Transitioning your child back to school

Any time there are changes in one's schedule, particular for children, there can be a lot of stress. Stress has been directly related not only to depression and anxiety, but also to ADD and ADHD (and other learning challenges), autoimmune disorders and chronic illness. By getting to the root and addressing the stressor (physical, chemical and/or emotional), we can help the children function easier and happier.

Here are a few tips to help the transition back to school much easier:

1. Start your regular school time routines now. Getting your child back to bed at their school-time bedtime is a great start. Their body will need to adjust to the earlier schedule and it's better to start before they actually have to start getting up earlier.

2. Start each day with a healthy breakfast. My favorite for my daughter is eggs with vegetables either chopped or shredded into the egg mixture. Eggs are the perfect protein and feed the brain the perfect food for learning. Use a "greens" product mixed with some fresh vegetables, high quality organic yogurt, fruit and blended for a great alternative. Mix it up with oatmeal one day per week.

3. Instead of ice cream for the afternoon snack, use Nature's Candy in the form of fruit to feed your child's sweet tooth. Avoid packaged foods that have chemicals and sugar that can cause your child to have the sugar highs and low and erratic behavior.

4. Make sure your child does not use any electronic equipment for at least 1 hour prior to bedtime. This will help him or her sleep much better. Using computers, playing video games, etc., activate the beta brain waves which are involved with our processing information. Prior to bedtime, we want to activate the alpha or meditative brain waves to encourage a great night's sleep. Try drinking a calming tea as part of your evening ritual and massage your child's feet and hands.

5. Make sure that stimulating toys are put away and consider painting your child's bedroom a calming color like a deep blue (for children that have difficulty sleeping).

How can Chiropractic help with Stress, ADD, ADHD, Insomnia, Depression, and more?

Chiropractic works by helping the nervous system to regulate itself properly. With the right type of adjustment for your child, it can help them be calmer and less stressed. Children are affected now more than ever by stress...too much homework, not enough play time to "process" information and get out that stored up energy. Sitting too much in class, not getting enough sleep are factors which stress out our children (and us). The right Chiropractic adjustment will help your child's nervous system work properly so the body can self-regulate the way it's designed to work.

For more information, contact us at 610-995-9355 or 267-462-4911 or visit our websites at
www.tarlowchiropractic.com or www.mBodyChiropractic.com.

Working through the Stressors of Live

Stress. Boy have things changed in my 54 years of life. It's no wonder there is more stress today and more people having their health challenged by it. Having a 9 year old daughter it gives me time to reflect how my life was when I was her age. While there was TV, there were only the major stations to choose from, so watching TV was not enticing. After school activities involved playing on the street or the backyard of our homes. Standardized tests didn't exist and school meant lots of dodge ball, PE, music and the arts (in addition to the academics). I don't remember getting caught in traffic to get anywhere. It was a time of discovery. Even as a teen and a young adult, free time was spent going to an occasional concert but mainly hanging out at parks, the beach and having lots of cookouts. Things were simpler then, both for adults and children. It felt like it was about connecting with nature and people, not electronic devices or feeling rushed to get to the next planned activity.

Now, it's an endless stream of after school activities for our children, the standardized tests (for No Child Left Behind), about 20 minutes of recess, homework that can take children an hour to complete...leaving no time for after school play, as well as dealing with illness which starts the stress cycle at a young age. These stressors could actually be the causing poor sleep which may lead to ADD and ADHD.

For adults, sitting in traffic for hours to get to work, working at a job that is unfulfilling, spending hours helping our children, or just working and dealing with "stuff" causes our stress. There is little time for us to take care of ourselves. The stress we feel as adults can also lead to insomnia, cause our hormones to get out of balance and cause other health problems. From personal experience, I know that chronic sleeplessness can lead to depression and anxiety. Taking sleep medicine is definitely not the answer.

In practice, I've seen everything from chronic fatigue and illnesses, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness and other severe health problems connected to stress. Autoimmune disorders are exacerbated stress. Even memory problems, behavioral problems, and hormonal imbalances will worsen. Many times it becomes a vicious cycle. You have a stressor (physical, emotional or chemical), your body or mind reacts in a certain way (high blood pressure/racing heart, thoughts running through your head), you might find yourself eating "comfort" food (which is usually not very healthy), you don't sleep well as a result. Suddenly, you find yourself spiraling down. You might have an anchor that can help you through, but internally, you are still stressed. You keep going because you have to. You might even tell yourself that you feel fine.

But deep inside, the stressors are there...lurking and creating havoc in your body. I know all about this. Since my injury in 2005, I've had a lot of stressors. Mainly physical and emotional. I'd talk myself out of feeling stress. Maybe get lost in Facebook or Glee. But that is not facing the stressor or working through it. Because of my own challenges with stress, it has become important for me to help others facing challenges.

I've worked with families that have a child with ADD or ADHD. I've seen the stress it causes the entire family. What about adults who are caregivers to loved ones with physical challenges? Or someone who has a difficult daily commute or does not feel fulfilled in their job. New parents have their own set of challenges trying to figure out what their baby needs. And teenagers, trying to figure out where they fit in in the world, where it will lead them and what their next steps should be. Stress is all around us and working through these stressors can be challenging.

This is why I focus my practice on helping people with stress. Helping adults and children with their stress truly changes lives. From seeing a student finding ease in their studies and sports activities, a child becoming more "social", a parent feeling more relaxed so that he or she can sleep better and feel "connected" to themselves to the adult trying to enjoy life more. I've seen this work both in my practice and in my own life. When my stress level is down I know I am a better parent and wife. When my daughter feels better then I feel better. It's about breaking these vicious cycles of life.

I do my work in several ways. First, I utilize the Stress Response Evaluation. This will help me to objectively identify how the stress is affecting you. It checks out your heart function, how you are breathing, your brain wave activity, skin conductance and temperature. This is important information as it tells me how long you've had stress and specifically how it has effected you.

With this information, it tells me what style of adjustment would benefit you the most. For instance, I typically use a Logan adjustment on someone with chronic stress. It relaxes the body and calms the mind to allow for a better night's sleep. This same adjustment will allow the nervous system to be balanced so your health will improve. People also tell me that with this adjustment, they find they are more patient with their children or colleagues at work. Amazing!

I can also determine if someone would benefit by a breathing exercise, if they need specific nutritional support or if they need new tools to deal with stressors. The SRE will also help me to guide you if you need to do a regular calming practices and even the type of workout that would most benefit them. For instance, someone with chronic stress might benefit more by a restorative yoga practice, to help build them up, rather than a hot yoga practice that will literally burn them out. This tool will even give me insight as to what challenges you on a physiological level (sounds or a cognitive challenge).

By combining this objective and subjective information, offering you choices to help you work through your stressors, and having healthy workshops (and webinars coming soon) available, you can determine how you want to proceed to resolving stress both for you and your family so you all lead happy and healthy lives. Give me a call. I'm happy to talk to you over the phone to answer any of your questions. Namaste, Dr. Nancy

Beating Insomnia, Stress and Depression

I am an expert on insomnia. I have to be as it is something I’ve been dealing with most of my life. As a child, I remember going weeks at a time with no sleep…tossing and turning and unable to settle. Finally, my mother would give me a half of valium. It would break the bad sleep cycle for a month or two or three, then it would repeat. It is no wonder that I was frequently ill with colds, sinus and bronchial infections as my immune system was compromised by the lack of good sleep.

Things did not get better as I got older, in fact they got worse. Instead of going through these cycles every two to three months, by the time I was 15, it would happen monthly. I got smarter too, or so I thought. Instead of asking my mother for the valium, I’d find some other pill that would put me to sleep in our medicine cabinet. After all, we had pills for every ill in our cabinets, and there were plenty of sleep inducing medicines. The illnesses got more frequent as I would miss at least one day of school per month.

This cycle continued throughout my life. By the time I was in Chiropractic school, I was trying a variety of herbs. A friend suggested I try Skullcap, Valerian Root, Lemon Balm, Chamomille and Lavendar. While they all might have provided temporary relief, none of them gave me long term relief.

By my mid-30’s, depression was something I regularly dealt with. Was it because I was chronically fatigued or that I was creating havoc with my brain wave patterns between regular medicating myself and not every getting into a deep sleep? Despite having several “shrinks” tell me I should take anti-depressants, I knew that was not the answer. I needed to get to the cause. Fortunately, during a really horrible episode of depression, the psychologist I was working with at the time suggested I go off of sugar.

I was one of those closet cookie eaters. I would go weeks without eating cookies, then buy a bag and consume them in one sitting. It was not wonder that I thought I might be a manic-depressive. So, off the sugar I went. The goal was two weeks but I wound up going off it totally for 2 years. That includes when going out for dinner to make sure there was no sugar added to whatever meal I had ordered and checking the labels for anything packaged I brought home. It wasn’t easy, but it made such a huge difference in my life. Besides helping me with my depression, my sleeping improved.

Then in my early 40’s, I started having hot flashes and developed serious memory problems. I bumped into a massage therapist that had worked in my office for 3 months and while she looked familiar, had no idea who she was. My memory was really bad. Needless to say, my sleep was getting worse again. I would toss and turn for hours, and my depression started getting bad. I knew this was hormonal but this was an area that I was unfamiliar. So, I went into the Natural Pharmacy in town and spoke to one of the Pharmacists. He believed I had an overabundance of estrogen and recommended a natural progesterone cream.

The cream worked great and I started sleeping better again and I got pregnant! Things were looking up but I would have periods where my sleep would be compromised. From being a new mom and having a daughter who wanted to eat constantly to a serious injury that would not allow me to sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time for 3 years. I seemed to be destined to have horrible sleep patterns for the rest of my life and honestly, I was not sure how I would survive.

Then a year ago I had the opportunity to discover NeuroInfiniti. I learned about it from a colleague who was using it in his office. While my initial interest in the equipment was how I could learn about how a patient’s nervous system was affected by stress in a variety of areas and the information it would provide me as to how I could help them, there was something much bigger for me. I was able to see how my brain waves were affected by stress as well. Finally, I could understand why I had difficulty turning off my brain when I was trying to sleep. It was not a deficiency of sleeping pills, there was something very specifically going on with my theta and alpha waves. The theta waves are the brain waves that are active right before going to sleep and the alpha waves are those that are active when you are meditating. Both of these brain wave patterns were low compared to where they should be.

With this information I was able to determine a course of action for myself. Immediately, I started down that path and started sleeping better within 3 weeks than I have in my entire life. Deep sleep for 7 to 8 hours at a time every night is now the norm for me. I can close my eyes and be asleep within a minute. I understand why the other things I had tried gave me minimal results. While decreasing or eliminating sugar and getting my hormones balanced helped me sleep better, the reason why the problem still existed was because my brain wave patterns were a mess. While I still need to use progesterone cream occasionally and watch the sugar, getting my brain waves into a normal pattern was essential for a great night’s sleep. What I’ve learned through this experience is that there are many causes of poor sleep including pain, hormonal imbalance, and chemicals. And, what affect did taking sleep medicines all of those years have on my brain wave patterns? What I do know is if you have experienced insomnia for a while, most likely your brain wave patterns have been affected.

Last week I decided to have a re-evaluation using the NeuroInfiniti. I had another Stress Response Evaluation done and compared my results with the prior year. It was amazing to see the results and to  see how my brain wave patterns are now excellent.  For those that struggle with insomnia, rather than patching it up with sleeping pills or herbs, get a Stress Response Evaluation done and see if there is something amiss with your brain wave patterns. Then work with someone who can help you get  balance so you can start sleeping better AND start feeling great. Insomnia is terrible and can cause depression and illness. For new moms, it can cause decreased milk supply and in my opinion, post partum depression. Sleeping great equals happiness! Trust me, I know.

My take on avoiding future tragedies.

As I sit here reflecting on the day of my birth on the tragedy in Connecticut, the deep sadness I feel is immense. My heart is so heavy, not only for the families directly affected, but for our country. While I am grateful that I still have my daughter to hug, the pain I feel in my heart is so deep, like a knife has gone through it. How could this tragedy have happened, or better yet, why do these tragedies keep happening? Like many problems, we tend to focus on the symptoms or the superficial aspects and not look deeply at the cause (s).

I didn't seek to have a child, it just happened like a miracle. I had felt for a long time that the world was becoming so dangerous that it wasn't a place I wanted to bring a child into. To me, it seemed like people were becoming increasingly disconnected from their families and communities. Life was becoming crazy, from the increased cost of housing to goods and services. Vacations were minimal in most people's lives and it just felt that there was not a sense of balance or ease in the world. Then the miracle happened at the age of 44. I was pregnant and I was so thrilled. While I was still worried about raising my daughter in a crazy world like this, I was hoping that I could, at least, provide some safety net for her.

I don't claim to be an expert on these matters but I have some strong feelings about what has happened to our country...and why we keep seeing these tragedies. Not only the mass shootings, but the horrific murders that occur regularly.

There is no doubt that we must change our gun laws. What is the purpose of being able to carry a semi-automatic weapon except for mass murder. Limiting ammunition rounds is a great start but if someone wants to protect themselves, do they really need to have more than one gun? Maybe there are exceptions that could be looked at on a case-by-case basis for those with "real" needs. Of course having more extensive background checks and re-licensing, like you do with your car, sounds like a great idea.

But, limiting guns is still only treating the symptom. If not guns, the assailant might use knives or a bomb. What is the reason that these people are becoming so violent? While we certainly need to limit the types of guns people can possess, let's take a look at the "why" this has become such a problem.

One area that I think we need to address is the gratuitous violence we see, not only in TV shows and the movies but in video games. There becomes a numbing effect and desensitization when someone is exposed to violence regularly. It becomes to some, acceptable. Even young children are exposed to violence in animated shows. And, it has been shown that extended use of screens (TV, computers, etc.) can be linked to behavioral changes. Check out this video for more info. Watching the news on TV can also be very depressing. I stopped watching the news after 9/11, and greatly reduced watching the TV in general since that time. If you have a tendency towards depression, being glued to the tube can put you into a black hole that is hard to pull out of.

Look at the food that is offered. So many chemicals in most store bought items that are toxic to the brain. MSG, refined sugar, food dyes, etc., can cause damage to the brain. Even grains and gluten can cause inflammation. You know that foggy feeling you have after eating grains, that is inflammation. It might be subtle at first, but if you eat a really healthy diet for a few weeks that is whole food based and then eat something "bad", you will notice how horrible you feel. Having a regular diet of processed foods and soda can cause behavioral problems including anger and rage. One of the first things I do as a pediatric chiropractor working with a child with ADD/ADHD and behavioral problems is clean out their diet.

Harris Coulter, PhD, a medical researcher and historian, discusses in his book, "Vaccination, Social Violence, and Criminality", how vaccines can change the brain. Through his extensive research, he describes the range of neurological damage that can occur from mild to severe inflammation of the brain, aka encephalitis. It can express itself from the child having staring spells, difficulty crawling, eye problems (cross eyed or repetitive eye movements), ear infections to convulsions. Other effects can be a disruption in their sleeping, hyperactivity, lowered resistance to infection, and allergies (food and otherwise). 

Dr. Coulter describes certain personality changes that occur after the damage and some people that have had inflammation of the brain may be fascinated by burning buildings, given to outbursts of rage, and have a tendency towards impulsive behavior, including suicide. They rarely show remorse for what they have done as they probably see it outside of their ability to control it. "Vaccination, Social Violence, and Criminality develops the thesis that the "sociopathic personality" which has emerged on a mass scale in recent decades -- and which is responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime and social violence -- is causally linked to the childhood vaccination programs. In other words, vaccination causes encephalitis which in turn leads to these post- encephalitic states and conditions." For more info on this subject, check out this online article. 

Then we have to look at the narcotics regularly given out to our children for depression, ADD and ADHD. It's criminal when you think about how over prescribed these medications are that cross into the brain. Do you know that if your child has been on Ritalin, they can never serve in the military? It's because it is a Class II Narcotic and having received this medication as a child will change the blood chemistry of the brain.

The side effects from Ritalin include: agitation, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, depression, craving cocaine, aggression, hallucinations and more! Side effects from Prozac include: mania, loss of one's own self of reality and thoughts of suicide. Gwen Olsen, a woman who worked as a drug rep for 15 years learned the hard way about the problems with anti-depressants. Not only did she have severe side effects, her niece committed suicide from the roller coaster she was on in connection with these types of drugs. 

I was listening on the radio to a report about one mom whose teenage son had depression. It was recommended that he start an anti-depressant by his doctor. They started the medication and he started having behavioral problems and his depression greatly deepened. When they realized this, they slowly withdrew his medication. One of the problems with SSRI's is that you just can't stop taking the medication. After the drugs were out of his system she realized that he was just going through normal teenage "stuff" and just working through these issues with talk therapy. 

We have some major work to do as a culture and country. Taking a pill for every ill does not get to the root cause of the problem, and can create new ones. Vaccinations need to be examined by people that do not have a vested interest. Countries like Japan that don't vaccinate until a child is 2 years old has a much lower Infant Mortality rate than the U.S. and much lower crime rate. Even the CDC has people making recommendations not based on science but personal interest. TV "personalities" and politicians need to ratchet down their hate speech. Movie and TV studios must have less gratuitous violence in their productions. And, there must be stricter gun regulations. 

Getting more connected with your family, neighbors and community and spending less time in front of the "boob tube", computer and video games are great starts. Increased exercise and time outdoors, less homework, and a focus on the arts for children will reduce their level of anxiety and depression and will allow young children a way to get out that excess energy they have. Even decreasing the after-school activities will reduce your and your child's stress. Running from place to place increases anxiety in many. Teaching your child how to reduce stress through deep breathing and not running away from their problems through being connected electronically will help them to resolve conflict. And realizing that some problems take work to resolve that a pill won't. There are a lot of wonderful natural healing therapies that are appropriate for children such as Chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, yoga therapy and more that get to the root of the problem and not just treat the symptom. With the support of our communities and our government (with input from us) taking the appropriate action,.we can have a brighter future for our children. 

Move-a-ment is Life!

As I was walking on Thanksgiving morning and enjoying the feeling of moving my body on a beautiful day, I started thinking about a clinician during my internship who used to walk the halls saying, "move-a-ment is life". He was an Italian man with about 50 years experience as a Chiropractor and was revered by the staff and interns. During my internship, I had the opportunity to observe him adjusting tiny little babies with ease and confidence. He had shared his wealth of knowledge and experience in seeing all sorts of health problems turn around with Chiropractic care.

And while we all know how important it is to move our body regularly to stay healthy, you might not realize the significance that movement plays in other areas of our body. First of all, when we move our body, we are helping our blood to get oxygenated which helps our cells to get healthier. Since our cells comprise the essential components of everything and make up our organs, keeping them healthy is critical.

As Chiropractors, we put movement in areas of the spine that are restricted. The "adjustment" that Chiropractors perform to free up these restricted areas (also called subluxations), allows the spine to become more flexible. Increased flexibility = less degeneration (arthritis) in the spine = increased vitality and the ability to enjoy life. 

While improved flexibility is fantastic as it will help us to enjoy (and become better at) our athletic endeavors and experience less pain, there is so much more. The real miracle occurs when this increased flexibility also allows the nervous system to work better. Since the nervous system is the part of our body that controls and coordinates the functioning of all of our organs, when we get the nerves to work better....life becomes better. Our organs can begin the healing process and our health improves. 

Taking care of your spine is as important for living a long, happy, healthy and pain-free life as moving your body daily to keep your cells full of fresh oxygen. Remember, "Move-a-ment IS Life"!

To find out more about how Chiropractic can help you get healthy, visit our website at www.TarlowChiropractic.com. 

10 Steps to Getting Rid of the Allergy Blues by Nancy L. Tarlow, DC

It’s springtime and happiness abounds, except for those with seasonal allergies.  As someone who suffered with allergies for the first 29 years of my life, I feel great empathy. For me, as my allergies got progressively worse with age, I found myself not enjoying life as I once had. Taking allergy pills daily was a part of my life, but there were still times that they were ineffective. Two to four times per year my allergy symptoms would develop into sinus and/or bronchial infections, for which I obediently took my antibiotics. Twice a year, my allergy symptoms would get so intense that I would take Prednisone.  There did not appear to be any other solutions, but that was prior to discovering natural healing.

I was lucky! A short course of chiropractic care and my allergy symptoms were decreased about 90%. Enough that to this day, I still have not had to take any allergy pills, antibiotics or prednisone. Now, they are merely an annoyance, except for a few months while we lived in Santa Fe.

In practice, I’ve adjusted many adults and children who were helped with their allergy symptoms with chiropractic care. 

Here is what I have found that works. 

1.   1.  Dietary changes. Hippocrates (460 B.C. - 380 B.C.) is often called the founder of medicine, and he once said "Let food be thy medicine". There are certain foods that are known to increase inflammation in the body, thereby increasing mucous production.  While a small amount of inflammation is a natural part of our body, a lot of inflammation can create a lot of annoying symptoms. The foods that are likely to increase inflammation are:

A.      Foods that have a high Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio cause inflammation. Examples of these include:

-          Grains - This would include all grains including corn and rice. And yes, pasta and pretzels also fall into this category. 

-          Potato chips - My personal favorite food, but is incredibly inflammatory at a very high Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio of 40:1. For a complete list, go to http://www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Perricones-List-of-Pro-Inflammatory-Foods

B.      Foods that are high in Omega 3’s include green leafy veggies (all vegetables are excellent but green leafy ones are highest in Omega 3’s), almonds, walnuts, avocado, olives and olive oil, potatoes, cold-water fish like salmon and cod, free-range hen eggs. Chicken and grass-fed meats have an approximate 3 to 1 Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio.  Fish, flaxseed or hemp oil are also excellent for Omega 3’s.  There are also wonderful spices for decreasing inflammation including ginger, garlic, curry (turmeric, cumin, coriander).  If you don’t like the taste of any of these spices you can purchase them in capsules.

C.      Acidic vs alkaline foods  Certain foods like dairy tend to be more acidic in nature and can also increase the inflammatory response. While lemon is acidic, when you drink your water with lemon it becomes alkaline in your body. 

2.    2.  Showering/clothing. I didn’t realize the importance of taking a shower as soon as possible when entering the home until I lived in Santa Fe. The pollen was so thick that it would appear to be foggy. Taking off your clothes, and not allowing the pollen to spread through the house was vital, as well as showering whatever pollen that might be lingering on your skin or hair. Taking off your shoes and leaving them at the door will keep the allergens from getting spread around your house. Changing your sheets and pillow cases frequently will also help.

3.    3.  Herbs. According to my friend, Amy Branum of www.SavoirHerbals.com, she recommends Reishi and Astragalus as a deep immune tonic for long term use to boost and regulate the immune system. Nettles (tea or tincture) works well during allergy season or when you know you will be exposed to something you are allergic. When allergies are bad or during reactions, she recommends combining Nettles, Eyebright, and Echinacea. Working with an herbalist to determine the correct amount for you or your child is essential. 

4.    4.  Homeopathy. I love homeopathic remedies. I have had great success with them both professionally and personally. While I usually recommend going to someone who can provide you with a constitutional remedy as the first option, that may not be affordable. Utilizing OTC remedies are helpful for symptom-relief, but it might take trying different brands to find the right one for you. For instance, I really love the Allergy Relief aka Homeopathic Pollinosan formula by A. Vogel. Great for sneezing and itchy eyes.  When I lived in Santa Fe, I discovered the importance of using a homeopathic formula that was developed locally based upon the season.  

5.   5.  Supplements. Vitamin D and Vitamin C have immune system properties. For my 7 year old, I give her 400IU’s of Vitamin D when she’s having symptoms (cold or allergies), and make sure she gets plenty of sunshine (without sun block) whenever possible. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, so taking too much through a supplement is not good. Vitamin C is water-soluble, so taking too much is usually not a problem as your body will eliminate it naturally. But, if you take too much it can also cause diarrhea.  Raw honey is an effective treatment for many allergy sufferers. According to Dr. William G Peterson, an allergist, "It must be raw honey because raw honey contains all the pollen, dust and molds that cause 90 per cent of all allergies," he told a meeting of the Oklahoma Beekeepers Association. "What happens is that the patient builds up an immunity to pollen, dust or mold that is causing his trouble in the first place. The raw honey must "not be strained, not even through a cloth." he added. (www.reallyrawhoney.com/healthfacts.php). 

6.   6.  Yoga. Hip openers in yoga are an excellent way to open the sinuses. I learned this first-hand while having a stuffy nose. According to Jeff Migdow, MD, director of Prana Yoga Teacher Training in New York and a physician at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, "Allergies are worsened by a stress reaction, which causes physiological responses, including the release of stress hormones and histamine, and triggers inflammation. Relaxation diminishes fight-or-flight response, and thereby reduces allergic symptoms." Through relaxation, the nervous system basically tells the immune system to hold its fire. Once the immune system backs off, the inflammation and mucus decrease, and symptoms diminish.” (www.yogajournal.com/health/885)

7.   7.  Air filter. Using an air purification system, along with frequent cleaning, can reduce the allergens in your home. Despite your best efforts to keep the allergens out, it’s amazing how they can creep into your home. 

8.   8.  Chiropractic. As I mentioned previously, the changes to my allergy symptoms with Chiropractic care were unbelievable. It literally changed my life. At one time, while practicing in the metro DC area, I received referrals from an allergist for his patients with neck pain. With the exception of one person, all the others had a significant decrease in their allergy symptoms. Chiropractic care works on the immune and nervous system by helping to bring the body back into homeostasis. When your body is out of balance, it can create a variety of “health” problems, including allergy symptoms. 

9.   9.  Acupuncture. I tried Acupuncture for the severe allergy symptoms I had while living in Santa Fe. I was frequenting the acupuncturist’s office several times per week to no avail. While it did not work for me, I still find this modality very beneficial for many people. 

10. 10. Energy Healing.  Reiki, Reconnective Healing, and other types of energy healing can also work to help with the symptoms. Neti pots are also valuable to helping to clear your sinuses, although I would not recommend them for children. 

Finding the right remedies and modalities for you and your family is very individual. There is no cookbook approach to any health problem, as there are many causes. These are just a few examples of what I have found to work for my patients as well as my family.

It is important to remember that the human body is a self-healing organism. Giving it the right path to healing may take some time. Be patient. Find the right solution to not only get relief from your symptoms, but also build a strong immune system in the process. Eat healthy all the time, not just when you are “sick”. Exercise, positive mental attitude, stress reduction are all important components for getting and staying healthy.

Black Bean Delish!

2010. A Healthy new year

It's been a year since my last post and I can't believe it. So many transitions in 2009 including moving to a new home across town, a new job for my husband, two new schools for my daughter, and moving to a home office for myself. Plus, I've had health issues I've been working on resolving. While all of these changes have been challenging, they appear to be for the best.

Working out of my home offers many advantages. First, if there is an emergency and it's at a time that I'm watching my daughter, she can play with all of her toys and I can see the patient. That's a huge plus as it makes me more available to those in need. The home does not offer a private entrance for my patients, so at some point I will either have to find a new home/office combo or move to an office. For now, though, it seems to be working.

A few months ago I started taking my portable adjusting table to the set of a TV show being filmed in New Mexico called, "Breaking Bad". It's been really terrific adjusting the crew who really seem to need the care. After all, most of the crew puts in very long days...12-14 hours in not unusual. They seem to appreciate having the chiropractic care available to them.

While I've enjoyed this immensely, I've also had a chance to adjust some little ones in need. The health problems have ranged from constipation to high fevers, vomiting and chronic cough. I've learned over my many years as a family chiropractor that when a child is suffering, so are the parents. The stress this causes in a family dynamic is immense.

The baby with severe constipation (also bloating and gas) has responded fantastically. After just 3 adjustments, baby, mom and dad are so much happier, it gives me such joy. The parents of the 6 week old had tried a variety of natural therapies including dietary changes and cranio-sacral therapy. None of these therapies had helped as it appears there was a strong neurological connection. The baby had birth trauma and the main thing chiropractic care does is help restore the nervous system to balance.

Just last month I also had the opportunity to adjust a 4 year old who was very ill. She had a high fever and was vomiting. Her mom called me as I had helped her daughter previously with a chronic and constant cough. Within minutes of being adjusted, her temperature dropped a full degree. Within about 15 minutes, her temperature was normal. She stopped vomiting immediately. By that evening, she had regained her appetite and the next morning was totally fine.

These experiences just renew my passion for chiropractic and to spread the word as to how it can help make you healthier. Drugs only treat the symptoms, they don't treat the underlying cause.

I urge you if you know of someone with chronic health problems, have them check out Chiropractic. While I've discussed a few types of health problems I've seen resolved, Chiropractic can help with almost any health problem. It's not invasive, safe with none of the side effects you see with medications. To find a gentle pediatric chiropractor near you go to: http://www.icpa4kids.com.