Common Questions (and Answers!) about Acupuncture

Let’s start at the origins. Acupuncture has been practiced for hundreds of years, though not all in the same form. During the Stone Age, people used knifes and other sharp objects to relieve pain and disease. Warriors that were hit by arrows during battle noticed areas of relief in different parts of the body.

Monks noticed energy moving in specific areas of the body while they were meditating and eventually started recording these findings. Over time, the practice became modified and was researched in depth to bring the modern acupuncture we know and use today.

What does the treatment consist of?

A doctor will go over your health history (if they do not already know it) and assess what your health complaint is and where it’s located. From there, they choose the acupuncture points that will be beneficial for your care (they might ask you to change into shorts or a gown depending on the location). The doctor will use an alcohol pad to disinfect the area and tap the needle in the point.

Wait! Needles!? Yes needles, but acupuncture needles are TINY! They are only .25

 

mm thick, where the average sewing needle is 1 mm thick. There is very little to no pain at all when the doctor taps the needle into the point.
So how does acupuncture work? Let’s use a common condition that many people suffer from as an example. Headaches. There are many ways to get rid of a headache, including acupuncture! For example, here are three points that are used when treating headaches:

 

GB 20, Li 4, and Si 13. The letters stand for Gall Bladder, Large Intestine, and Small Intestine channels.

Where the numbers stand for certain points along that channel. Now these channels are used for specific reasons. Gall bladder and small intestine are used because of their location on the body. The large intestine channel is used because Li 4 is the strongest point for a condition that involves the upper body. Depending on the type of headache, other points may be used. If the headache is considered a “pounding headache” then the liver channel might be used because that channel helps control blood flow.

Can pregnant women use acupuncture? YES! Acupuncture is a great natural treatment method for pregnancy pain and is safe for both mother and baby. Acupuncture can be used to help with pain and nausea associated with pregnancy. It can also be used to help with infertility issues.

 

What about children? There isn’t a specific age that is “too young” for acupuncture. If a child can sit still for 15-20 minutes then a doctor can perform acupuncture on them. Acupuncture is a helpful treatment for anxiety, depression, headaches, stomach pain or reflux, ADHD/ADD, and more.

Acupuncture is used for many different conditions like sinus allergies, depression, infertility, constipation, pain management, musculoskeletal disorders and more! It is a safe and natural way of treating health issues and goes hand in hand with chiropractic care!

Want to learn more about Acupuncture? Head to our website or read more in our blog!

9 Ways to Get Your Kid to Eat Veggies

Some children devour vegetables like it’s candy, but what can you do if your kids refuse to eat the green stuff on their plate?

Rather than forcing your kids to eat veggies, try preparing them in a way where they’ll enjoy vegetables, or not know it! We (along with the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) have some tips to try to get your kids to enjoy eating veggies.

1. Grow a vegetable garden! Growing a garden gives your kids a connection with their food. It also allows you and them to spend some family time outside.
2. Mince or puree them up in a food processor. Puree veggies to give to babies or hide veggies in pizza, pasta sauce, soup, or even mac and cheese!
3. Bake them! Make zucchini or broccoli cheese muffins for breakfast.
4. Hide them in meat! Mix pureed or minced veggies with the meat, (like turkey!) then mold them into burgers or meatloaf.
5. Put them into smoothies! When making their favorite strawberry banana smoothie, add a little spinach or kale to the mix.
6. Let them help make meals and snacks. Show them the fun of cooking and preparing meals. Let them pick out what veggies to eat at dinner tonight.
7. Experiment with dips! If kids don’t like plain veggies, offer something to go with it. Hummus, veggie dip, ranch dressing, and salsa work great with all kinds of veggies!
8. Cut back on the junk food! If there are less chips and cookies around to snack on, kids will be forced to choose alternatives like fruits and veggies!
9. Try new recipes! Preparing veggies in a new dish is a great way to spice up foods and try new things! Or even make the veggies the dish, like a bowl perhaps.

These are only a few ideas on how to get your kids to eat veggies. It can be difficult at times, but know that vegetables are an important part of a child’s (and adults) diet! Comment if you have any ideas that we missed!

 

 

The Young Athlete

In today’s age of health and fitness, more and more kids are involved in sporting activities. Although being part of a football, soccer, dance, or Little league team is an important rite of passage for many children, parents and their children could be overlooking the importance of proper nutrition and body-conditioning for preventing injuries on and off the playing field.

Young athletes today often think they are invincible. The following tips can help ensure your child does not miss a step when it comes to proper fitness, stretching, training, and rest that the body needs to engage in sporting activities.

Encourage your child to:

• Wear the proper equipment. Certain contact sports, such as football and hockey, can be dangerous if the equipment is not properly fitted. Make sure all equipment, including helmets, pads, and shoes fit your child or adolescent.
• Eat healthy meals. Make sure your young athlete is eating a well-balanced diet and does not skip meals. Avoid high fat foods, such as candy bars and fast food. At home, provide fruit rather than cookies and vegetables rather than potato chips.  Make sure meals are high in protein to help with muscle breakdown.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Certain sports, such as gymnastics, wrestling, and figure skating may require your athlete to follow strict dietary rules. Be sure your child does not feel pressured into being too thin and that he/she understands that proper nutrition and caloric intake is needed for optimal performance and endurance.
• Drink water. Hydration is a key element to optimal fitness. Teenage athletes should drink at least eight 8-oz glasses of water a day.
• Avoid sugar-loaded, caffeinated, and carbonated drinks. Sports drinks are a good source of replenishment for those kids engaged in long duration sports, such as track and field.
• Follow a warm-up routine. Be sure your child or his/her coach includes a warm-up and stretching session before every practice, game, or meet.  I’m always amazed at how many athletes we treat that tell me they never warm up!  A slow jog, jumping rope, and/or lifting small weights reduces the risk of torn or ripped muscles. Flexibility is key when pushing to score that extra goal or make that critical play.
• Take vitamins daily. A multivitamin and magnesium are good choices for the young athlete. Young athletes use their bodies in an incredible way and if nutrients aren’t properly replenished you can be prone to muscle injuries.
• Avoid trendy supplements. Kids under the age of 18 should avoid the use of performance-enhancing supplements, such as creatine. Instead, they should ask their coach or trainer to include weekly weight training and body-conditioning sessions in their workout.
• Get plenty of rest. Eight hours of sleep is ideal for the young athlete. Lack of sleep and rest can decrease performance. Sluggishness, irritability, and loss of interest could indicate that your child is fatigued.

Chiropractic Care Can Help

Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can provide advice on sports training, nutrition, and injury prevention to young athletes.  When an athlete sustains an injury, a doctor of chiropractic can help speed recovery and instruct the young athlete on how to avoid a repeat injury.

Doctors of chiropractic are also certified to perform school spots physicals.  If you have questions about your young athlete and how to help them perform better or stay injury free, talk to one of the doctors at Minser Chiropractic today!

 

Why Your Child Should See a Chiropractor

Why do millions of parents bring their children to a chiropractor each year? Is it only for when your child is hurting or for highly dramatic health conditions? Not at all!

More parents are bringing their children to chiropractors for day-to-day health conditions like colds, sore throats, ear infections, colic, asthma, bed wetting, falls, stomach aches, and the other thousand things that children go through as they grow up.

It’s important to understand that chiropractic is not a treatment for disease. Its purpose is to reduce nerve system stress, a serious and often painless condition most children (and adults) experience quite frequently.

Nerve system stress interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system which can weaken internal organs, reduce healing potential and set the stage for sickness.

Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even ‘natural’ birthing methods can stress an infant’s spine and developing nerve system.

The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal misalignment can be the cause of many newborn health complaints.

When a chiropractor frees the nervous system from spinal stress, the healing power of the body is unleashed, immune system works more efficiently, and your child’s body functions more effectively.

Chiropractic adjustments are modified to fir a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing structure. In fact, the pressure a chiropractor uses to adjust an infant is a similar pressure to that when you test a tomato to see if it’s ripe.

Has your family has experienced the may benefits of chiropractic care?

Natural Ways to Help Kids with ADHD/ADD

Many kids suffer with some variation of an attention disorder. Parents look to medical professionals for help with their children, even chiropractors! Here are a few natural methods that can help kids with ADD/ADHD

Nutritional Support:

• PhytoMulti Kids–Great multivitamin with added phytonutrients. It contains 16 essential vitamins and minerals and 9 fruit and vegetable extracts to promote overall health and well-being.  It includes Vitamin B6, and iron, which have been found to be beneficial for normal brain development and function, as well as zinc, which regulates the activity of neurotransmitters, fatty acids, and melatonin for behavior.
• Essential Fatty Acids (Fish Oils)–Fatty acids play a key role in normal brain function, particularly in cognitive and behavioral function. Research has found that boys with lower level of fatty acids had more learning and behavioral problems compared to boys with normal fatty acid levels.
• MindCare–An herbal formula designed specifically to help students with their academic performance. It can also help with occasional forgetfulness, attention deficit, aggressive behavior, and mental fatigue.
• Vitamin D–This vitamin plays an important role in healthy neurological function and immune health. It should be taken as Vitamin D3, which is the active form of Vitamin D, to deliver the health benefits associated with Vitamin D.
• Probiotic–A daily probiotic, such as UltraFlora Children’s, provides friendly strains of bacteria that support both the immune system and the digestive system.
• Attencia–A supplement formulated to promote attention, cognitive performance, and focus with a blend of coffee bean extract and guarana extract combined with theanine, zinc, and fatty acids.
• Bach Rescue Remedy Pastilles–This is a combination of 5 of the Original Bach Flower Remedies taken to restore emotional balance and is helpful to use in times of stress, emotional upheaval, and trauma. It works by addressing emotional imbalances to help maintain emotional and physical well-being.

Dietary Restrictions: Research has shown that children who may be sensitive to certain foods and additives may have issues associated with ADD/ADHD.  It is recommended to remove artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors from the diet.  Corn, wheat, milk, and soy removed from the diet may also improve the symptoms of ADD/ADHD.

Chiropractic Care

• Chiropractic looks to optimize the nervous system by correcting subluxations, which may be causing interference to the nerves. When a subluxation is corrected by a chiropractic adjustment, neurological function is improved, and learning and behavioral impairments seen in children with ADD/ADHD may also improve.

Craniosacral Therapy

• Craniosacral therapy can have a positive effect on both brain and spinal cord function and looks to balance and release any restrictions of the movement of fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Stressful events, such as birth trauma, whiplash, or head and neck injuries can cause strain on the bones of the skull.  This is a gentle hands-on technique that helps promote movement of those fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Tui Na Massage

• It is a therapeutic form of massage based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has been around for over 2,000 years. It uses massage techniques such as gliding, kneading, pulling, rolling or tapping to help promote the balance of energy in the body.  A thirty minute session with a massage therapist can be beneficial for any age, from infancy to adults and can create a feeling of relaxation and well-being.

Here at Minser Chiropractic Clinic, we offer all of the above products and services that help kids with attention disorders. If you have any questions about these products or services please reach out to us!

Asthma and Chiropractic

Did you know between 10 and 20 million people in North America has asthma? Asthma cases have increased by more than 60% since the early 1980’s with asthma related deaths doubling to 5,000 a year.

Asthma is seen more often in children than adults and is a principle cause of kids missing school. Fortunately children with asthma respond very well to chiropractic care. Chiropractic adjustments are very safe for children of all ages!

There is a strong link between people who suffer from childhood asthma and nerve interference from subluxations. Subluxations are when bones of the spine put pressure on or irritate nerves causing abnormal nerve function.

Chiropractic adjustments may help reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. The goal of chiropractic care is to reduce asthma sufferer’s need to rely on the many medications prescribed and to prevent and treat the symptoms of asthma.

These medications, or combinations of medications, can have many troublesome and even dangerous side effects, including making patients increasingly dependent on ever-larger doses.

Preventing asthma attacks is the key to living a normal life in spit of having asthma. In practical day-to-day quality of life terms, stopping asthma attacks before they start is better than taking medications to stop the attack and restore pre-attack normality.

The correction of vertebral subluxations could reduce or eliminate the need for medication and potentially easy the severity of the asthmatic condition.

If you have questions about asthma and chiropractic care, get in touch with one of our doctors!

Nighttime Snacking

It’s pretty common to crave a quick snack right before bedtime. Instead of grabbing ice cream or a bag of potato chips, choose nighttime snacks that are healthier while filling you up!

• Popcorn– If you enjoy salty, crunchy snacks, popcorn is a great alternative to chips. You can eat it plain or add some flavor by sprinkling low-calorie seasonings like lemon-pepper, paprika, or garlic powder.
• Fruit– Great for satisfying the sweet tooth. Dried fruit is also an option, but try not to overdo it. Dried fruits tend to have high sugar content.
• Roasted Nuts– This is another option for snackers who prefer salty foods. You can add a few chocolate chips in the mix to help satisfy that sweet tooth.
• Veggies and Hummus– Dip a few carrots or celery sticks in some creamy hummus for a snack that’s high in protein and fiber.
• Cereal with Milk– Cereal isn’t only for breakfast! Choose a whole grain cereal and low fat milk for a filling snack. Try to stay away from the sugary cereals, instead sprinkle in some berries or chocolate chips on your own.
• Soup– Broth based soups are easy to digest and the warmth can be soothing right before bed.

These are all great nighttime snacks for both adults and kids! Lead by example for children by making an effort to eat healthier for all meals and snacks.