Infant Spine Development – From The “C” Curve to the “S” Curve

Everyone wants to give their newborn the best chance to grow into a physically healthy adult. Between prenatal vitamins and regular checkups, there are a number of ways to ensure your child’s development gets out on the right foot. One of the structures that undergoes the most change during your child’s first year is the spine, and there are a few things you can do as a parent to help your child grow and strengthen their spine. Today, we take a look at how your child’s spine develops in the early stages of life.

Infant Spine Health

As you probably know, a healthy adult spine resembles the letter S, but your spine doesn’t start out in that shape. Instead, if you look at a newborn baby, the shape of the spine is more of a C shape. It’s the natural position of the spine when an infant curls into the fetal position. This C position naturally reduces pressure on the spine and it actually aides in the digestion process and helps babies regulate their temperature.

As your child grows, the top of the spinal column undergoes the biggest change. This is where the top of the S curve will develop. During the first few months, it’s important for parents to lay their child on the ground on their stomach (sometimes called Tummy Time), as this will encourage the child to lift their head and strengthen the upper spinal column and the neck muscles. Shoot for 30 minutes of tummy time each day to get your child to arch their neck and strengthen those structures in the upper back.

Crawling To The S

Tummy time helps strengthen the upper part of the S curve, but the bottom part of the S develops as your child begins to crawl. The neck portion of the spine is now strong enough to hold your child’s head upright, and crawling helps them enhance the lumbar spinal structures. So although you may need to keep a closer eye on your child as they start crawling around the living room, know that those movements are actually helping them build towards their adult spine!

It’s difficult to spot spinal irregularities in infants because they can’t verbalize what’s wrong (other than crying), but if you notice that your child is having a difficult time crawling/walking, if they have irregular bowel movements or if they appear to have a “hitch” in their spine when crawling, speak to a chiropractor. Those could be signs of a spinal development issue, and the earlier it is detected, the earlier and more effectively it can be treated.

The Natural Alternatives to NSAIDS

The first question to answer is: What are NSAIDS?
NSAIDS stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Drugs like Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Voltaren are NSAIDS and are used to reduce inflammation, treat aches and pains, and muscle spasms. They may provide temporary relief for some of these problems but studies are now showing that NSAIDS may have far-reaching consequences much worse than small side effects. “First, we found an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) with NSAIDs. Now we are finding the same thing for stroke. This is very serious, as these drugs are very widely used, with many available over the counter. We need to get the message out to health care authorities that these drugs need to be regulated more carefully.”

The next question is: How can we effectively manage these pains naturally?
There are combinations of supplements, ice and therapeutic exercises that will reduce inflammation and muscle spasms.

1. Magnesium- reduces muscle spasms. (Be careful, too much will have you running to the restroom as Magnesium is the main ingredient in laxatives)
2. Boswelia/BRomelain/Turmeric- reduce inflammation
3. Increase ingestion of water to keep all tissues hydrated
4. isometric exercises to actively reduce tension and pump/squeeze toxins out of the affected muscles
5. Ice- reduce inflammation, promote additional muscle relaxation, increase blood flow bringing oxygen and nutrients and removing toxins from tissues
6. All of the above during the treatment plan (chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy and/or therapeutic massage)

Chiropractic Treatment Benefits for Athletes

Athletes undertaking rigorous fitness regimes often push their bodies to the limit. Since their performance is based on the health and strength of their body, many need regular massage treatments and physical therapy sessions just to stay in shape and keep performing to their fullest potential.

 

Some researchers believe chiropractic therapy also offers several benefits for athletes who are constantly pushing their body to the max. Whether they need to recover from injury, improve performance or increase joint flexibility, ongoing chiropractic treatments may be a valuable addition to their training regime.

 

 

Why Athletes May Need Chiropractic Therapy

 

According to a study published in Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation by Lauro A and Mouch B in 1991, athletes exhibited a 30% improvement in performance after 12 weeks of chiropractic treatment. They were tested on several aspects of athletic ability including kinesthetic perception, power, reaction time, agility and balance. Those who did not receive chiropractic treatment showed only a 1% increase in performance after 6 weeks of treatment, while those who received the chiropractic treatments showed an 18% increase in performance after 6 weeks.

 

Many professional athletes also undergo treatments before, during and after a game. According to PracticalChiro.com, athletes including Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds all receive treatments from sports chiropractors so that they can improve their performance and recover properly throughout training and game season. (Source: PracticalChiro.com)

 

According to SpinalHealth.net, 7% of the San Francisco 49’s football team consulted with a chiropractor shortly after winning the Super Bowl in 1990. Chiropractic treatments after the intense game allowed them to recover easily and restore their health. (Source: SpinalHealth.net)

 

Young athletes - not only professionals or Olympians – can also benefit from chiropractic treatment because this type of therapy enhances blood flow, improves range of motion and can also increase recovery rates after intensive training or a game. Full range of motion is particularly important for endurance athletes and those who must employ various types of stretches into their training routine.

 

Key Benefits of Chiropractic Treatments for Athletes

 

In addition to improving performance, ongoing chiropractic therapy offers several health and wellness benefits. These include:

 

• Improved posture
• Increased range of motion
• Improved immune system that can ward off common illnesses or disease
• Better focus and concentration
• Reduction of migraines or severe headaches
• Increased blood circulation
• Better joint flexibility
• Reduced risk of injury
• Increased blood and oxygen flow throughout the body
• Improved recovery rates after a sports injury
• Reduction of pain in major joints

 

Many athletes only turn to chiropractors after they have been injured, but it may be more beneficial to incorporate chiropractic therapy into the weekly training routine. A sports chiropractor can offer specialized treatments for marathon runners, tennis players, football and basketball players, and other types of athletes who are constantly on the move.

 

 For high-performance athletes, natural methods of stress reduction and toxin removal are necessary for better health overall. Chiropractic treatments may play an important role in the lives of these athletes throughout their training season, and during their most competitive seasons.

 

Chiropractic and Infertility

How can Chiropractic Care help with fertility? Watch the clip Here to find out. Leave a comment and share with others!

Cardio & Weight Training: Which one first?

Here's a link to an interesting article I found earlier. It gives a simple explanation of how you should tailor your workouts. Take a look to maximize your workouts and get the results you want: http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201104/warm-cardio-then-go-weights-right-wrong

Sports Injuries

Chiropractic care has received much attention in regards to its successful management of sporting injuries. Since the majority of sports injuries are soft tissue in nature and because many of injuries arise from improper body biomechanics and improper sporting techniques, chiropractic doctors have become the doctors of choice - from the weekend warrior to the professional athlete.

According to an article in the June '98 issue of The Physician and Sports Medicine, "Interest in alternative or complementary medicine 'especially chiropractic' is booming... active patients are running to unconventional providers to treat their aches and pains... from chiropractors and acupuncture to magnets and meditation."

It's really quite simple. Chiropractic care - through the use of safe and natural spinal adjustive techniques, physical therapy applications, soft tissue mobilization, stretching and exercise programs, diet and nutritional counseling, and extensive biomechanical training - focuses on all causes which have lead to the symptoms of pain and tissue injury and do not focus on solely eliminating pain.

Successful treatments must focus not only on pain relief, but must address the underlying causes such as muscular imbalances, biomechanical deficiencies, improper sporting techniques, and improper conditioning, to name a few

My, how you've grown

Children tend to grow a bit faster in the spring than during any other time of year


Kids don't grow at a constant rate. As you may have recalled from your own childhood, kids alternate between weeks or months of slow growth and the occasional "growth spurt". While this can be difficult to predict, these tend to occur more in the spring. 

Other major trends in growth spurts are the major growth spurts from age 8 to 13 for most girls and the growth spurts from age 10 to 15 for most boys. Of course, the biggest growth spurt by far is the one at the first year of your life. You can expect a baby to grow roughly 10 inches before its first birthday.


More information on how kids grow in KidsHealth.


Growing Pains

Growing pains occur during the very active years of adolescence. Jolts, twists and stresses of energetic play can result in subluxations (misalignments) in the spine, which affect the nerves controlling the legs, knees, pelvis and hips. All of these nerve problems can manifest themselves in leg pain. Studies into growing pains have identified a number of conditions that may contribute to growing pains, including rapid growth, overexertion, rheumatic conditions, infections, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, orthopaedic problems and underlying poor health [1]. 

If your child has been diagnosed with growing pains, it is recommended that they visit a chiropractor. A physical assessment can ensure that any leg and back pains are not the result of underlying spinal problems such as scoliosis. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine away from the normal accepted curves of the spine.

This causes strain on joints and if these spinal misalignments are left untreated can lead to premature degeneration, bad posture and gait (walking), painful movement and permanent spinal distortion. Children tend to experience more incidents of back pain than older generations although not as many children undergo treatment for these complaints. Around 84% of back complaints in children extend into adulthood and become a chronic problem.

Treatment in the early stages as a child has greater improvement in pain and mobility than if the problem becomes chronic into adulthood. Children have faster healing capabilities and more mobility and flexibility in the joints to accommodate this. It is also important for children to maintain their flexibility during growth spurts. The chiropractor at Back on Track Chiropractic can recommend appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises to reduce overall muscle tension. This will allow children to perform in regular childhood activities free of pain and tension.

Chiropractic is a safe and natural way to easy the pain and discomfort associated with growing pains. 

1. "Growing pains" in young children: A study of the profile, experiences and quality of life issues of four to six year old children with recurrent leg pain A. Evans, S. Scutter, L. Lang, B. Dansie 16(3), 120-124 

Warning Signs

Heart Disease:

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or pain in chest lasting more than a few minutes
• Pain spreading to shoulders, neck or arms
• Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath

Stroke

• Sudden confusion, speaking or understanding
• Blurred vision in one or both eyes
• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg, especially side of the body
• Sudden severe headaches 
• Loss of balance or coordination, dizziness, trouble walking

How many chiropractic adjustments do you need?

There are hundreds of chiropractic techniques out there. Some claim to fix serious problems in a single visit. Some chiropractic techniques have treatment programs that take several years...and everything in between. It can be very confusing for the consumer...and that's an understatement.

I have personally benefited from both long term corrective type care and short term relief care. I have never tried the one visit method...somehow this does not seem possible...but there are patients that swear it has worked for them.

I have focused primarily on tailor-made treatment programs based on individual needs. Sometimes this is very short term treatment...just a few visits...and sometimes it's longer term...a few months.

There is no cook book answer...everyone is different.  A patient that was involved in a car accident certainly needs more chiropractic adjustments than a patient that slept funny. 

A patient with a herniated disc in the neck will require more adjustments than a patient with a sprain.

I would consider your age, your over-all level of physical conditioning and health, whether or not there are multiple areas of involvement (eg: neck, mid back, low back), and if the problem is new or chronic.

Managing chiropractic treatment programs is an art. I also learn from my experience helping previous patients with similar conditions.

I also modify the treatment as a patient improves...or not. Yes, chiropractic has a fantastic success rate, as well as patient satisfaction rate...but some people do not respond. We have to decide when chiropractic is not working. We refer out at this point for a second opinion.

Anyway...how many visits you need depends on many factors...but in the end, it's up to you to decide how you wish to use chiropractic. It's not an all or none treatment. Typically, you will benefit from whatever you do...even if it's only one or two sessions.

Personally, I use chiropractic adjustments as a component of an over-all health program which includes exercise, plant based nutrition, plenty of rest, good ergonomics, and lots of water.

The more attention you put on these other components of health, the less you have to lean on chiropractic. But if need be....chiropractic can pull a heavy load for you...naturally!

Can a Chiropractor Really help Neck pain?

Neck pain is a very common problem affecting up to 70% of the adult population at some point in life. Though there are specific causes of neck pain such as arising from a sports injury, a car accident or “sleeping crooked,” the vast majority of the time, no direct cause can be identified and thus the term nonspecific is applied. There are many symptoms associated with patients complaining of neck pain and many of these symptoms can be confused with other conditions. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what neck related symptoms are most likely to respond to chiropractic manipulation before the treatment has started? This issue has been investigated with very favorable results!

The ability to predict a favorable response to treatment has been termed, “clinical prediction rules” which in general, are usually made up of combinations of things the patient says and findings from exams. In a large study, data from about 20,000 patients receiving about 29,000 treatments, was collected and analyzed to find out what complaints responded well to chiropractic treatment. The results showed that the presence of any 4 of these 7 presenting complaints predicted an immediate improvement in 70-95% of the patients: 1. Neck pain; 2. Shoulder, arm pain; 3. Reduced neck, shoulder, arm movement; 4. Stiffness; 5. Headache; 6. Upper, mid back pain, and 7. None or one presenting symptom. Items not associated with a favorable immediate response included “numbness, tingling upper limbs,” and “fainting, dizziness and light-headedness in 4-12% of the patients. The “take-home” message here is that was far more common to see a favorable response (70-95%) of the patients compared to an unfavorable response (4-12%), supporting the observation that most patients with neck complaints will respond favorably to chiropractic treatment.

So, what do we do as chiropractors when a patient presents with neck pain? First, after gathering preliminary information such as name, address and insurance information, a history of the presenting complaint is taken. This consists of information including what started the neck complaint (if you know), when it started, what makes it worse, what makes it better, the quality of pain (aches, stiff, numb, etc.), the location and if there is radiating complaints, the severity (0-10 pain scale), timing (such as worse in the morning, evening, etc.), and if there have been prior episodes. Various questionnaires are included that are scored so improvement down the road can be tracked and a past history that includes a medication list, past injuries or illnesses, family history and a systems review are standard. The exam includes vital signs (BP, pulse, height, weight, temperature and respiration), palpation, range of motion, orthopedic and neurological examination. X-ray and/or other “special tests” may also be included, when needed. A review of all the findings are discussed and after permission to treat is granted, a chiropractic adjustment may then be rendered. A list treatment options may include: 1. Adjustments; 2. Soft tissue therapy (trigger point stimulation, myofascial release); 3. Physical therapy modalities; 3. Posture correction exercises and other exercises/home self-administered therapies; 4. Education about job modifications; 5. Co-management with other health care providers if/when needed.

Herniated Disc: Do You Have a Pinched Nerve or Disc Pain? What Next?

Two Causes of Pain: Pinched Nerve vs. Disc Pain

In identifying the cause of the patient’s pain, there are two general types of spinal disc problems physicians classify as the cause of the pain:

• Pinched nerve – When a patient has a symptomatic herniated disc, it is not the disc space itself that hurts, but rather the disc herniation is pinching a nerve in the spine. This produces pain that is called radicular pain or radiculopathy (e.g., nerve root pain) leading to pain that may be referred to other parts of the body, such as from the low back down the leg or from the neck down the arm. Leg pain stemming from a pinched nerve in the lower spine is usually described as sciatica. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is nerve root pain is referred to as a herniated disc. Other causes of a pinched nerve may include spinal stenosis and bone spurs from spinal arthritis.
• Disc pain – When a patient has a symptomatic degenerated disc (one that causes low back pain and/or leg pain), it is the disc space itself that is painful and the source of pain. This type of pain is typically called axial pain. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is actual disc space pain is referred to as degenerative disc disease.

Either of the above two conditions can occur in the neck, upper back or lower back. They tend to be most common in the lower back because the lower back bears the most torque and force on a day to day basis.

It should be kept in mind that all the terms – herniated disc, pinched nerve, bulging disc, slipped disc, ruptured disc, etc.– refer to radiographic findings seen on a CT scan or MRI scan. While these test results are important, they are not as meaningful as the patient's specific symptoms and the doctor's physical exam results are in determining the source of the back pain and then evaluating potential back care and pain treatments.

My Take: It's a known fact that most of us have bulging or herniated discs and don't even know it. Most of the people that have herniated disc will live and die with them and never have problems.

Then, there is the group of patients that we know have herniated discs...and it's a big big number. But just because they have a lumbar disc herniation or a herniated disc in the neck, it does not mean they need surgery. Chiropractic, physical therapy, exercise, and sometimes just time will help most.

The problem lies with the sub-set of herniated disc patients that become chronic (back pain that lasts over 3 months) and do not respond to conventional conservative therapies. I estimate this to be 10-15% based on my 18 years clinical experience working with herniated disc patients in San Francisco.

Chronic back pain secondary to disc herniations, whether it be a pinched nerve (radicular pain) or axial pain (degenerated disc) is a major problem in the US, and conventional medical treatment options are limited primarily to epidural injections or surgery.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here are a few thoughts to take into the New Year. 

1. It only makes sense focusing on things I can control.
2. Most people focus on the negative. Beware; it's contagious.
3. Taking time off and taking good care of myself isn't a cost, it's an investment with high dividends.
4. Fight for what's right.
5. Nurture the relationships that matter.
6. Manage people's expectations makes them happier than attempting to solve all their problems.
7. Competition and controversy is a form of flattery.
8. Even though people can fix/improve their situation, many choose to justify it; it requires less integrity and work.
9. Simple and conservative is best.
10. There are bad people in this world. The faster you identify them and stay away from them the better. Go with your gut.

6 Cancer-fighting Super Foods

Take a look at this blog post: 

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/6-cancer-fighting-superfoods-2428408/

7 Diet Tricks that really work

I really like this article because it gives great tips on how to maintain healthier eating habits. Enjoy

http://www.livescience.com/health/Top-7-Diet-Tricks-100521.html

One-third of nine-month-olds already obese or overweight

An interesting read on Childhood Obesity. Share your thoughts...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20101231/sc_livescience/athirdof9montholdsalreadyobeseoroverweight

The 10 most effective Ab Exercises

I found this article and decided to share it. People are always asking what exercises they should do to get their abs right. Well here it is. Without further ado:

http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises.htm

Concussions in high school athletes

Concussions are a major problem in high school sports and many go unreported. Click here to learn what a concussion does, why they are so dangerous, and what can be done to prevent and manage them better:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2010-12-27-concussion-cover-brianna-binowski_N.htm

Educational Requirements DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) vs MD programs

http://www.drgrisanti.com/mddc.htm

Intelligent Choice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrS3zlnPd68&feature=player_embedded

A colleague's story on the Flu Vaccine

My Personal Story on the Flu vaccine

About 10 years ago, I worked at a trucking company that afforded all their employees an opportunity to have a free seasonal flu vaccine. During that time I had no idea what the risk factors were for getting the flu shot. I witnessed dozens of dock workers, local drivers and office employees swarm over to get their dose of the vaccine. I contemplated for a while about whether or not I wanted to get the flu shot. This of course was my first time EVER receiving this type of vaccine. I slowly made my way to the front office and sat down to get my fill of this seemingly harmless potion. 

Sometime after receiving the flu vaccine, I began to feel body aches and sudden chills. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Funk Dr. Mark had the flu! It was kicking my tail, I felt absolutely terrible for the next several days. It was difficult to keep anything down, so I resorted to good old fashion chicken noodle soup. Finally, my fever broke, the chills stop coming and I was back to normal, or so I thought.

Several weeks went by before one particular night while I was working; I had a tremendous left sided earache. I remember thinking to myself this is odd; I have never in my life had an earache. I got off work that morning and went straight home to get in the bed. Several hours later I woke up and had this funny feeling permeate across my head and face. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and the left side of my face was paralyzed. You could have bought me for a penny at that moment. Funk Dr. Mark was terrified. I went through my mental rolodex and out popped stroke. Say what! I called a friend like in deal or no deal…and within a few hours, I was at the ER.

I arrived at the ER and almost immediately I am taken to a private room. And of course my mind is racing…this never happens; they must know that I have had a stroke, at the ER for 5 minutes and I’m in a private room?!? Say what! One by one the nurses come in, look at me briefly and walk out. Finally the attending physician comes in gives me a once over. The doctor finally asked me to SMILE, and of course, I could not! I could not close my left eye lid, I could not squeeze my lips together, I could not stand to hear loud noises, I could not taste my breakfast, etc, etc… He pulls his chair closer to me and without blinking says, “You have Bell’s Palsy.” If you thought buying me for a penny was cheap, somebody could have given me away at that moment AND got change "cambio". All I heard was Palsy…and my mental rolodex now hit on cerebral palsy… (Please keep in mind, this was prior to me going to chiropractic school…so I had no idea what he was explaining to me)…By this time, I will never forget it, my frat brother Stanley Price (G.O.M.A.B. STAN) was right there when I was about to lose it! 

Shortly after all that excitement, the doctor explained to me that it is was not a stroke or “cerebral palsy” related…He asked if I had been sick lately, or if I had been out of the country. I said no I had not been out of the country, but several weeks prior I had flu like symptoms. He then prescribed prednisone which is a steroid, in hopes that it would reduce inflammation which is the cause of my Bell’s palsy. As you can imagine, as the weeks passed by and my Bell’s Palsy began to clear up, all I could think about was that FREE flu vaccine that was given to me for prevention. LOL…prevention! Prevention from what, the flu, no wait, maybe from facial paralysis AKA Bell’s palsy? I think NOT.
Bottom line, I still have residual symptoms from my bout with Bell’s palsy. 

I have frequent and unresolved tearing of my left eye (crocodile tears), my left eye lid does not close as it should normally when I activate my facial muscles and here it is almost 10 years later. You can run out and get the flu vaccine if you want to…But please do your OWN research.

Note: to all student doctors...Learn those cranial nerves! Remember CN VII has efferent as well as afferent functions...Anterior 2/3 of tongue, motor innervation to Stapedius muscle (dampening of loud nosies), closing of the eye lids, etc, etc...

Here's another horror story from the flu vaccine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mScGC7nFDxM