Archive for January, 2010
When Laura was born, she was completely blind. The doctors told her parents there was no hope that her eyesight would ever develop. Her problem was called congenital nystagmus, a condition where the eye experiences involuntary shaking and causes severe vision loss.
This situation did not stop Laura from working to achieve in life. As a child her vision did improve somewhat, but she was still unable to play or read like normal children. “When I was a child, I would look in an adult textbook and all I could see were dots,” Laura said. “I thought, ‘Wow, grown-ups are really special to be able to look at dots and get words out of that!’”
By the time Laura turned 16, her vision had improved some more, but she was still legally blind. Doctors continued to tell her there was no hope for her condition. Additionally, she began suffering from severe stomach ulcers.
However, Laura did not let that stop her. She decided to enter a teen beauty pageant, and
she won. That event changed her life and opened doors that would have otherwise remained closed. “That was the best thing about my teenage years,” she said.
Sometime later, Laura’s life was about to take another amazing turn!
When Laura entered college, she took a part time job in a Chiropractic office in Delmar,
Delaware. The doctor, Donald Hattier, suggested that he give her an adjustment. This is when her life turned on a dime. In fact, after her first adjustment, her ulcers disappeared and her vision began to improve. It happened that fast.
As the story continues, Laura went on through school and got to the point where she submitted her official resignation at the Chiropractic office. It was at this time that Dr. Donald asked her out on a date. The happy story continues with the two of them now married and the parents of four children.
At age 39, Laura is living the life she never thought possible. Her vision has improved to
20/50. She is able to take care of her family and run daily errands. “I can pick my kids up from school, I can drive my kids to church and I can go to the grocery store for my family,” she said. “I am truly thankful for that.”
Amidst a great deal of emotion and rhetoric coming out of Connecticut this week regarding the stroke issue The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation has just released a very clear position statement on the issue of chiropractic and strokes.
Atlanta, GA, January 07, 2010 –(PR.com)– According to the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation there is no human experimental evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations are causally related to strokes. “While plaintiff’s attorneys and expert witness make claims and statements contending that such a causative link exists, the fact remains that these are based largely on anecdotes, case reports, and case controlled studies and cannot be used to prove causation” stated Foundation President Christopher Kent DC, JD a chiropractic researcher and attorney. According to researchers and the scientific method itself there are all sorts of biases and distortions that effect conclusions drawn from such studies and other criteria must be used to determine whether such a link exists. “What this boils down to is a simple lack of understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology” stated Foundation Vice President Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, a chiropractic researcher and public health expert. “Words like ‘association’ and ‘causation’ and ‘risk’ have very specific meanings when it comes to their use in epidemiology and it’s clear that laypersons involved in this debate are using these terms inappropriately.” While the experience of a stroke can be devastating and no one would suggest ignoring the concerns of those who have suffered one, the reality is that when it comes to the contention that chiropractic causes strokes – the evidence just isn’t there. And while the strokes these people have experienced are indeed real, McCoy suggests there are often other issues involved and offered an example. “Millions of people visit a dentist every year and a certain number of those same people get into car accidents on their way home. If we were to run the stats on it we might find that there is a statistical association between visiting a dentist and getting into a car accident on the way home. But no one would even consider suggesting that the dentists are causing the car accidents.” Self described chiropractic stroke victims say there is a risk and that people should be advised about it prior to undergoing chiropractic care. The majority of chiropractors would agree that patients should be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of any health care intervention, but according to Dr. Kent “Such informed consent must be based on appropriate information and since there is no scientific evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations actually cause strokes, it is inappropriate to require a doctor to suggest that such a risk exists.” Dr. McCoy added another often overlooked issue “Chiropractors utilize a number of techniques to address joint dysfunction and vertebral subluxation and in fact there are over 300 named chiropractic techniques and many do not employ the type of manipulation that has been alleged to be a factor in vertebrobasilar accidents. This adds to the inappropriate nature of such a disclosure.” In the end, chiropractic has an impressive safety record compared to traditional medical care with estimates are that anywhere from 100,000 (Institute of medicine) to 750,000 (Null et al) people die every year from medical care. In comparison, other than some minor soreness following chiropractic treatment, research has shown chiropractic to be very safe.Though movement can often be painful if you have arthritis, achy knees and joints are not reason enough to stop exercising. In fact, not exercising can make the symptoms of arthritis much worse. Regular, modest exercise improves joint stability and strengthens muscles, according to the December issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s healthSource. In addition, exercise improves mood, sleep, energy levels and day-to-day functioning. People with arthritis who exercise regularly actually report less pain.That’s right. Exercise can actually relieve the aches and pains of arthritis.
Why is this so? When a person avoids exercise, joints become even less mobile and the surrounding muscles shrink, causing increased fatigue and pain. Read more…What does the term, “vertigo, ” mean? Vertigo is the name for the dizzy disturbance that a person suffers within a stationary environment. The perception is that the external world is tilting or perhaps spinning. Vertigo may be abrupt and short- lived or unceasing. But nevertheless, either way, the specific root of vertigo must be defined and the correct professional therapy undertaken.
There are many causes for the disorder of Vertigo. An inner ear affliction, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, can oftentimes take place as the aftermath of a sustained head injury or severe cold. Many times this particular vertigo can be the result of the aging process. The root, though, oftentimes is not known. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes perfectly this non- progressive problem that is the result of, as its name tells us, a unexpected change in head position. The difficulties are as a rule unexpected and varied.
It is usually helpful to look at the functionality of the inner ear in an attempt fully grasp what provokes this frequently incapacitating discomforts of this kind of vertigo. The brain senses motion and maintains balance utilizing the fluid within the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are minute calcium carbonate crystals, called otoconia. The crystals are able to float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the delicate nerve endings in the inner ear, they trigger the symptoms of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.
The good news is that chiropractic therapy can relieve the difficulties of BPPV very quickly and effectively using a technique which is called the Epley maneuver. By means of the use of this approach, a chiropractor turns the head of a BPPV sufferer into a number of different positions, letting gravity shift the calcium carbonate crystals into a zone of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will bring on no subsequent vertigo.
Your chiropractor has helped innumerable persons for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo employing the Epley Maneuver technique. Generally, with only one treatment most patients no longer suffer from dizziness. Your Orland Chiropractor can help. Call today!