Eagle Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center
62 HOLLAND AVE (In the big bend)
(morgantown) WESTOVER, WV 26501
Phone: (304) 225-2225/BACK
Cell: (304) 288-0777
Office hours:
walkins are welcome but we love appointments.
M-T-W from 8-1 and 2-6 pm Thurs 8 - Noon
Westover *** 62 Holland Ave 304-225-2225
"AS THE TWIG IS BENT, SO GROWS THE TREE"
Those few words do more to describe why your children should be under chiropractic care then any statements we can make. From the moment of birth our bodies are subjected to tremendous stress. Lets face it, the birth process itself is incredibly stressful on both mother and child, the newborn neck must be bent one way then another just to pass through the birth canal. Many infants are effected by this and are left with a subluxation or spinal misalignment, which if left untreated can lead to deformities and pinched nerves. These conditions lead to other problems not so obvious to the parent. Studies show that subluxation of the spine can lead to an assortment of body form and function problems. Although the pediatric chiropractic practice often is sought out for childhood conditions (e.g., otitis media, asthma, colic, enuresis, etc.), headaches are more common than you realize. An Australian study of 900 children ages 10 to 18 reported only 36.8% never experienced a headache. This study revealed that 33.7% of the youth experienced headaches every 2 - 3 weeks or once a month; 24.8% every few days or once a week; and 4.6% experienced a headache almost all the time. The girls were more likely to have headaches with a higher frequency (once a week). A Swedish study of 9,000 children discovered that over 70% have had headaches by the age of 15. There are case studies that show that back pain is a condition found in children more than we ever realized, as many as 30% of children ages 12 to 15 years old reported a history of back pain. Another study found that almost 23% of elementary school children complained of back pain and until recently your family doctor would have scoffed it off to growing pains. A recent journal of the British Medical Journal included a study "Routine Use of Antibiotics for Otitis Media Unproven, Conclude International Researchers", Chiropractors have always said that chiropractic treatments are effective for otitis media. (Many great research studies can be found on the Dynamic Chiropractor link below in the research/children section).
Scoliosis is another reason you should have your child examined by your chiropractor. It is an abnormal curvature of the spine. If you look at your child’s back, his or her spine should be almost perfectly straight up and down, no side to side curvature. If this condition is not detected early on, your child may end up with a serious deformity. This condition can be treated by your chiropractor but only if the child is brought to us early. It is very important that scoliosis is detected and treated before the "growth spurt" period of your child’s life. While we know that children grow in different ways, it is imperative that your child receives treatment for scoliosis usually before age 12.
So what is this all leading to? Simple, we don’t think twice about taking our children to the dentist regularly, do the same for chiropractic visits. We think you will be surprised by the results and we feel that you and your child will enjoy the loving care your chiropractor will give.
Many parents ask us when their child should receive their first chiropractic adjustment? The answer is simple, since we know that many misalignments are produced at birth, your child should be examined by your chiropractor as soon as possible
If you are currently a chiropractic patient you probably are a believer in the treatments. However most parents worry that an adjustment on their child might be to rough or that the adjustment may hurt. On the contrary, the amount of force used by your chiropractor on a child is substantially less, usually about 6-8 oz. On the very small children such as infants there is no audible confirmation of the adjustment and your child usually only feels mild pressure.
Another worry that parents have is that this is a new field for chiropractors and that we may not be trained for pediatric chiropractic procedures. These statements are far from the truth; the first recorded professional chiropractic adjustment on a child was performed in 1923. There are also cases before this date but it was before chiropractic was recognized as a true medical practice.
In a 1988 article in the New England Journal of medicine, they stated that more than 20 million infants and children had chiropractic visits that year. With parents becoming more and more aware of the benefits of chiropractic care, we are sure that that number has increased dramatically over that past few years.
Why this phenomenal growth in the number of children receiving care in our offices? To quote Dr. Larry Webster D.C., the founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. "First, parents are not satisfied with the drug approach. The second and most obvious reason is that chiropractic works. Everyday in chiropractic offices around the country we hear parents say that after trying this and that for their child, they decided to give chiropractic a try, and now, their child is better. Chiropractic also is non-invasive."
So to answer the question: Is chiropractic safe for your child and is my chiropractor capable of caring for my child? The answer is YES. Many doctors of chiropractic are taking postgraduate courses in chiropractic pediatrics to enhance the studies that they were required to complete in Chiropractic College. Most states now require chiropractic pediatrics as part of their board exams to be licensed and the International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association has begun to certify chiropractors in several states and Canada.
As with any doctor visit, you are the eyes, ears and memory of your child. Tell us all you know. If there were any unusual events during childbirth, did he or she have any falls or injuries during their lifetime? We will also need to know if there has been any development problems such as posture or range of motion issues that you can tell us about.
It is also a good idea to prepare your child before the visit. Let them know what to expect. Because our examination and treatment are so hands on, (chiropractic means, "done by hand" some parents tell their kids that they are going to "Dr Tickles" and that he or she is really "cool". We find that if your child is at ease and happy with the experience they respond much better to the treatment. This might explain why the television show 20/20 even described the practice as "non-threatening" This controversial news program even went so far as to say that during its investigation of chiropractic, happy smiling faces were evident in the children and the parents were pleased with the results.
We will teach you how to hold your child during the adjustment, explaining the procedure as we go. We will advise you on after visit home advice such as, how to lift your child without putting stress on his or her back, teaching your child not to slouch, nutrition and diet. We will also encourage regular visits not unlike other doctors. Rest assured that our drug free treatments are by far safer then drugging the problems away.
VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION
DESCRIPTION
If you are new to chiropractic this term, subluxation, may be new to you. It is the basis behind what chiropractic is. In simple terms if your spine is misaligned it will cause a verity of problems with the rest of your body. Vertebral subluxation is a term used to describe an abnormal positioning of a vertebra, enough to interfere with the nerve impulses (messages) sent from the brain to the body. A subluxation is not as severe as a dislocation but can lead to many symptoms that can contribute to pain and or loss of function. Understanding that the central nervous system (brain, and spinal cord) is the master system that allows your life force to control all of the other systems combined. A disruption in the flow (subluxation) of these life forces can become extremely detrimental to your overall health.
To give you a better understanding of what a vertebral subluxation is we have included the following definitions that if combined, make up the over all condition, also known as the VETEBRAL SUBLUXATION COMPLEX:
Spinal Kinesiopathology
Spinal ?meaning spine.
Kinesio ?meaning movement or body language.
Pathology ?meaning disease and suffering.
Physical trauma such as improper lifting, car accidents, repetitive motions, and poor sleeping habits can cause spinal porblems. Emotional stress and chenmical imbalances are common culprits! A spinal movement disease such as when your vertebrae are not moving and or functioning the way they were designed to. You might not be able to turn your head or bend and turn your torso properly.
Neuropathophysiology
Neuro. ?meaning nerve
Patho. ?meaning disease
Physiology ?Meaning science and function of the living organism and its components. The chemical and physical processes.
Neuropathophysiology or nerve disease effecting physical and chemical processes. The nerves are impinged (pinched) causing a decrease or block in nerve flow to and from the brain. Improper motion or position of spinal bones can rub, irritate, pinch or choke delicate nerves. This can impair the function of the tissues, organs, and systems controlled by these nerves. This can cause numbness, tingling pain and decrease in vital messages your body’s systems and organs use to function.
Myopathology
Myo ?meaning muscle.
Pathology ?meaning disease and suffering.
Muscles supporting the spine can weaken and atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. Unfortunately, scar tissue and adhesions penetrate these malfunctioning muscles, changing their elasticity. There is some sort of damage to the muscle tissue causing it to be sore, spastic, tight or weak, leading to formation of TRIGGER POINTS, which can be chronic in nature if left unattended.
Histopathology
Histology ?meaning the study of the microscopic structures of tissue.
Pathology ?meaning disease and suffering.
Discs, ligaments, and other soft tissues can malfunction. These important soft tissues have a poor blood supply, so proper healing often reaquires continued care even after the relief of obvious symptoms. There is some sort of swelling, tenderness or painfull points in the soft tissue. This is also called trigger points. Histopathology can also describe the study of ligaments, cartilage, discs tendons and internal organs.
Pathophysiology.
Patho. ?meaning disease
Physiology ?Meaning science and function of the living organism and its components. The chemical and physical processes.
The body responds with bone spurs and spinal decay, fusing malfunctioning spinal joints. Degenerative changes can be seen in other organs and tissues which have been deproved of normal nerve control. Muscles and joints can show signs of premature aging due to sports injuries or work related posturing. Other examples include stresses due to repetitive motions like assembly line work or dad posture while sleeping.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS?
Pain, radiating pain, sharp pain, shooting pain, headache, numbness, tingling, weakness, increase or decrease in body temperature, redness around the effected area, swelling and sometimes there are no symptoms at all. You can see that because this condition is so far reaching as to effect your entire nervous system, it can lead to a number of symptoms. The concern for you is that many symptoms may be diagnosed by your family doctor as something entirely different. In fact your medical doctor may simply give you pain killers or antibiotics, never truly diagnosing the cause. The problem is your body will make adjustments over time to make you feel better, like tightening the muscles around the effected area to protect it, but this does not cure the problem. The best way is to see your chiropractor. Again if your nervous system controls the function of your body, does it not make sense that a disruption of this system can result in a problem relates to the area that the disruption occurs
Chiropractors believe that the body is like a spinning top, when balanced perfectly it can spin for ages but one little bump or movement can knock it out of adjustment. Every muscle in your body uses the nervous system to communicate with your brain and receives all of its motor commands through this system.
The human body and frame is said to be the most complex piece of machinery ever created and we tend to build our own machines based on many of the principles found on our body. What is interesting is, if you were to talk to an average mechanical designer he/she will tell you that structure controls function. If the ignition computer in your car fails you can call a taxi, but if your brain has a tumor you will need emergency care. This is an extreme example of a condition that probably will immobilize you but the question you should be asking yourself is; how many smaller, less noticeable items are wrong with your body now, that may be slowing you down. Again, there is a difference between, feeling "NOT SICK" and feeling GREAT, especially for an athlete. Your body can be fine tuned by working out daily and striving towards your personal goal, but can you be better through chiropractic?
When you start a chiropractic practice, many times one of the first patients you will see is an injured athlete. Some will visit for Lower back problems and others will need help with tennis or golf elbow. But one thing is for sure, it would be a lot easier for the patient if they came in before the injury. One of the frustrating things about being a chiropractor is that patients thinks they need to be in pain before they visit us. This belief stems from years of standard medical "symptom" care, in other words waiting for something to be wrong before seeing your doctor. In fact many of the injuries that athletes experience could have been avoided with wellness care through chiropractic, before they start their work out or athletic event. It is not unusual to have a patient doing better maintenance on their family car then on themselves.
Our field of expertise is the spine. We believe that with your spine in working order you will feel better will be able to play harder. As athletes we tend to be more tolerant to pain and believe in our own body's ability to heal itself. What you may not know is that the body's ability to heal is there to keep you alive, not necessarily to heal you back to your original state.
Many of us abuse our body's by smoking or eating junk food on the other hand many of us take a powerful interest in improving our body's capabilities through sports and exercise. These people are called athletes. There are different levels of athletes, from someone who plays the occasional game of soccer with the kids or mountain bikes for fun, to the devoted goal driven athletes that takes time to work out every day. There is a common denominator for all types of people, even the non athlete and that is: structure = function.
The formula above is why chiropractic is important to everyone, especially an athlete. An athlete trains his/her muscles, tendons and joints to be strong, agile and efficient. Their structure grows and changes to adapt to the stress their particular sport places on their bodies. Examples are: a swimmer's back will be strong and formed, a runners will have enormous lung capacity.
For athletes chiropractic care will reduce the stress and tension you put on your body frame. During sporting events, muscles cramp, joints swell and nerves become pinched to name a few. This can severely hinder your performance on the field, court or mat.
Why do you think the U.S. Olympic team have chiropractors on hand at the Olympics. In Atlanta 1996 there were as many as 200 chiropractors from all across the nation invited to offer adjustments to all the athletes, not just from the U.S.A.
This leads us to the second reason you as an athlete should be under chiropractic care; the brain and spinal cord which is called the "central nervous system", controls all movement and function of every organ muscle and nerve in your body. "Structure = function". The central nervous system controls everything down to a cellular level. When you as an athlete practices and plays, you acquire three motor and sensory abilities not always available the the sedentary human being. These are: hand to eye coordination, balance and agility. These abilities develop due to repetitive impulses from the brain to the limbs and back again. Back and fourth over and over again until you become proficient in action. Like a golf swing, or a touchdown pass that was once impossible becomes possible through the bodies ability to remember repetitive motion and react to feedback through your nervous system.
Considering that the nerve roots that transfer messages from the brain and the spinal cord to the limbs and organ systems is protected and located between the spinal joints, the function and health of the spine itself become vital to your ability as an athlete.
Chiropractic physicians are experts in diagnosing and performing spinal adjustments which allow joints and nerve roots to be structurally positioned, so your body can function and perform at an optimum. A spinal joint out of place or out of alignment is called subluxation, the understanding of subluxation and correction of, is the basis behind chiropractic.
WELCOME TO CHIROPRACTIC
Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your nervous system controls the function of every cell, tissue, organ, and system fo the body. The chiropractic approach to better health is to detect, reduce and help prevent nervous system dysfunction.
The Doctor's Education: Today's Doctor of Chiropractic is well Educated. After completing the same undergraduate study that other types of doctors get, chiropractic doctors receive still another 4 years of postgraduate college education, plus clinical training. Before practicing, they pass a rigorous National Board Examinations and meet stringent licensing requirements. Plus yearly continual education is required.
MAKING AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE A CHIROPRACTOR
We stress that you talk to your chiropractor after reading this material and schedule an exam.
Most chiropractic offices are busy vibrent palces. Your chiropractor makes a concerted effort to schedule a timely appointment and will make every effort to keep that appointment. On your first visit to his or her office you will be asked to complete some paperwork. These forms will usually include a questionnaire on your medical history. This will allow your chiropractor to have a brief overview of your background, including, surgeries, diagnostic tests, medications and nutrition. Your Doctor of chiropractic will use this information, furnished by you to evaluate you before the actual exam. Your chiropractor may have many questions about your past health before he/she starts the actual examination. This is the time to let your chiropractor know why you visited their office in the first place. Whether it is because your in pain or if you that want to get yourself on track to wellness, let them know, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how well they are trained to listen. You will also enjoy a genuine concern for your overall well being.
THE CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINATION
After taking a complete case history to review important aspects of your health, a relevant and thorough examination will ber conducted. Your posture will be checked, your range of motion checked, your muscle strength will be tested plus other orthopedic and neurological test may be performed.
ORTHOPEDIC EXAMINATION:
Orthopedics,(or"tho-pe'diks) Branch of medical science that deals with prevention or correction of disorders involving locomotor structures of the body. Especially the skeleton, joints, muscles, fascia and other supporting structures such as ligaments and cartilage.
Your chiropractor can perform literally hundreds of orthopedic tests on you depending on the nature of your concern. A common test used by chiropractors and orthopedists is reflexes or the straight leg raiser test: You lay on your back while your chiropractor raises your leg while you hold it straight and relaxed. If you experience sharp lower back pain or radiating pain down the leg, there is a good chance of a herniated disc in the lower back or a swollen suffocated nerve root. Most orthopedic findings can be backed up by some sort of diagnostic test. Your chiropractor may use MRI, x-ray or cat scan before he/she can give you a conclusive diagnosis.
Your chiropractor may request a complete series of x-rays to help rule out any disease processes, like cancer, clogged arteries and aneurysm. X-rays are also used to evaluate the spine in such a way that only chiropractors are trained to do.
A picture of the spine can be enlightening but the chiropractic (hands on) approach is in our opinion the best method. Your chiropractor will palpate (touch), challenge the spine and musculature to look for abnormalities, abnormal motion, fixations or subluxation (bones out of place).
Once your chiropractor has evaluated the data and findings along with explaining to you verbally and through brochures and handouts how and what chiropractic can do for you, then the treatment can commence.
Your chiropractor is trained to diagnose illnesses and conditions that are out of their range of expertise, that is why they can be your portal on entry into the medical system. In these cases, like cancer, brain tumor, aneurysm, a proper referral will be made in a timely fashion. Even in cases out of your chiropractors range of knowledge, chiropractic Co-Therapy is always a viable option and should be considered. A healthy nervous system is key to a healthy recovery.
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Mind, Body and Spirit: New Releases
NUTRITON is a "BUZZ" word in the 90's, everyone it seems is taking some herb or vitamin today. In fact it has become big business, grossing in the billions annually. Even the medical fields and pharmaceutical companies are getting involved. These are the same folks that in the past scoffed at the idea of supplemental vitamins as being "unproven or even unnecessary". The same companies that produce your prescription medications with there built in side effects, may be providing you with your vitamins!
With all the media coverage, magazine articles and hear-say lately, you can feel lost in a virtual maze of do's and don'ts about the benefits and effects of vitamins and minerals. All you have to do is go into the local drug store and you'll find isles of choices, some stores now have "Nutrition centers" which can be even more overwhelming.
So who should you turn to? Most of you would turn to your local general doctor, the same person you turn to when you have a cold or flu. But there is a surprising truth, most medical doctors have little or no training in the nutrition field and many rely on the pharmaceutical salesperson to advise them on what you should be doing nutritionally. Surprisingly many medical schools are now just starting to offer nutrition classes as part of their curriculum.
Ok, so where can you turn to for educated answers regarding nutrition and supplements? Your Chiropractor! Rest assured that your Dr. of chiropractic has had extensive training in nutritional sciences because the chiropractic profession looks at the whole person not just the symptom. This may be a revelation to some of you, but it stems back to the basic chiropractic belief, that we as a society should look to wellness care (the idea of correcting potential problems before they occur) as a main stay of health care. This is why chiropractic educators have placed nutrition high on the list requirements to graduate.
The nutritional standards set fourth by the U.S. government are designed for a healthy young male (gives new meaning to gender discrimination). But what if your sick, elderly or a child. For example a 50 year old women could be hurting her body if she kept to those standards only because she may have needs that are incredibly dissimilar from her 20 year old son.
Protein, carbohydrates and fats are the categories considered a proper balance in the eye of the standard, however, today it does not apply. Why? Because we get your protein from hot dogs, our carbohydrates from candy bars and our fat from french fries or cup cakes. Another thing to consider is the huge amounts of preservatives and food colors that we digest each and every day, should these be considered food groups? Where is the government standard on how much DISOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MONO-DIGLYCERIDES OR SULFUR DIOXIDE we should consume each day, or that matter, the whole year?
Unfortunately today, even if you are making a solid effort to eat fresh foods or whole foods which are known to be the healthiest plan, you still may be out of luck. Think about it, unless you grow or raise the food yourself or spend ridiculous prices for organically produced foods, you are still eating pesticides and steroids. You are still eating fruits and vegetables that are allowed to ripen on transport trucks sitting in carbon-monoxide filled highways. You are eating vegetables that are exposed to florescent lighting that burns away the vitamin content.
Without a doubt, you should always start by speaking to your health care professional about your special conditions. Your chiropractor can be a great starting point because he/she will look at your life from a wellness/healthy standpoint. Also your chiropractor will not prescribe your health needs away with unnecessary drugs and pharmaceuticals but will instead empower your body to be well naturally.
The next step is to review what you are eating now, we encourage an evaluation from a Nutritionalist which we have currently working at our office. Call today for an appointment. (304)225-2225/BACK
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