Dr. VANDAMScott A.Mar. 2015

27019thAve. SWSuite 800• Fargo, ND58103• 701.280.2599• ocpdrs@ideaone.net

ChiropraCtiC for Congenital Conditions?

Chiropractic for Congenital Conditions?............1Slipped Disc........................................................2 Humor...................................................2

Van DaMChiropraCtiC

www.vandamchiropractic.com

Many people visit chiropractors for spine, neck, disc and other “pain” complaints. Yes, chiropractic works well for those, getting millions of people back to health, work, ease and comfort without drugs or surgery.

But what chiropractic really is all about is improving body function on many levels. Chiropractic is an excellent method of releasing deep stress from your body structure and nervous system so that your body and mind will function better.

That translates into an improved immune system, more energy, better detoxification ability, better healing ability, better ability to concentrate, study, walk, run, sleep, etc. No matter what disease or condition a patient may have, they will be better off if they include chiropractic care in their healthcare regime.

In this newsletter you’ll read of a four-year-old girl with a serious congenital (born with) condition who was helped with chiropractic care. Why is this so important? It shows that chiropractic can help anyone and everyone who has a skeletal system and a nervous system. You see, the chiropractor wasn’t “treating” her for her condition; he was locating and correcting severe stress in her body known as a subluxation.

Everyone and anyone can have a subluxation and

if they do, they won’t function as well as they could; they will be less able to fight off any disease and have less natural healing ability.

People often ask, “Can chiropractic help a person with this condition or that condition?” The answer is always “yes.” Everyone needs to see a chiropractor and especially children so that they can start living lives free of stress they may have gotten from birth trauma, falls, accidents, emotional stress and all kinds of things that can happen on “planet trauma.” That is, this earth.

Research and Chiropractic................................2Office News.........................................................3References..............................................3

Mar. 2015page 2

slipped disCSlipped Disc, often synonymous with a low back (lumbar) injury, is a misnomer because discs do not actually slip; they herniate or bulge out from between the bones. A herniation happens when a fragment of the center part (nucleus) of the disc is displaced and pushes through a tear in the outer layer (annulus) of the disc. When irritating substances are released from this tear, or if the fragment affects a nearby nerve, then pain is caused. This process is similar to degenerative disc disease, and herniations can be an early stage of degeneration.

Causes of herniated discs

Discs can herniate due to various factors that decrease their strength and resilience. This can include certain lifestyle choices such as smoking, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition. Discs are further stressed by daily wear and tear, poor posture, from injury or trauma, or incorrect lifting or twisting. A weakened disc can sometimes herniate from something as simple as a single everyday movement or strain, such as coughing, sneezing or bending.

Signs of a herniation

You are more likely to suffer a herniated disc between the ages of 30 and 40, and you may not even know it when it happens as it may not cause any pain. The most common symptom, though, is pain in the herniated disc that may radiate out into the hips or buttocks, or pain or numbness radiating down the leg to the ankle or foot. A large herniation may cause weak extension of your big toe and trouble putting pressure on your toes or heels when walking. Severe cases may even prompt changes in bowel or bladder function, and/or sexual function.

Treatment of a herniated disc

Chiropractic care, stretching, and exercise therapy are often sufficient to treat mild to moderate disc herniations. More serious cases will often require chiropractic care be coupled with some form of spinal decompression, such as traction or mechanical decompression.

As a last resort, surgery may be needed when a herniation is severe and all other treatment options have failed to bring improvement, or if the spinal cord or nerves are too badly compressed.

humor - adult truths1. There’s nothing worse than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.2. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.3. Was learning cursive really necessary?4. Bad decisions make good stories.5. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.6. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blu-ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection … again.7. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word, and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.8. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.9. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.11. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

She entered a chiropractic clinic for care. Her chief complaint was joint pain. The patient’s spine was analyzed and vertebral subluxations were found at spinal levels C1, C5, T4, L5 and sacrum. Cervical segments were adjusted using various chiropractic techniques. After six weeks of chiropractic care, the patient was considered in remission and taken off of her medications by her rheumatologist. (2)

researCh and ChiropraCtiCthere seems to be no end to the Conditions that respond to ChiropraCtiC Care – physiCal as well as psyChologiCal Conditions.

that is beCause ChiropraCtiC does not “treat” a partiCular Condition. ChiropraCtiC Care “treats” or more aCCurately “CorreCts” a serious interferenCe to brain, nervous system and energy funCtion known as the subluxation.

no matter what Condition you or a loved one may have, you will always funCtion better when free from subluxations. ChiropraCtors are uniquely trained to loCate and CorreCt subluxations. enjoy this month’s Cases and see more next month.

Congenital disorders and chiropractic. Parents brought in their adopted four-year-old child with Aicardi syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that is present at birth, for subluxation based chiropractic care. The little girl had right ear deafness, blindness, cleft palate, spina bifida (incomplete closing of the spine), circulatory disorders of the lower extremities, hypertension, renal dysfunction, food allergies and esophageal reflux.

The chief complaint was irritability that included prolonged crying, general dislike of touch and self-injurious behavior (SIB). The child had 46 visits over approximately 23 months. The chiropractor used a variety of chiropractic techniques to eliminate her subluxations. Her weight had remained unchanged for an entire year but during her time under care she increased in weight and also ceased to exhibit SIB, demonstrating greater periods of calm. Also noted was a decrease in stress in the life of the caregiver.

This case reveals an increased quality of life for a little girl with serious congenital problems. (1)

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis & improved immune function. A sixteen-year-old girl was medically diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Medical care consisted solely of symptomatic relief with prescription drugs that had little effect.

Mar. 2015page 3

referenCes1. Heinecke JD. Improved quality of life in a patient with Aicardi Syndrome undergoing chiropractic care: a retrospective case study. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2015;1:15-25.

2. http://vandamchiropractic.com/we-can-help/slipped-disc/

3. Basso E, Potrzebowski S. Resolution of juvenile idiopathic arthritis & improved immune function in a 16-year-old undergoing chiropractic care: a case study. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2014;4:65-69.

Thank you for your referrals!as a special thank-you, if you refer

someone to Van Dam Chiropractic and they put down your name as the referral,

Dr. Van Dam will send out a $5 gift card to StarbuckS .We know there are a lot of choices of

doctors for your healthcare and we thank-you for choosing us.