WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE MARCH OF DIMES POSTER CHILD WINIFRED GARDELLA?

In the early 1950’s, Winifred Gardella was a poster child for the March of Dimes in San Francisco. Nationally, her image raised millions of dollars to help fight the dreaded crippler, Polio. Her sad, innocent face and her tiny body supported on crutches and leg braces made many Americans reach into their pockets to donate. But the March of Dimes could not help Winifred. After two and a half years under their Doctor’s expert care, her parents were told “There is no hope”. Despite this dire prediction, her grandparents were determined to find a cure. They were not about to accept the opinion of so called “Medical Experts.” They decided to choose their own health care and they took Winifred to Dr. Lewis Robertson, a Chiropractor in Glendale, California. She was adjusted daily, and in less than six months of having her nerve interference corrected Winifred Gardella threw away her crutches and braces, and went for a walk with her chiropractor. She has been walking ever since! This was not a “medical miracle”, Winifred’s body simply responded normally to Chiropractic adjustments by re-establishing its ideal balance and optimal function. It’s a natural response to Chiropractic.This is just one of many stories about the benefits of chiropractic. While there is extensive research about the benefits of regular chiropractic treatments, much of it is ignored by the media and the medical community. Good spinal health is essential to the function of the entire body!

Athletic Performance and Physiological Measures in Baseball Players Following Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

This study from the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research in 2007 is an amazing example of how specific upper cervical chiropractic can have an integral part in your progression as an athlete. The study focused on athletic performance and physiological measures before, during and after 14 weeks of specific upper cervical chiropractic care. I agree with the study when they stated the importance of utilizing chiropractic for the improvement of human performance as an alternative to the current use of illegal drugs to boost performance, which often has long term physical consequences. Thank you Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic Research and the University of South Carolina (Spartanburg) baseball team for getting the truth published.

28 male baseball players were recruited to be a part of the study and 21 players completed the study. 9 players were in the chiropractic group and 12 players were part of the control group. Only players who were free of physical injury were selected for the study and in order to complete the study, the players needed to remain injury free from physical injury throughout the entire study. Both the control group and the chiropractic group received radiographic analysis and thermographic profiling before the study began as well as at the end of the study. They all also received baseline profiles of athletic ability and physiological function pre and post study. In order for the chiropractic group to receive a specific Palmer toggle-recoil adjustment during the study, the patient needed to have at least 2 established pattern scans prior to the adjustment and were rested for at least 10 min post adjustment.

The athletic performance tests were the vertical jump test, Broad jump specified, standing broad jump, and muscle strength (free weight abduction). The physiological tests performed were resting blood pressure and resting pulse rate, treadmill stress test, and Natilfold microcirculation (capillary count before and after 8 minute treadmill run).

The results should inspire ANYONE, whether you are an athlete or not to add specific upper cervical care to your health and performance routine. There was very evident improvement within the adjusted group in regard to muscle strength, long jump distance, and vertical jump distance and there was a decrease in distance of specific broad jump. The trend was similar with the controlled group other than an additional decrease in long jump. Although the trends were similar, the percentage of improvement was substantially greater with the adjusted group. With the adjusted group, there was a significant increase in capillary counts. The control group on the other hand did not show a significant improvement. There was a downward trend with the adjustment group and an upward trend with the control group in terms of resting heart rate and systolic/diastolic blood pressure. This is probably one of the most important aspects to me in this study because resting heart rate is s very good indicator of overall fitness.

As you can see making sure the upper cervical area is clear of subluxations and your brainstem is free to function optimally is absolutely critical to reaching your God given maximum potential.

Schwartzbauer J, Kolber J, Schwartzbauer, DC, Hart, JDC, Zhang J. Paper Presented at the National Subluxation Conference, October 12-13, 1996 Phoenix, Arizona, Sponsored by Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic. Published in the J of Vertebral Subluxation Research 1997; 1 (4): 7

http://cafeoflife.de/download/research%201497-0043_athletic.pdf

Upper Cervical Chiropractic and Cognitive Function

I just saw some pretty cool published research about neurocognitive function and the upper cervical spine. 40 subjects were part of the study where 30 of them received a knee chest upper cervical specific adjustment and the other 10 were part of the control group. All participants were examined using a computer-administered neurocognitive assessment at the start of the study and after 4 weeks of care. The results showed significant improvement with neurocognitive function for those receiving upper cervical specific adjustments where the control group did not demonstrate the same trend.

This is a pretty cool study especially since cortical function is becoming such a hot topic due to the fact that over 4 million Americans each year are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's attacks the neurons of the brain and progressively interferes with the ability of someone to feel, move, and think. Chiropractic may not be able to cure Alzheimer's but it can maintain and even improve neurological integrity which is important in preventing Alzheimer's and any other neurological disease or disability. And to go even further with that, by maintaining optimal neurological integrity and cognitive function you will drastically improve your quality of life and live the life you always dreamed of.

Kessinger RC, Boneva DV. Neurocognitive Function and the Upper Cervical Spine. Chiropr Res J, 1999; 6(2):88.

New post coming soon!

Passion City Kids and Chiropractic

Last night was a life changing experience for me! There is nothing more amazing to see child's like faith actually played out. Yesterday was day one of Passion kids, and I was blessed to be a part of it. During the 2 hours we had to learn about God's love for us and how he made every single one of us perfect and perfectly planned to live for him, I noticed the love and desire to give back to this world in every single child and volunteer. This experience deepened my understanding of what God is putting in my heart and the blessings and talents he has given me to better serve his will. What am I talking about? CHIROPRACTIC!!

More than ever, kid's need to make sure their growing bodies are functioning at their optimal level. This is because they are having to deal with never ending obstacles of life that are putting stress upon their bodies and spines. These are the child birthing process itself, learning to crawl and walk and ultimately falling, unhealthy foods, increasing vaccinations and medications at a very young age, sitting inside watching tv and playing video games instead of being outside, and the emotional stress with being accepted. These incidents and many others put stress on our nervous systems and can lead to chronic sickness, ear infections, decreased focus and mental capacity just to name a few.

God has prepared me to serve him by serving others via chiropractic. Chiropractic deals with the God given potential inside every single one of us. When your nervous system is functioning at its optimal level, we can better meet the needs of our daily lives and therefore better serve God's will.

Don't hesitate to ask me how chiropractic can help you and your child. And please read this other post.

http://moechiropractic.blogspot.com/2011/05/children-and-chiropractic.html

"The Lord will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well watered garden like an ever-flowing spring." (Isaiah 58:11)

Why Upper Cervical Chiropractic is Perfect for Runners

I have spent over half my life in the running community and know that every competitive or even non-competitive runner will do whatever they can just to run a little faster. Whether that be train multiple times a day, sleep in a tent at night that limits the amount of oxygen available to breath, or even give up the opportunity to get a "real job" and make more money. Due to the fact we distance runners make so many sacrifices to do what we love, we should get the most out of our training and time. The key to this is to stay clear of preventable injuries. If we are injured, we cannot reach our goals. My college coach used to always say "do the little things." There is a lot more to "the little things" than just stretching, hydrating, and getting sleep, etc. The little things are the simple things that can make a big difference in your fitness. Over the past 4 years I have realized one of the most important little thing we can do is make UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC part of our regimen. Here is my reasoning....

1) First off, in order to reach our maximum potential we need to be running on all cylinders. We need our immune system to be working 100% so that we don't get sick and miss training days. We need our digestive system to be in 100% communication with our brain in order to properly utilize our food for energy and recovery. We need every gland and organ in our body to be working correctly so that we are producing the right hormones at the right time. If any one of these aspects or any other autonomic function in our body is less than 100%, it is impossible to perform at 100%.

How does this work? Well the top two bones in our neck surround one of the most important organs in our body, the brainstem. We have over 450 million nerve fibers crossing over through the brainstem in order for our brain and the rest of the body to communicate and work in unison. Due to physical, emotional, and chemical stressors we put on our body daily, these bones can move out of alignment and actually put pressure on our brainstem. We call this a SUBLUXATION. When this happens it is impossible for all 450 million nerve fibers to work properly. When communication from our brain to the rest of our body is interfered with, our body deviates from homeostasis and we are not able to reach our maximal, God given potential. This is also a time when dis-ease can set in.

As upper cervical chiropractors we specialize in locating these subluxations using instrumentation and xray analysis. Then very specifically removing this subluxation in order for your body to start functioning back at 100%. We then continue to utilize instrumentation to make sure that adjustment holds and allows those 450 million nerve fibers to function properly. This is when your body works at its best!

2) Secondly, our body has a natural tendency to make sure our pelvis is properly underneath us in order to maintain balance. When either of the top two bones in our neck move out of alignment, our head moves out of positional balance and therefore the body begins to react. This is when one shoulder rises to counter the tilted head, and the pelvis rotates and tilts creating a short leg. With all this the muscles and ligaments in our entire body begin to tighten or lengthen in order to support the new position of our body. Long term this is not a good thing for the body, and as an endurance athlete it is usually the reason for many injuries. If you think about running, you will take around 2,000 steps when running a mile. That is 1,000 steps on each leg. If your body is not in balance, one leg will take more of a pounding than the other. So if you weigh 150 pounds you may put 195,000 pounds of stress on one side of the body and 105,000 pounds of stress on the other side. As you could probably figure, this would make a big difference on how your body can function and recover. And this is only 1 mile! Over time most will start to develop overuse injuries. When your top two bones in your body are aligned, your body is aligned, and when your body is aligned your body can properly distribute your weight and be less susceptible to overuse injuries.

As upper cervical chiropractors we specialize in locating these subluxations using instrumentation and xray analysis. Then very specifically removing this subluxation in order for your body to start functioning back at 100%.

The reason Upper Cervical Chiropractic is so important for runners is that no matter how much we train or prepare, it is IMPOSSIBLE to reach our GOD GIVEN POTENTIAL when our nervous system is unable to work at 100% and our body is out of balance .

So go out and train hard, train smart, and get your nervous system checked!

Upper Cervical Neurology

UPPER CERVICAL NEUROLOGY

By Kirk Eriksen, D.C.

The neurological dysfunction related to the upper cervical subluxation can be explained by a few different mechanisms. However, it is likely that these mechanisms manifest concurrently in many patients. The two most plausible hypotheses have to do with spinal cord tension and mechanoreceptive dysafferentation. The upper cervical spinal cord is directly attached to the circumference of the foramen magnum, to the second and third cervical vertebrae and by fibrous slips to the posterior longitudinal ligament.[2] Hinson[3], Grostic[4] and others discuss dissection evidence showing a dural attachment at the atlas level. The uppermost denticulate ligaments are arranged almost horizontally, as compared to the inferiorly angled ligaments found around the rest of spinal cord. The most cephalad ligaments are also thicker and stronger to help anchor the spinal cord around the foramen magnum. These ligaments are so strong that they have been found to sever the upper cervical spinal cord in some cases of hydrocephalus.[5] Recent studies have also revealed a connective tissue bridge between the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle and the dura mater of the upper cervical spinal cord.[6] A similar attachment has also been found to the spinal cord via the ligamentum nuchae.[7] The spinal dura mater has been found to be innervated and a possible source of pain and neurological dysfunction.[8,9] These anatomical facts, as well as the biomechanical descriptions covered previously, reveal that the upper cervical spine is quite susceptible to injury and/or the entity called subluxation. The upper cervical spine has sacrificed stability for mobility as evidenced by ~50% of cervical rotation occurring between the atlanto-axial articulation. Grostic’s paper, The Dentate Ligament—Cord Distortion Hypothesis4, provides a compelling hypothesis for how these anatomical connections can lead to spinal cord distortion, in the presence of upper cervical misalignment. It is posited that the neurological dysfunction can occur via two mechanisms: 1) direct mechanical irritation of the nerves of the spinal cord, and/or 2) collapse of the small veins of the cord, producing venular congestion with a loss of nutrients necessary to carry on the high energy reactions necessary for nerve conduction. Spinal cord tension can affect the spinocerebellar tracts which can result in a functional short leg.

Afferent/efferent joint mechanoreceptive neurology also has interesting implications in this area of the spine. Mechanoreceptive innervation has been found in the cervical facet joints, ligaments, intervertebral discs.[10-13] The muscle spindle may be the most important proprioceptive receptor in the upper cervical spine. The spindles are intrafusal fibers that are imbedded within all muscles of the body; however, they are extremely dense in the suboccipital muscles.[14-20] The human experience is governed by receptors of all types. Cerebral cortical firing initiates efferent activity. However, the thalamus regulates the cerebral cortex through summation and integration. Another key point is that all sensory information goes through the thalamus (except aspects of olfaction).[21] It is apparent how these two functions are vitally important for neurological integrity and appropriate cortical representation. Mechanoreception is the primary input into the cerebellum due to life in a gravity environment. The primary load to the thalamus is via the cerebellum due to the vast amount of afferent input required to maintain upright posture. It is plausible to theorize that stimulating or regulating mechanoreceptors can have a significant impact on the neurological activity of the brain and many bodily functions.

It appears that the cervical spine has more mechanoreceptors per surface area than any other region of the spinal column.[22] It is thought that the upper cervical articulations have the greatest amount or receptors in the cervical spine. This may give the region the greatest potential for spinal mechanoreceptive afferentation into the neuraxis. There is also evidence suggesting that the upper cervical afferents feed directly into the vestibular and other high order nuclei.[23-32] This enables a less modified input of information from the upper cervical articulations into the brain stem nuclei, as opposed to the lower segments of the spine. Inappropriate afferentation (i.e. subluxation) and appropriate input (subluxation correction) into the vestibular nuclei is yet another plausible explanation for the functional short leg/pelvic distortion that is observed clinically with patients under upper cervical chiropractic care. This can occur by way of upper cervical mechanoreceptive functional integrity through the anterior and posterior spinal cerebellar tracts, cerebellum, vestibular nuclei, descending medial longitudinal fasciculus (medial and lateral vestibular spinal tracts), regulatory anterior horn cell pathway which affects postural motor tone.

Children and Chiropractic

The nervous system plays a key role in the health of children and yet is often overlooked as the cause of health problems. Chiropractors and medical researchers have found that birth trauma is the first cause of nervous system interference. This is because the process of most birthing processes is a physical insult to the baby’s body. Often the first subluxation in a person’s life occurs at birth, and usually being the first bone of your spine known as the atlas. This is the most important bone in your body not only because it is responsible for holding up your head but because it houses and protects your spinal cord and brain stem. When this bone is out of alignment, pressure builds around you brain stem and spinal cord causing nerve interference. When your body’s afferent and efferent communication is not in balance your body begins to fall away from homeostasis and pulls you away from optimal health. When this occurs in an infant during their most important time of development major consequences will follow. Having your child checked for a subluxation at birth or soon after will allow that inborn intelligence inside of them that has been developing them from conception work at 100%.

Get your family checked!!

Upper Cervical Care and the Pediatric Patient

by Dr. Claudia Anrig

from: Dynamic Chiropractic - April 10, 2006, Volume 24, Issue 08

Upper cervical technique is not new to the chiropractic profession. It started with the toggle (HIO) technique, developed by Dr. B.J. Palmer, followed by other upper cervical techniques, such as Grostic, NUCCA, orthospinology and atlas orthongal. In preparing this article, I interviewed Dr. Julie Mayer Hunt, a second-generation upper cervical chiropractor who is board certified in orthospinology and has earned diplomate status in chiropractic pediatrics. She is currently a board member of the Society of Chiropractic Orthospinology and the Academy of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Organizations (AUCCO).

According to Dr. Mayer Hunt, "The upper cervical spine is one of the most vulnerable areas of the spine and is a critical area to keep free from nerve interference." She cites a study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics that identified approximately 58 articles regarding chiropractic care of the pediatric patient.1 All of the literature reviewed involved upper cervical adjustments (UCA) and reported the overall level of improvement as a result of rendering specific chiropractic care. Many of the studies involved cases in which any of a myriad of conditions frequently affecting children was resolved completely. Moreover, the response time of a UCA often was seen within one to three treatments. The conditions cited included infantile colic, glaucoma, irritability, head trauma, hemiparesis, projectile vomiting, tonsillitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, nocturnal enuresis, allergies, sleep disorders curvature of the spine, fever, otitis media, asthma, ADHD, headaches, torticollis and seizures. The JCCP study summarized studies involving more than 1,000 children under chiropractic care; the findings suggested the focal area of care involved the upper cervical spine.

Dr. Kirk Eriksen best describes the upper cervical biomechanics as not moving in only one plane of motion. During normal cervical movement, coupled motion occurs. Coupling is defined as motion in which rotation or translation of a rigid body about or along one axis is consistently associated with simultaneous rotation or translation about or along another axis. During normal range of movement, coupled motion helps reduce tension on the nervous system. This is accomplished by offsetting pure lateral flexion or rotation, with small amounts of movements in the X, Y or Z axes.2

One feature of an upper cervical subluxation is that the occipito-atlanto-axial articulations have misaligned in an uncoupled fashion. This condition is measured radiographically in a neutral posture, with the spine at rest. The body must continually adapt, from a biomechanical and neurological standpoint, to this type of subluxation.2

The birth process alone can contribute to upper cervical trauma and instability. Abraham Towbin, MD, reported the results of a study on newborn spinal cord/brainstem injuries that he conducted at the Harvard Department of Neuropathology.3 He performed autopsies on more than 2,000 newborns that died shortly after birth. In his report, Latent Spinal Cord and Brain Stem Injuries in Newborn Infants, Dr. Towbin stated: "Spinal cord and brain stem injuries often occur during the process of birth, but frequently escape diagnosis. Respiratory distress is a cardinal sign of such injury."3

A study by H. Biedermann, published in the Journal of Manual Medicine, high lights the importance of checking the newborn following delivery. In his evaluation of 1,000 newborns, he discovered that 119 cases revealed kinematic imbalances of the suboccipital spine. The finding of suboccipital strain equated to approximately 12 percent of the population group.4

Upper cervical techniques traditionally use the supine leg-length evaluation to determine necessity for adjusting the atlas. When evaluating the pediatric patient with the supine leg check, a leg-length difference is often readily apparent, usually half an inch or greater. Dr. K. Eriksen notes the following hypothesis regarding the short leg findings:

"The spinocerebellar tracts are located along the lateral edge of the spinal cord and are located at the most probable site of maximal mechanical irritation via the dentate ligaments. These proprioceptive tracts are primary pathways for regulating muscle tone and joint position sense. The spinocerebellar tracts are arranged in a laminar fashion (although somewhat angulated) with the most lateral fibers innervating the most caudal structures (i.e., legssacrallumbarthoracic cervical [very limited]). Irritation of these tracts could lead to muscle tone imbalance of the pelvic girdle resulting in a functional short leg."5

Upper cervical chiropractors also note postural corrections as a byproduct of specific upper cervical adjustments. These doctors advocate that one of the benefits of chiropractic care for the pediatric population is eliminating spinal stress (weight of the head centered and structurally/neurologically balanced) on the child's developing spine.

A resource regarding upper cervical techniques for both pediatric and general practice is Dr. Erikson's book, Upper Cervical Subluxation Complex: A Review of the Chiropractic and Medical Literature. The book reviews the anatomy and kinematics of the upper cervical spine, and explains how impaired biomechanics causes neurological dysfunction and physiological concomitants.5 This textbook is not intended to be about chiropractic technique; rather, the text provides the "why" as opposed to the "how" of upper cervical chiropractic care. A follow-up book providing specifics on upper cervical techniques including pediatric care is scheduled to be released in spring 2007.

Claudia Anrig, DC, practices in Fresno, Calif. She is on the board of directors of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. For more information, including a brief biography, a printable version of this article and a link to previous articles, please visit Dr. Anrig's columnist page online: www.chiroweb.com/columnist/anrig

Your Atlas and Hypertension

Here's a great article I found online..

http://www.ucrf.org/themes/nuccra/images_new/pdf/Hypertension2007.pdf

Upper Cervical Care and Athletic Performance

What do Lance Armstrong, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana and Evander Holyfield all have in common? Not only have they risen to the top of their respective sports, they all consider regular chiropractic care essential to improving their health and gaining a competitive edge over their competitors.

The truth is, it doesn’t matter if you are at the top of your game, a weekend warrior, or a stay-at-home mom training for your first 5K run, upper cervical care can help you perform at your BEST!

Athletes undertaking rigorous fitness regimes often push their bodies to the limit. Since their performance is based on the health and strength of their body…whether they need to recover from injury, improve performance or increase joint flexibility, ongoing upper cervical care is a valuable addition to their training regime.

In recent years, spinal care has become a valuable partner in the everyday athletic health regimen. Athletes find it not only improves performance but also reduces the risk of injury. Studies show that upper cervical care improves athletic ability, agility, balance, power, speed, reaction time and recovery.

How does upper cervical care help to improve athletic performance? The answer lies in the nervous system. In our bodies, the brain and brain stem act as our “Master Control System”. Everything that we do is regulated by the nerve impulses that are sent from the brain/brain stem out to the body through our network of nerves. For the athlete who is looking for an edge to his or her physical performance, this improved communication between the brain and every part of the body, especially the heart, lungs and muscles can make the difference between winning and losing.

Upper Cervical corrections help to improve the overall function of the nervous system, which, in turn, improves the efficiency of the communication between the brain and the body. With a fraction of a second meaning the difference between gold and silver, many of today’s top athletes are checked regularly during training and off seasons to maintain peak performance.

Research

A research study conducted by Dr. Jon Schwartzbauer, studied changes in athletic performance in baseball players with and without upper cervical care. Each athlete’s performance was evaluated through assessment of the vertical jump, broad jump specified, standing broad jump, and muscle strength. Blood pressure, pulse rate, microcirculation (capillary counts), and treadmill stress testing were also evaluated. The results showed significant improvement at fourteen weeks in muscle strength and long jump distance in the group receiving upper cervical corrections. Moreover, this same group showed significant improvement in capillary counts after five and fourteen weeks of upper cervical care. Evaluation of the group receiving care revealed decreases in resting blood pressure and pulse rate as well as pulse rate following tread mill activity. By comparison, trends in these same measures showed increases within the control group (non-upper cervical). All this translates into better athletic performance! In another study by Drs. Anthony Lauro and Brian Mouch, upper cervical care improved athletic performance by as much as 30% after 12 weeks. Athletes were tested on several aspects of athletic ability including kinesthetic perception, power, reaction time, agility and balance. At the 6 week mark of this study those who received upper cervical care showed an 18% increase in performance while those who did not showed only a 1% increase in performance.

These studies showed that athletes who have full brain to body communication (subluxation-free athletes) react faster, have better coordination, execute fine movements with improved accuracy and precision, amounting to an overall better athlete.

Key Benefits

In addition to improving performance, ongoing upper cervical care offers several health and wellness benefits, including:

•Improved posture

•Increased range of motion

•Improved immune system that can ward off common illnesses or disease

•Better focus and concentration

•Reduction of migraines or severe headaches

•Increased blood circulation

•Better joint flexibility

•Reduced risk of injury

•Increased blood and oxygen flow throughout the body

•Improved recovery rates after a sports injury

•Reduction of pain in major joints

Some athletes turn to upper cervical care only after they have been injured, but it is much more beneficial to incorporate care into the weekly training routine. An upper cervical doctor can offer natural supportive care for runners, bikers, tennis players, baseball, football and basketball players - any athlete who is constantly on the move.

For both casual sports participants and high-performance athletes, a natural method of stress reduction and toxin removal is necessary for better health overall. Upper cervical care can play an important role in the lives of these athletes throughout their training season, and during their most competitive seasons.

-Uppercervicalblog.blogspot.com

What's your excuse today? Let's get after it today!

The Righting Reflex

Your body's reaction to postural imbalance

When your head “isn’t on straight,” due to an atlas misalignment, you are viewing the world in a manner that is slightly askew. Physically we feel you are normal, but to your amazingly sensitive brain it is as if we are living our life on the side of a hill. It is common knowledge that you were not designed to live your life on the side of a hill, as was a mountain goat, but rather you were built for flat ground with a balanced center of gravity. So how does your innately intelligent body deal with life on a hill? Well fankly, it doesn’t.

Your brain will automatically react by attempting to move your body, more specifically your pelvis, underneath itself to support this new abnormal form of body balance. In order to achieve this altered posture, your brain will send signals to certain muscle groups commanding them to contract, pulling the rest of your body off center. This will result in one hip becoming higher which ultimately leads to one leg becoming shorter. It is now true that your eyes are now horizontally level, due to the brilliance of your brain, but this is not a posture that is conducive to healthy, normal living. This is called the righting reflex.

Imagine perfectly balancing a 12lb bowling ball on the end of thin, straight stick. Now imagine if a gust of wind were to come and push that bowling ball as small as ¾” off it’s perfect balance. The bowling ball will ultimately tip and fall off the stick unless you, who are holding the stick, react quickly in order to bring that bowling ball back to its perfect balance. Now imagine the human head, which also weighs an average of 12 lbs being loosely balanced at the top of your spine, which behaves in a manner similar to the stick mentioned before. Being even ¾” of an inch off it’s perfect balance has the potential to cause a catastrophic cascade of effects on the body unless that “bowling ball” is brought back to a perfect, and normal center of gravity. Overall the righting reflex is a neurological reaction to an unbalanced body.

Less Talk. More Medicine

Psychiatrists are talking less and prescribing more. Many of the nation’s 48,000 psychiatrists no longer provide talk therapy, the form of psychiatry popularized by Freud that has been a mainstay of psychiatry for decades, writes Gardiner Harris in Sunday’s New York Times. Instead, they typically prescribe medication, usually after a brief consultation with each patient.

"The switch from talk therapy to medications has swept psychiatric practices and hospitals, leaving many older psychiatrists feeling unhappy and inadequate. A 2005 government survey found that just 11 percent of psychiatrists provided talk therapy to all patients, a share that had been falling for years and has most likely fallen more since. Psychiatric hospitals that once offered patients months of talk therapy now discharge them within days with only pills."

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/less-talk-more-medicine/?ref=health

November 20, 1986: Rod Matthews, 14, beat a classmate to death with a bat in the

woods near his house in Canton, Massachusetts. Though Rod was extremely

bright, he was put on Ritalin when he was in third grade.

September 26, 1988: 19-year-old James Wilson went on a shooting rampage at the

Greenwood Elementary School in South Carolina. Two children were killed and

seven others and two teachers were wounded. Wilson had been treated by

Greenwood psychiatrist, Willie Moseley. Since the age of 14, Wilson had been

given a mixture of psychiatric drugs. He was withdrawing from Xanax at the time

of the shooting spree.

October 17, 1995: Brian E. Pruitt, 16, fatally stabbed his grandparents. The

prosecutor in his murder trial said: “His intent was to kill, not just to cause great

bodily harm.” Pruitt had a history of psychiatric treatment and had been prescribed

“medication.”

February 19, 1996: Timmy Becton, 10, grabbed his three-year-old niece as a

shield and aimed a shotgun at a sheriff’s deputy who accompanied a truant officer

to his Florida home. Becton had been taken to a psychiatrist in January to cure his

dislike of school and was put on Prozac. His parents said that when the dosage of

the drug was increased, Timmy had violent mood swings and that he would “get

really angry....”

September 27, 1997: A 16-year-old, Jackson Township, New Jersey boy, Sam

Manzie raped and strangled to death an 11-year-old boy who was selling door-to-

door for the local Parent-Teacher Association. Manzie then took a “trophy photo”

of the dead boy, the cord from the clock radio still around his neck. Manzie was

under psychiatric care at the time and being “medicated.” He reportedly told his

mother, “I wasn’t killing that little boy. I was killing [my doctor] because he

didn’t listen to me.”

May 21, 1998: Before going on a wild shooting spree at his Springfield, Oregon

high school that left two dead and 22 injured, 14-year-old Kip Kinkel had been

attending anger control classes and was reportedly taking Prozac. He had also

reportedly taken Ritalin. Kinkel also shot his parents, killing them.

April 16, 1999: Shawn Cooper, 16, of Notus, Idaho, rode the bus to school with a

shotgun wrapped in a blanket. He pointed the gun at a secretary and students, then

shot twice into a door and at the floor. He had a death list, but told one girl he

wouldn’t hurt anyone. He surrendered. He was taking Ritalin.

April 20, 1999: While on Luvox, an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake

Inhibitor, a type of antidepressant) antidepressant, 18-year-old Eric Harris

masterminded the killing of 12 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in

Littleton, Colorado. He and his partner, Dylan Klebold, 17, then shot themselves.

March 7, 2001: Elizabeth Bush took a loaded .22-caliber revolver to Bishop

Neumann Junior-Senior High School and sat through a Mass before she then went

to the school’s cafeteria and fired the gun at a fellow student, wounding her in the

right shoulder. Elizabeth was on Prozac.

March 22, 2001: At age 18, Jason Hoffman was on Effexor and Celexa, both

antidepressants, when he wounded one teacher and three students at California’s

Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, in 2001.

April 10, 2001: Sixteen-year-old Cory Baadsgaard, from Washington, took a rifle

to his high school and held 23 classmates and a teacher hostage. He had been

taking the antidepressant Effexor.

April 20, 2001: T.J. Solomon, 15, was on a mix of antidepressants when he shot

and wounded six at his Conyers, Georgia High School.

March 25, 2005: Jeff Weise, 16, shot dead his grandparents, then went to his

school on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota where he killed 9 before

killing himself. He was taking Prozac.

October 10, 2007: 14-year-old Asa Coon from Cleveland, Ohio, stormed through his

school with a gun in each hand, shooting and wounding four before taking his own life.

Court records show Coon had been placed on the antidepressant Trazodone.

November 7, 2007: 18-year-old Finnish gunman Pekka-Eric Auvinen had been taking

antidepressants before he killed eight people and wounded a dozen more at Jokela High

School in southern Finland, then committed suicide.

February 14, 2008: 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak shot and killed five people and

wounded 16 others in Dekalb, Illinois before killing himself in a Northern Illinois

University auditorium. According to his girlfriend, he had recently been taking Prozac,

Xanax and Ambien. Toxicology results showed that he still had trace amount of Xanax in

his system.

http://www.cchrint.org/pdfs/Psychiatric_Drugs_Cause_Violence.pdf

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mad-in-america/201101/psychiatric-drugs-and-violence-review-fda-data-finds-link

http://www.ssristories.com/

This is a scary issue to me for many reasons. Just as many of our emotional, mental and physical health issues took time to develop. Its going to take time to truly fix the problem. There is no such thing as a quick fix..

Let's say you buy a new car, a BMW for example. You drive it every day until one day the engine light comes on. So you take your prized possession to the auto shop to figure out what is wrong. The mechanic gets your payment information and then tells you he has just what you need to fix this problem.... He grabs a bottle of spray paint and paints over the lit engine light and says "Problem is solved!" You then leave in your BMW after a $200 fee and begin driving your car all around town like before until all of a sudden it breaks down and the engine is blown...

--> You and I both know he didn't fix the problem and only got rid of the symptom, being the lit engine light. As stupid as this story is, this goes on everyday in our health system whether it is psychiatric care, blood pressure, headaches, etc. And we all know you can buy a new car, but you CANNOT buy a new body.

My goal is simply to give you both sides of the story so YOU can make the best decision for you and YOUR family.

Eighty-One Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease Undergoing Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care to Correct Vertebral Subluxation: A Re

CONCLUSION: A causal link between trauma-induced upper cervical injury and disease onset for both Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) appears to exist. Correcting the injury to the upper cervical spine through the use of IUCCA protocol may arrest and reverse the progression of both MS and PD. Further study in a controlled, experimental environment with a larger sample size is recommended.

http://www.erinelster.com/pdfs/jvsr%20ms%20and%20pd%2081.pdf

Why do we experience pain?

Pain is mental interpretation, at epipheral end of afferent nerve of

necessities at peripheral end of efferent nerve. Pain is mental

understanding of physical requirements in pathway of cycle of energy.

Pain is Innate’s mental comprehension of physical lacking function at

tissue cell. It is necessary, essential, and vital that Innate get impressions,

whether normal OR pain, to interpret and be able to know needs and

necessities of physical requirements of function at tissue cell.

It is easy to ease, deaden or kill pain. It is done medically with drugs

given many ways. It is done by drugless practitioners many ways. Our

father had the most practical, simplest, quickest, and most positive

method of “killing pain” anywhere within the body, we have ever

known or seen used. We know it. We never use it. We refuse to be a

party to “killing pain” in cases that are on the climb. The laborious

and tedious thing is to restore feeling and get Chiropractors to

understand that constant. We have consistently labored to RESTORE

sensation from below normal up to normal feeling which is no-feeling.

We know case wants “to get rid of pain”, but there are other things

more important, viz., restoration of normal 100 per cent feeling

function. Health cannot be restored without going thru process of pain.

Any Chiropractor who persists in “killing pain”, no matter how, makes

it impossible for Innate to know how to get that case well. No wonder

Chiropractors grope for constant, have it, and spend money to kick it

out of commission.

Pain: from Fight to Climb 1950 Vol. 24