Russ Chiropractic's Wellness Blog

Double-blind, placebo-controlled study has promising results

(Chiropractor Wilmington NC). A recent article in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics reported on a study involving 326 children, ages 3 to 5, who participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled test of the effects of probiotics on cold and flu-like symptoms.

Wilmington-based Dr. David Russ, D.C., follows health and wellness issues closely in professional journals and other publications.  “People often think of chiropractors in terms of treating neck and back pain,” said Dr. Russ, “but many of my colleagues and I, myself, are involved in all aspects of our patients’ health and well-being, including proper nutrition and illness-preventative measures.”

In this particular study, children in the study group were assigned at random to get one of three planned dosages.  One group received just a placebo, or common sugar pill with no therapeutic value.  A second group got a single probiotic dosage, and the third group got a combination probiotic dosage.

“The study participants received their allocated dosage twice a day for six months,” Dr. Russ related.  “They were then analyzed to determine both the incidence of cold and flu-like symptoms during the test period, as well as the duration of such symptoms.”

In comparison to the placebo group, those children who had taken the single-strain probiotic had a 53% reduction in fevers, a 41.4% reduction in coughing, and a 28.2% reduction in rhinorrhea, or runny nose.

“The combination-strain probiotic group fared even better,” said Dr. Russ.  “The incidence of fevers was reduced by 72.7%, coughing by 62.1%, and rhinorrhea by 58.8%.”

The study also measured the duration of cold and flu-like symptoms in the study group, and, once again, there was a marked improvement for those children using some form of probiotics over the placebo group.  The single-strain probiotics usage resulted in a lesser duration of symptoms by 32%; the combination-strain usage caused a 48% reduction in the duration of the symptoms.  The study also concluded that children getting some form of probiotics had less need to take antibiotics during the test period and also were absent much less from nursery school or other group child care facilities.

I came across an article in which Doctor’s were asked the question, “Which Medications would you skip?” Here’s their response:

1. Advair – It’s asthma medicine that can make your asthma deadly. Advair contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol. A 2006 analysis found regular use of LABA’s can increase the severity of an asthma attack. Researchers estimate salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000 asthma-related deaths in the United States each year.

2. Avandia – Diabetes is destructive enough on its own, but if you try to control it with rosiglitazone, better known as Avandia, it could cause a heart attack. A study found that people who took rosiglitazone for at least a year increased their risk of heart failure or a heart attack by 109 percent and 42 percent, respectively.

3. Celebrex – This painkiller has been linked to increased risks of stomach bleeding, kidney trouble, and liver damage. According to a 2005 study, people taking 200 mg of Celebrex twice a day more than doubled their risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. Those taking 400 mg twice a day more than tripled their risk.

4. Ketek – This antibiotic, which has traditionally been prescribed for respiratory-tract infections, carries a high risk of severe liver side effects. In February 2007, the FDA limited the usage of Ketek to the treatment of pneumonia.

5 & 6. Prilosec and Nexium – The FDA has investigated a suspected link between cardiac trouble and these acid-reflux remedies, although they did not find a “likely” connection. Whether this is true or not, they can raise your risk of pneumonia, and result in an elevated risk of bone loss. The risk of a bone fracture has been estimated to be over 40 percent higher in patients who use these drugs long-term.

7. Visine Original – These eye drops “get the red out” by shrinking blood vessels. Overuse of the active ingredient tetrahydrozoline can perpetuate the vessel dilating-and-constricting cycle and may cause even more redness.

8. Pseudoephedrine – This decongestant, found in many drugs, can raise blood pressure and heart rate, setting the stage for vascular catastrophe. Over the years, pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes, as well as worsening the symptoms of prostate disease and glaucoma.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24777955/ns/health-health_care/

If you are looking for natural ways to get healthier and reduce your need for medication call 910-395-5066. Click here -> Chiropractor Wilmington NC for more information

Most parents today understand the importance of feeding their children healthy food but more often than not fail to do so due to the convenience of of fast food. This is another topic in and of itself. The issue today is what are the schools feeding our kids?

The answer………

Pizza, cheeseburgers, sloppy joes, hot dogs, corn dog, french fries, fried chicken, and all of this is washed down with sugared-up fruit juices or even worse, soda. Even when options like salads and vegetable are offered the children usually gravitate towards the fatty or sugar laden foods.

What do mom and dad usually pack with their child’s lunch?

The answer….

HoHo’s, DingDongs, potato chips, candy bars, little debbie’s cakes, and other “treats” that ultimately contribute to the demise of their child’s health in the long run. Think of the last time you ate a bunch of junk food for lunch…. You probably got hyper for a little while and then you crashed for the rest of the afternoon.

Could this be why teachers are having difficulty controlling their classes? Imagine being in a room of 30 sugar-high kids and trying to get them to learn. This is the struggle going on in the class rooms everyday which is contributing to the increase in diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. Many studies have been done linking ADD/ADHD to nutritional issues.

So what can we do about this?

Parents need to take action!! These are YOUR kids and YOU are responsible for their health, end of story. Parents need to educate their children at home about proper nutritional choices and empower them to do the right thing.

The schools need to remove the soda and candy machines. We are allowing people to take advantage of our children for financial gain the the very place that they should be the safest. This is an absolute disgrace and poor reflection of this country’s commitment to the next generation. Schools need to abandon all junk foods from their menus which, in my opinion as well as other prominent researchers, would eliminate many of the behavioral issues that have been affecting kids today.

The bottom line is that everyone needs to do their part and get healthier themselves. By setting a better example we can lead the next generation to make better choices and start reversing the downward trend that the American health care system has been experiencing.

-Dr. David Russ is a Chiropractor in Wilmington NC who is passionate about health of his community and especially that of its children. For more information please visit Russ Chiropractic and Wellness Center or call 910-395-5066.

Chiropractic corrects spinal abnormalities called vertebral subluxations that result in interference of the nervous system. Since the nervous system controls all functions of the body — including the immune system — chiropractic care can have a positive effect on immune function.

“Contemporary research is beginning to shed light on the neurobiological mechanisms which may explain the outstanding clinical results chiropractors have experienced when managing patients with viral and infectious diseases,” stated Dr. Christopher Kent, Co- Founder of Chiropractic Leadership Alliance.

Dr. Kent explained: “A comprehensive review of the research literature reveals the current understanding that the brain and immune system are the two major adaptive systems in the body. During an immune response, the brain and the immune system ‘talk to each other’ and this process is essential for maintaining homeostasis or balance in the body.”

Since its inception, chiropractic has asserted that viruses and microbes don’t threaten us all equally and that a healthy immune system easily repels most invaders. The immune system protects us from the flu, as well as any other infectious disease, and strives to get us well again when we do fall ill. Our immune system, like every other system in the body, is coordinated and controlled by the nervous system.

Chiropractors are also aware of the importance of positive health life style practices (rest, drinking ample quantities of water, diet, exercise, proper diet, use of multivitamins and minerals, and stress reduction approaches) that can also positively influence the nervous system and immune response. According to a large study of the chiropractic profession recently conducted by the Institute for Social Research, Ohio Northern University (McDonald et al., 2003), chiropractors also customarily advise their patients as to the benefits of these other modalities in optimizing overall health.

Chiropractors helping patients battle the flu is not a new occurrence either. During the 1917-18 influenza epidemic, which brought death and fear to many Americans, it has been estimated that 20 million people died throughout the world, including about 500,000 Americans. It was chiropractic’s success in caring for flu victims that led to the profession’s licensure in many states.

Researchers reported that in Davenport, Iowa, out of the 93,590 patients treated by medical doctors, there were 6,116 deaths — a loss of one patient out of every 15. Chiropractors at the Palmer School of Chiropractic adjusted 1,635 cases, with only one death. Outside Davenport, chiropractors in Iowa cared for 4,735 cases with only six deaths — one out of 866. During the same epidemic, in Oklahoma, out of 3,490 flu patients under chiropractic care, there were only seven deaths. Furthermore, chiropractors were called in 233 cases given up as lost after medical treatment, and reportedly saved all but 25. In another report covering 4,193 cases by 213 chiropractors 4,104 showed complete recovery.

“These results are not so surprising given what we now know about the interaction between the nervous system and the immune system” stated Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, Editor of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. “Through research we know that chiropractic has beneficial effects on immunoglobulins, B-lymphocytes (white blood cells), pulmonary function and other immune system processes.”

One such study, conducted by Patricia Brennan Ph.D and her team, found that when a chiropractic “manipulation” was applied to the middle back, the response of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (white blood cells) taken from blood collected 15 minutes after the manipulation was significantly higher than blood collected 15 minutes before and 30 and 45 minutes after the chiropractic procedure. This research demonstrated an “enhanced respiratory burst” following the chiropractic adjustment. This “burst” is needed for our immune cells to destroy invading viruses and bacteria.

Another small study of HIV positive patients was conducted to study the effects of specific chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations in the upper neck on the immune systems of HIV positive individuals. Over the six-month period of the study, the group that did not receive chiropractic care experienced a 7.96% decrease in CD4 cell counts, while the adjusted group experienced a 48% increase in CD4 cell counts over the same period.

A large retrospective study conducted by Robert Blanks Ph.D and colleagues studied 2,818 individuals undergoing chiropractic care – these individuals reported an average overall improvement, ranging from 7-28 percent, in a battery of physical symptoms including stiffness/lack of flexibility in the spine, physical pain, fatigue, incidence of colds and flu, headaches, menstrual discomfort, gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, dizziness and falls (Blanks et al., 1997, Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research).

More importantly, the incidence of colds and flu was reduced by an average of 15 percent in this large population who were undergoing regular chiropractic care.

“In addition to the passive recommendations regarding hand washing, avoiding large gatherings, coughing and sneezing into your hands – it makes a great deal of sense to do everything you can to ensure that your immune system is functioning at its best. And that strategy should include chiropractic care,” stated Dr. McCoy.

Are you and your family ready for flu season?

The July 2008 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reports on a study that concludes chiropractic care is safe for children under 3 years of age.

The 3-year retrospective study was done at the teaching clinic practice at Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in Bournemouth, England. It examined the chiropractic files of 781 children. 574 (nearly 75%) of them were under the age of 12 weeks.

Over the period of the study, 697 children received 5242 adjustments. 85 percent of the parents reported an improvement. Only seven parents reported an adverse effect (such as slight muscle tightness and/or soreness) with none of them serious enough for hospitalization or lasting longer than 24 hours. This translated into a reaction rate of 1 child in 100, or one reaction for every 749 adjustments with no serious complications.

The authors concluded that chiropractic care produced very few adverse effects and was safe for children in this age group.

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Chiropractors have been urging parents to bring their chilren to get checked for nervous system irritation for years. Many childhood problems ranging from ADHD to ear infections have in the past, and continue to respond well to chiropractic. If your child is struggling with anything be sure to ask your local chiropractor if he/she may be able to help your child.

If you need a chiropractor in Wilmington NC call 910-395-5066 and ask for a complementary consultation with Dr. Russ.

A case study documented the success with chiropractic of the care of an infant suffering from ear infections and respiratory tract infection. The study was published in the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, on December 22, 2010.

In this case study, a twenty-one-month-old girl was brought to the chiropractors office suffering from Otitis Media, (“OM”), more commonly known as ear infections, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (“RSV”), a respiratory tract infection. The young girl was medically diagnosed with her first ear infection when she was only one month old. She was diagnosed with respiratory infections at nine months old.

The study denotes that otitis media is the most frequent reason for physician visits for children under the age of fifteen and the second most common diagnosis in medicine. The authors report that the girl was not breastfed and note that studies have shown that infants who are not breastfed have double the odds of developing recurring otitis media as compared to infants who are breastfed for the first four months of life.

According to the study author, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of viral lower respiratory tract infection in infants and children with 90% of children infected by 2 years of age. Most commonly children affected by this are diagnosed with bronchiolitis or pneumonia.

In this case the girl’s mother brought her baby daughter to the chiropractor because her baby was not getting any results after a year-and-a-half of medical care. According to the study, the mother reported that her daughter had been on a nebulizer for the past year and found the current care plan by the pediatrician consisting of antibiotics and bronchodilators to be frustrating because her daughter was not getting well.

A chiropractic examination was performed and the conclusion was that the child did have vertebral subluxations resulting in interference to the baby’s nervous system. A course of chiropractic care was initiated designed to correct the spinal misalignments from the subluxations.

Within one week of the onset of chiropractic care the mother reported an improvement in her baby’s sleep. Within one month the ear infections had resolved and the girls mother discontinued the antibiotics. Within three months of care, she brought her child back to the pediatrician and was told the child no longer had a respiratory infection, and therefore the nebulizer treatments were discontinued.

In the discussion of this case report, the authors explain the positive results of this case by stating, “The chiropractic profession has claimed favorable clinical responses for otitis media and other upper respiratory infections for nearly 100 years and evidence is increasingly suggesting that the nervous system is capable of modulating the immune system.”

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Those of you who know me already know my passion for any type of ear issue. For those of you who don’t, I had issues with my ears almost right from birth which lead to partial loss of hearing in both ears. I had tubes put in my ears multiple times as a child, ear drops, antibiotics, steroids, etc. My parents never knew that something as simple as chiropractic could have such profound effects on the immune system and the health of the ears. Chiropractic has been found to be very effective in helping with ear infections and if you someone you know has problems in this area, please get them to their local chiropractor.

A study published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics looked at the prevalence and reasons pregnant women sought chiropractic care.  The survey study was conducted in Oslo Norway and approved by the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, in Bournemouth, United Kingdom.

In this study, a survey was conducted of the first 100 pregnant women who presented for chiropractic care at a clinic in Oslo. Data for the study was collected over a 16 month period and data from the women was only included during their pregnancy. Pregnant women were only included in this study if they spoke Norwegian and remained under chiropractic care for more than one visit.

The results of the study showed that the median age of pregnant women who came in for chiropractic care was 32.5 years with the youngest being 25 and the oldest being 42.  About half of the women (47%) were in their first pregnancy, while the other half (49%) were in their second pregnancy, and only a small number (4%) were in their third.  According to the study, 32% of the women had never received any care for any musculoskeletal problems in the health care system regardless of pregnancy status.  Additionally, 38% had been to a chiropractor before, either before they were pregnant, or in a previous pregnancy.

The study also showed that 44% of the women had been referred for chiropractic care by a family member or a friend. However, what was interesting is that 48% were referred for chiropractic care by another health care professional.  Of this 48%, the referral breakdown showed that 23% received advice from their midwife, 15% from their medical doctor, and 10% from a physiotherapist. One interesting statistic from this study was that almost one-third of the women sought chiropractic care as their first method of care for their problems during pregnancy.

When looking at the reasons why the women sought chiropractic care, the researchers found that for 90% of the women, the main reason they came for care was pelvic pain.  Researchers also noted that 60% of the women also suffered from back pain.  Additionally 29% of the women had neck pain, 15% suffered from headaches and 2% had migraines.

The study also looked at how long the women waited with their pain before deciding to start chiropractic care. The results showed that the longer they waited, the greater the number of problems they experienced and therefore an increased amount of care was needed to help them. One of the patients expressed their feelings about waiting too long and their quote was included in the study. This patient said, “Why didn’t anyone refer me here earlier? It is just by chance I ended up here in this office. Had I known what I now know, I would have come much earlier.”

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As a chiropractor in Wilmington, I can say that I have noticed an increasing trend with more and more pregnant women utilizing chiropractic to stay healthy and relieve pain and discomfort. Pregnancy is a perfectly natural thing that should not be causing pain, perhaps just some discomfort. More often than not the reason than pain happens during pregnancy is because an asymptomatic but misaligned pelvis is now under a much greater demand. Chiropractors look to restore alignment and motion to the pelvic bones this improving nervous system function.

Atlanta Journal and Constitution – Health risks abound in modern life. But are the decisions we make to preserve our health supported by solid science? Not always.

Consider the recent clinical trial demonstrating that the cholesterol-lowering drug Zetia (and a drug that contains it, Vytorin) does not effectively reduce fatty deposits in arteries. These findings raise doubts and concerns about a basic tenet in medicine: Lowering cholesterol will lower the incidence of heart disease.

Our analysis of critical published studies supports the contention that elevated blood serum cholesterol levels do not correlate well with an increase in coronary heart disease. The alarm bells ring almost daily. With great conviction, experts tell us we can protect ourselves by taking tests to defect cancer and by swallowing statin drugs and antioxidant vitamins

An unmistakable veneer of certainty is attached to such advice. But peel away that veneer, and you’ll find a shadowy realm filled with uncertainty. Some recent examples: