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

Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Disorders


Your gastrointestinal system is an incredible design. It contains endocrine (hormonal) and immune system cells. It cooperates with beneficial bacteria to break down food and protect against harmful pathogens. Read more

Colorado Trip, October 2012

Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Uncategorized Leave a comment  

I spent a few days on vacation this month in Colorado visiting friends. My partners in crime included a dear friend that I’ve known since we played an alto saxophone duet in high school, her family, and their cat. When there are 3 kids and a cat in the house, you can bet there will be good times ahead! The weather was lovely, and my friend and I escaped to a little mountain town with no agenda other than to amuse ourselves. We hiked a bit, ate “cheat food” at a mom-and-pop restaurant and enjoyed every bite.

In my mind, a successful vacation includes these elements:

  1. Good friends and/or family – check!
  2. Constant supply of hot tea; I am trying to figure out where in our kitchen to put one of those “brews coffee and tea in 30 seconds” contraptions.
  3. Easy access to outstanding Japanese, Thai and/or Indian food; it helps that my friend lives in a metro area with wonderful restaurants.
  4. Production of new inside jokes; this trip produced one grocery-store-themed and two cat-themed jokes (see above).

Recharging our batteries and having a change of scenery is good for the soul. Thanks for reading!


Blood pressure and chiropractic care?

Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Chiropractic, Healing, Research, Spine, Uncategorized, Wellness Leave a comment  

Researchers at the Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center are reporting stunning reductions in the blood pressure of patients afflicted with hypertension following simple and painless chiropractic care.

In the study – published in the March 2, 2007, issue of The Journal of Human Hypertension and featured on WebMD – 50 patients with hypertension were divided into two groups of 25 each.  One group of 25 received a specific light force chiropractic adjustment (administered by a chiropractor) to the atlas vertebra (uppermost bone in the neck).  This vertebra holds up the head and only relies on soft tissue to maintain alignment.  Misalignment, also known as subluxation, usually goes undiagnosed and causes no pain or discomfort. The other group of 25 received a similar procedure but with no adjustment being given. Researchers called this procedure the “sham adjustment.” Since the type of adjustment given was very light force, the patients involved in this study did not know if they were receiving the real or sham adjustments.

After 8 weeks of care, the 25 people in the group receiving the real chiropractic adjustments all showed a significant reduction in blood pressure compared to the group that received the sham adjustment. Those patients who got the real adjustment showed an average of 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure count), and an average of 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure number) over those who got the fake or sham adjustment.

As noted by the chiropractor who performed on the study team, at the base of the brain are two centers that control all the muscles of the body. If you pinch the base of the brain – if the atlas gets locked in a position as little as a half a millimeter out of line – it doesn’t cause any pain but it upsets these centers.

 The study leader reported that the procedure had the effect of not one, but two, blood pressure medications given in combination.  And his team reported no side effects whatsoever from the adjustment.

Chiropractic care is a maintenance program for the nervous system. If the nervous system is free of stress and operating at peak efficiency, it can lead the body to do incredible things. The human body is the greatest technology on today’s market - let’s take good care of it.

www.vitallifechiropractic.com


Symptoms: Good or Bad?

Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Balanced living, Healing, Immune System, Uncategorized, Wellness Leave a comment  

From an early age, we are taught that symptoms should be suppressed. In many cases, symptoms are what we feel and see as the body is working to heal itself and restore balance. These are the benefits of some common symptoms:

Fever – Kills and inhibits bacteria and viruses

Coughing, Sneezing, and Runny Nose – Expel germs and toxins

Diarrhea – Eliminates toxins and germs from your blood

Headache – Warns that there is an urgent problem in the body

Pain and Stiffness – Act as a natural brace by restricting movement

Most of us grew up in an outdated health model, which says that:

  • The body is dumb.
  • Doctors are smart.
  • Symptoms are bad and should be suppressed.

In the emerging model of health care, we have a different understanding:

  • The body is smart.
  • Doctors do not have all the answers.
  • Symptoms are your body’s way of telling you to change what you are doing to it, or they are necessary for the body to heal itself.

 Where does chiropractic fit in? Chiropractic does not treat the symptom or the disease. Chiropractic attempts to remove interference from the body’s expression of its own healing abilities. Chiropractic does not cure the disease, for this can only be accomplished by nature from within.

www.vitallifechiropractic.com


Arthritis and kids: Is this backwards, or what?

Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Bone Health, Children, Chiropractic, Spine, Uncategorized, Wellness Leave a comment  

You are probably wondering why I would connect arthritis to children’s health. The sad reality is that we are now seeing a large number of children with the beginnings of arthritis. A current research study revealed that osteoarthritis can be seen on x-ray in 10 percent of fifteen-year-olds. Were you aware that this condition is so prevalent in children? Why are children being diagnosed with traditionally “adult” diseases, like heart disease and diabetes? And what is a good solution?

Osteoarthritis is a “wear-and-tear” disorder that we believe is an inescapable part of aging. It can be detected in 35 percent of the population by age thirty. By the time someone is seventy years old, this condition seems to be universal. Osteoarthritis and spinal degeneration are characterized by pain, deformity, limited movement and disability. Until recently, any notion of slowing it down, stopping it, or reversing this condition has been looked upon as absolute heresy.

But let me ask you: Why is it that some joints wear out, while others do not? If you have spinal degeneration at one level, why not at all levels? All of your bones are the same age, so they should be wearing out at the same rate, yes? The answer is lack of mobility. If a spinal joint is affected by vertebral subluxation, it is not moving properly. This causes the disc between the bones to shrink, and the body will stabilize the damaged area the only way it can – by laying down extra bone (bone spurs). Like any chronic disorder, this degenerative process will snowball if it is not corrected in an early stage.

Spinal degeneration and osteoarthritis result from years of undetected vertebral subluxation that most likely has its roots in childhood: a fall off the swings or the monkey bars, contact injuries from soccer or football, learning to snowboard or ice skate. We all go to the dentist to identify cavities before they make our teeth fall out. Using the same logic, everyone should have a chiropractic checkup for their spine and nervous system, as part of a 100-year lifestyle! It is my job to keep as many body parts in good working order as possible, for as long as possible. If you want to create a game plan to help your kids age in a normal and healthy way, call our office at 651-757-5096 for a complimentary consultation!


Chiropractic Improves Learning and Speech in Boy, 4

Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Uncategorized Leave a comment  

 A friend remarked to me this morning that every week, I mention something different that chiropractic can help with. Yes – if you improve the function and efficiency of your central processing system (the nervous system), the possibilities for improvements in quality of life are endless. This fantastic case study comes from “Now You Know,” a monthly chiropractic health newsletter. The best part is that positive results appeared after the first adjustment, and as care progressed, the boy expressed further positive changes. His parents and teachers must be amazed at his body’s ability to recover. I too am amazed, but I am not surprised, because I know why chiropractic works. Remove distortions from the nervous system, and watch human potential express itself.

“A case study research article published on November 17, 2009 in the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, documented a case showing improvement in learning disorder and speech delay in a four year old child undergoing chiropractic care to correct vertebral subluxations.

In this case a 4 year old boy was brought to the chiropractor having been diagnosed with a learning disorder and speech delay. The study noted that his speech was so severely impaired that others could not understand him. The boy’s mother reported that her son was not speaking when he started school which caused him much frustration and anger. He was under the care of a speech therapist.

The history in this case revealed that the boy was born by Caesarean section. According to the study he was pulled out by his head and his mother reports that she remembers hearing him crying while he was still inside her.  The boy has one sister with no development issues and has above average intelligence.

The chiropractic examination showed imbalances in his posture and spinal curvatures. X-rays were also performed which confirmed a loss of cervical (neck) curve and vertebral misalignments. The primary diagnosis listed was vertebral subluxation of the top vertebrae in the neck called the Atlas.

The study noted that this patient was seen for a total of 44 visits over an 8 month period. Care initially started with three adjustments per week for 30 days, then followed by two adjustments per week for 30 days and then once weekly thereafter.

The results were startling as immediately following the first adjustment the patient began speaking and putting together full sentences that were coherent and understandable. Additionally, after the first adjustment, the young boy was also able to recognize his written name, which he had never been able to do before. As care continued the boy was able to color with crayons and began to understand and follow verbal directions.

Other improvements noted in this case were that prior to care the boy was fairly emotionless but as care continued he began to smile or cry at appropriate times.  Additionally it was noted that the boy had difficulty standing or lying still prior to the introduction of chiropractic care, but after initiating care he could remain still and undistracted while getting his chiropractic adjustments.”