Texas Chiropractor for Infants

Why Every Parent Needs to have their Child under Chiropractic Care

The Scientific Evidence Behind Colic and Chiropractic-Part #1

colic baby chiropractic care Frisco Texas

Adding a new bundle of joy to your family can be one of the most unforgettable and stressful times in your life. Sleepless nights, cluster feeding, spitting up, fussiness, diaper changes, diaper rashes, and finding your balance as a family are just a few of the challenges most new parents face. So how can chiropractic help your new baby and restore some sanity to your household? Below are two shocking studies demonstrating the benefits of chiropractic on colic. 

Study #1:

Infantile Colic treated by chiropractors: A prospective study of 316 cases. Klougart N, Nilsson N and Jacobsen J (1989) Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 12:281-288

73 chiropractors adjusted the spines of 316 infants with moderate to severe colic. The median age of the 316 infants was 5.7 weeks of age at the time of examination. Moderate to severe colic was defined as an average of 5.2 hours of crying per day.

The mothers used a diary to keep track of the baby’s symptoms, specifically measuring the intensity and length of the colicky crying, as well as how comfortable the infant seemed. 94% of these children showed notable improvements within 14 days of the beginning of chiropractic care. After 4 weeks, the improvements were maintained; meaning that the kids did not revert back to their old patterns of colic.

One-fourth of these infants showed great improvements after their very first chiropractic adjustment. The remaining infants ALL showed improvements within the 14-day period mentioned above. Please note that 51% of these infants had previously undergone various treatments, usually drug therapy, that proved to be unsuccessful in eliminating their colic. 

Study #2:

The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: a randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer, Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. October (1999): Vol. 22, No. 8, pp. 517-522. 

This is a randomized controlled trial that took place in private chiropractic practice and the National Health Service’s health visitor nurses in a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark.

One group of infants received spinal care for 2 weeks, the other was treated with the drug Dimethicone T for 2 weeks. Changes in daily hours of crying were recorded in a colic diary. 

A 2.4-hour reduction of crying was seen in the chiropractic group compared to only 1 hour in the Dimethicone-T group. This was observed over a 4-7 day period. On days 8-11, the chiropractic group saw the time without crying increase to 2.7 hours while the Dimethicone-T group remained at only a 1-hour reduction. 

The conclusion of the study revealed that over the 12 days of data gathering, the children under chiropractic care experienced a 67% reduction in crying while the group treated with drugs/medications had only a 38% reduction in crying.

If you are a new parent and your newborn or infant is struggling with colic, call us today at (214)387-7883. We can help restore peace to your household!!

 

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Chiropractic Care and the Elderly

How Could Regular Chiropractic Care Benefit Our Aging Population? 

elderly chiropractic

According to former President Barack Obama, “ Much of the money we spend on healthcare is lost to massive waste and inefficiency. The United States leads the world in healthcare expenditures, but one of every four dollars is swallowed up by administrative costs. Each year, 100,000 Americans die because of medical errors and we lose $100 billion because of prescription drug errors alone. Meanwhile, only four cents of every dollar spent on healthcare goes to prevention, while 29 other countries have a higher life expectancy and 38 other nations have lower infant mortality rates. And every year, insurers spend $50 billion a year figuring out how not to cover people. There’s an awful lot of waste and inefficiency in our system.”

Taking these numbers into account, what would happen if we dedicated more than .04 cents of every dollar towards wellness? There is one area of the population that would most definitely benefit and it is the ELDERLY! 

A study from 2000 by Rupert examined senior citizens under chiropractic maintenance care,” given to control or prevent subluxation. Subluxations are spinal misalignments that can potentially contribute to the development of arthritis, degenerative disc disease, disc herniations, nerve impingements, irreversible nerve damage, and other serious spinal disorders. Results found that this group of seniors made half the number of visits (50% fewer) to a medical provider when compared to the national average. Furthermore, the greater the length of care, the less likely these seniors were to use over-the-counter drugs. These findings represent an annual healthcare cost that is two-thirds less than the national average recorded.

Chiropractic Care For Senior Citizens

A second study found that senior citizens under routine chiropractic care in Frisco were less likely to report that they had arthritis or that their health status was poor or fair when compared to those not under routine chiropractic care. These seniors were less likely to have used a nursing home and 73.9% of those under routine chiropractic care had not been hospitalized in three years. Lastly, these seniors used fewer over-the-counter drugs than their peers.

That’s almost 75% of elderly patients under chiropractic care who had not required a hospital visit in 3 years!! Can you believe it? Hardly a coincidence if you ask me.

To conclude, I have no doubt that chiropractic care can make a long-standing difference in the health of our aging population. I’ve seen it with my own eyes time after time in my practice. Performing an average of 12,000-13,000 adjustments over the last decade I can’t count the number of patients, 65 and older, that have seen a dramatic improvement in their health and quality of life. Elderly patients who have suffered from a wide range of ailments including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, vertigo, and all types of arthritis have experienced a positive shift in their health and quality of life through chiropractic care.

For the sake of our aging grandparents, and our aging moms and dads, don’t delay! If you know someone whose life could be improved through regular chiropractic care call us today at (214)387-3887! Dr. Taylor and his staff will make you happy that you did!

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Chiropractic, Ear Infections, and Upper Respiratory Infections: An Evidence Based Study

child with ear infection

As the kiddos venture back to school in the weeks ahead, the co-mingling of exciting summer stories and freshly cultivated germs will begin once again. Especially as we migrate into the Fall months and temperatures begin to drop we will no doubt see the potential of ear infections, sinus infections, and upper respiratory infections sharply rise.

So can chiropractic really help with a reduction in these occurrences? Or are the success stories regarding chiropractic care, ear infections, and upper respiratory infections merely anecdotal? For all you parents out there, here is the evidence you’ve been looking for! The following study comes from one of my favorite publications, How to Have Well Adjusted Babies, written by Dr. Jennifer Barham-Floreani.

Published Case Study:

An eighteen-year study of 4600 cases of upper respiratory infections in a core group of 100 families found that when spinal motion was restricted by spinal misalignments in the upper neck area, ear infections occurred. Furthermore, when these misalignments were resolved through chiropractic adjustments restoring the spinal motion, the ensuing infection was typically arrested and it did not progress.

The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics

The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics discusses five case studies of pediatric patients with chronic recurrent otitis media. All five cases had previously received regular medical care that had unsuccessfully resolved the chief complaint of recurrent ear infections. Each patient reported excellent outcomes after chiropractic adjustments were delivered, thus resulting in no further ear infection.

The Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics

Another study published in The Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics examined the effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments for ear infections. A study was performed on 46 children aged 5 years and under, resulting in the improvement of 93% of the episodes of ear infections. 75% of the 46 children studied saw improvement within 10 days or fewer and 43% within only one or two treatments.

When Dr. Joan Fallon, a Frisco chiropractor, and clinical researcher, was asked to comment on these findings she was quoted as saying, “Chiropractic care mobilizes drainage of the ear in children. If the ear continues to drain without a build-up of fluid and subsequent infection, children will continue to accumulate their own antibodies and recover quickly. Once they fight the infection themselves, children tend to do very well and stay away from ear infections completely. Unless there are environmental factors like smoking in the home, an irregular shaped Eustachian tube, or something clinically similar, they generally do very well.”

In my personal life, I have seen my son Benjamin (Benny) thrive as a result of chiropractic care. I adjusted him for the very first time when he was an hour and a half old…without a doubt, one of the most special experiences of my life. He gets adjusted several times per week; laughing and giggling every time. I’m proud to report that Benny is now 16 months old and has yet to be sick one time, whether it be ear infections or upper respiratory infections!

Contact Taylor Family Chiropractic

If your family is tired of dealing with recurrent ear infections or upper respiratory infections, call us now so that we can help! Let Dr. Taylor and the staff at Taylor Family Chiropractic (214)387-7883 make this return to the school year one of the BEST YET!!

1.) Barham-Floreani, J. (2009). How to Have Well Adjusted Babies. 2nd Edition. South Melbourne: Well Adjusted Pty Ltd. Page 488-489.

 

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Chiropractic and Attention Deficit Disorder

Dancing Girl - Chiropractic care

On an average week, I will get questions from patients regarding a multitude of conditions and whether or not chiropractic will have a strong clinical impact in improving those conditions. Two of the conditions I am most frequently asked about are Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder.

Is Chiropractic Effective For ADHD?

As a culture, we hear about ADHD and ADD everywhere these days. It has become a growing concern for a lot of parents as well as the educational system. In order to determine what is clinically appropriate for someone with these conditions, it is always important to first define the condition.

In today’s medical system you’ll find that the more vague the definition of a condition, the more vague and ambiguous the treatment will be…opening you or loved ones up to the risk of an improperly prescribed medication, improperly used medication, or even a treatment that proves to be ineffective. 

Web MD defines Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a chronic condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and sometimes impulsivity. ADHD typically begins in childhood and often lasts into adulthood with as many 2 out of 3 children experiencing symptoms that continue into adulthood.

Symptoms of ADHD

Symptoms of ADHD can vary from a person but there are three basic types of ADHD. Each one is identified by the symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. When the main symptoms are inattention, distraction, and disorganization, the type is usually called primarily inattentive. The symptoms of hyperactivity and possibly impulsiveness appear to diminish with age but are seen in the primarily hyperactive/impulsive type. The third type has some symptoms from each other and is called the combined type.

(Hang with me here…we are almost done with our definition) According to WebMD ADHD is more common in boys whose impulsivity and hyperactivity may appear as disruptive behavior. Inattentiveness is a hallmark of ADHD in girls but because they aren’t often disruptive in the classroom, they may be harder to diagnose. (1)

Now that we have defined our condition, let’s put all of this in terms that parents can understand. Imagine drinking an entire Red Bull or Monster Energy Drink over a 10-15 minute period of time. It doesn’t take very long for you to realize that you made a really bad decision. Your muscles begin to tighten, sometimes your skin tingles, you become overly sensitive to any type of sensory input like sound or light, it becomes difficult to focus on tasks, your thoughts race, you become irritable, and that’s just too name a few. Let’s be honest, we’ve all done it before. Here’s why it was actually a positive experience…because now you know how kids with ADHD and ADD feel!

child massage - Chiropractic and Attention Deficit Disorder

So here is how chiropractors can help. When you receive a chiropractic adjustment it decreases the activity of the “fight or flight” portion of your nervous system known as your sympathetic nervous system; in turn decreasing stress, nerve sensitivity, and overactive nerve firing.

In addition, it engages the “rest and digest” portion of the nervous system known as the parasympathetic nervous system; allowing your body to relax more easily. So is it any coincidence that scientific studies are now showing that kids with ADHD and ADD who get regular chiropractic adjustments are calmer, demonstrate fewer episodes of acting out, show an increased ability to follow instructions, and improvements in general home and school performance? I think not!!

It’s time to have your kids adjusted so that we can help restore peace in your household!! Call us today!

Works Cited:

1.) Understanding ADHD- the Basics (WebMD.com)

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Why Does Anyone Need Chiropractic Care

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Do You Really Need Chiropractic Care?

Why does anyone need chiropractic care? This is a question that I have heard easily more than a thousand times since starting in practice back in 2006. I absolutely love it when people ask it because they have no idea what they are about to walk into.

Especially with my serious face and somewhat intimidating disposition, it is highly unlikely that I am going to throw my arms up and say, “Well you know, that’s a great question. I’m not really sure?”

So why does someone need chiropractic care? What if someone doesn’t have any pain, do they still need chiropractic care in Frisco? Both are great questions and here are the answers. Bear with me while I briefly explain a little bit of the science…the interesting stuff will begin in the next paragraph.

The spinal column houses the spinal cord which gives rise to the spinal nerve roots. There are 31 pairs of these spinal nerve roots: 8 in the cervical spine (neck), 12 in the thoracic spine (middle back), 5 in the lumbar spine (low back), 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal. Each one of these spinal nerve roots has a specific job to feed various muscle groups, organs, and glands. In addition to carrying messages out to muscle groups, organs, and glands; these spinal nerve roots also carry messages back to the spinal cord and up to the brain.

Now that I have shared that with you, I would like for you to take a moment and visualize a tree from the roots upward all the way out to the limbs. We will call this your “tree of life.”  At the bottom is a root system that is responsible for delivering many of the nutrients and water from the soil which we will liken to the brain. From the roots we will visualize the trunk and the tree carrying all of the key life-giving components upward and outward; this could be compared to the spinal cord.

Lastly, and by now I would imagine you can see where I am going with this, the branches and the leaves represent the 31 pairs of spinal nerve roots I mentioned earlier. Now that you have this picture in your head imagine if there was a disturbance in the root system, the soil around the root system had contaminants in it, if the tree had a mechanical restriction around it, or if the branches and leaves never saw sunlight.

Do you think the tree would thrive? Would it grow to its full maturation?

I think we would all agree that the answer is no, the tree would not thrive nor would it reach its full maturation, and the spine is chiropractic examinationvery similar. The only difference is that the spine is much more sensitive to disturbances in its functionality. How sensitive? Well, studies have shown that it only takes the weight of a dime to alter the normal function of a nerve pathway.

Take a dime out of pocket right now and hold it on the tip of your index finger…I’ll wait. Now that you have the dime balanced on the tip of your finger, can you even feel it? What would happen if that specific nerve went to your heart or lungs? Potential heart trouble, heart rate variability, periodic arrhythmias, respiratory problems, asthma, or repeat respiratory infections?

Knowing what you now know, I will pose the same questions back to you. Why does anyone need chiropractic care? What if someone doesn’t have any pain, do they still need chiropractic care? I think you know the answer. Give us a call today at Taylor Family Chiropractic (214) 387-7883 so that we can make sure that your “tree of life” reaches full maturation.

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Chiropractic Care in Frisco

Chiropractic Care for Low Back Pain

Low back pain is an issue that plagues many people, and not just walkers. Low back pain can be caused by problems with the disc, commonly known as the fibrous material between the vertebra that cushions the bone. If a disc gets damaged from an injury or overuse, the nerves that travel from the spinal cord can be affected, causing a multitude of painful problems in the back and legs.

Lower back pain can also be attributed to Osteoarthritis, which is also known as degenerative joint disease. Another spinal issue that can be treated by chiropractic care is scoliosis, a disease that causes the spine to curve improperly, causing uneven weight distribution and undue stress on the hips, shoulders, and lower back.

Chiropractic Care for Spinal Stenosis

Spinal Stenosis is when the spinal canal starts to narrow, due to changes in an aging spine, often resulting in low back pain, numbness, and limping. Frisco Chiropractic care focuses on the health of the musculoskeletal system, specifically the spinal column. While several different treatments are utilized by a chiropractic doctor, most people associate chiropractic care with the manipulation of the spine, joints, and other soft tissues, by way of manual therapy.

In most instances, the doctor will apply gentle pressure to the spine, to properly align it, relieving the lower back pain. While many people have not yet embraced chiropractic care, others swear by it; its holistic approach to pain relief without the means of surgery or medication is very appealing.

In addition to back issues, chiropractic doctors can assist with a variety of aches, pains, and ailments. Painful conditions such as migraine headaches, neck pain, and shoulder pain can all benefit from chiropractic care. If you suffer from nagging discomfort caused by bursitis, tendonitis, rheumatism, or fibrosis, you may not have considered non-traditional medical options like chiropractic care, but your painful condition can be treated—and pain alleviated—by trusting a Frisco chiropractor.

The majority of the back, hip, and shoulder pain we experience in

our everyday lives are due to lifestyle choices. If you work at a job where you sit for a good portion of the day, and your posture is lacking, you may start to experience lower back pain as a result. A chiropractor can assist with the discomfort by recommending manual adjustments and additional therapies as needed in conjunction with stretching and strengthening exercises. He or she may also suggest ways to improve your posture, to fix the problem instead of just addressing the symptoms. If you are having lower back issues due to your prolonged sitting position and lack of support, you will continue to experience the same issues.

To help alleviate your pain, the chiropractor may enlist several different types of care, including chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic massage, electrical stimulation, and either ice or heat therapies, or a combination. Additionally, the doctor will give you a series of exercises to perform and will guide you to ensure the exercises are being performed correctly for maximum benefit. The exercises will strengthen your lower back, helping to tackle the problem without the assistance of pharmaceutical medications or invasive back surgery. If the problem can be alleviated in such a manner, it is definitely worth your time to investigate the probability of relief with chiropractic care!

Some patients come to see the doctor only after they have experienced a sports injury in Frisco, car accident, or some sort of trauma; others use chiropractic care to maintain wellness. Most report that after seeing a chiropractor, they have increased flexibility and range of motion, regardless of their initial reason for the visit. It is important to choose a chiropractor who is able to provide you with treatments based on your health goals, whether that is to maintain proper alignment or to alleviate a painful condition.

Many companies in Frisco are embracing chiropractic care, so much so that they are offering chiropractic wellness programs to their employees. Just like many of the major sports teams, various companies are understanding the full benefits of chiropractic care for their employees. By offering a wellness program that incorporates chiropractic care, companies are noticing improved employee morale, and a downturn in the number of sick days employees have to take due to illness or injury.

Employees appreciate the extra care afforded to them as well as the quality of life benefits. Employers gain happier, well-adjusted, employees, who are more productive. Additional benefits include reduced stress, improved physical fitness, and a true sense of community that brings employees together.

Looking for the Right Chiropractic Doctor in Frisco, TX?

Connecting with the right chiropractic doctor in Frisco can not only help if you are suffering from lower back pain or other related issues but also help you maintain your excellent health. When searching for a chiropractic office, schedule a few consultations to ensure you feel comfortable with the doctor and his or her staff. You will also want to find a doctor (for example- Matthews Family) who has credentials and has completed the clinical competency test by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Your chiropractor should also keep up with annual education updates, to offer you the newest technology and techniques in chiropractic care. Check the doctor’s experience; some chiropractors specialize in certain types of care. You can always ask people you trust for recommendations and you can check online sites to learn more about your doctor.

Chiropractic care has become an accepted manner to alleviate pain in a holistic, non-surgical manner, and even as an addiction helper. If you are searching for an alternative to traditional medical care, chiropractic care might be the answer you are looking for.

Chronic pain requires a visit to the doctor as well. They will most likely prescribe an opioid pain reliever. The doctor might prescribe a brand of oxycodone or hydrocodone. Sometimes they pair oxycodone with acetaminophen or hydrocodone with acetaminophen.

The reality is that one in five patients who visit the doctor for severe or chronic pain are prescribed opioid medication.

Dependence is an unfortunate side effect of opioid pain meds. The drugs work when used for short periods but the strength of opioids carries some risk.

Individuals who have a long-term prescription will most likely experience some of the following negative side effects:

Tolerance: If you take opioids for a long time, your body adjusts to their presence and requires larger doses to achieve the original effect.

Acetaminophen overdose: A major risk of taking large doses of acetaminophen is damage to the liver and risk of organ failure.

Physical dependence: At this stage, your body has a constant craving for the drug even after the pain has subsided. You will experience withdrawal symptoms such as sleeping difficulties, diarrhea, and nausea if you stop the drug.

Addiction: This is characterized by an obsession to take the drug. You seek multiple prescriptions from various doctors to get pain medication because you’ve become hooked on opioids.

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