Chiropractic care at Giles Chiropractic in Napa can be beneficial for people of all ages. From infants to senior citizens, chiropractic care can help realign the spine and joints, so that the body can function properly. Pediatric chiropractic care is a specialized form of care that requires a softer touch and a firm understanding of pediatrics. Fortunately, Dr. Kristen Giles, DC has been providing pediatric chiropractic adjustments to children for several years.
At Giles Chiropractic in Napa, our pediatric chiropractic care has helped children who experience symptoms from several medical conditions, including:
Are you a stressed parent looking for answers? Are you being pressured to medicate your child? Is your child disruptive in the classroom or at home? So, what should the parents do?
Our approach to ADHD is natural and drug-free. And numerous parents are looking for this option because conventional medicinal treatment normally involves prescribing Schedule II drugs. Schedule II drugs are defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration as drugs that have a high potential for abuse and may lead to severe dependence. Drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall, have intense side effects that can permanently alter the brain function. No wonder this is a point of contention for parents.
Although research is still ongoing to identify the different causes of ADHD, health professionals can agree that there is a neurological component. First and foremost, our approach checks the nervous system for interference. If there is any type of distortion or irritation, neurological symptoms such as ADHD may result. One common problem is known as subluxation. Subluxation occurs when bones of the spine move out of normal alignment and cause stress or irritation to the spinal cord and/or nerves. It is important to rule out subluxation as a cause of your child's ADHD.
This same interference to the nervous system can cause other symptoms such as depression, learning disabilities, conduct disorders, and anxiety disorders.
For some individuals, it's that easy. For others, we must dig a little deeper for answers. After checking the function of the nerve system, we also investigate other factors like nutrition, inflammatory response, and toxicity. We have found the answers for many Napa families.
Cervical Kyphosis is a Possible Link to Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder
A 5-year-old patient was diagnosed with ADHD and treated by a pediatrician unsuccessfully with methylphenidate (Ritalin), Adderall, and Haldol for 3 years. The patient received 35 chiropractic treatments during the course of 8 weeks. A change from a 12 degrees C2-7 kyphosis to a 32 degrees C2-7 lordosis was observed after treatment. During chiropractic care, the child's facial tics resolved and his behavior vastly improved. After 27 chiropractic visits, the child's pediatrician stated that the child no longer exhibited symptoms of ADHD. The changes in structure and function may be related to the correction of cervical kyphosis.
The Chiropractic Care of Children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity
Pediatric patients (aged less than or equal to 18 years old) attending chiropractic care for a minimum period of five months following a medical diagnosis of ADHD were included in this review. This review found four patient files satisfying the inclusion criteria. All patients were males, ranging in age from nine to 13 years (mean age, 10 years), with three patients having a history of medication use and two patients using prescribed medication at the start of chiropractic care. Using a 15-item parent/teacher ADHD questionnaire, the patients' responses to chiropractic care were monitored. Using the Friedman test to compare observations repeated on the same subjects, our findings found improvement in ADHD symptoms (i.e., hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness, as well as behavioral, social, or emotional difficulties) and provide supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic in the treatment of children with ADHD.
An unprecedented number of Americans are suffering with Asthma. In children, it is ranked as the most common chronic childhood disease! Because of this, Asthma accounts for one-quarter of all visits to the ER, the third ranking cause of hospitalizations and the #1 cause of days missed from school.
With so many children affected, it's unsurprising why there are so many drugs given to help manage Asthma. And yes, I did say manage, because there is no cure!
As I child, I was diagnosed with Sports Induced Asthma. I was put on all sorts of inhalers and pills. I can't recall the names, but I will never forget how they made me feel. And the side effects were evident in how much I was puking after using some of the medications. Now as a parent myself, I can only imagine the struggle my mom went through trying to follow the doctor's orders while watching me struggle with the various side effects of the medications. Luckily, my case was not severe. So, we dealt with it using an inhaler when necessary, and not over-exerting myself during activities.
Now, as a doctor, I've worked with plenty of children with different types and severities of asthma. The majority have seen tremendous results. So, what makes the treatment in my office so successful? The truth is that it's not what I do, but what your body is capable of doing that makes the most impact.
Any anatomy or physiology textbook will tell you that the nerves exiting the spine go directly to the lungs. If the nerve has any pressure or irritation on it, it won’t function properly. This irritation is usually caused by a condition called subluxation. Subluxation occurs when bones of the spine move out of alignment. If we remove the subluxation, then your nervous system is restored to work at 100%. It's really that easy!
In fact, it's so rewarding to explain this concept to 10 year old kids. Every time it reminds me of my story and how I wish someone had explained it that way to my mom or I. We would have been so grateful!
Be sure to listen to testimonials from parents just like you who's children found amazing results.
An Impairment Rating Analysis of Asthmatic Children under Chiropractic Care
Eighty one children under chiropractic care took part in this self-reported asthma related impairment study. The children were assessed before and two months after chiropractic care using an asthma impairment questionnaire. Significantly lower impairment rating scores (improvement) were reported for 90.1% of subjects 60 days after chiropractic care in comparison to their pre-chiropractic scores. In addition, 30.9% of the children voluntarily decreased their dosage of medication by an average of 66.5% while under chiropractic care. Twenty four of the patients who reported asthma attacks 30-days prior to the study had significantly decreased attacks by an average of 44.9%. Six different chiropractic techniques were used by the different chiropractors who participated in this study.
Chiropractic Response in the Pediatric Patient with Asthma: A Pilot Study
This paper reviews the correlation between reducing/correcting vertebral subluxations in the asthmatic pediatric patient utilizing Chiropractic Biophysics Technique (CBP) and symptomology generally associated with this condition. A further objective will be to determine what areas of vertebral subluxation, if any, are commonly seen in this group. The children used for this study had never received any chiropractic care or manipulative care prior to participation in this study. Seven of the eight patients who completed the study were able to reduce/discontinue medication. All participants showed measurable improvement on radiographs, which correlated with an improvement in asthma symptoms in seven of the eight cases. This paper also includes an interesting discussion on the innervations of the lungs and its relationship to the vertebral subluxation complex.
Allergies are a response from your immune system as a reaction to a foreign substance entering your body. This includes bacteria, dust, pollen, drugs, tumors, food, viruses, and foreign objects (except metal and plastic). In other words, allergies are good because your body is working the way it was designed.
Allergies are quite common in children because their immune system has not fully developed. Children have not created a "library" of allergy responses - meaning that once your body develops a response to a particular allergen, it uses that previous experience next time that it encounters the same allergen. Which is why some children grow out of their allergies, or the allergy is not as bad on subsequent exposures.
When your body under-reacts, you may be susceptible to infections, or your body may even start attacking healthy cells - which is the case with autoimmune diseases.
Allergies are very common in children because their immune systems have not fully developed. Children have not created a "library" of allergy responses - meaning that once your body develops a response to a particular allergen, it uses that previous experience next time that it encounters the same allergen. This is why some children grow out of their allergies, or the allergy is not as bad on subsequent exposures.
What if you could have a higher functioning immune system? Would that help to decrease allergies? The answer is YES! And today, people of all ages are finding results with allergies using chiropractic care. The approach is to find where the nervous system (which controls 100% of immune function) has interference. By removing the interference or Subluxation, the immune system can function as it should.
Clinical studies have shown that breastfed babies have fewer allergy problems than formula-fed babies. Non-breastfed babies also have a higher incidence of more severe infections.
Canadian researcher Lorne Brandes, in the May 1994 edition Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found that certain antihistamines (Claritin, Hismanal, and AtaraXT) make cancerous tumors grow faster in lab rodents.