A Chiropractic-Case Study: Bells Palsy

A lot of times, you may not appreciate what regular care at this office can do for you and your family members.

Today I’m going to go over something called Bell’s palsy. You’re probably asking yourself, “What is Bell's palsy?” Bell's palsy is simply a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of your face.

Damage to the facial nerve that controls muscles on one side of the face causes that side of your face to droop. The nerve damage may also affect your sense of taste and how you make tears and saliva. This condition comes on suddenly, often overnight.

Bell's palsy is not the result of a stroke. While stroke can cause facial paralysis, there is no link between Bell's palsy and stroke. Palsy simply means ‘weakness or paralysis’.

What causes Bell's palsy?

The cause of Bell's palsy is not clear. Most cases are thought to be caused by the herpes virus that causes cold sores.

Inflammation?

In most cases of Bell's palsy, the nerve that controls muscles on one side of the face is damaged by inflammation.

Many health problems can cause weakness or paralysis of the face. If a specific reason cannot be found for the weakness, the condition is called Bell's palsy.

CASE STUDY


Here’s a case study that I’m going to share with you today.

A 40-year-old white male patient presented himself to the doctor with right facial paralysis of 2 days duration.

Prior to the paralysis he had been experiencing "tingling" sensations at approx. C7/T1 which was at the base of his neck, along the shoulder area. He had also been fighting a sinus infection for two weeks prior to this also.

He also said that he had right facial numbness, an inability to smile on the affected side, inability to eat on the affected side with drooling. Under regular chiropractic care and adjustments, by his 3rd visit, which was 2 days later he had up to 75% of sensation in his face return and by 7 days he had complete recovery.

This quick recovery was most likely due to him getting regular adjustment and following through with the recommended schedule of care.
www.wingpsanchiro.com
Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200,Fort Worth, TX. (817) 423-2600

Do You Honestly Care About Your Health?

Here’s a story I’ve given you before, but it’s so important, I’m going to share it with you again. The new mother was told that her “twin” babies had died after birth. However, the truth was far different: they were sent to an institute near Moscow to be studied since they were joined at the hip and the doctors wanted to study them. This was to be the fate of “Masha” & “Dasha”, one of the most unusual set of conjoined twins ever born. Pay close attention to this if you have children or grandchildren.

Siamese twins are formed in the same way as identical twins but the eggs, for some reason, don’t completely separate; instead, they remain partially attached. Because their circulatory systems are interconnected, the twins shared each other’s blood. A germ that enters one twin’s bloodstream would soon be seen in the blood of her sister. Now here is the kicker. Surprisingly, illness affected them differently. Dasha was near-sighted, prone to colds and right-handed. *Masha* was a healthier constitution, higher blood pressure, good eyesight and is left-handed.

The twins differing health pattern presented a mystery. How could one girl become ill with a childhood disease while the other one did not? The measles “bug” was in both of their bodies, in their collective bloodstream; so why didn’t they both get the measles? What made one healthier than the other? This phenomenon was seen over and over again with the girls (flu, colds, other diseases were all experienced separately). If ‘germs alone’ had the power to cause infectious diseases, why would one of the twins be disease-free while the other was ill? What was it in their makeup that differentiated one from the other?

The answer was in their nervous system. Although the twins had common circulatory, digestive, excretory, lymphatic, endocrine and skeletal systems (they were joined at the hips remember), they had separate spinal columns, separate brains, and separate spinal cords.

This was a very important difference between the girls, but something most doctors would have missed. In these extraordinary twins, nature’s “laboratory” devised an experiment that no researcher could ever duplicate. The twins are an invaluable example confirming that there is much more to “catching” a disease than simply breathing in germs; germs can make you sick if, and only if, your body provides them fertile ground in which to grow.

The state of your nervous system can determine whether or not (and how quickly) you will recover. By keeping your spinal column and nervous system FREE from misalignment (subluxation stress), chiropractic care keeps you in a higher state of health, hence able to ward off dis-eases.

There is no shortage of theories to explain the role of the subluxation in disease and the effect of the adjustment in relieving symptomatology. Your autonomic nervous system (that part of your nervous system which controls vital functions in your body) may be effected by spinal dysfunction or subluxation causing a compromise in that function.

Immunity is one such function which can be adversely affected if your spine is not aligned. You know as well as I do if the front end of your car is misaligned, it’s going to affect the ride, and the tires. They are going to wear out and you’re going to spend more money until you fix the problem.

The same is true for your dynamic body and spine. If they are not aligned, things are going to happen that will cost you more money in the end. If you want to stay as healthy as you can, and this includes your children, make sure your spine is checked on a regular basis. If it’s not checked on a regular basis, you are more apt to get disease. It really is as simple as that.

www.wingspanchiro.com
Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX (817) 423-2600

Asthma Study Shows Chiropractic Benefits

This is from a recent study on Chiropractic adjustments and Asthma.
The article notes that approximately 14 Americans die each day from asthma. Asthma is only one of three diseases that has shown an increasing death rate in recent years, up 58% since 1979. Everyone, including you needs to pay attention to this.
Presently estimates show that 17 million Americans suffer from the disease making it the most common and costly illness in the United States today, costing over $13 billion annually.
Presently, asthma causes more hospitalizations of children than any other childhood disease.
In the study, 47 patients were observed for a two year period. These patients had all been medically diagnosed with persistent asthma ranging from mild persistent in 11 cases, moderate persistent in 28 cases, to severe persistent in 8 cases. The care rendered consisted of specific chiropractic adjustments. The range of visits was from 14 to 44, with the average being 26 during the study period. Most patients in the study began care at a rate of 3 visits per week with this frequency being reduced after 4 to 8 initial weeks.
The patient results were very good with ALL 47 of the study patients showing a marked improvement ranging from 87 to 100 percent. Patient observed improvement was measured by both 1)improvement in their symptoms as well as a 2)decrease in their usage of acute asthma attack medication. Even more impressive was that ALL of the patients in the study reported maintaining their improvement after a two-year follow up. If you know anyone that has asthma, please let them know we can help and they can call us for information.
Dr. Stephanie Janiak,2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817 423-2600

MD’s GO ON STRIKE, DEATH RATE DROPS

The June 10, 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal reports that on March 9, 2000, doctors in the Israel Medical Association began sanctions to reduce their contact with patients (in other words, a strike) in order to protest a new four-year wage contract for doctors. Since going on strike, the death rate in Israel has dropped considerably according to a survey of Israeli burial societies.

“The number of funerals we have performed has fallen drastically,” said Hananya Shahor, director of Jerusalem’s Kehilat Yerushalayim burial society. “This month there were only 93 funerals compared with 153 in May 1999, 133 in the same months in 1998, and 139 in May 1997.”

Meir Adler, who manages the Shamgar Funeral Parlour says, “There definitely is a connection between the doctor’s sanctions and fewer deaths. We saw the same thing in 1983 (when the doctors applied sanctions for four and one half months).”

There is one town in Israel where the death rate has remained constant, the town of Netanya. Netanya has only one hospital and the doctors there signed a no-strike clause with their contract. The doctors in Netanya have not participated in the countrywide sanctions.

A similar situation also occurred in the United States. According to Robert Mendelsohn, M.D., in his book Confessions of a Medical Heretic (1979), in Los Angeles County, California, in 1976 the doctors went on a work slowdown to protest soaring malpractice insurance premiums. There was an 18% drop in the death rate. When the strike ended, the death rate went back to where it had been before the strike.

In retrospect, that may not have been the best argument they could have made about high malpractice insurance rates.

The Controversy

From the beginning, chiropractic has been the target of discrimination but we’re still here, ready to help anyone that wants natural health.

Colorful Personalities

The Palmers of Davenport, Iowa discovered and developed many of the principles of chiropractic. Both D.D. Palmer and son B.J. Palmer were flamboyant and charismatic. Their personalities and dogmatism produced vehement detractors.

Medical Monopoly

To hamstring the fledgling chiropractic profession, the American Medical Association prevented medical doctors from working with or referring to chiropractors. This illegal tactic ended in 1990 when the A.M.A. was found guilty in U.S. Federal Court. Nevertheless, the damage was done.

Increasing Acceptance

Today, the profession of chiropractic is recognized and licensed worldwide. Currently, there are 22 chiropractic colleges around the world graduating educated, compassionate and talented healers. Insurance companies and many government programs reimburse for chiropractic care. Chiropractic has come a long way since 1895.

Blood vs. Nerves

Traditional medical treatment relies on putting drugs into the bloodstream. Chiropractic care helps restore nervous system integrity by reducing subluxations. Two very different approaches:

Medical Treatment
Blood-based
Treats symptoms
Renders sickness care
Prescribes drugs
Sees body as parts
Removes organs
Tries to kill germs
Causes side effects
Artificial
Risky

Chiropractic Care
Nerve-based
Corrects cause
Offers health care
Makes adjustments
Sees whole person
Revives organs
Helps resist germs
Produces positive effects
Natural
Safe


Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX, 76116, (817) 423-2600

Good Posture....Just How Important Is It To Your Health?

Good Posture...Just How Important Is It To Your Health?
Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health. It is as important as eating right, exercising, getting a good night's sleep and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Good posture is a way of doing things with more energy, less stress and fatigue. Without good posture, you can't really be physically fit.

Surprised? Well, you're not alone. The benefits of good posture may be among the “best” kept secrets. The good news is that most everyone can “avoid” the problems caused by bad posture...and you can make improvements at any age.

Good Posture is Good Health

We're a health conscious society today and good posture is a part of it. Because good posture means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints and ligaments can work as nature intended. It means your vital organs are in the right position and can function at peak efficiency. Good posture helps contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Without good posture, your overall health and total efficiency may be compromised. Because the long-term effects of poor posture can affect bodily systems (such as digestion, elimination, breathing, muscles, joints and ligaments), a person who has poor posture may often be tired or unable to work efficiently or move properly.

Even for younger people, how you carry yourself when working, relaxing or playing can have big effects. Did you know that just 15 minutes reading or typing when using the wrong positions exhausts the muscles of your neck, shoulders and upper back?

Poor Posture - How Does it Happen?

Often, poor posture develops because of accidents or falls. But bad posture can also develop from environmental factors or bad habits. This means that you have control.

In most cases, poor posture results from a combination of several factors, which can include:

1. Accidents, injuries and falls
2. Poor sleep support (mattress)
3. Excessive weight
4. Visual or emotional difficulties
5. Foot problems or improper shoes
6. Weak muscles, muscle imbalance
7. Careless sitting, standing, sleeping habits
8. Negative self image
9. Occupational stress
10. Poorly designed work space

Poor Posture & Pain

A lifetime of poor posture can start a progression of symptoms in the average adult. It can start with...
Fatigue – then tight, achy muscles in the neck, back, arms and legs - by this time, there may be a change in your muscles and ligaments and you may have a stiff, tight painful feeling. More than 80% of the neck and back problems are the result of tight, achy muscles brought on by years of bad posture. Poor posture and limited mobility increase the likelihood of this condition in later years. We help you minimize those effects by removing spinal subluxations which contribute to bad posture and often first cause it to occur.
Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817)423-2600

Why Would You Get Your Baby Adjusted?

I’ve had a flyer very similar to this before, but kids are important, I’m going to discuss colic again. Colic is defined as inconsolable crying in an infant for as least three hours a day, at least three days a week, for at least three weeks. I think I forgot this after all my schooling but I wanted to share this with you as I feel it’s important to all children.

A colicky baby typically presents with a loud piercing cry, flexed legs, tensed abdominal muscles, and clenched fingers. You might want to take your child to a pediatrician if this happens, but what about bringing them in for a checkup for a spinal problem?

Colic typically starts around three weeks of age and lasts until around three months but sometimes lasts for as long as six months. Approximately 10-20% of babies are affected by colic. That’s a lot of colic. Medical doctors diagnose colic based on the previously mentioned "Rule of 3" and AFTER, ruling out diseases that may make a baby cry uncontrollably.

Parents of infants with colicy babies report significantly higher stress levels than parents whose babies don't have colic.

The stress and frustration of trying to soothe a colicky baby may interfere with mother-baby bonding and can increase the risk of postpartum depression in the mother. In addition, colicky babies are more likely to be victims of child abuse and shaken baby syndrome. Despite the research done on colic there is no known cause, which can make treatment difficult. Here’s the good part. Chiropractic care has shown some of the best results, with 94% of colicky babies demonstrating improvement with chiropractic adjustments.

Research on chiropractic care and colic has shown significant benefits over other treatments such as dietary changes, medication, and infant positioning. A randomized clinical trial published in 1999 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that "Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic". For this study the researchers randomly assigned infants diagnosed with colic into two groups. One group received chiropractic care for two weeks and the other group was given the anti-gas medication dimethicone for two weeks. The babies in the chiropractic group showed a 67% decrease in crying while the babies on medication showed a 38% decrease in crying.

Another study with 316 children also showed significant improvement in colic in response to chiropractic care. This prospective study used diaries from mothers of colicky babies to track the amount of crying. The three month long study showed a "satisfactory result of spinal manipulative therapy in 94% of the cases". The improvements occurred after an average of only three adjustments within two weeks.

Chiropractic care is a conservative, gentle, and very successful option for treating infants with colic. Chiropractic adjustments for infants are specific, gentle, and safe.
Sources:
4 Healthy Kids, Infant Colic Treatment (http://www.4healthykids.com/infant-...)
Infantile Colic Treated by Chiropractors: A Prospective Study of 316 Cases http://www.chiro.org/research/ABSTR...)
The Short-Term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with a Blinded Observer J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999 (Oct); 22 (8): 517-522

Dr Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817)423-2600