Asthma (NFL, ADHD)

Well,

On Friday when I left work the lake by our office was still frozen. Today I see waves...Spring is warming us up! It's nice to see movement on the water again.

I went looking for information of asthma and chiropractic care. Chiropractic care can help people with asthma. Many people find a reduction in symptoms, decreased severity or frequency of attacks, decreased need for medications, etc. I would never claim Chiropractic care would cure asthma, but it does look like it helps decrease the problems people experience.

The research out there is mostly small studies and case studies, hopefully we'll start to see larger studies being done. It might be a while though. I would imagine it could be hard to get funding for something that is not a complete cure.

tp://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=20711 -child case study Asthma, colds, allergies.

http://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=20103 -small study

http://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=19899 –child asthma case

http://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=19721 -"Tourette Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, depression, asthma, insomnia, and headaches: a case report"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829683/?tool=pmcentrez -asthma

When doing a search for one topic, it is common to run into some other random studies. I also found a paper on NFL and chiropractic, and an ADHD case study. Funny to find that on an asthma search, but I found them interesting.

http://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=15755 -Chiropractic in NFL.

http://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=20757 –case study child with ADHD

Enjoy!

Scoliosis and constipation

Hi Everyone,

I have been trying to blog on Mondays, but this week has been so busy. I'll have to keep it short this week.

I found a few studies on scoliosis. It appears that chiropractic care may be able to reduce the measured scoliotic curve.

http://www.chiropracticresearch.org/search2.php?aid=1234
http://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=19610
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC520751/?tool=pmcentrez
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647005/?tool=pmcentrez

I have treated a fair amount of people with constipation at my office. I like to use chiropractic treatments along with massage and acupressure. There were no studies to be found with the combination of treatments, but I did find one on chiropractic care by itself. If I think of it. Maybe sometime I can do a search of acupuncture literature, I'm sure I'd find some good information there as well.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2505067/?tool=pmcentrez

Have a good weekend!

For Runners

This time of year I start to see some more runners coming in. Make sure you don't forget to keep track of how old or how many miles are on your shoes. Old shoes can cause a runner a lot of pain. It is usually a good idea to avoid new shoes if you are training for a race though.

Here is my favorite site for runners. On this site you can find all sorts of information about running "how to's". There are training guides for almost any long distance race you can think of. The training guides vary based on your goal as well (i.e. finish the race or win the race). I often modify these plans to help a previously injured runner get back on track for a race. But this site is not just for racers, it is also for someone who has never been a runner. If you look hard enough you can find a plan that is for the first time runner or walk/runner.

Happy running!

http://www.halhigdon.com/index.html

Oh...this isn't meant to be an add for this site. I am not affiliated with this link in anyway. I just use this site a lot and thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy!

Whip Lash and Auto Accidents

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the snow melt this week.

Today I found a couple of video's by a chiropractor in California. I don't know or endorse him, but the information looks useful. I know of insurance companies that have in the past, told people they can't possibly be in pain they weren't going fast enough. I have also known them to say that there is not enough damage to the car to have an injury. Patients as well, will wonder why they hurt so much when it was "just a fender bender". According to this link, it only takes speeds of 2.5-5mph to cause injuries such as whiplash. And you can have a significant injury without visible damage to the vehicle.

These are not the most exciting clips, but it is good information.

Happy viewing,
Dr. Gwen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiTAP1MCSsM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk-1-rnQU60

Loving Gymnastics

Hi Everyone,

A friend of mine on Facebook posted a link to a gymnastics video on Youtube that got me remembering gymnastics.

I'm just remembering all of the fun times I had while I was a gymnast. I miss a lot about gymnastics. I miss flying through the air, learning new skills, all the friends I made, and the places I went. From time to time I will remember a gift I got from gymnastics. Today, I am grateful for the gift gymnastics gave me of knowing what it is like to be passionate about what I do.

Since gymnastics I have become passionate about a lot of things in my life, chiropractic, camping, and many others. Today I am wishing you all a little time to enjoy those things in life you are passionate about. I'm sure anyone who has or has had a favorite sport or hobby (so pretty much everyone), understands this.

Here is the video. It is meant for gymnasts, but I imagine getting older in any sport has its journey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ACPSechyzs

Also for gymnasts and their coaches, here is a website that has some fun gymnastics drills on it.

http://www.gymdrills.com/

Enjoy and be passionate!

Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Hi Everyone,

I see a fair number of fibromyalgia patients in my office. One patient has been bugging me for a couple of years to put some of this information on the internet. Well, here it is.

Since fibromyalgia is a symptom based diagnosis, the treatment plan can vary a bit from person to person. Fibromyalgia is not diagnosed based on the cause of the symptoms, but rather on the symptoms themselves. This means that there could be several treatments that work for different people because the cause might not be the same. The cause is still debated in the health care world, but several sound theories are being looked into. Until the cause of fibromyalgia is defined more clearly, the treatment needs to be based on each individual.

I have read many studies on this problem, and today I found two studies I hadn’t read before. I was unable to find links to some of the other information I have come across in the past. Before I share the studies today, I’d like to share some more information.

Some possible causes of Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) or Fibromyalgia (FM) include stress, lack of certain vitamins and minerals, and a lack of or imbalance in some neurotransmitters (such as norepinephrine and serotonin). There are other ideas out there, these are just a few.

I like to start with lifestyle changes. Are you getting enough water, vitamins, and minerals? Are you exercising on a daily basis? Are you doing something everyday to relax? All of these things can decrease symptoms of FM.

Heart and cardiovascular issues as well as sleep issues can also be a problem in people with FM. Dealing with these issues can also help symptoms. For some people a visit with a cardiologist or a sleep study might be helpful to rule out heart problems, sleep apnea, or hypopnea.

Digestive issues like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and other digestive problems are common in people who have FM. Allergies and food sensitivities can contribute to symptoms of FM. It is important to rule out any digestive abnormalities. Managing digestive problems will help with the FM symptoms.

Depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues are common in fibromyalgia patients. These issues, like cardiovascular, digestive, and sleep disorders, should be dealt with. Getting help from a psychologist is not something to be embarrassed about. Many people try to avoid the possibility that stress and other psychological influences could be affecting their physical pain. Finding out if some of the physical pain can be helped with stress reduction and counseling is an important part of care. There are very real physical results that manifest due to what we are thinking.

Chiropractic treatment, aerobic exercise, strength training, acupuncture, Qi Gong, and nutritional supplements (especially Magnesium, EPA, and DHA) can all be helpful in treating fibromyalgia. The difficulty is in finding the right combination of treatments to help each individual with fibromyalgia to feel better. Patients I have worked with have found that chiropractic care as well as massage, acupuncture, Pilates, yoga, tai chi/qi gong, ball rolling, aerobic exercise, relaxation, meditation, diet changes, and nutritional supplements all to be helpful. Not every patient does all of the above, but different combinations of the above. FM patients need to give their doctors enough time to run through trial treatments of various combinations of things that we know will help. Too often a patient gives up on care without trying all of the different combinations of treatments available, or don’t follow doctor’s instructions. Find a doctor you trust, and stick with it. It takes time to find a treatment plan that works for any given person with FM.

There are also medications that can be helpful, but as a chiropractor those are out of my legal scope of practice.

http://www.chiroindex.org/?search_page=articles&action=&articleId=16610 –This study finds that chiropractic care can be helpful for fibromyalgia patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1779399/?tool=pmcentrez –This study is a medical study, and so it is heavy on the drug treatments. It didn’t look like it mentioned chiropractic. It did, however, find that exercise, acupuncture, nutrition, and Qi gong can be helpful.

In the past I have read that 20 min. of aerobic exercise (huff and puff you could talk but you don’t feel like it exercise) daily, can significantly decrease symptoms of FM. The above study says 20 min. two times a week will do. The above study also mentions strength exercise is helpful as well.

Clearly, the best treatment for Fibromyalgia is a multi-level plan of care. It is my opinion that the best results come when the different health care specialties can work together to manage the problems that come with FM. Chiropractors usually have great results in treating FM symptoms.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,
Dr. Gwen
(Gwendolyn E. Kelly-Kohnke, D.C.)