touch me.
Which one are you?
I can say I have always been an a) but had thought b for a good part of my life as well as having experience one c moment. In total I have been adjusted by 6 different chiropractors since I was 1. Each had a different technique-3 were traditionalists, 1 used the activator method, 1 used not even sure what it was...but he put me into category c for several years, and finally my favorite and by far the most effective (for me personally) the Gonstead method.
My first chiropractor was Hartley Tuck-if you've lived in Barrie you know the name. He began his practice I believe if memory serves me correctly around 1965 and was one of the most popular chiropractors in Barrie for several years. Hartley adjusted me for the first 25 years of my life. After that I went through several chiropractors that just didn't cut it until I met my current chiro Dr. John Rae of Bayside Family Chiropractic.
Over the course of finding the right chiro as I said, I used several techniques. Traditionalists-manually manipulate several vertebrae at one time, activator specialists use a special tool "activator" that looks similar to a syringe and uses mild pressure to adjust a subluxation, Gonstead practitioners only adjust vertebrae that are causing issues. This is a very basic level description but you can see the major differences.
For me personally were the traditional method was good a relieving the in the moment issue, activator not at all, but the Gonstead method is the one that has had the most profound effect on my daily symptoms-allergies, digestion, inflammation, headache relief, ear drainage issues, skin condition (mild eczema)...the list can continue.
So....why do you need chiropractic care....well you walk, you sit down, you work out (I hope) or in the reverse are totally sedentary, you work in a stressful environment....basically if you are alive you need chiropractic care for your entire health system.
Your Spine and Your Health
I want you to take a few minutes and really take a look at this chart. Each vertebrae in our body is connected to a series of nerves, each of these nerves is responsible for an area of our body. If there is a subluxation in a vertebrae you will may experience symptoms.
Our spine is made up of 4 (the sacrum and coccyx are generally combined) distinct areas.
The following chart shows which vertebrae is responsible for which organs/body parts.
What is a Vertebral Subluxation?
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Concussions and Chiropractors
http://onlynaturals.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/chiropractic-care-why-your-body-needs-a-chiropractor/
Good day all.
Can't believe I have never taken the time to write specifically about Chiropractic Care. It's made it's way into several of my blogs, but today I am going to give it it's own blog.
I've chatted with many people about chiropractic care, everyone falls into one of these categories
a) totally believe in chiropractic
b) chiropractic is only for when my back hurts
c) have seen a chiropractor and it was not a good experience, will never go back
c) I will NEVER let a chiropractor touch me.
Which one are you?
I can say I have always been an a) but had thought b for a good part of my life as well as having experience one c moment. In total I have been adjusted by 6 different chiropractors since I was 1. Each had a different technique-3 were traditionalists, 1 used the activator method, 1 used not even sure what it was...but he put me into category c for several years, and finally my favorite and by far the most effective (for me personally) the Gonstead method.
My first chiropractor was Hartley Tuck-if you've lived in Barrie you know the name. He began his practice I believe if memory serves me correctly around 1965 and was one of the most popular chiropractors in Barrie for several years. Hartley adjusted me for the first 25 years of my life. After that I went through several chiropractors that just didn't cut it until I met my current chiro Dr. John Rae of Bayside Family Chiropractic.
Over the course of finding the right chiro as I said, I used several techniques. Traditionalists-manually manipulate several vertebrae at one time, activator specialists use a special tool "activator" that looks similar to a syringe and uses mild pressure to adjust a subluxation, Gonstead practitioners only adjust vertebrae that are causing issues. This is a very basic level description but you can see the major differences.
For me personally were the traditional method was good a relieving the in the moment issue, activator not at all, but the Gonstead method is the one that has had the most profound effect on my daily symptoms-allergies, digestion, inflammation, headache relief, ear drainage issues, skin condition (mild eczema)...the list can continue.
So....why do you need chiropractic care....well you walk, you sit down, you work out (I hope) or in the reverse are totally sedentary, you work in a stressful environment....basically if you are alive you need chiropractic care for your entire health system.
Your Spine and Your Health
I want you to take a few minutes and really take a look at this chart. Each vertebrae in our body is connected to a series of nerves, each of these nerves is responsible for an area of our body. If there is a subluxation in a vertebrae you will may experience symptoms.
Our spine is made up of 4 (the sacrum and coccyx are generally combined) distinct areas.
The following chart shows which vertebrae is responsible for which organs/body parts.
What is a Vertebral Subluxation?
You can see a dramatic difference in the two spines in the above image. The image on the right is a great way to see how the energy flows through the nerves. You can see in the circle how the subluxation is effecting the flow of that energy.
Most times people don't realize that they have a subluxation. It can take years for the subluxation to cause issues.
What Happens when there is a Subluxation
First off the simple answer:
In the simplest lay mans terms a subluxation occurs when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on or irritate spinal nerves. As you can see from above spinal nerves come out from between each of the bones of your spine. Pressure or irritation on these nerves then causes malfunction and interfere with the signals travelling and and from these nerves. This directly affects your nervous system and the part of the body that these nerves control (you can see those areas in the first chart) causing this part of your body to be unable to function at 100%.
Once a subluxation occurs, it begins a process of decay in the disc and surrounding joints, all while directly impacting the ability of the nervous system to communicate with the effected nerves efficiently and accurately. This process WILL continue until the subluxation is corrected.
Subluxations begin by effecting the way the muscles work and the spine moves. When the spine can not move properly the discs are deprived of nutrients and begin to degenerate. This happens as a result of the inability of the fluids and nutrients being able to flow correctly to and from the disc. After time there may be a build up of inflammation, formation of scar tissue and even the development of bone spurs and arthritis.
A subluxation involves 5 different components :
The Bone Component (Kinesiopathology) where the vertebrae are either out of position, not moving properly or are undergoing degeneration.
The Nerve Component (Neuropathology) , this is the malfunctioning of the nerve. Research has shown that it only takes a very small amount of pressure on spinal nerves to have a profound effect on the function of the nerves.
The Muscle Component. (Myopathology) The muscles of our body all help to hold the vertebrae in place and since the nerves....and nerves control the muscles, muscles are an integral part of our spine health.
The Soft Tissue Component (Histopathology) When you have misaligned vertebrae and pressure on nerves resulting in changes to the surrounding soft tissue, this results in the tendons, ligament, blood supply and other tissues undergoing significant changes. These changes can occur directly at the site of the subluxation or at any point in the travelling of the affected nerves.
The Chemical Component. (Biochemical Abnormalities) With all of the above changes acting on your body, the end result is chemical changes. Even minute chemical changes can have slight or massive effects on your body.
The issue is that you may not feel this until there is enough inflammation, muscle spasms, restriction and degeneration of the disc to trigger symptoms. This is when most people chose to see a chiropractor.
Depending on how long these subluxations have been occurring in the spine, will depend on the amount of damage done.
The Phases of Subluxation Degeneration
Subluxation Degeneration occurs over time. There are 4 stages (or phases) of degeneration:
Near Normal:
This is the neck of a person who has "near" normal spinal alignment. You can see that the curve is a gentle curve. With this curve the spine is able to act as the shock absorber that it is. You can also notice that the shape of the vertebrae is a nicely squared off, and the spacing between the vertebrae is also even.
Stage/Phase 1
The next phase shows a very straight spine, this type of degeneration has been present for 5-20 years depending on the age of the patient. The spine can also begin to develop a reverse curve in the neck. Overall motion is probably not affected, there are still issues going on with nerves and muscles. Because phase 1 generally has no pain associated with it, it's not uncommon for people to think they are just fine and not seek out chiropractic care. Under the care of a chiropractor this phase can be reversed and a proper spinal curve achieved in 6-18 months. Left uncared for, it will continue to phase 2.
(On a personal note-all of my kids aged 10-18 when started into regular care were a phase 1-leading into phase 2, after about a year, their spines have returned to near normal)
Stage/Phase 2
The subluxations found in phase 2 have generally been present and uncared for from between 20-40 years. This phase has some of the same characteristics of phase 1-including loss of the normal curve and position. Phase 2 spines usually have a loss of the range of normal motion in the subluxated area. On xray phase 2 spines also show calcium changes or calcium build up in areas of subluxation. These changes can be referred to as spurs or arthritis. Disc spaces between affected vertebrae are noticeably narrower and may appear to be flattening out. Most patients state that they are regularly stiff and achy. Reconstruction can take between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years to return to near normal.
Stage/Phase 3
The subluxations have been present for 40-65 years. This phase has extreme curvatures, disc spaces are vastly decreased and changing. Calcium changes on the spine are abundant in this phase. Patients in phase 3 have restricted range of motion and exhibit other symptoms depending on the placement of the subluxation. In phase 3 you can see that the vertebrae have obvious changes in shape and spaces. Chiropractic care will help to reverse the degeneration and symptoms in 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years. It may not be possible to return to near normal but a significant change can be given to range of motion and other symptoms.
(Personal note again-I was a late stage 2 early stage 3 when I started to see Dr John-Steph was the same)
Stage/Phase 4
This is the final phase-these subluxations have been present for 65 + years. Phase 4 is a grave condition that greatly effects the quality of life of the patient. the massive amount of neurological damage has lead to a significant toll on the patients health. There are obvious severe structural damages done to the spine and surrounding tissues at this stage. Disc spaces can be non existent and parts of the spine can actually have begun or became fused together. The phase 4 patient will have a severe if not complete loss of range of motion. Phase 4 patients report significant improvements in symptoms, conditions, mobility and quality of life within a 2 year care program. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to reverse phase 4, but a relief in symptoms etc is defiantly worth it.
So you can see that early subluxations if left uncorrected lead to significant degeneration over a life time. BUT if we treat our spines as if they are the corner stone of our health (which they are) and start to see a chiropractor at an early age and continue to see one, then it is totally possible to never experience the symptoms of subluxation. We'll talk more about chiropractic care and children a bit later on....but let's look at what symptoms could be showing up after a life time of not seeing a chiropractor.
Common Symptoms of Subluxation
The following chart has a great checklist of common symptoms, but by far is not a complete listing. I will go through the areas of the spine and expand on the list of symptoms.
C1-C3
Headaches, migraines, neck and scalp tension, pressure and pain behind eyes, blurring of vision, dizziness, light headedness, fainting, facial pain and numbness, ringing in ears, ear pain, jaw pain, recurring sore throats, nasal congestion sinus issues, loss of co-ordination, disorientation, symptoms of dyslexia, generalized malaise, childhood recurring fevers (with no apparent cause), vertebral artery insufficiency, insomnia, problems with memory, depression, irritability, loss of concentration, inability to focus, symptoms of allergies and or hay fever, croup, cough that "won't go away", epilepsy and seizure conditions, certain cases of blindness,
C4-C7
Pain and stiffness in the neck, pain in the shoulder, arm and hand, tennis elbow pain, hand and finger swelling, numbness and tingling in the hands and fingers, bursitis type pain in shoulder, wasting of arm and shoulder muscles, reduced neck and shoulder movement, difficulty swallowing, nervousness, neck tension, chest pain, heart conditions, high blood pressure, poor circulation in the arms, frequent chest colds, asthma, thyroid conditions, goiter , hormonal balance issues, speech difficulties, tonsil and adenoids conditions, frequent ear infections, loss of hearing,
T1-T3
Shortness of breath, chest pain and pressure, difficulty breathing, pain between shoulder blades, rib pains, heart arrhythmia's, frequent bouts of bronchitis and other related chest conditions, respiratory difficulties, recurring upper respiratory tract infections, function heart conditions, angina pain, asthma and related conditions (especially in children), certain arm pain, carpal tunnel syndrome,
T4-T9
Pain between shoulder blades, chest pain and pain in ribs, liver and gall bladder issues, jaundice in infants, stomach conditions such as indigestion, heartburn, abdominal bloating, pancreatic malfunction, diabetes, hypo/hyperglycemia, ulcers, gastritis, trouble digestion specific foods, food allergies, lowered resistance acne, and other skin conditions, abnormal blood pressure, sweet tooth cravings, kidney disease and malfunctions, acute and chronic infections,
T10-L1
Urinary tract conditions, kidney issues, constipation, ulcerative intestinal issues (IBS, chrons etc) spastic colon, lazy colon, adronal issues, appendix pain and disorders, abdominal issues, bloating, gas pains, frequent sighing, diarrhea, fluid retention, allergies, fatigue, mild lower back pain, hernias, rheumatism
L2-L5
Lower back pain, groin pain, weakness in legs, cramping in legs, poor circulation in legs, numbness in legs and feet, childhood "growing pains", leg pain, gas pain, constipation, certain types of impotence, infertility, bed wetting, bladder weakness, abdominal cramps, fatigue when standing, cold feet, menstrual cramps, menopause symptoms, bladder and prostate conditions, sciatic pain, leg and ankle swelling, varicose veins, leg and ankle swelling, spinal curvature/scoliosis, hemorrhoid pain, hip pain, ulcerative bowel conditions.
Causes of Subluxations:
Well to put it simply.....living! We put our spine under stress every day simple by being alive. Walking, sitting, laying down, running, jumping etc. Bad posture is one of the leading causes especially among the teen population. There are three areas of cause of subluxation
Physical Causes: These are the obvious causes, traumatic experiences to our spine. The first one in a persons life is birth. Infants are born with several subluxations usually in the upper spine and lower spine caused by the flexation of the spine during vaginal birth. Cesarean birth is also a significant cause of subluxation especially in the upper spine and neck area.
Further trauma to our spine through child hood can cause subluxations, trauma from falls, car accidents etc also cause subluxations. Repetitive motions that effect the spine, improper lifting, weakness in the spine, weight distribution can all cause subluxations.
Chemical Causes: Included in this are poor dietary and nutritional practices, drug and alcohol use and abuse and the ingestion of toxins from the foods we eat, the air we breath and the water we drink. Chemicals decrease the body's ability to function optimally and reduce the ability to adapt to and withstand external stresses.
Emotional Causes: Stress can be a leading cause in neck and spinal issues. Excessive stress and the inability to manage stress can lower the bodies ability to function. Alot of research has been done the impact of stress on our immune system.
How are Subluxations Corrected?
A chiropractor will do an assessment on your spine which should include a detailed health questionnaire or verbal questions. A series of xrays will also be run and then after all of this is done a chiropractor will adjust your spine. The chiropractor may also use a
As I stated at the beginning there are several methods for adjusting. I personally find the Gonstead method to be the best one out there. On youtube there is a fabulous channel filled with adjustments done by a Gonstead chiropractor, take a peak at the videos and you will see what a Gonstead adjustment looks like. http://www.youtube.com/user/chiroexcellence There are videos on every age group from infant to a fantastic adjustment with a 92 year old woman. Also included are adjustments during pregnancy-including the follow up adjustment to the newborn baby :o)
The basics of an adjustment include slight pressure being applied to the effected spine in order to move the misaligned vertebrae back into correct alignment. Other areas of your body can also be adjusted including the joints of your hands, elbow, shoulder, feet, ankle, knees, ribs, jaw and skull.
When the vertebrae moves there is a slight popping or "cracking" sound. Many people think that this is the bones of the vertebrae rubbing together, but it is actually the release of carbon dioxide from the spine (just like when you "crack" your knuckles).
Adjustments provide an immediate relief to the pinched nerves and allows for the proper flow of nutrients into the cartilage joint as well as flushing out waste products that have been sitting stagnant during the subluxation. Many times people feel a "head rush" as the flow of blood and nutrients is given freedom.
Who Should See a Chiropractor ?
Well ....everyone!
Like I stated above one of the first subluxations a human can suffer from is during birth. Even before that the way in which a baby's body is curled in the womb can cause stress on the spine.
Infants and Chiropractic
As you can see if you've read the blog up until now, chiropractic care is about whole health, not just for when your back hurts. Birth is the first "trauma" that a child suffers. As a doula I have seen first hand the force that some OB's use to "pull" the baby out. I truly believe that every infant should have his/her first adjustment within the first week of life.
Traumatic Birth Syndrome is the name given to the birthing process resulting in the creation of subluxations. Numerous articles and experts have warned of the damage that occurs to the nervous system in the neck of newborns during the trauma involved in the common birth process. This damage ranges from mild subluxations in the upper neck to more serious subluxations involving spinal cord damage, neural hemorrhage and central nervous system problems.
Many authorities suggest that the position of the mother coupled with the pulling from the delivering physician has a lot to do with the creation of these subluxation related problems. When the delivering mother is lying on her back she is not only working partially against gravity but she has reduced the pelvic opening size. These two factors then require the attending physician to pull harder on the head of the child. This increased pulling and twisting during the birth process, coupled with a decrease in the pelvic opening and a non alignment with gravity often set the stage for birth trauma, subluxation and the resulting problems.
Cesarean birth is also a leading cause of Traumatic Birth Syndrome. If you watch a c-section birth you will notice that the surgeon quite literally pulls the infant from the uterus by their neck, I have also seen photos of the baby being suspended by their neck. Imagine someone doing that to you and the amount of strain that puts on your neck! Other forms of assisted delivery such as vacuum or forceps apply a huge strain on the infants neck.
Health consequences to the newborn from subluxations caused from birth trauma range from immediate and severe to hidden problems that may take years to surface. Some of the more immediate and tragic results that have been documented are spinal cord and brain stem injuries, brain bleeding and swelling, neurological deficits, breathing problems and even sudden infant death syndrome. Long term health concerns are as varied as the nervous system, see the symptoms list above, all of those things could have begun from the moment of birth.
For those of you into the scientific research, this is a great article with loads of research references showing how infants and young children suffer from subluxations
Symptoms an infant has spinal subluxations:
It's hard to ask a baby if it hurts-but they are pretty good at telling us something is not right:
- Colic
- Poor feeding and or failure to thrive diagnosis
- Unsettled sleep patterns
- Crying, restlessness, hard to sooth
- Unhappy lying in a particular position, especially back
- Preference of sleeping on one side (when placed on other side will wake and be hard to settle)
- Prefers to feed on side, when on the other side will be fussy and hard to latch
- Issues with breastfeeding-hard to latch, hard to open mouth fully
- Reflux-90% of reflux issues in infants are due to upper cervical subluxations, other 10% are proven cases of esophagus flap failure
- Tendency to face one side, if you have to "force" baby to look other way this is sign of significant upper cervical subluxation
- Flat head due to inability to rotate head one direction or the other
- Ear infections within first year of life
- Colds/chest infections within first year of life
- Slow to meet milestones-holding up head, rolling over, crawling etc.
Traumatic birth facts:
- 50,000 newborn deaths occur each year in the U.S. Approximately 10,000 of those are listed as "unexplained respiratory failure" as known as SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Professor Abraham Towbin of Harvard Medical School states "respiratory depression or failure is a cardinal sign of spinal cord or brainstem injure that occurs during birth, but which frequently goes undiagnosed by medical doctors"
- Dr. Godrey Gutmann, a german medical researcher discovered that over 80% of the infants he examined after birth were suffering from cervical spine injuries, causing many types of health problems
- J.M. Duncan, a medical researcher, measured the amount of force required to severely injure a baby's neck during delivery. He found that the average amount of force used during delivery was between 90-120lbs. He found that 90 pounds of force could cause stillbirth, and would definitely cause a subluxation to the upper neck and spine. Duncan stated "This is NOT what most obstetricians would consider a great force"
- A study done by Dr. V Fryman and published in the Journal of American Osteopathic Assoc, showed that out of 1250 infants chosen at random, 211 suffered from unexplained vomiting, muscular abnormalities, tremors and insomnia. Of those 211-90% (200) had significant upper cervical subluxations and when adjusted their symptoms corrected and became nonexistent.
Children and Chiropractic
If your child was not seen in infancy, then it's time. Symptoms of subluxations in children can include (but are not limited to by far):
- recurrent ear infections
- persistent sore throats and colds
- infections in tonsils/adenoids
- recurrent upper respiratory infections (bronchitis, croup etc)
- fevers
- colic/reflux
- asthma
- headaches
- eye issues
- bedwetting
- constipation or recurrent diarrhea
- growing pains
- ADD/ADHD
- behavioural issues
- poor posture
- allergies both environmental and food based
- food intolerance's
- eczema
- intestinal parasites
The list really could go one forever. Children and children, it's in their nature to fall down and do things that can greatly effect the movement of their spine and cause subluxations.
It is estimated that 3.5 million children a year under the age of 14 receive medical care for sports injuries each year. Of these injuries chiropractic adjustment following an injury can greatly speed healing (for things like sprains and strains) and can lesson the chance that these injuries can result in spinal subluxations that continue to effect their health for the rest of their life.
Pregnancy and Chiropractic Care
During pregnancy, there are several reasons to see a chiropractor. The weight of carrying the baby, the postural adaptions, pelvic changes all can lead to subluxations and misalignment's.
A misaligned pelvis can mean the difference between a successful vaginal delivery. As well as reduce the amount of space for the baby to grow. The added strain of a pregnancy can put a mom's nervous system under strain, any subluxations can add to that strain.
Benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:
- maintaining a healthier pregnancy
- helping to control symptoms of morning sickness/nausea
- reducing the time of labour and delivery
- prevention of cesarean deliveries
- reverse breech laying babies via the webster technique
Myths and Facts about Chiropractors
Chiropractors are Not Real Doctors
I beg to differ! As does the statistics of what a chiropractor must study at school. Note that a chiropractor generally studies for 4 years, where a medical doctor studies for 7. Looks to me like a chiropractor has alot more knowledge built into that 4 years then a medical doctor. Of special note...chiropractors don't study pharmacology as they believe that if the spine is free of subluxations then the body is able to function properly and therefore prescription medications are unnecessary.
Chiropractic Care is Expensive
In comparison to the average cost of a visit to a medical doctor ($200-1000) the average cost of a chiropractic treatment is between $35-65. Most benefits companies offer plans that include chiropractic care. As well in both the US and Canada you can claim chiropractic care under the Medical Expenses section of your income tax return.
Chiropractic is Just for Back Pain
I think if you've read this blog through, you can see that this is definitely a myth!
Most chiropractors work with their patients on nutrition, basic health, exercise etc.
An Adjustment Hurts
Totally a myth 99% of the time. Depending on the muscles around the area that is subluxated you may feel discomfort. This discomfort does NOT come from the vertebrae being put back into place but from the muscles being taken out of a place that they have become accustom to. Adjustments actually create instant relief for the majority of patients (I know they do for me...I cheer when I get mine and ask Dr John to do it again :o)
Chiropractic Care Doesn't Work
Let's let these statistics from a 7 year study speak for themselves and have the final say on why you need to choose a chiropractor as your primary care physician!!
Concussions and Chiropractors
So after watching my sons rugby game today, and after taking one of his friends to hospital with a pretty significant concussion-wanted to add a blurb about concussions.
A major factor in concussion involves the snap back action of the neck. The neck is the area of the body that is most vulnerable to injury and can have the most effect on the ability of the brain to receive information. The top bone of the spine is usually effected the most in an injury leading to a concussion. This bone when it is subluxated results in the surrounding tissues being stretched or damaged and the weight of the head can then be shifted off centre
Once the position of the head is altered the position of the eyes and ears is also altered. The brain then initiates the "righting reflex" in order to balance the eyes and ears. This further exaggerates the misalignment of the spine and can effect every vertebrae in the spine.
The symptoms of a concussion including vertigo, dizziness and loss of coordination are all symptoms of the brain attempting to rebalance it's self. If the subluxation of the spine goes on uncorrected then the body must continually stay in the righting reflex-which is why post-concussion syndrome symptoms include vertigo etc.
When you suffer a concussion it is a good idea to be seen by a doctor to ensure that no significant brain injury has occurred. Once that has been cleared a trip to a chiropractor within 24-48 hours after the concussion to have the upper neck examined and any subluxations adjusted has been shown to improve recovery time significantly. If the subluxation is restricting blood flow to the brain an adjustment is vital to ensure that the blood flow is returned to normal.
Many sports stars are frequently sufferers of concussions. They are also huge users of chiropractors...so if you suffer a sports related concussion do what the pros do...see a chiropractor asap!
A major factor in concussion involves the snap back action of the neck. The neck is the area of the body that is most vulnerable to injury and can have the most effect on the ability of the brain to receive information. The top bone of the spine is usually effected the most in an injury leading to a concussion. This bone when it is subluxated results in the surrounding tissues being stretched or damaged and the weight of the head can then be shifted off centre
Once the position of the head is altered the position of the eyes and ears is also altered. The brain then initiates the "righting reflex" in order to balance the eyes and ears. This further exaggerates the misalignment of the spine and can effect every vertebrae in the spine.
The symptoms of a concussion including vertigo, dizziness and loss of coordination are all symptoms of the brain attempting to rebalance it's self. If the subluxation of the spine goes on uncorrected then the body must continually stay in the righting reflex-which is why post-concussion syndrome symptoms include vertigo etc.
When you suffer a concussion it is a good idea to be seen by a doctor to ensure that no significant brain injury has occurred. Once that has been cleared a trip to a chiropractor within 24-48 hours after the concussion to have the upper neck examined and any subluxations adjusted has been shown to improve recovery time significantly. If the subluxation is restricting blood flow to the brain an adjustment is vital to ensure that the blood flow is returned to normal.
Many sports stars are frequently sufferers of concussions. They are also huge users of chiropractors...so if you suffer a sports related concussion do what the pros do...see a chiropractor asap!
Resources:
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tonsils, Adenoids and Ear Infections Why surgery is NOT the answer
I've noticed a large "my child is having surgery to..." on my friends status updates lately. This scares me! When any doctor suggests that a child should have surgery some serious questions need to be asked, especially if it falls under the "oh it's routine we do it all the time" category.
I have to give some history here. I personally suffered from recurring ear infections from the time I was 3 until I was 7. That coupled with having tonsillitis about 10 times within a 2 year span, resulted in my parents having my tonsils and adenoids removed at age 7. My parents were told, she'll never have a problem with sore throats, ear aches ever again after the surgery. Wellllll that was a load of ....you know what.
From age 7 to 9 I was ok, after that things started all over again. Ear aches 2-3 times a year, sore throats same. Fast forward to age 15 and I had tubes put in my years every year until age 20. Due to the fact I hated the horrid sound of the drill and tube insertion being done under local freezing imagine dental work done in your ear), I had general anesthetic for all but the first surgery. Because of all the scar tissue I now have a 30% hearing loss in my left ear and a 50% loss in my right.
Fast forward to now....and I have not had an ear infection in 10 years, my kids who when younger showed signs and went through a few themselves, have also not had an ear infection in 5-10 years (depending on which one).
So what do I know now, that my parents didn't know then......
Simple-if my ears are stuffy, if my kids tonsils or adenoids are swollen....then there is something going on that we can control from the outside in and the inside out.
So where to start.....let's look at the organ's that make up our immune system.
Here is a great diagram that shows were the adenoids, tonsils and the Eustachian tube drain are. This will make it easier to imagine things as we talk.
Function of Adenoids and Tonsils
Our adenoids and tonsils are a vital part of our immune system. When we breath in they trap the many toxins, allergens and bacteria that are in the air we breath-if these toxins, allergens and bacteria were to get deeper into our immune system then they could potentially cause more severe reactions.
Both are part of the lymphatic system and process lymphatic fluid in unison with the other lymphoid tissues found in the body. Lymphatic fluid among other things contains lymphocytes which are at type of white blood cells. This fluids primary role is to filter and destroy germs and toxins. If these allergens and toxins skip the adenoids and tonsils, and enter through the skin, the antibodies are produced and travel to attack the invader.
Tonsils specifically produce antibodies that can neutralize respiratory infections. These antibodies or immunoglobulins are proteins that are found in the blood and other body fluids. As our tonsils mature they produce five different classes of antibodies, including specific antibodies against staphylococcus, haempophilus influenzae, streptococcus pneumoniae, polovirus and diptheria.
Adenoids are specifically important to younger children who naturally have weaker immune systems. As the child ages and their immune systems strengthen the adenoids have less work to do, but still continue to produce antibodies when allergens, toxins and bacteria enter through the breathing pathway.
Infection in the Adenoids and Tonsils
If there are large numbers of toxins, allergens and bacteria passing through the airway the adenoids and tonsils can become over worked and themselves become infected. This is especially common in younger children who tend to have weaker immune systems as well as are more prone to "ingest" bacteria by putting things into their mouths.
It's very easy to see if your tonsils are swollen-but not the adenoids as they are not visible by simply opening the mouth. On most occasions if one is swollen both are.
Symptoms of infection or swelling in the adenoids include, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, mouth breathing or difficulty breathing through nose, snoring, heavy breathing, and sleep apnea (extreme cases).
Causes of Enlarged Adenoids and Tonsils
The answer is simple...living. Sorry but it's the truth. I've talked many times over about the effects of nutrition and toxins on children's health and this is again one more area.
Mouth Breathing
Another cause and effect is the presence of swollen adenoids and the child's inability to breath properly which has a domino effect into their immune system and overall health. Teaching a child how to breath through the nose is a very important way to help reduce the amount of substances that are passed by the tonsils and adenoids. Our nasal passage is full of tiny hairs that help to collect the toxins, bacteria and allergens that we breath in. This helps our adenoids and tonsils by lowering the amount that they need to filter. If you notice your toddler mouth breathing frequently, small steps can be taken to teach them how to nose breath-obviously this gets easier as the child gets older, but can be done with little ones with time and patience.
Here is a quick article that teaches an easy method to teach children how to nose breath. http://www.livestrong.com/article/512619-how-to-teach-children-how-to-breathe-through-the-nose/
Here is another article on why nose breathing is very important for our health.
http://www.normalbreathing.com/index-nasal.php
Dr. K P Buteyko, has developed a program around mouth breathing that actually makes adenoid surgery obsolete http://www.breathingcenter.com/adenoids.html
Allergies
One of the functions of our tonsils and adenoids is to trap allergen causing substances from entering our body. Another cause of swollen adenoids and tonsils can be seen as the constant presence of allergens entering and passing by the adenoids and tonsils that causes them to remain enlarged as they fight to remove these substances from the body.
A study done in Poland in 2004 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15850323) showed that 28.6% of the children who had swollen tonsils, in fact had a major food allergy. The tonsils and adenoids where full of the allergen that the body was attempting to trap and thus were completely aggravated and swollen.
Other studies have also come to this conclusion with environmental based allergies http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16177665
Once the allergen cause was eliminated from the child's diet or environment (if possible) the tonsils and adenoids went back to a normal healthy state.
I can speak personally to the allergy factor. I grew up with the constant runny stuffy nose. My parents being much older did not believe in allergies. That is until I was in grade 7 and broke out in hives all over my body. Very quickly we began to investigate the allergy world. Unfortunately I was allergic to just about everything in my environment, so it was difficult to eliminate everything. We did go about reducing dust, my comfy feather pillow was quickly replaced...but my farm girl life continued, along with weekly allergy shots.
My allergist actually asked my parents why I had my tonsils and adenoids removed, and stated that my allergies likely worsened after their removal...which was obviously true as my stuffy nose had gotten worse within 6 months of their removal.
Food Intolerance's
Food allergies and food intolerance's are different sides of the same coin. An allergy can result in severe reactions such as anaphylactic reactions, hives etc. Intolerance's can show up in varying symptoms and have life long effects. Both can cause adenoids and tonsils to react to the presence of the food causing the reaction both in short term and long term situations.
Testing for food allergies and intolerance's is fairly easy. I recommend you do both. The intolerance test involves a simple blood draw and for allergies a specialist in allergens appointment and one of two types of skin scratch tests either on the arm or back.
Ear Infections and Tubes
All of the above information can also lead to recurrent ear infections-which can lead many doctors to prescribe the insertion of tubes to help drain the excess fluids.......if we change the health and nutrition these too can be eliminated.
My hearing loss occurred AFTER the placement of 4 sets of tubes....it was suppose to increase with the "relief of pressure"....
Natural Ways to Combat Adenoid/Tonsil and Ear Infections
Chiropractic Care
Vertebral subluxations can have huge life long effects on the health of a person. Auto-Immune dysfunction is a huge part of that. Each vertebrae in your spine is directly connected to the function of a series of nerves that connect to function of major organs, and every other part of your body. Basically in the simples of terms-if your spine is misaligned something is not working properly.
Ear aches/infections/drainage issues can all be greatly reduced and completely corrected with spinal adjustments. As can the negative effects of swollen tonsils/adenoids. One of the main reasons these three malfunctions occur can be linked to an inability to drain the excess fluid retention caused by the environmental factors talked about above (allergies etc).
Young children are especially susceptible to spinal issues right from birth (and in fact birth itself can cause a whole series of subluxations), and if not corrected will continue to cause problems into adult hood. We've talked a bit about the fact that the tonsils and adenoids are part of the immune system, the ears are as well. Ear wax is part of our immune systems way of draining the foreign invaders of toxins, allergens and bacteria in our body.
The tonsils and adenoids are a part of the lymph system like we've mentioned, if you take a look at the diagram showing their placement in the body, you will notice that the Eustachian tube from the ears drains directly near the adenoids and the fluid flows past both the adenoids and tonsils.
A vital part of the lymph system is the ability to drain away the "dead" invaders as waste products. The drainage of the lymph system relies on the muscle groups located near each lymph node-for the adenoids and tonsils these are the muscles of the neck and upper body (think shoulder blades and up). If there is a subluxation of the upper spine, the ability for these muscles to contract properly and allowing for the lymph nodes to drain can be blocked partially or completely which results in these areas swelling and ultimately becoming infected by the waste products.
Relieve of these symptoms can be found by having a chiropractor adjust these subluxations releasing the blockages. Relief can if the condition is somewhat minor happen almost immediately.
This is a great article outlining a bit more in terms of the explanation I have given above as well as a case study of an 8 year old girl with a surgeons recommendation to remove her tonsils: http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=41043
Homeopathic Treatment of Infections
When an infection in the tonsils, adenoids and ears is present the normal course of action is to prescribe an antibiotic. BUT the over use of antibiotics can have significant health issues especially in younger children. Antibiotics are unable to target the infection only and kill off both the good and bad bacteria found in our entire body.
First of head to the chiropractor so that you can ensure that the tonsils are draining properly, this will also help to jump start the immune system by helping with any further blockages in the lymph system.
If a fever is present do not treat the fever unless the child is prone to fever seizures. The fever is the bodies way of fighting off the infection and is a vital part of the immune system function.
Dr. Lawrence Palevsky has the best checklist for handing a fever and illness in a child, it can be found here http://www.drpalevsky.com/general_guidance.asp The fever guidelines are about 1/2 into the article.
Oil of Oregano-for children under age 5 rub 2-3 drops of diluted Oil of Oregano onto the child's feet. Children 5-12 if they can tolerate it the best way is to directly ingest the Oil of Oregano, put 2-3 drops into a teaspoon full of strong flavoured juice (orange, apple cranberry) and have the children swallow the juice quickly to avoid the taste of the OoO. If the child can swallow gel caps, place 2-3 drops in the gel cap and have them swallow that. Also applying 2-3 drops diluted directly onto the child's throat area will help to reduce the infection quickly.
Vitamin C-is vital to proper immune system function. Unfortunately the RDA(recommended daily amount) is set way to low for optimal health. For children under age 5-use 2000mg divided over 3 doses, age 5-12 3500mgs, 12-adult 5000mgs. If diarrhea occurs don't worry, just lower the amount by 500mgs until symptoms stop.
Sea Salt, Garlic and Fenugreek Gargle-Works wonders! These three things combined all have antibacterial and pain reliever and help with swelling. Take 2 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds and simmer in 1 litre of filtered water for 20 minutes-add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and simmer for 10 more minutes. Strain seeds and garlic bits. Add 1 tsp of sea salt, stir to dissolve. Cool until water is at a temperature you can gargle with. Use 1 teaspoon of solution at a time-gargle frequently. If it hurts to actually force the gargle sound, let the liquid sit at the back of the throat for as long as possible. This solution is totally safe to swallow.
Dietary Changes
I can't talk about it enough....crap in equals crap health out...simple as that. Issues with tonsils, adenoids and ears do not miss out on this, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN!
You can visit the other blog posts about sugar, as well as the top foods that are killing us, but I will touch briefly on a couple of things that can have immediate effects.
Dairy
In small children (and big ones too) milk products can produce significant mucous and inflammation. This mucous attempts to get out, and one major source of mucous removal is the sinuses-which are you guessed it directly related to ears, nose and throat. All of which drain past the adenoids and tonsils causing aggravation and leading to infection.
Dairy is also one of the things that is high on the list of food intolerances that many people don't realize are causing internal issues. Not everyone exhibits lactose intolerance but we are ALLLLLLLL unable to digest lactose after age 7 +/- when our body stops producing lactase to digest the milk (breast milk) that we are designed to digest as infants and toddlers. Ingesting large amounts of milk causes our body to go into remove it mode and the mucous is added as a way to flush it out of our system.
If you or your child have a constant stuffy nose, post nasal drip and recurring ear infections, remove dairy from the diet for 10 days and see the difference it makes. ** Note not all dairy causes issues, greek yogurt because of the presence of the bacteria is much less likely to cause issues, butter is not truly a diary product as it's actually a byproduct, goat and sheep milk is much better tolerated in young children as it contains lower levels of casein and lactose.**
Sugar
High ingestion of sugar in our children is a SERIOUS epidemic in North America. On average young children aged 1-3 ingest 12.5 teaspoons; ages 4-12 ingest 25 teaspoons; ages 13-18 ingest 34 teaspoons and adults 22 teaspoons of refined sugar a day.
100 grams of sugar or 8 teaspoons has been shown to suppress the production of white blood cells (the immune heros of our body) by 40% for upwards of 5 afters after ingestion. The effects of this suppression start as early as 30 minutes after ingesting the sugar.\
This is a great video that shows the direct effect ingesting sugar has on our blood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH47sGmJZaQ&feature=relmfu
Soy Products
One of the leading issues in children under the age of 5-is the use of soy products, especially soy based formula. Soy can wreak havoc on a child's immune system, endocrine system and lead to life long health issues. If you are using a soy based formula for your infant-stop!!!! Even with the issue of dairy a milk based formula is much safer. Even better is breast milk. If your child is 1 or older take them off formula completely and move into solid foods.
Soy is also one of the top 10 items that is a known food allergy in children. Just like nuts, eggs, and fish, any soy based product should not be given to a child under age 4.
End of the Story
So....as you can see surgery needs to be the last resort in the fight against tonsils, adenoids and ear infections. There are several ways to control theses issues as well as treat them naturally.
Some stats:
Was asked to include the research that lead to this blog...hoping it's listed correctly, I am horrid at writing out the spot, page etc. Not full list-have to read through all my chicken scratch...now that's scary
British Medical Journal September 11, 2004;329
Journal of the American Medical Association November 17, 2010;304:2161
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/01/30/us-sleep-apnea-idUSCOL06366020070130
Viral Immunity by James E Williams
http://www.naturalnews.com/012291_unnecessary_surgery_hysterectomies.html
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, June 2010, June 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/11/20/us-tonsillitis-children-idUSL2026646820071120
Journal of Pediatrics, December 2006
Effect of Adenoidectomy on Respiratory Function: A Randomised Prospective Study Mary V. Lasley
I have to give some history here. I personally suffered from recurring ear infections from the time I was 3 until I was 7. That coupled with having tonsillitis about 10 times within a 2 year span, resulted in my parents having my tonsils and adenoids removed at age 7. My parents were told, she'll never have a problem with sore throats, ear aches ever again after the surgery. Wellllll that was a load of ....you know what.
From age 7 to 9 I was ok, after that things started all over again. Ear aches 2-3 times a year, sore throats same. Fast forward to age 15 and I had tubes put in my years every year until age 20. Due to the fact I hated the horrid sound of the drill and tube insertion being done under local freezing imagine dental work done in your ear), I had general anesthetic for all but the first surgery. Because of all the scar tissue I now have a 30% hearing loss in my left ear and a 50% loss in my right.
Fast forward to now....and I have not had an ear infection in 10 years, my kids who when younger showed signs and went through a few themselves, have also not had an ear infection in 5-10 years (depending on which one).
So what do I know now, that my parents didn't know then......
Simple-if my ears are stuffy, if my kids tonsils or adenoids are swollen....then there is something going on that we can control from the outside in and the inside out.
So where to start.....let's look at the organ's that make up our immune system.
Here is a great diagram that shows were the adenoids, tonsils and the Eustachian tube drain are. This will make it easier to imagine things as we talk.
Function of Adenoids and Tonsils
Our adenoids and tonsils are a vital part of our immune system. When we breath in they trap the many toxins, allergens and bacteria that are in the air we breath-if these toxins, allergens and bacteria were to get deeper into our immune system then they could potentially cause more severe reactions.
Both are part of the lymphatic system and process lymphatic fluid in unison with the other lymphoid tissues found in the body. Lymphatic fluid among other things contains lymphocytes which are at type of white blood cells. This fluids primary role is to filter and destroy germs and toxins. If these allergens and toxins skip the adenoids and tonsils, and enter through the skin, the antibodies are produced and travel to attack the invader.
Tonsils specifically produce antibodies that can neutralize respiratory infections. These antibodies or immunoglobulins are proteins that are found in the blood and other body fluids. As our tonsils mature they produce five different classes of antibodies, including specific antibodies against staphylococcus, haempophilus influenzae, streptococcus pneumoniae, polovirus and diptheria.
Adenoids are specifically important to younger children who naturally have weaker immune systems. As the child ages and their immune systems strengthen the adenoids have less work to do, but still continue to produce antibodies when allergens, toxins and bacteria enter through the breathing pathway.
Infection in the Adenoids and Tonsils
If there are large numbers of toxins, allergens and bacteria passing through the airway the adenoids and tonsils can become over worked and themselves become infected. This is especially common in younger children who tend to have weaker immune systems as well as are more prone to "ingest" bacteria by putting things into their mouths.
It's very easy to see if your tonsils are swollen-but not the adenoids as they are not visible by simply opening the mouth. On most occasions if one is swollen both are.
Symptoms of infection or swelling in the adenoids include, difficulty swallowing, sore throat, mouth breathing or difficulty breathing through nose, snoring, heavy breathing, and sleep apnea (extreme cases).
Causes of Enlarged Adenoids and Tonsils
The answer is simple...living. Sorry but it's the truth. I've talked many times over about the effects of nutrition and toxins on children's health and this is again one more area.
Mouth Breathing
Another cause and effect is the presence of swollen adenoids and the child's inability to breath properly which has a domino effect into their immune system and overall health. Teaching a child how to breath through the nose is a very important way to help reduce the amount of substances that are passed by the tonsils and adenoids. Our nasal passage is full of tiny hairs that help to collect the toxins, bacteria and allergens that we breath in. This helps our adenoids and tonsils by lowering the amount that they need to filter. If you notice your toddler mouth breathing frequently, small steps can be taken to teach them how to nose breath-obviously this gets easier as the child gets older, but can be done with little ones with time and patience.
Here is a quick article that teaches an easy method to teach children how to nose breath. http://www.livestrong.com/article/512619-how-to-teach-children-how-to-breathe-through-the-nose/
Here is another article on why nose breathing is very important for our health.
http://www.normalbreathing.com/index-nasal.php
Dr. K P Buteyko, has developed a program around mouth breathing that actually makes adenoid surgery obsolete http://www.breathingcenter.com/adenoids.html
Allergies
One of the functions of our tonsils and adenoids is to trap allergen causing substances from entering our body. Another cause of swollen adenoids and tonsils can be seen as the constant presence of allergens entering and passing by the adenoids and tonsils that causes them to remain enlarged as they fight to remove these substances from the body.
A study done in Poland in 2004 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15850323) showed that 28.6% of the children who had swollen tonsils, in fact had a major food allergy. The tonsils and adenoids where full of the allergen that the body was attempting to trap and thus were completely aggravated and swollen.
Other studies have also come to this conclusion with environmental based allergies http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16177665
Once the allergen cause was eliminated from the child's diet or environment (if possible) the tonsils and adenoids went back to a normal healthy state.
I can speak personally to the allergy factor. I grew up with the constant runny stuffy nose. My parents being much older did not believe in allergies. That is until I was in grade 7 and broke out in hives all over my body. Very quickly we began to investigate the allergy world. Unfortunately I was allergic to just about everything in my environment, so it was difficult to eliminate everything. We did go about reducing dust, my comfy feather pillow was quickly replaced...but my farm girl life continued, along with weekly allergy shots.
My allergist actually asked my parents why I had my tonsils and adenoids removed, and stated that my allergies likely worsened after their removal...which was obviously true as my stuffy nose had gotten worse within 6 months of their removal.
Food Intolerance's
Food allergies and food intolerance's are different sides of the same coin. An allergy can result in severe reactions such as anaphylactic reactions, hives etc. Intolerance's can show up in varying symptoms and have life long effects. Both can cause adenoids and tonsils to react to the presence of the food causing the reaction both in short term and long term situations.
Testing for food allergies and intolerance's is fairly easy. I recommend you do both. The intolerance test involves a simple blood draw and for allergies a specialist in allergens appointment and one of two types of skin scratch tests either on the arm or back.
Ear Infections and Tubes
All of the above information can also lead to recurrent ear infections-which can lead many doctors to prescribe the insertion of tubes to help drain the excess fluids.......if we change the health and nutrition these too can be eliminated.
My hearing loss occurred AFTER the placement of 4 sets of tubes....it was suppose to increase with the "relief of pressure"....
Natural Ways to Combat Adenoid/Tonsil and Ear Infections
Chiropractic Care
Vertebral subluxations can have huge life long effects on the health of a person. Auto-Immune dysfunction is a huge part of that. Each vertebrae in your spine is directly connected to the function of a series of nerves that connect to function of major organs, and every other part of your body. Basically in the simples of terms-if your spine is misaligned something is not working properly.
Ear aches/infections/drainage issues can all be greatly reduced and completely corrected with spinal adjustments. As can the negative effects of swollen tonsils/adenoids. One of the main reasons these three malfunctions occur can be linked to an inability to drain the excess fluid retention caused by the environmental factors talked about above (allergies etc).
Young children are especially susceptible to spinal issues right from birth (and in fact birth itself can cause a whole series of subluxations), and if not corrected will continue to cause problems into adult hood. We've talked a bit about the fact that the tonsils and adenoids are part of the immune system, the ears are as well. Ear wax is part of our immune systems way of draining the foreign invaders of toxins, allergens and bacteria in our body.
The tonsils and adenoids are a part of the lymph system like we've mentioned, if you take a look at the diagram showing their placement in the body, you will notice that the Eustachian tube from the ears drains directly near the adenoids and the fluid flows past both the adenoids and tonsils.
A vital part of the lymph system is the ability to drain away the "dead" invaders as waste products. The drainage of the lymph system relies on the muscle groups located near each lymph node-for the adenoids and tonsils these are the muscles of the neck and upper body (think shoulder blades and up). If there is a subluxation of the upper spine, the ability for these muscles to contract properly and allowing for the lymph nodes to drain can be blocked partially or completely which results in these areas swelling and ultimately becoming infected by the waste products.
Relieve of these symptoms can be found by having a chiropractor adjust these subluxations releasing the blockages. Relief can if the condition is somewhat minor happen almost immediately.
This is a great article outlining a bit more in terms of the explanation I have given above as well as a case study of an 8 year old girl with a surgeons recommendation to remove her tonsils: http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=41043
Homeopathic Treatment of Infections
When an infection in the tonsils, adenoids and ears is present the normal course of action is to prescribe an antibiotic. BUT the over use of antibiotics can have significant health issues especially in younger children. Antibiotics are unable to target the infection only and kill off both the good and bad bacteria found in our entire body.
First of head to the chiropractor so that you can ensure that the tonsils are draining properly, this will also help to jump start the immune system by helping with any further blockages in the lymph system.
If a fever is present do not treat the fever unless the child is prone to fever seizures. The fever is the bodies way of fighting off the infection and is a vital part of the immune system function.
Dr. Lawrence Palevsky has the best checklist for handing a fever and illness in a child, it can be found here http://www.drpalevsky.com/general_guidance.asp The fever guidelines are about 1/2 into the article.
Oil of Oregano-for children under age 5 rub 2-3 drops of diluted Oil of Oregano onto the child's feet. Children 5-12 if they can tolerate it the best way is to directly ingest the Oil of Oregano, put 2-3 drops into a teaspoon full of strong flavoured juice (orange, apple cranberry) and have the children swallow the juice quickly to avoid the taste of the OoO. If the child can swallow gel caps, place 2-3 drops in the gel cap and have them swallow that. Also applying 2-3 drops diluted directly onto the child's throat area will help to reduce the infection quickly.
Vitamin C-is vital to proper immune system function. Unfortunately the RDA(recommended daily amount) is set way to low for optimal health. For children under age 5-use 2000mg divided over 3 doses, age 5-12 3500mgs, 12-adult 5000mgs. If diarrhea occurs don't worry, just lower the amount by 500mgs until symptoms stop.
Sea Salt, Garlic and Fenugreek Gargle-Works wonders! These three things combined all have antibacterial and pain reliever and help with swelling. Take 2 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds and simmer in 1 litre of filtered water for 20 minutes-add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and simmer for 10 more minutes. Strain seeds and garlic bits. Add 1 tsp of sea salt, stir to dissolve. Cool until water is at a temperature you can gargle with. Use 1 teaspoon of solution at a time-gargle frequently. If it hurts to actually force the gargle sound, let the liquid sit at the back of the throat for as long as possible. This solution is totally safe to swallow.
Dietary Changes
I can't talk about it enough....crap in equals crap health out...simple as that. Issues with tonsils, adenoids and ears do not miss out on this, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN!
You can visit the other blog posts about sugar, as well as the top foods that are killing us, but I will touch briefly on a couple of things that can have immediate effects.
Dairy
In small children (and big ones too) milk products can produce significant mucous and inflammation. This mucous attempts to get out, and one major source of mucous removal is the sinuses-which are you guessed it directly related to ears, nose and throat. All of which drain past the adenoids and tonsils causing aggravation and leading to infection.
Dairy is also one of the things that is high on the list of food intolerances that many people don't realize are causing internal issues. Not everyone exhibits lactose intolerance but we are ALLLLLLLL unable to digest lactose after age 7 +/- when our body stops producing lactase to digest the milk (breast milk) that we are designed to digest as infants and toddlers. Ingesting large amounts of milk causes our body to go into remove it mode and the mucous is added as a way to flush it out of our system.
If you or your child have a constant stuffy nose, post nasal drip and recurring ear infections, remove dairy from the diet for 10 days and see the difference it makes. ** Note not all dairy causes issues, greek yogurt because of the presence of the bacteria is much less likely to cause issues, butter is not truly a diary product as it's actually a byproduct, goat and sheep milk is much better tolerated in young children as it contains lower levels of casein and lactose.**
Sugar
High ingestion of sugar in our children is a SERIOUS epidemic in North America. On average young children aged 1-3 ingest 12.5 teaspoons; ages 4-12 ingest 25 teaspoons; ages 13-18 ingest 34 teaspoons and adults 22 teaspoons of refined sugar a day.
100 grams of sugar or 8 teaspoons has been shown to suppress the production of white blood cells (the immune heros of our body) by 40% for upwards of 5 afters after ingestion. The effects of this suppression start as early as 30 minutes after ingesting the sugar.\
This is a great video that shows the direct effect ingesting sugar has on our blood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH47sGmJZaQ&feature=relmfu
Soy Products
One of the leading issues in children under the age of 5-is the use of soy products, especially soy based formula. Soy can wreak havoc on a child's immune system, endocrine system and lead to life long health issues. If you are using a soy based formula for your infant-stop!!!! Even with the issue of dairy a milk based formula is much safer. Even better is breast milk. If your child is 1 or older take them off formula completely and move into solid foods.
Soy is also one of the top 10 items that is a known food allergy in children. Just like nuts, eggs, and fish, any soy based product should not be given to a child under age 4.
End of the Story
So....as you can see surgery needs to be the last resort in the fight against tonsils, adenoids and ear infections. There are several ways to control theses issues as well as treat them naturally.
Some stats:
- Only about 25% of kids who have their tonsil and or adenoids remove show significant health benefits.
- Other 75% return to illness within 3 months of removal.
- 50 % of adenoids regrow-this jumps to 75% if removal is done before age 3 (our body knows we need them, so it regenerates them)
- 45% of tonsils regrow-our tonsils continue to grow until we hit puberty so the younger the age at removal the higher the chances of regrowth-which in fact is just normal growth
- Regrowth of tonsils and adenoids is linked to the continued presence of allergens and or toxins that were the cause of the issue in the first place! Remove the cause and there is no need to remove the tonsils.
- Children who have tonsils removed have a weaker immune system especially for the 6 months after surgery.
- Removal of tonsils has been linked to risk factors for obesity in adult hood. http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/03/30/us-tonsillectomy-weight-idUSTRE52T4MB20090330
- Surgical removal of adenoids and tonsils has dropped significantly in the past 20 years as doctors realize that they are actually an essential part of the immune system.
Just like any part of your child's health....enlarged tonsils, adenoids or recurring ear infections are a sign that something is WRONG in the immune system. Look for the why before you jump into the surgical removal of a vital part of a child's immune system.
Was asked to include the research that lead to this blog...hoping it's listed correctly, I am horrid at writing out the spot, page etc. Not full list-have to read through all my chicken scratch...now that's scary
British Medical Journal September 11, 2004;329
Journal of the American Medical Association November 17, 2010;304:2161
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/01/30/us-sleep-apnea-idUSCOL06366020070130
Viral Immunity by James E Williams
http://www.naturalnews.com/012291_unnecessary_surgery_hysterectomies.html
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, June 2010, June 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/11/20/us-tonsillitis-children-idUSL2026646820071120
Journal of Pediatrics, December 2006
Effect of Adenoidectomy on Respiratory Function: A Randomised Prospective Study Mary V. Lasley
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Plan Simplified with Sample Menu
The original blog that includes the whys of this plan can be found here:
http://amyeaustin.blogspot.ca/2012/03/how-to-grow-human-and-how-to-shrink-one.html
So the plan in a Nut Shell
http://amyeaustin.blogspot.ca/2012/03/how-to-grow-human-and-how-to-shrink-one.html
So the plan in a Nut Shell
5 Meals A Day-First Meal no later then 30 minutes after waking up.
Always start you day off with a high carb breakfast-using complex carbs.
Meal Timing Example:Change to Your Own Times
Time | |
6:30am | WakeUp |
7am | Breakfast |
10am | Meal #2 |
1am | Meal #3 |
4pm | Meal #4 |
7pm | Meal #5 |
8 Day Cycle (with an optional 2nd cleanse day)
The 8 Day Carb Cycling Plan | |
Day 1 | High Carb Day |
Day 2 | Low Carb Day |
Day 3 | High Carb Day |
Day 4 | Low Carb Day |
Day 5 | High Carb Day |
Day 6 | Low Carb Day |
Day 7 | Cheat Day |
Day 8 | Cleanse Day |
Day 9 (optional) | Cleanse Day |
Portioning Meals:
Protein: The size and thickness of your palm=approximately 3 oz.
Fats: The size of your thumb=approximately 1 tablespoon
Flavorings: The size of two fingers=approximately 2 teaspoons
Carbohydrates: The size of one closed fist=approximately 1 cup
How to Make a Low Carb Meal
1 Protein Portion +1 Fat Portion + 1Veggie Portion + 1 Flavoring Portion
How to Build a High Carb Meal:
1 Protein Portion + 1 Carb Portion + 1 Veggie Portion + 1 Flavoring Portion
Ingredient | High Carb Meals | Low Carb Meals |
Proteins | 1 portion | 1 portion |
Carbs | 1 portion | None |
Veggies | Unlimited except for root/starchy veggies they count as carbs | Unlimited except for root/starchy veggies they count as carbs |
Fats | None | 1 Portion |
Flavorings | 1 portion, plus unlimited herbs, spices, seasonings | 1 portion, plus unlimited spices, seasonings |
A week of Meals:
Will add more as I make them up :o)
A couple of notes: I do not use "low-fat" products. I truly believe that to make something low fat, low sugar etc, means that there are chemical processes involved and or added not good for you items. Also as you know Soy is a HUGE no no on my list. If you are looking for salad dressings, mayos those types of things-read the ingredient list and avoid items with these in it.
As I build up my own personal menus I will add to this blog, so be sure to check back often. I am working on some homemade salad dressings at the moment :o)
As you can see I have blended my Isagenix products into this plan quite well. I utilize the IsaSnacks and IsaDelights for moments of "I can't make it to the next meal". Have only had to do that a couple of times, and when I looked back I thought, hmmm what didn't work from that last meal that made me hungry. Still working out the details :o) I also take an IsaFlush at bed time.
Drinks: Remember to drink your water-a good rule of thumb is 1/2 your body weight in ozs. So 200lbs=100ozs or 3litres. If you can drink more. I add Energix to water at least 2 times a day, usually after working out. As well to flavour my water-cuz let's be honest it can get darned boring-I add lemon juice, orange slices, lime slices etc.
Breakfast | Snack 1 | Lunch | Snack 2 | Dinner | |
Day 1 High Carb Day | IsaLean Shake 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | Shrimp and Broccoli Bowl over Rice 4 oz Shrimp ½ cup brown rice 1 cup steamed broccoli ½ tsp soya sauce | Tuna Sandwich 3oz Tuna 1 Slice Ezekial Bread 2 Leaves Romaine Lettuce 2 slices tomato 1 tbsp mayo 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | 1 scoop IsaPro ½ scoop Choc Isalean 1 scoop IsaFruit | Chicken Mexicana 3oz chicken ¼ cup of corn ¼ cup black beans 1 green pepper diced 2 tsp Frank’s Red Hot 3 tbsp salsa |
Day 2 Low Carb Day | Isalean Shake 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | Egg Salad Blue Style 2 Eggs Hardboiled 3 cups mixed Tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce 1 tbsp Blue Cheese ¼ Avacado Chopped Balsamic Vinegar to taste | Mexicana Cottage 1 cup cottage cheese ½ cup chopped Tomatoe ¼ avacado 3 tbsp salsa 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | 1 scoop IsaPro 1 scoop Energix 1 scoop IsaGreens ¼ avocado | Chicken Tacos 2-3 oz chicken breast grilled ¼ cup each tomato, onion, cucumber 1-2 leafs romaine lettuce 1 oz cheese shredded 3 tbsp salsa Lime Juice Can add fajita spices to taste-if store bought watch for sugar and msg on label Use lettuce as wrap and make “tacos” |
Day 3 Day 3 High Carb Day | IsaLean Shake 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelorator | Yogurt Crunch 1 cup of Greek Yogurt ½ cup granola ½ cup berries 1 tsp honey or maple syrup | “Fried Egg Sammie” 2 Eggs + 2 Egg Whites ½ Ezekial English Muffin 3 Tomatoes 1 tsp of Ketchup or Tabasco sauce(optional) Mix eggs & whites, using a light touch of oil to fry omelette style, place on toasted muffin, add choice of seasoning. 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | 1 scoop IsaPro 1/2 scoop IsaLean Chocolate 1 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter | Steak & Potatoes 3oz steak of choice ½ Sweet Potato Baked ½ head of broccoli steamed 1 tsp of orange juice Steak Seasoning Crushed garlic (optional) Cook steak to preference (bbq,etc). Slice sweet potato and place on baking sheet lined with parchment-sprinkle with juice-bake at 350 for 15-20 mintues until tender. Steam broccoli and toss with garlic. |
Day 4 Low Carb Day | IsaLean Shake 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | 1 cup cottage cheese 3-4 slices of tomato Salt and pepper | Veggie Omleete 1 egg 2 egg whites 2 tbsp chopped onion 2 tbsp chopped green bell pepper 2 tbsp chopped mushrooms 1 oz shredded cheese 2 tbsp salsa 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | 1 scoop IsaPro 1 scoop Energix 1 scoop IsaGreens ¼ avocado | Tikka Masla Shrimp 4 oz shrimp 3 cups total-green beans, onions, green pepper, celery-diced 1 tbsp Tikka Masala Sauce-watch carbs on label 1 tbsp heavy cream Saute veggies and shrimp, add sauce, just before serving add cream. |
Day 5 High Carb Day | IsaLean Shake 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | Maple Crunch Yogurt 1 cup greek yogurt ½ cup granola 1 tsp maple syrup | Tuna Sandwich 3oz tuna ½ ezekial English muffin 2-3 slices of leaf lettuce 1 tsp plain hummus | 1 scoop IsaPro ¾ cup cooked steel cut oatmeal 1 cup of berries 1 tsp maple syrup | Lentil Soup ½ green lentils cooked in chicken broth (use instead of water according to lentil pkg directions) ½ onion diced 2 tomatoes diced 1-2 cloves garlic Vegetable boulion cube |
Day 6 Low Carb Day | IsaLean Shake 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | Turkey Roll Ups 3oz deli sliced turkey 2-3 romaine lettuce leaves 2-3 slices tomato 1 slice red onion 2 oz shredded cheese 2 tbsp hummus Spread hummus on the leaves, lay down veggies and turkey and roll up. | Broccoli Salad 1 hard boiled egg 3 hard boiled egg whites 1/2 head broccoli, chopped 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp mayonnaise 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp real bacon bits 1 tsp maple syrup Blend mayo, vinegar and maple syrup, toss with veggies. 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | 1 scoop IsaLean Chocolate 1 tbsp peanut butter | Chicken-Veggie Parmesan 3 oz chicken breast 2 cups mixed veggies, zucchini, mushrooms, onions etc 2oz parmesan cheese 3 tbsp tomato sauce 1 garlic clove crushed Cook chicken and saute veggies with ½ tsp of olive oil and garlic. Layer veggies over top of chicken, add sauce, sprinkle with cheese. Broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese melts. |
Day 7-Cheat Day | IsaLean Shake 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | Choice-Rule of Cheat Day-Total Calories not to exceed 2200! So “choose within reason” | Choice 1 oz Ionix Supreme 1 Natural Accelerator | Choice | Choice |
Day 8-Cleanse Day | The timing for a cleanse day won’t fit onto this table the way it is...including the link to it below. |
http://media01.isagenix.com/corporate/ww/pdfs/CleanseDays.pdf
ENJOY!
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