Other Newsletters to view on our site: Autumn 2008, Summer 2007-2008

Newsletter.

Winter 2008

Brain Disease or Brilliance?

We are in the midst of an epidemic. 10 to 15% of our children have this ‘condition’ and it’s doubling every 3-4 years. The label, once given, signals the end of normal childhood. From then on they are considered ‘diseased’ for their lifetime. I guess that we must consider ourselves lucky that we have a drug to treat this ‘disease’!

Such a serious ‘disease’ which demands such a huge outlay of funds from the public purse must obviously have a lot of research behind it and be very specifically diagnosable and measurable.

Despite regular announcements that it’s “biological roots” have been discovered, no proof exists of a definite abnormality. It remains an illusion of a ‘disease’ - a powerful, dangerous illusion.

Here are some of the ‘diagnosis checklist’ items that a child must display: inattentive, careless, disorganized, forgetful, distracted, day dreamy, drowsy, inconsiderate, a climber, fidgety, talkative, unable to be quiet, or impatient.

Please show me one 9 year old boy who is not, at some time exhibiting many or most of the above!

What results then is protocol inadequacies combined with practitioner, parental and school official frustration with a child’s behaviour. In many jurisdictions a note from the grade 3 teacher is enough to seal a child’s fate. The label is attached and the ‘treatment’ begins. This leads to the extensive administration of a wide array of
psychotropic drugs we see in our society today. The child takes these powerful drugs and their life will never be the same.

So, where did this ‘disease’ come from? Well, it was ‘invented’. Yes, that’s correct. It was invented in 1980, in a committee by the American Psychiatric Association. “ADD and ADHD” are considered to be “brain diseases”, chemical imbalance of the brain. Not that the chemical pathways have ever been identified or explained.

The challenge for the doctor is to “balance” the “chemical imbalance” of the brain, and, as luck would have it, the pharmaceutical giant, Ciba-Geigy has just the thing - Ritalin and other amphetamines!

Now the real kicker! This subjective checklist that is being used as the criteria for diagnosis is very similar in content to the checklists used to determine Gifted and Talented Children!

These two checklists are almost identical! How could this be? How can a behavioural checklist or any paper-pencil test prove the presence of a brain disease or brilliance?
The answer is that none can.
So, is that child with the ADHD label brain diseased or brilliant? Maybe it’s the parent, teacher or doctor who are in need of help!

( Extracted From: http://www.chiropractors.asn.au/ )

2:00 - 2:30
4:00 - 6:00

2:00 - 2:30
4:00 - 6:00

4:00 - 8:00

Office Hours.

We do prefer that you make an appointment for your visit; our offices can be contacted during the following hours:

Orange 6362 1288
8am - 12 Noon Monday to Friday
2pm - 6pm Monday and Wednesday
2pm - 8pm Thursday Evening

Forbes 6852 3554
2:30pm - 7pm Tuesday

*At both clinics patients WITH an appointment will be seen before patients WITHOUT an appointment.
Please note: We are no longer open on Saturdays.
Our office is unattended daily between 12pm -2pm

Clinic Closures.

• Monday June 9 2008 - Queens Birthday Holiday.

Congratulations:

Joan and Innis Moss Celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary on 6th March 2008.

Massage News.

Well, it is certainly getting cooler outside and more of us are getting outdoors, whether it is to play a bit of sport or just clean up the garden. Unfortunately, for some of us, the cooler weather means more aches and pains. So, whether it’s the joint that hasn’t been stretched since last season, the over-zealous pruner, or you’re just needing to thaw out those muscles; come in and get a massage today.

Kate offers a number of different types of massage. From Remedial and Deep Tissue to Pregnancy and Child Massage (5-12 yrs). There is also Sports Massage, Neuromuscular Technique, or Cupping Therapy for those who tend to find themselves on the adventurous side of life.

Did you know?
• Massage helps lower your blood pressure by encouraging your blood vessels to dilate and constrict.

• Refer a friend and receive $10 off your next massage!

Limited sleep affects all aspects of life.

Over 1.2 million Australians suffer from sleep disorders, costing the country $10.4 billion annually. Limited sleep can be disastrous on every aspect of life.

Children and adolescents
• Limited sleep in adolescents can lead to significant behavioural consequences including negative impact on mood, reaction time, attention span, and motivation.
• Smoking of cigarettes, consumption of alcohol and illicit drug use has been associated with reports of frequent sleep problems experienced by adolescents.
• Sleeplessness affects children more than adults in terms of family and parent-child relationships.

Academic performance
• Recent research strongly suggests that late bed and rise times and poor sleep quality are associated with poor academic performance for adolescents.
• High school students who describe themselves as having academic problems and who are earning C’s or below in school, report getting less sleep, having later bedtimes, and having more irregular sleep schedules than students reporting higher grades.

Work performance
• Sleep disorders, such as insomnia can have negative affects on work performance. Absenteeism from work is far more prevalent in severe insomniacs than in good sleepers.
• According to a recent study, insomnia patients experience fewer promotions and pay rises and are less optimistic about future job opportunities.
• According to a study undertaken by the American Better Sleep Council, workers suffering from a lack of sleep reported an alarming decline in quality of work, poor judgement, and 44% said they were likely to be in an unfriendly mood during working hours.

Accidents and injuries
• Limited sleep reduces cognitive performance and increases the likelihood of errors that may lead to catastrophic incidents.
• Indirect costs of sleep disorders in Australia such as work-related injuries and motor vehicle accidents cost the country $2.7 billion and $1.1 billion respectively in 2004.

Cognitive functioning
• Individuals suffering from limited sleep, including insomnia, report poorer mental ability, including decreased concentration and problem solving ability.
• Sleep loss can result in slowed physical and mental reaction time, impaired memory, and reduce motivation.

Home life and relationships
• Insomnia patients are less likely to help their children with homework tasks, are more likely to feel annoyed by their children, and sacrifice exercise in favour of watching TV.

By looking after our spinal health through attention to sleeping posture, correct choice of mattresses and pillows, and utilising chiropractic to care for musculoskeletal conditions that can prevent us from obtaining a good night’s sleep, we can aim to get straight to sleep for a healthy life.

For more information please visit the Chiropractors Association of Australia website on www.chiropractors.asn.au

Recipe for that cold Winter's night:

Mexican Bean Soup:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 bacon rasher, chopped
1 pkt taco seasoning
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 x 310 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 x 310 can butter beans, drained, rinsed
1 x 340 can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
2 x 400g cans tomatoes, chopped
2 sticks celery, sliced
3 small chicken stock cubes, crumbled
1 litre (4 cups) water
1 bunch English spinach, shredded
Sour cream and fresh herbs to garnish

1. Heat oil in a pan, add onion, garlic and bacon, cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Add taco seasoning and cumin, cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients except spinach and garnish. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
3. Add spinach, simmer for a further 10 minutes. Serve garnished with sour cream and fresh herbs.