Malachi's First Adjustment

My son, Malachi, just turned 1 month today, and he just had his first adjustment.  To many, that sounds very early for an adjustment. To me, it was 1 month too late.  The delivery went well, without any apparent trauma or complications.  As a newborn, he showed no signs of any complications either.  Just a couple weeks ago, he gradually began to be irritable.  It became progressive each day, making it more apparent that he was not comfortable and not at all content.  He became more difficult to hold without crying let alone put down by himself, and putting him down for a nap didn't last very long.  The nights become more tiresome and sleepless.  He was even throwing up after a feeding almost once a day and soon became congested with a cold.  Not a happy camper.  We first thought it might be gas, and we bought some drops to help out, but that only made him constipated.  A couple days later, we read some nutritional ways we could help out- by staying away from certain foods that cause gas and keeping him on a more strict feeding schedule.  Those ways seem to give a slight improvement, but he still seemed irritable and so we made the appointment.

We took him in to see my teacher at school, Dr. Watts, who specializes in pediatric care.  She made some spinal adjustments and took an in depth examination and provided some cranial work.  I went in not 100% sure if it would help, but I would have been more at ease knowing he was adjusted and properly functioning.  I drove home from school, to find my son content and happy.  It was like night and day.  The congestion hasn't gone away completely, but I was able to hold him in my arms and watch him stare at me without any look of discomfort or pain.

I don't know why still keep some doubt in the back of my mind.  I guess I keep falling back to the popular phrase, Nothing "seemed" to be wrong . . . not until the crying and fussiness never ended.  He wasn't quite to the point of colicky, but it was frustrating anyway.  However, I have talked with some who have had to deal with colicky and fussy babies.  And what is the usual response to treat? Usually, it's to just wait it out and they will grow out of it.  First off, it has been mine own experience and I have heard several others, if a doctor says about a child, "They will grow out of it" just simply means, "I have no idea and I don't care" and I would run out of that office.  Especially if it is a health issue.  There is a reason why children do things . . . and what a doctor calls, "growing out of it," really is a child adjusting to a problem in which the problem hasn't gone away, but rather the child has seemed to find away around the problem in their own unique way.  If a doctor told me that Malachi was just fussy and he will "grow out of it,", Malachi would have been left untreated when obviously there was something wrong and could be treated.  I just read in the book, A Well Adjusted Baby, that chiropractic adjustments have a 94% success rate for colicky babies (And yet people are told to wait it out).

I just wanted to share this experience, since it does help illustrate a good point about health care.  Most people think of chiropractors treating older people who are ailing from sickness and bone misalignments.  The elderly need the care for sure, but we need to stop thinking about treating people with what they are ailing from, and start treating people with preventive care.  This goes to all the medical and health care world.  This starts with our children.  Health care starts from the womb, even before the baby is born.  And when the baby is born, don't you think there is trauma that occurs, even in a simple, uncomplicated birth? Oh, there is plenty and a simple birth is rare these days.  Think of all the births that have complications, c-sections, labors being induced.  Think of all the babies being pulled and yanked out.  Birth is not a pretty site, and with all that trauma, don't you think it would be beneficial to get that child functioning properly and in good alignment from the beginning?  I would hope so.

Middle Ear Infection

There are some great pediatric information out there when it comes to natural homeopathic care.  When it comes to little kids, it scares me when medication or surgery is mentioned as primary care when there are several more options out there and more likely a solution.  I hope to learn and share much more on pediatric care in the future

Question:  What is the most common condition that I child is taken to see a doctor?
Answer:  Middle Ear Infection
Question:  What is often given for this condition?
Answer:  Antibiotics
Question:  What is the most effective care for an ear infection
Answer:  Chiropractic care

I just put that Q/A to show that for the most common condition, the wrong solution (or at least the least effective solution) is given when chiropractic care is proven to be most effective.  And I would like to share how.  There are 4 causes for a middle ear infection.

1. Infection - this can be bacterial or viral
2. Allergy - Dairy is #1 cause (surprise, surprise)
3. Mechanical Obstruction - either a blocked Eustachian tube which can cultivate an infection, or a blocked nerve supply which can decrease resistance to an infection
4. Poor Nutrition - kids are eating too much sugar and fatty acids which feeds infections

So lets look at the usual solution- Antibiotics.  There are a few things to understand about antibiotics.

1. They get overused - I am not against antibiotics as long as they are used at necessary times.  Unfortunately, antibiotics are overused and dramatically lose there effectiveness.  This overuse can create resistance from pathogens, and it may work once or twice, but they then will lead to recurrent infections.  The pathogen will gain resistance making harder for our body to fight the infection.
2. They effect the immune system -   I'm looking for the right words to explain this, but simply they weaken our immune system.  Our immune system is a progressing, intelligent system that defends our body from pathogens.  Our own immune system has the capability to fight off most infections.  And each time it fights off a pathogen, it recognizes and has the capability to always fight off that pathogen, and progresses and becomes stronger.  If we never allow our immune system to function as it should, by taking antibiotics all the time, our own defense will be weakened.
3. They provide an infectious environment - Antibiotics also have a negative result that can have serious complications if we are not careful.  Yes, they do kill off the bacteria, but they kill all bacteria in the process.  The good and the bad.  First off, we need most of the bacteria that is in and on our body.  Not only do they provide nutrients and vitamins that we need and use, they also suppress the bad bacteria or at least keep them contained.  If we kill off the good bacteria with the bad bacteria, it provides an environment for the bad bacteria to later thrive.  If antibiotics are necessary, it is important to take Probiotics afterward to repopulate our body with the good bacteria that is needed.

Understanding the four causes of a middle ear infection, two of them are nutritional factors in which antibiotics have no effect.  Only chiropractic care can effect all areas of concern.  Here are some helpful keys to management

1. Eliminate Dairy and Sugar - this covers the nutritional aspect right off the bat.  We need to eliminate sugar in all times of infections and illness which feeds that pathogen and also suppresses the immune system.  Dairy is also the #1 cause of allergy and often over looked.  It may not be the cause, but it should be one of the first things to look into to see if it may be a factor.  Mothers who are nursing need to be mindful of what they are eating, as it can be passed on to the baby which may be the cause.  What the mother eats can be passed on through her milk within 6 hours.
2. Ear Drop Remedies - There are several home remedies out there.  A couple oils used are often Tea Tree Oil or Grapefruit Seed Extract.  They have similar actions as antibiotics, but there are some differences.  They not only kill off bacteria, but they also support the immune system.  They are not as strong as antibiotics, and so they are not the solution to an infection, but rather a helpful aid to the immune system, helping the body fight off the infection.  Also note that probiotics can be taken as well, even if antibiotics aren't taken.  They still have a great effect in suppressing the growth of the bad bacteria.
3. Chiropractic Adjustment - A chiropractic adjustment has the greatest effect on a middle ear infection than anything else.  And it's not hard to see why.  The nervous system is the master system to the immune system.  If the nervous system is effected, there is a direct correlation to a weakened immune system.  A chiropractic adjustment restores nerve function, thus restrengthening the immune system to properly and efficiently respond to the infection.  Kids respond very well to the adjustment and great results are seen.  I have seen them myself.

If we are to take back our health, our mindset has to change.  The current model is not working.  We are looking for a quick fix.  If we see a bug, we want to kill it.  If we are sick, we want to destroy the illness.  Maybe we need to take a step back.  When taking care of my grass once and fighting off weeds, I was told that the best thing to do is support the grass instead of focusing just on the weeds.  Maybe we need to stop focusing on just the infection, and rather support and have faith in our own innate defense, our immune system.