Children | Rook Torres

Jul 27 0

Chiropractic Care of Children…Is It Really Safe???

Posted by Rook Torres

In the late 1990s, an article published on the safety of chiropractic treatment of children also revealed significant benefits for children who received chiropractic treatment.

This article was written in response to safety concerns due to the increased utilization of chiropractic for various pediatric conditions.

One primary topic of discussion included the neurological and vascular complications associated with chiropractic treatment in pediatric patients.

This topic has been reviewed previously in adult patients and much of the same concerns can be associated with the pediatric patient.

The likelihood of a vascular injury in a pediatric case is certainly less than in the adult patient due to the pliability and flexibility of the neurovascular structures.

The incidence in the occurrence of stroke in teenagers (children under 15 years of age) is reportedly at a rate of 2.7 per 100,000 children was reported.

However, based on an extensive search dating back 32 or more years, only two reported cases of neurovascular complications related to pediatric patients who had received chiropractic care were found.

Based on the data derived from multiple sources, a conservative estimate of the number of pediatric visits to chiropractors in the United States over the same time frame amounted to over 500 million treatments.

THE REVIEW CONCLUDED THE CHANCE OF A NEUROVASCULAR COMPLICATION ARISING FROM THE CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 OUT OF 250 MILLION VISITS.

The article concluded the benefits outweigh the risks when applying cervical spine manipulation to any individual, including the pediatric population.

Based on their review, chiropractic care, as it relates to neurovascular complications, presents little risk to the pediatric patient. Even less than the general non-pediatric population which too, is extremely rare.

One other risk cited in its paper was potential damage to the growth plate (epiphysis – the growing ends of bones) of the growing child. However, in the 32+ year review, no reported research documentation could be found supporting this claim.

Another article reported ways in which parents might be able to detect spinal problems in children.

Unless an obvious trauma such as a trip and fall has occurred, it can be challenging in some cases to detect spinal issues, similar to the dentist discovering a non-symptomatic cavity.

More obvious findings parents can detect may include head tilt or leaning to one side, the child turning their whole body rather than their neck to converse or look at someone, sleep interruptions, a child rubbing their own neck, feeding /nursing difficulties on one side and crying/agitated behavior compared to the child’s “usual” behavior.

When children are able to communicate, they may complain of aches that many refer to as “growing pains.”

Less documented / anecdotal evidence that might suggest nervous system dysfunction include persistent earaches, sore throats, colic, headaches, bed-wetting, and others are conditions that parents may bring their children for chiropractic treatment.

From In Good Hands Magazine.

http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=37423 Dynamic Chiropractic – September 7, 1998, Vol. 16, Issue 19 Chiropractic — Is It Safe for Children? By Claudia Anrig, DC; Claudia Anrig, DC Clovis, California
http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=41406 Dynamic Chiropractic – July 29, 1994, Vol. 12, Issue 16
A Parent’s Guide to Chiropractic Care for Children Peter Fysh, DC San Jose, California

Jul 27 0

Do Spinal Curves In Your Neck, Mid Back and Lower Back Affect Your Health?

Posted by Rook Torres

Chiropractic was founded in 1895 after the hearing was restored in a patient following a spinal adjustment to the upper region of the spine.

Since then, our profession has been conducting research to help determine why spinal manipulation or adjustments work so well.

Many conditions have been studied, as well as the physiological responses to the adjustment including blood chemistry changes including hormone levels, blood pressure changes, circulation changes, and many other parameters of health.

Posture, bone alignment and spinal curves have been long been evaluated in patients presenting with muscle and joint complaints by most of the health care professions, including chiropractic.

But the question remains: how important are spinal curves in the overall health picture of the patient? Can alterations in the “normal” curve lead to future trouble or, be the cause of a current condition?

A recent study reported the results after conducting a “systematic critical literature review” where all research published on this subject was reviewed for quality and content.

They gathered 54 studies published between 1942 and 2008, which included over 20,000 patients and reported the association between the sagittal curve (curves when looking at a person from the side) and various health conditions.

There were many different types of studies and methods used to evaluate the sagittal curves of the lumbar (low back) (38 studies), thoracic (mid back) (34 studies) and cervical (neck) (6 studies) spine.

These methods included plain x-ray (25 studies), MRI (1 study), photographs (3 studies) visual analysis or, by the eye (5 studies) and those using a variety of instruments (21 studies).

A strong association was reported in five studies with an increased angle in the midback/thoracic spine (kyphosis – sometimes referred to as “humpback”) with lung disorders causing breathing problems.

Poor physical function and pelvic organ prolapse were also strongly associated with kyphosis.

A moderate association was found when the low back curve (lordosis) was reduced, which was associated with an increase in low back pain.

Similarly, future osteoporotic midback/thoracic compression fractures were moderately associated with kyphosis or “humpback” deformity.

Kyphosis was also moderately associated with heavy household activity, uterine prolapsed and death in three other studies.

No association was found in many studies.

The conclusion of the article reports most of the studies did not fulfill the basic requirements for this type of study or had design flaws.

They encouraged researchers to use new/better approaches to study this association between spinal curves and health and disease.

From In Good Hands Magazine.

Jul 27 0

Can Chiropractic Prevent Some Types of Arthritis?

Posted by Rook Torres

This question is asked frequently by patients visiting chiropractors.

To answer this question, let’s first talk about, “what is arthritis?”

The word “arthritis” is derived from “arth-” meaning “joint” and “-itis” meaning “inflammation.”

Hence, arthritis is basically swelling in the joint.

Many types of arthritis have been identified – in fact, over 100!

Some types of arthritis are primary (not caused by anything that can be identified), while others are secondary to a disease or other condition.

The 9 most common primary forms of arthritis are: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis, gout, pseudogout, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Still’s disease, and ankylosing spondylitis.

The most common type that virtually affects everyone sooner or later is osteoarthritis. This is basically the wearing out of the joint, which usually seen in the older person but can be found at any age after trauma or injury occurred or, after an infection in the joint.

The next most common is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease where the person’s antibodies attack the joint (and possibly other tissues as well). This can occur at a young, middle or older age, whenever the body is triggered to produce the joint attacking antibodies. Crystals deposited in joints can injury the cartilage surface of which the most common is gout- often attacking the base joint of the big toe, and pseudogout.

SO NOW THE QUESTION – CAN CHIROPRACTIC PREVENT SOME FORMS OF ARTHRITIS?

The answer is yes…. sometimes. For example, when a spinal joint is fixated, stuck, or subluxated, the normal biomechanics of the spine are altered because of the faulty movement between the vertebrae.

Restoring movement can restore proper function so excess forces are not exerted on the adjacent levels.

A good example of this is when 2 or 3 vertebrae are fused together (surgical or congenital), the levels above and below the fusion have to work harder for the spine to move and function and tend to become osteoarthritic sooner than the other non-fused levels.

From a more broad approach, lifestyle changes including exercise, weight management, the use of a brace or splint, certain medications and dietary supplements can be helpful as well.

Exercise, in particular, can have significant benefits to the joint surface in both pain relief and slowing down or even stopping the degenerative process (osteoarthritis).

Diet emphasizing an anti-inflammatory approach includes the paleodiet or caveman diet where grains/glutens are avoided and lean meats, fruits, and vegetables are emphasized (see http://www.paleodiet.com/ and http://www.deflame.com/).

Here is a list of websites that offer additional information:

From In Good Hands Magazine

May 04 0

Chiropractic Care…Safe and Cost Effective

Posted by Rook Torres

With the debate raging on about health care reform, a pilot study indicating chiropractic care and other physical medicine approaches may reduce costs is VERY TIMELY!

In 2008, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield conducted a 1-year pilot program designed to study the quality of patient care. The researchers concluded that the use of chiropractic and other physical medicine services significantly improved clinical outcomes and reduced health care costs. The 2008 Iowa and South Dakota pilot study included 238 chiropractors, physical therapists and occupational therapists that provided care to 5500 Wellmark patients with musculoskeletal disorders. They reported 89% of all patients receiving physical medicine services improved at least 30% within 30 days. These statistics were so impressive that they decided to continue the program.

Supporters of chiropractic treatment praised the findings, saying that the cost-effectiveness of the method has been documented in several studies.

The president of the American Chiropractic Association, Glenn Manceaux, referred to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics that found chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes. Similarly, a study published in a 2003 edition of Spine medical journal found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than a variety of medications, he said – “Especially during the health care reform debate, it’s important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of expensive surge

May 04 0

How to Explain Chiropractic to Others in Boise

Posted by Rook Torres

We cannot thank our family, friends, patients, and allied health care providers enough for referring patients to our practice.

There is no other form of advertising that attracts the quality of patients as those our patients refer to us.

So, here’s some information that may help you tell others about us: Chiropractic has been around since 1895 and is the third largest healthcare profession in the world:

The primary focus of treatment includes the neuromusculoskeletal system (nerves, muscles, joints) such as disk herniations (e.g., sciatica, pinched nerves), sprains and strains, sports injuries, neck pain (e.g., whiplash), headaches, and many others.
The treatment includes a “hands-on” approach where massage, manual traction, joint manipulation and mobilization are commonly utilized. In general, the treatment typically feels good and patients look forward to the process.
In many cases (such as low back pain, neck pain, headaches), chiropractic care may function as the primary or only treatment that is needed. However, when other medical conditions co-exist, the combination of chiropractic and medical treatment is often better than either one by itself (depending on the condition).
Doctors of chiropractic commonly refer back and forth with medical and osteopathic doctors, creating a “win-win” for the patient and providers.
Over the last 20-30 years, a significant volume of research has been published finding chiropractic approaches to be either equal or superior to other forms of healthcare provision for low back and neck pain, headaches, and other conditions.
Many hospitals, medical clinics and VA facilities have integrated chiropractic into their healthcare systems. Medicare and Medicaid have included chiropractic coverage since the 1970’s and most private insurers include chiropractic coverage due to the significant volume of research reporting the benefits, cost savings, and patient satisfaction.

Your individual story may actually be the most important thing you can share.

The following are a few of the many websites that include great information about chiropractic that may also be appreciated by the potential “internet savvy” future chiropractic patient:

We look forward to giving your family, friends, and co-workers the same quality care that you’ve been receiving!

May 04 0

Chiropractic Education…You Had No Idea They Did This…

Posted by Rook Torres

Many people seem surprised to find out that the chiropractic education process is so extensive.

I usually reply, “…whether you’re planning to become a chiropractor, medical doctor, or dentist, it takes four years of college followed by and additional 4-5 years of additional education (med school, dental school, chiropractic college) simply because there is that much to learn about the body to become a competent health care provider.”

Hence, depending on the area of interest a person has in the health care industry, it takes a similar amount of time to complete the educational program.

DID YOU KNOW…

The initial step is completing a typical “pre-med” undergraduate or college degree.

Courses including biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, physics, psychology, various science labs, as well as all the liberal art requirements needed to graduate are included in the undergraduate education process.

Many states now require 4 years of college in addition to the 4 to 5 academic years of chiropractic education to practice in their particular state. (For the requirements in the UK, click here. For the requirements in Australia, click here. For the requirements in Canada, click here.)

Once entering a chiropractic university, the same format exists as most health care disciplines.

The basic sciences are covered in the first half of the educational process after which time successful completion of the National Boards Part I examination is required to move into the second half – the clinical sciences.

From there, internships, residency programs, preceptorship programs become available to the chiropractic student.

Once graduated, residence programs including (but not limited to) orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, radiology, sports medicine, rehabilitation, internal medicine, and others are options. Many various Masters and doctorate programs in specialty areas are also available.

The following chart shows the similarities between three health care delivery approaches, DC, MD, and DPT (doctor of physiotherapy).

Curriculum Requirements For the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree (DC) in comparison to the Doctor of Medicine Degree (MD) and the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (DPT):

*Does not include hours attributed to post-graduation residency programs.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF AVERAGE CLASSROOM AND CLINICAL STUDY HOURS PRIOR TO GRADUATION IS EVEN HIGHER FOR CHIROPRACTIC COMPARED TO THE MD AND DPT CURRICULUM.

It should be noted that this does not include additional educational training associated with residency programs, which are available in the three disciplines compared here.

At one of the chiropractic colleges, the academic core program or Clinical Practice Curriculum consists of 308 credit hours of course study and includes 4,620 contact hours of lecture, laboratory and clinical education.

There are 10 trimesters of education arranged in a prerequisite sequence.

The degree of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) is awarded upon successful completion of the required course of study.

In order to receive a degree, a student must have satisfied all academic and clinical requirements and must have earned no less than the final 25 percent of the total credits required for the D.C. degree, allowing up to 75 percent of the total credits through advanced standing.

The academic program may be completed in three and one-third calendar years of continuous residency. Graduation, however, is contingent upon completion of the program in accordance with the standards of the College, which meet or exceed those of its accrediting agencies.

In addition to courses included in the core curriculum, a variety of procedure electives are available to the students. These electives are designed to complement the study of adjustive procedures included and facilitate investigation of specialized techniques.

As a doctor of chiropractic, we are committed to providing the highest quality care available to our patients. We coordinate care with other doctors when appropriate in quest of reaching the goal of our helping our patients in the most efficient, economic, and evidence-based approach possible.

Apr 06 0

What This Boise Lady Did When She Found Out She Had a Breech Baby Was…

Posted by Rook Torres

Unorthodox? Unusual? Unique? Well, not really. For decades women right here is Boise, Idaho have been looking for more natural solutions to problems during pregnancy. Since the 1980’s it has fallen out of favor to deliver breech babies, that is, babies who present feet or rear end first at delivery, rather than head first. It used to be common practice to deliver breech babies. Doctors were trained to do what other cultures all over the world have done since the beginning of time. However, as healthcare costs have risen and insurance companies are more and more protective of liability, it has fallen out of favor to even train doctors to deliver breech babies. Now it’s hard to find a doctor who knows how or has ever seen it done when it used to be part of “normal” delivery.

Dr. Larry Webster, a chiropractor with a pediatric specialty and an ingenious thinker, developed a technique to remove constraint on an unborn fetus over 40 years ago. This technique, Webster’s In-Utero Constraint Technique, is often called “Webster’s Breech Turning Technique” because of it’s uncanny correlation with breech babies turning to the proper head down position. In over 800 cases Dr. Webster had only 18 breech babies fail to turn! However, this technique is not specifically for turning breech babies. It removes neurological disturbances and soft tissue constraint that prevents the fetus from moving freely within the uterus.

I can personally attest to these amazing statistics. I’ve seen it first hand in my practice and am certified in Webster’s In-Utero Constraint Technique with nearly 100 percent results in the last 15 years. Now current research is publishing the results. For the healthiest pregnancy possible try chiropractic care, you won’t regret it!

Look at this research just published in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health:

Objective: To describe the chiropractic care of a pregnant patient presenting with hip/pelvic pain and breech presentation.

Clinical Features: A 37-year-old woman in her 35th week of gestation was experiencing right hip and pelvic pain with ultrasound imagining documenting frank breech pregnancy. Vertebral subluxations were identified using Webster Technique.

Intervention and Outcome: The patient received care with the Webster Technique over three visits spanning five days. The patient gave birth vaginally with the baby in the vertex position.

Conclusion: Pregnant patients under chiropractic care may benefit beyond symptomatic care.

Feb 10 0

Car Accident Injuries (Part II of III): Low Impact Accidents and Children

Posted by Rook Torres

Can you be injured, seriously or otherwise, in an accident where speeds are under 10 miles per hour? For some perspective, people can run 10 mph with ease, with a top speed of around 25 mph for elite sprinters. So, can a 10 mph car accident really injure you? From 1994 to 1999 the Florida Dept. of Highway Safety recorded over 333,000 low-speed crashes (under 10 mph not involving bicycles or pedestrians reported by law enforcement agencies), and over 280,000 injuries. If that doesn’t surprise you then this will shock you: In all of those crashes the FDHS also recorded 1910 fatalities in those accidents. Those numbers apply directly to Boise people!

What’s really scary is how long pain can last after a seemingly gentle accident. One study found that 60% of the people had neck pain lasting longer than 3 months after injury. Another study performed by Folksam Research in Stockholm, Sweden found that velocity and long-term neck injury consequences do not correlate. This was confirmed by the Spine Research Institute of San Diego and the Center for Research into Automotive Safety and Health, Spring Valley, California.

Crash tests indicate a change of vehicle velocity of 2.5 mph may produce occupant symptoms. Vehicle damage may not occur until 8.7 mph. Occupant soft tissue and joint injuries resulting from low speed vehicle collisions respond positively to joint stimulation and alignment. That’s exactly what chiropractic care does!

What does this mean for you? If you’re in a car accident, no matter how gentle it seems to be or how injured you think you are, get checked out to see if you’ll benefit from some treatment. Left untreated these minor sprains, whiplash, and spinal joint injuries become huge problems! I’ve treated thousands of car accident victims over the last 15 years, many of them decades after the crash who are now experiencing sever pain, arthritis and degeneration which could all have been prevented by getting care immediately after the accident.

This is no different for children. Even more important to get them checked out and treated if necessary. They have years of development ahead of them that can, and will, be negatively affected by untreated damage from a car accident. If it takes a few days to get over the soreness from an accident for a child or an adult then you’ve got to get proper care to ensure your long-term health and developmental health of a child.

Why chiropractic vs. any other form of treatment? It’s simple. Chiropractic care is the only form of spinal treatment that focuses on what really matters: health and safety of the spinal cord and nerves, and healthy spinal movement (biomechanincs). Other forms of treatment may manipulate the joints or work on the muscles only which chiropractic care often includes. Only chiropractic uses specific analysis to determine if there is nerve pressure and then adjusts the spine to improve nerve function. This is the core difference between a chiropractic adjustment and any manipulation.

I use specific and high tech analysis, like x-ray, nerve reflex testing, digital range of motion, etc., to determine how much damage the accident caused, where the damage is and exactly the course of care you’ll need to feel better and prevent long term suffering years down the road. Don’t wait, it’s never too late to slow or stop damage from progressing!

Jan 28 0

Some People in Boise Get Back Pain or Sickness, Other Don’t: Your GAP is Why

Posted by Rook Torres

Why is it that some people get sick or back pain while others don’t? Ever notice that some people get colds every winter, or some kids miss school a lot while others never do? Some people blow out their back every few months, others don’t. This is all related to an individual’s General Adaptive Potential.

Some of Chiropractic’s 33 principles focus on a concept known as “The Limitations of Matter”. This refers to the conditions necessary for a living system to survive or thrive. Living like us! I guess an extreme example of this would be that even a very healthy person would die if they were left naked outside in sub-zero temperatures for long enough. There is a limit to what we can adapt to. This is the “Limitation of Matter.”

In life, the experience isn’t usually so extreme. We all experience some degree of negative stress. These stresses usually aren’t so overwhelming that they result in instant death. Many times the negative stress adds up and reduces our experience and expression of life, thus our health, causing us back pain or sickness.

The good news is, you can improve your GAP and thereby increase the ability of your body to manage negative stress. Chiropractic care is simply one of the best ways to accomplish resolving back and neck pain and improve overall health.

The beautiful thing is that your body is more than a machine—it has life that flows through it, it can re-create itself! And that is exactly what we want to partner with you in doing through chiropractic care with me at my office.

Jan 27 0

Learn a Secret to Change

Posted by Rook Torres

Change is never one-dimensional. Unfortunately, when most people seek to change, they attempt to approach it in one dimension and as a result they typically fail. Adaptability is the key…but it’s as powerful subconsciously and it is when you put your mind to it.

People who have tried to drop weight by just dieting, or create better endurance by just exercising, or create a positive mental attitude by just psychologically affirming, have often been disappointed with the results. It is not that any of these things are bad ideas; it is that they are all inter-related and need integrating.

As I wrote in my book series change in life exists in 3 key dimensions:  Neuro-Spiritual: Your mental and emotional states. Physical: Your physical states and functions. Bio-Chemical: Your biology and chemical functions.

Psychological change is typically the genesis of all other change. It entails your mind-set, self-perception and world view. I want you to know  that you CAN change your mind set, which will in turn change your actions, which will in turn change your life. Even if you have tried some form of self-improvement in the past and failed, renew your hope. I am here to help you transcend old boundaries.

Taking action in the psychological dimension to use your will to create a positive attitude, while simultaneously improving your bio-chemical dimension and physical dimension, will translate into huge results in all dimensions.

Here’s the secret: Chiropractic treatment and care, like I provide in my office in Boise, has been shown to improve adaptability. If you’ve been stuck and want to unlock your mind and body’s potential now’s the time to call my office! What if you have subluxations, or blockages in nerve communication? Those are the signals that run your body, it’s your life force, your vital energy. Let me repeat, if your life force is diminished in any way then you aren’t capable of adapting to your environment and being as healthy as possible. The more adaptable you are, the healthier you’ll be and the longer you will live. Your brain and nerve system are what adapt your body to the environment.

Action Step

Try chiropractic care at 100% and start experiencing the miracle of change in your life.

I applaud you for your commitment. Most people dream of improvement, but very few take real action—so congratulations!

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