Newsletter.

Summer 2009-2010

Hyperactive child and chiropractic. 

Much controversy surrounds using medications to control hyperactive children. Drugs designed to control these children are dangerous, unpredictable and are not getting to the cause of the child’s problem. One question that should be asked is this. Why are so many more children today being diagnosed with ADHD than there were just a decade or two ago? Are there really that many more problem children today?

Many contemporary researchers and authors are suggesting that the rise in diagnosis of ADHD is due to several factors. These include dietary factors, long term adverse results of medications and immunisations, and neurological factors from interference to the nervous system. All of these suggestions negate the use of chemicals to correct the fundamental malfunction. In other words, many experts are suggesting other means of dealing with the problem rather than drugging the child.

Diet is an important component in children who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Sugar seems to be identified by many as a main contributing factor. Many breakfast cereals contain high concentrations of sugar, as well as other preservatives.

Chiropractors have long maintained that neurology plays a strong part in hyperactive children. The medical approach often consists of drugs to affect the function of the nervous system. The chiropractic approach is removal of interference from the nervous system to allow proper function. Chiropractors recognise this interference comes from factors such as diet and subluxations. It is the subluxation aspect of interference to the nervous system that chiropractic is most concerned with in a hyperactive child. Chiropractors work to remove subluxations, thereby eliminating interference to the nervous system and allowing the hyperactive child to neurologically function normally. With this approach, as well as attention to diet and other toxins, chiropractic has offered many families an alternative to potent and dangerous drugs for the hyperactive child.

Reminder…..The Clinic is NOT open from 12 Noon on Fridays OR on Saturday morning. The Clinic is also unattended daily between 12 Noon - 2pm.

Office hours.

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

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

Clinic closures

Christmas Greetings.

Tom, Donna, Kate, Julie and Caitlin would like to wish all their patients a very merry Christmas and a safe New Year and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support

Massage news.

The warm weather is finally upon us once more. Trees are blooming, bees buzzing, and hay fever is making us all sniff and sneeze. However, we’ve arrived at daylight savings with the longer evenings and balmy nights tend to have us out and about a bit more than during those classic Orange winters. Just remember not to overdo it...well at least not too much. With warmer days comes more activity...which can lead to injuries. Make sure that you properly stretch out before any activity, whether it’s gardening or the backyard game of cricket.

With the warm weather also comes Christmas, and those of us with young kids (or not) are probably shocked that it’s just around the corner. I am taking some time off this year to spend time with my family, so my last day will be Thursday December 17th and I’ll be returning to work on Monday February 1st. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Did You Know? Growing pains in children are actually just the bones growing too fast for the muscles to stretch. Starting your child stretching at a young age will help diminish these “pains”. Boys tend to have worse pains since they tend to grow at a more rapid rate than girls. Massage is beneficial by making sure that opposing muscle groups are working with proper resistance to each other. 

In an American article issued in August 2007 it stated that more than ever before Mums-to-be were exploring options and seeking alternatives to ease back pain, headaches, exhaustion and much more. One place many are finding relief is at a chiropractor's office.

The article follows several chiropractors and their pregnant patients and views theirs reasons for choosing chiropractic and their results. One patient started chiropractic treatment during her first pregnancy with her daughter who is now 2 years old. She said, “If there were times when I could feel that I was starting to get sore in the back, I would go to the Chiropractor. During her second pregnancy, she reported, „Just picking up my daughter could knock a hip a little bit the wrong way and kind of pinch a nerve so I would visit my chiropractor and he'd adjust accordingly.”

One chiropractor interviewed sees a lot of pregnant women in his practice and estimates that about 20 percent of his patients are pregnant. He stated, “My focus has changed more to pregnant moms and kids nowadays. My wife had to go through the constant low back pain and headaches and really being uncomfortable all of the time. I wanted to help her personally.”

Dr Evans, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, acknowledges a chiropractor's potential in prenatal care, sometimes referring patients with lower back pain to chiropractors.

 Studies have found that about half of all expectant mothers will develop low-back pain at some point during their pregnancies. During pregnancy a woman's centre of gravity almost immediately begins to shift forward to the front of her pelvis. Additionally, as the baby continues to grow the pregnant woman's weight is projected even farther forward, and the curvature of her lower back is therefore increased. This places extra stress on the spinal discs. As a result, the normal curvature of the upper spine increases as well. There are a number of tips that may reduce low back pain i.e. - Exercising at least 3 times per week, wearing flat, sensible shoes, sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees to take pressure off your lower back, if you have to sit at a computer for long hours, make your workstation ergonomically correct. The article also recommends chiropractic care for pregnancy. Before you become pregnant, your doctor of chiropractic can detect any imbalances in the pelvis or elsewhere in your body that could contribute to pregnancy discomfort or possible neuro-musculoskeletal problems after childbirth.

Don't forget to make an appointment to have your feet scanned for custom-made spinal pelvic stabilisers.