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Children, ADHD, and Sensory Disorders


It is any parent’s greatest wish to see their children happy and healthy. There is nothing more joyful than seeing a carefree, innocent smile light up your child’s face. Read more

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Children, ADHD, and Sensory Disorders

April 30, 2013 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP ADHD, Brain, Children, Chiropractic, Wellness Leave a comment  

It is any parent’s greatest wish to see their children happy and healthy. There is nothing more joyful than seeing a carefree, innocent smile light up your child’s face. We love our children so much, and we never want to see them hurt or sick. There are far too many children who struggle with their health and performance. ADHD and related disorders are an increasing epidemic that children and families struggle to overcome every day.

ADHD and sensory disorders are primarily neurological in nature. Similar to a car, the neurological system has a “gas pedal” and a “brake pedal.” A person can develop a functional imbalance of the brain and nervous system, but this imbalance can often be partially or completely corrected. An accumulation of physical, chemical, and emotional stressors can cause someone to become stuck in the gas mode, without the brakes engaging. Physical stressors include high-intervention pregnancy and delivery, intrauterine constraint, car accidents, falls, and other traumas. In 2008, the British Medical Journal noted that children with head injury or burn injury were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD by age 10.

Children with a diagnosis of ADHD, ADD, or autism spectrum disorder are often locked in a “fight or flight” state. Due to their altered brain function, they are easily over-stimulated by people, noise, lights, and even their own clothing. This may lead to a separate diagnosis such as SPD, or sensory processing (formerly integration) disorder. Often a child with ADHD/ADD also has headaches, postural problems like slouching, sleep disorders, and difficulty with managing emotions. The child’s symptoms can be very disruptive for families and cause poor performance in school, reducing a child’s potential to be their best.

Healthcare providers understand that neurological integrity plays a significant role in children’s learning and behavioral patterns. Doctors of chiropractic offer a non-drug and non-invasive alternative for people with ADHD and spectrum disorders that targets the underlying problems, not just the symptoms. Chiropractic care is designed to rebalance, calm, and organize the nervous system, so the function of body and brain both improve. Many parents have noted that their child’s medical diagnosis is downgraded or removed completely once they begin a program of chiropractic care.

Most people are familiar with the hands-on chiropractic adjustments that intend to create motion in joints. The key difference with our office is that adjustments are made with a gentle, low-force mechanical impulse device. Our protocol recommends that a person be adjusted differently every visit. This breaks the nervous system out of its unhealthful patterns and creates the potential for continuous improvements in body function and state of well-being. Regardless of the chiropractor’s technique, a gentle modified approach is always used, and children typically love to get adjusted.

If you are a parent concerned about your child’s health, please understand that there is hope. Restoring neurological integrity through chiropractic care may be the missing piece of the puzzle for your child. Call our office today at 651-757-5096 for a complimentary consultation. There is nothing that brings us more joy than seeing a child increase their vitality and capability. Our goal, like yours, is to maximize children’s potential to be their best.


Raising Healthier Children

November 7, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Babies, Balanced living, Children, Chiropractic, Medicine, Research, Wellness Leave a comment  

I would like to review a paper titled “A Comparative Study of the Health Status of Children Raised Under the Health Care Models of Chiropractic and Traditional Medicine.” This study was printed in the summer 1989 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Research.

Two hundred pediatricians and two hundred chiropractors were surveyed as to the health of their children. The results of this survey indicate a clear correlation between chiropractic care and superior health. According too the study, the pediatricians’ children had an ear infection rate of 80%, while chiropractors’ children only had an ear infection rate of 30%. As far as tonsillitis was concerned, 43% of pediatricians’ children and 26% of chiropractors’ children were affected. Regarding antibiotic usage, 89% of pediatricians’ children and 50% of chiropractors’ children had ever been on antibiotics.

In my opinion these results are by no means a surprise to anyone who understands basic chiropractic principles. Every function of the body, including the immune system, is under control of the nervous system.. This statement is fact, based on pure anatomical science, plain and simple. If there is any interference in the nervous system, the body cannot function at 100% The further below 100% function, the less healthy a person is.

A chiropractor’s job is simple: remove nerve interference by adjusting the spine. How do you know if you or your children have nerve interference? The obvious answer is when you are sick and your body is not functioning properly. But what if you are not sick and do not have any symptoms? The only way to know if you have nerve interference is to be checked by a doctor of chiropractic. Many offices now have technology called computerized infrared thermal scanners. These instruments conduct a completely harmless, non-invasive test that assesses the body for nerve interference.

Remember this, a body with nerve interference is like an unplugged refrigerator filled with food. On the outside, everything looks just fine. But on the inside, the food is starting to spoil. Please avoid letting your insides spoil by getting regular chiropractic wellness adjustments.


ADHD and Spectrum Disorders: Restoring the Neurological Connection

September 7, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP ADHD, Babies, Balanced living, Brain, Children, Chiropractic, Healing, Posture, Pregnancy, Spine, Stress, Wellness Leave a comment  

It is any parent’s greatest wish to see their children happy and healthy. There is nothing more joyful than seeing a carefree, innocent smile light up your child’s face. We love our children so much, and we never want to see them hurt or sick. There are far too many children who struggle with their health and performance. ADHD and related disorders are an increasing epidemic that children and families struggle to overcome every day.

ADHD and spectrum disorders are primarily neurological in nature. Similar to a car, the neurological system has a “gas pedal” and a “brake pedal.” A person can develop a functional imbalance of the brain and nervous system, but this imbalance can often be partially or completely corrected. An accumulation of physical, chemical, and emotional stressors can cause someone to become stuck in the gas mode, without the brakes engaging. Physical stressors include high-intervention pregnancy and delivery, intrauterine constraint, car accidents, falls, and other traumas. In 2008, the British Medical Journal noted that children with head injury or burn injury were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD by age 10.

Children with a diagnosis of ADHD, ADD, or autism spectrum disorder are often locked in a “fight or flight” state. Due to their altered brain function, they are easily over-stimulated by people, noise, lights, and even their own clothing. This may lead to a separate diagnosis such as SPD, or sensory processing (formerly integration) disorder. Often a child with ADHD/ADD also has headaches, postural problems like slouching, sleep disorders, and difficulty with managing emotions. The child’s symptoms can be very disruptive for families and cause poor performance in school, reducing a child’s potential to be their best.

Healthcare providers understand that neurological integrity plays a significant role in children’s learning and behavioral patterns. Doctors of chiropractic offer a non-drug and non-invasive alternative for people with ADHD and spectrum disorders that targets the underlying problems, not just the symptoms. Chiropractic care is designed to rebalance, calm, and organize the nervous system, so the function of body and brain both improve. Many parents have noted that their child’s medical diagnosis is downgraded or removed completely once they begin a program of chiropractic care.


Growing Healthy Kids

March 28, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP ADHD, Asthma, Babies, Children, Chiropractic, Digestive Health, Immune System, Medicine, Research, Spine, Wellness Leave a comment  

Every parent wants to grow a happy, healthy child that lives up to their potential. But the stresses of life can keep this from happening. Many problems in children and teenagers can be traced back to a difficult birth process. If a newborn’s head is pulled or twisted during delivery, they can develop spinal misalignments. This distorts the infant’s nerve system function, resulting in motor control issues like torticollis, or digestive issues like acid reflux, colic, and constipation. These issues often clear up after a course of gentle chiropractic care.

Nerve system malfunction (subluxation) frequently results in chronic ear infections. In preschool or elementary school, subluxation can cause problems like asthma, ADHD, emotional difficulties, and learning difficulties. The goal of chiropractic care is to treat nerve system malfunction so the body can return to normal function. Ideally, children will never develop the health problems that held back their parents and grandparents. Childhood should be spent enjoying life, not managing chronic health conditions.

In 1989, a survey of the children of chiropractors and medical doctors showed striking differences between the two health care approaches. Chiropractors’ children showed stronger immune systems than medical doctors’ children. Regarding ear infections (otitis media), 80% of medical doctors’ children suffered from this problem, while only 21% of chiropractors’ children had ear infections. For medical doctors’ children, 88% had taken antibiotics, but only 51% of chiropractors’ children had.

It is easier (and cheaper) to grow healthy kids than to fix damaged adults.


Natural Options for Ear Infections

March 7, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Babies, Children, Chiropractic, Immune System, Wellness 2 Comments

Would you prefer natural health care for ear infections in babies and children? A 1997 study of 332 children with otitis media showed remarkable results. All children were between 27 days and 5 years of age. Children were categorized into four groups, depending on the type of otitis media they presented with. Each child received 4-6 chiropractic adjustments and was monitored for 6 months after initial care. Six months later, between 70-89 percent of the children had no recurrence of ear infections. This study supported a 1996 report of 93% improvement in ear infection symptoms after chiropractic care, typically a 6-visit care plan, in the same age group.

It is important to note that chiropractic is not a “treatment” for ear infections. The intention of chiropractic care is to address the spinal and meningeal structures to reduce impediments to nerve system function. If the nerves to the inner ear and Eustachian tubes are communicating properly, these structures will drain efficiently, and fluid will not build up in the inner ear. This makes children less susceptible to having a cold develop into an ear infection. Parents also find that children under regular chiropractic care bounce back more quickly from illness. If you have ever seen an adult get a chiropractic adjustment, it is nothing like an infant adjustment. For babies, chiropractors use the pressure you would apply to test a tomato for ripeness.

According to AskDrSears.com, indications of an ear infection include 2 or more of these symptoms:

  1. Cold symptoms – keep in mind that ear infections are almost always preceded by a cold. Often a clear runny nose will turn yellow or green before an ear infection sets in.
  2. Fussiness during the day or night
  3. Complaining of ear pain or hearing loss
  4. Night-waking more frequently
  5. Unwillingness to lie flat
  6. Fever – usually low grade (101º – 102º); may not have a fever.
  7. Sudden increase in fussiness during a cold
  8. Ear drainage – if you see blood or pus draining out of the ear, then it is probably an infection with a ruptured eardrum. These almost always heal just fine.

Your child is unlikely to have an ear infection if they have no symptoms of a cold, unless they have had a diagnosed ear infection in the past without a cold. If your child is less than 12 months old, they are unable to precisely localize their ear pain. Infants cannot tell that the pain associated with teething is coming from their ears, or from their jawbones and teeth. The pain of teething comes and goes from about four months of age until the two-year molars have emerged. Infants may also tug or bat at their ears because they enjoy playing with these strange, floppy appendages. Infants interact with the world primarily on a physical level, so sticking their finger in their ear may be exploration, not a distress signal.


Sick Children Should Stay Home, and Do What Exactly?

February 15, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Balanced living, Children, Healing, Immune System, Medicine, Wellness 1

One of our biggest delusions about health is that if you have a symptom, you should suppress it. If you’ve ever had food poisoning, your body was doing its darnedest to protect you from harm. The results were not pleasant, of course. But think about the alternative. Would it have been better to shut down your digestive system completely and keep poisonous food inside you?

What about a fever? It doesn’t feel good to be feverish, and no parent wants to see their child suffering. But the increased heat during a fever has a purpose: to destroy bacteria and viruses. If the body is forced to cool down, infections take longer to clear. Putting the brakes on the immune system forces it to become hypersensitive in order to continue its activities of surveillance and destruction. Would you prefer an unbalanced immune system, or a well-balanced immune system?

The fact is, a healthier body is more expressive. If you encounter tainted food or a germ that needs to be destroyed, you won’t feel fantastic. And that is okay. There is a euphemism in our office to describe this: “expressing health in an unpleasant way.”

Do you expect that you will never experience discomfort? That you should never go to bed early “just because” you feel like you’re coming down with a cold? How disconnected we are from ourselves! The spark behind this post was a TV ad for a children’s fever reducer. The little girl was at home sick, but because of her fever-reducing medication, she was able to play, read, and be active all day. Common sense tells us she would be better off sleeping, to let her body’s natural defenses work. Instead, we are exposed to the lie that even children are “too busy” to take time for healing.


Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin D

February 9, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Babies, Balanced living, Bone Health, Brain, Children, Healing, Medicine, Nutrition, Research, Supplements, Wellness 3 Comments

Would you trust a nutrient with 3000 cancer studies under its belt? In 2009, a very ambitious research team reviewed these studies. Here’s what they found: we could prevent 100,000 people worldwide from developing cancer every year, if we increased our vitamin D intake. They identified ten different ways that vitamin D fights cancer. What a productive little multitasker!

Everyone should know these things about vitamin D:

  1. About 70 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. “Deficiency” means a blood level less than 30 ng/mL, which is based on preventing bone disorders like rickets.
  2. Vitamin D deficiency has no typical symptoms. Like blood pressure, you need to have it measured.
  3. Many chronic illnesses are connected to vitamin D deficiency: heart disease, Alzheimer’s, depression, Type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic colds and flu, and several types of cancer.
  4. Your skin produces vitamin D from cholesterol if you are exposed to sunlight, but sunscreen will stop you from making vitamin D.
  5. The most recent preventive medicine studies suggest that a blood level of 50-80 ng/mL is associated with much lower risk of chronic illness.
  6. In the northern United States, it is almost impossible to get enough vitamin D from sunlight and foods alone.
  7. Children can easily take vitamin D supplements in liquid form.
  8. You need vitamin D to get calcium from food into your blood, and you need vitamin K2 to transfer calcium from your blood into your bones.
  9. You can request a vitamin D test at your annual physical.
  10. Vitamin D can also be measured in a 5-minute appointment, taking two drops of blood from your fingertip.

Our office carries the world’s premier vitamin D supplement with 3000 IU per serving of vitamin D. The formula also includes vitamin K2, vitamin A, and a blend of immune-supporting, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as turmeric, beta glucan, and grape seed extract. We also provide fingerprick testing for vitamin D.

What gets measured gets managed. How are you managing your family’s plan for creating wellness?


Cheap or Free: The Show-Off Vitamin

December 21, 2011 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Bone Health, Children, Digestive Health, Healing, Immune System, Nutrition, Research, Supplements, Wellness 1

Would you trust a nutrient with 3000 cancer studies under its belt? In 2009, a very ambitious research team reviewed these studies. Here’s what they found: we could prevent 100,000 people from developing cancer every year, if we increased our vitamin D intake. They identified ten different ways that vitamin D fights cancer. What a productive little multitasker!

We need vitamin D to absorb calcium from our intestines. It regulates more than 200 unique human genes. When vitamin D isn’t preventing cancer, it’s helping our bodies build bones, prevent heart disease, and fight cold/flu bugs. Okay, now vitamin D is just being a show-off. We have two options for getting more D: cheap (less than $10/month) or free (sunlight).

If you like it cheap:  The U.S. RDA for vitamin D intake, 600 IU, is intended to build bone, not to prevent chronic illnesses. It is almost impossible to get enough vitamin D through fortified foods alone. For this reason, we may need to take at least 2000 IU per day of vitamin D3. It’s widely available in tablet or liquid form.

If you like it free: Sunlight produces vitamin D in unprotected skin at a phenomenally high rate. Get 10 minutes of unprotected sun exposure each day in the summer. In Minnesota, we need 20 minutes or more in the winter months, and most of us need to supplement with vitamin D3 (see above).

The most recent research indicates that 40-60 ng/mL is the optimal level of vitamin D in your blood. The blood test for vitamin D may require only a fingerprick and 5 minutes of your time.

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified family chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.


Kids and Chiropractic

December 7, 2011 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP ADHD, Asthma, Babies, Children, Chiropractic, Medicine, Research, Stress, Wellness 6 Comments

Every parent wants to grow a happy, healthy child that lives up to their potential. But the stresses of life can keep this from happening. Many problems in children and teenagers can be traced back to a difficult birth process. If a newborn’s head is pulled or twisted during delivery, they can develop spinal misalignments. This distorts the infant’s nerve system function, resulting in motor control issues like torticollis, or digestive issues like acid reflux, colic, and constipation. These issues often clear up after a course of gentle chiropractic care.

Nerve system malfunction (subluxation) frequently results in chronic ear infections. In preschool or elementary school, subluxation can cause problems like asthma, ADHD, emotional difficulties, and learning difficulties. The goal of chiropractic care is to treat nerve system malfunction so the body can return to normal function. Ideally, children will never develop the health problems that held back their parents and grandparents. Childhood should be spent enjoying life, not managing chronic health conditions.

 Kids enjoy getting adjusted while cuddling with mom or dad.

In 1989, a survey of the children of chiropractors and medical doctors showed striking differences between the two health care approaches. Chiropractic children showed stronger immune systems than medical children. Regarding ear infections (otitis media), 80% of medical children suffered from this problem, while only 21% of chiropractic children had ear infections. For medical children, 88% had taken antibiotics, but only 51% of chiropractic children had.

Safe. Natural. Effective. What more could a parent want for their child’s health care?

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.


We Can’t Afford to Be Sick

November 2, 2011 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP ADHD, Aging, Balanced living, Children, Medicine, Research, Wellness Leave a comment  

We will pay for our health, whether it is good or bad. It just depends when you want to spend the money. Investing small amounts in health-enhancing activities can offset an expensive health crisis down the road. It’s no secret that health care costs are increasing. Most illness in this country can be prevented through improving lifestyle. Before this post starts to seem too preachy, let’s look at some facts:

  • An American couple retiring today at age 65 will need $230,000 in the bank to pay for medical costs, not including long-term care.
  • If we spread out the costs of the top 10 chronic illnesses among everyone, a family of four pays $30,000 per year.

Now let’s talk about the next generation.

  • 500,000 children are taking antipsychotic medications, with 1 in 10 10-year-old boys taking daily stimulant drugs for ADHD symptom control.
  • 1 in 6 children are diagnosed with a developmental disability (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or other physical challenge).

What treatments and therapies will these children need as adults, and how much will that cost? Keep these concepts in mind as you consider the costs of investing in your health. What could you do with an extra $30,000 per year?

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.


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