School's Out, but Our Bodies Keep Working

School may be out for summer, but despite the break, our bodies keep working. Many of us get to enjoy a reprieve from the usual school routine and all the activities that go with it. But not everyone gets the break - and our bodies never do! Some parts of our bodies keeping working, never taking breaks or resting.

One of those body parts is the heart. It stays busy pumping blood to your organs and cells, all day and night, like that pink bunny on the battery commercials that never quits. Likewise, your kidneys keep working. They constantly filter the blood your heart is pumping. Your kidneys filter about a liter of blood per minute!

The next body part that works without ceasing is really two organs: your lungs! You never stop breathing, so your lungs never stop allowing you to breathe oxygen in and carbon dioxide out.

Your ears and nose are two more organs that keep working, all the time. You may not realize it, but they’re hearing and smelling, even when you’re asleep. (It’s also pretty cool that our brains help to filter out some sensory input to help us rest.)

And that brings us to your brain! It’s constantly buzzing with activity, sending and receiving signals throughout your nervous system, and therefore, your entire body. When your nervous system isn’t working at its best, your other organs don’t work as effectively. Your nervous system is the central command center for your body, and it’s so important that most of it is protected by the bones in your skull and spine. This is why proper spine alignment is so important! Vertebral subluxation can keep your nervous system - and whole body - from working at its best.

See also: Give Your Nervous System a Boost for Improved Performance

So, school may be out, but your body will keep working hard all summer. Visit your chiropractor to give your nervous system a boost.

Learn more in our blog, How Chiropractic Adjustments Improve Body Function.

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Read more from ICPA, School’s Out for Summer!

What is Cranial Adjusting?

What is cranial adjusting, and why do we perform it at Inspire Chiropractic?

Cranial adjusting is gentle pressure used to restore proper movement patterns and overall alignment and balance of the cranial bones. Stressors like birth, birth interventions, and falls can cause misalignments for young children. The benefits of cranial adjustment are many, including better sleep, improved breastfeeding, reduced reflux and more.

Watch the video with Dr. Joe to learn more about the reasons why gentle cranial adjustments can help your child with a variety of concerns.

Visit our blog to learn more about chiropractic care for newborns and infants.

Improve Sports Performance and Reduce Injury Through Chiropractic Care

Did you know that over 30 million children play youth sports in America? That’s a lot of kids on fields, courts, and rinks around the country! There’s a lot to gain from participating in youth sports, but those athletes also risk getting hurt each time they play or practice. Fortunately, chiropractic care is an effective way to improve sports performance and reduce injury.

Chiropractic is a safe, gentle way to help your young athletes prevent injuries and even improve their athletic performance.

Reaction time

In fact, a study in the Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation found that athletes who received 12 weeks of chiropractic care showed a 30% improvement in reaction time, versus those without chiropractic care.

Strength

Another study showed a relationship between chiropractic care and strength. That’s important, because greater strength means better performance and less risk of injury. That study, published in Brain Sciences Journal, measured the electrical activity in patients’ arms and legs and found a signifiant increase in cortical drive (and muscle contraction) after the adjustment. In another study on the relationship between strength and chiropractic, researchers saw a an 8% increase in plantar flexor muscle strength in elite taekwondo athletes after a single session of chiropractic care.

Oxygenation

And finally, research published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research concluded that baseball players receiving chiropractic treatments experienced increased capillary counts. This is important to athletes because a higher capillary count leads to oxygen-rich blood flow for good muscle function, performance, and healing.

If you have a child who plays youth sports, there are several things you can help them do to improve sports performance and reduce injury:

1. Get regular chiropractic care

2. Warm up before practice and games

3. Cool down and stretch after practice and games

4. Get plenty of rest

5. Stay hydrated, during and between play

You probably already invest a lot in keeping your kids safe while playing sports they love. You buy mouth guards, helmets, pads and other protective gear, lessons and coaching, and even spend time learning and teaching rules designed to prevent injuries. Why not also invest in regular chiropractic adjustments, as a gentle, effective way to boost your kids’ sports performance and lower their risk of getting hurt?

Chiropractic Care Can Improve Kids’ Balance and Coordination

Balance and coordination are two important gross motor skills in a child's physical development. They allow children to participate in sports and other physical activities and reduce their risk of injury. Balance and coordination also improve a child’s ability to perform everyday tasks. Poor development in these areas, however, can cause physical limitations that lead to low self-esteem and/or feelings of isolation when a child can’t keep up with his or her peers.

Recent research has found that chiropractic care can improve kids’ balance and coordination. 

“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain,” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. “Basic science research shows that the proper functioning of the brain relies on proper structure and movement of the spine from an early age.” 

“It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Coordination and balance disorders may be related to how the entire body communicates with the brain and the most critical area for this is the spine.”

— Dr. Matthew McCoy

Abnormalities in the position of vertebrae can lead to subluxations, which can impact the legs, hands and feet - all necessary for keeping good balance and coordination. These subluxations are what chiropractic doctors work to correct.

While further research is needed, in Dr. McCoy’s study, the parents of a 9-year-old boy were concerned that he had scoliosis. Previous X-rays and an MRI showed several malformations, and he had other health factors, including developmental delays and Klippel-Feil syndrome. His inability to perform coordinated functions affected his daily activities and ultimately impacted his self-confidence. His medical care team had recommended surgery but, after a chiropractic examination, the chiropractor found structural shifts in his head, neck, upper and lower back. Restrictions and muscle tightness were also noted in his neck and low back. Balance assessments and other testing also showed abnormalities. Through chiropractic care, he was able to avoid surgery and experienced improvement in balance and coordination in his daily activities which led to improvement in his self-confidence and social skills. 

How do you know if your child has issues with balance and coordination? 

Some signs to look for include:

• Falling easily or inability to recover quickly from being off balance

• They avoid physical activity

• Delay in reaching certain developmental milestones such as walking

• Less skillful than their peers at physical activities like team sports, bike riding, tennis

In addition to chiropractic care, there are numerous games and activities that can assist with balance and coordination, such as:

• Twister

• Good, old fashioned catch

• Yoga

• Bowling

• Hopscotch

• Crab Walk

• Jumping rope

Our mission is to inspire families to live healthy and happy lives. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.

Make the Most of Back to School

For many of us, returning to school this year feels a lot different than in other years. Returning to the office after working at home for many months may be cause for anxiety, too. These suggestions from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association can help you make the most of back to school this year - and every year! They’re written with kids in mind, but getting back to these basics may help everyone in the house make the transition back to school or work an easier one.

Strengthen Your Kindness Muscles

This year more than ever, your fellow students may experience back to school jitters. Be kind and helpful whenever possible. There’s never been a better time to follow the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Appreciate Diversity

Not everyone is like you. In fact, even though you and your friends may have a lot in common, even they aren’t exactly like you. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, gifts and challenges. If we were all the same, life would be pretty boring. Try to appreciate the things about others that are different than you.

Think Your Happy Thoughts

If you do get anxious or worried about something, take a few deep breaths and think about the things that make you happy. Worrying never solved a single problem but staying calm, cool, and collected has.

Talk About Your Concerns

Of course, if something continues to bother you, be sure to talk to your parents and/or teachers about it. They can help you sort out what the issue is and figure out what you can do about it.

Smile

Yes, we live in a crazy mixed-up world, but listen, no one expects you to save the world. So, the pressure is off. Do your best, make friends, try new things, smile, and have fun. That will be enough.

Remember that You are AMAZING!

Your body is smart and your body is strong, and no matter what you encounter this school year, you can and will adapt. It’s how your body works. Your body is constantly adapting to countless physical, chemical, and emotional stresses and overall you are still really extraordinary. You can’t help it, it’s just who you are!! AMAZING!! Have a great school year!!!

Excerpted from “This is the Way We Go to School!”, by Judy Nutz Campanale, DC, ACP

For more help getting the school year off to a positive start, read Activate Your Nervous System for a Great School Year.

Activate Your Nervous System for a Great School Year

Our bodies aren’t made for sitting still. That’s one of the reasons why we love summer so much! Lots of time spent swimming, running, exploring, and playing is good for our bodies - and our brains.

Now that school is back in session, you can help your child be a better learner, simply by helping them activate their nervous system for a great school year.

How? Through motion!

Move Your Body

Movement is one way to keep the connection active between our bodies and brains. Kids can’t run around the classroom while the teacher is talking, but they can sit up straight, roll their shoulders, take a few deep breaths, and even nod their heads when taking in new information. Between classes or during breaks, they can also do some easy stretches.

Try Belly Breathing

Belly breathing is an excellent way to calm your mind and relax your nervous system for a better day at school. Plus, it’s an easy exercise to do in the classroom - or anywhere! Watch this video with Dr. Joe and Luna to learn more about how and why do do belly breathing.

See a Chiropractor

Our brains are our bodies’ command centers, and chiropractic care is an excellent way to maintain good health and keep signals flowing smoothly from our brains, through our nervous systems, and throughout our bodies. That means visiting a chiropractor is another good way to activate your nervous system for a great school year. Getting adjusted will help keep your nervous system “free and ready to fire and wire with your brain,” according to John Marc, with Discover Kids Health.

For more information about activating your nervous system for a great school year, read the full article and download a back to school printable.

Find Seasonal Allergy Relief with Chiropractic Care

If you live the Chattanooga area, there’s a good chance you, or someone in your family, suffers from seasonal allergies. After all, Chattanooga is comfortably seated on the list of challenging places to live for allergy sufferers. The price to pay for living in the Scenic City, for many of us, is seasonal allergies. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how to find seasonal allergy relief with chiropractic care.

What are Allergies?

Seasonal allergies, sometimes called hayfever, are your body overreacting to some outside source. Typical sources of seasonal allergies are pollens from grasses, trees, and weeds. Mold can be another allergy trigger. 

Common seasonal allergy symptoms include:

• Stuffy or runny nose

• Itchy, watery eyes

• Sneezing

• Ear congestion

• Postnasal drainage

• Itchy throat, sinuses, or ear canals

• Rashes

• Headache

• Wheezing

• Coughing

What’s an allergy sufferer to do?

There are plenty of medical interventions out there to treat allergy symptoms. Skin creams & ointments, nasal sprays, anti-histamines, eye drops, inhalers, steroids -- you may have tried some or all of these to ease your suffering. But they often come with unpleasant side effects, such as fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, and dry eyes. Plus, they only treat the symptoms and don’t address why your body may be overreacting to allergens in the first place.

Chiropractic for Allergy Relief

Unlike medical interventions, chiropractic adjustments offer a safe, all-natural approach for reducing the symptoms of seasonal allergies - with no uncomfortable side effects. Plus, the adjustments reduce allergy suffering by preventing allergic responses, rather than treating their symptoms.

Our brains are command central for our bodies, and our nervous systems are information superhighways that send chemicals and signals to keep our bodies functioning at their best. Chiropractic adjustments improve our bodies' function, in a safe, natural way. By correcting any structural misalignments that may be interfering with our nervous system’s messages, chiropractic can help your body reduce or stop its reaction to allergens. 

Chiropractic care can give your immune system a boost. When your spine is out of alignment, your brain can’t communicate effectively with the rest of your body, which can keep  your immune system from operating at its best. Because your nervous system and immune system work hand-in-hand, removing subluxations can enhance your immune system and decrease your allergy symptoms.

Research supports chiropractic care for seasonal allergy relief

In a 2008 study, researchers followed the care of a 7 year-old who suffered from allergies, asthma and colds. He regularly missed 1-2 days of school each month because of these conditions. Within two weeks of beginning chiropractic care, his symptoms had improved. After two months of care, his parents chose to stop his allergy and asthma medications. Because he saw such significant improvements - and stopped missing school due to allergies and asthma - they decided to continue his regular chiropractic care every 3-4 weeks to maintain his health. Read the full study. 

Other tips for seasonal allergy sufferers

In addition to seeking chiropractic care, you may also find relief from your sneezing, sniffling, and other symptoms through these preventive measures:

• Keep your windows and doors closed to keep pollen outside

• Shower after being outdoors, to remove pollen from your hair and skin

• Use high-quality air filters, and change them frequently

• Spend less time outside when pollen counts are high

• Vacuum once or twice a week

• Delegate outside chores, like mowing the lawn and pulling weeds, to a family member who doesn’t have allergies

• Rinse your sinuses with a neti pot or squeeze bottle for nasal rinsing

If seasonal allergies are impacting you or your family members, consider chiropractic care as a safe, natural treatment option. Contact us to schedule an appointment or learn more about the ways in which chiropractic care can boost your health - during allergy season and all year long.

Helping Your Kids "Spring Ahead": Tips for Easier Transition

The good news is that we are one day closer to Spring!

The bad news is, daylight savings time will soon be here, along with an abrupt change in your child’s sleep schedule. (Hello 5 a.m. I’m sorry; don’t kill the messenger, but there are no opt-outs for sleep-deprived parents.)

And while the tradeoff is longer days and warmer weather on the horizon, the fallout from less sleep results in cranky kids and possible meltdowns that are met with much less enthusiasm.

Why does the time change feel so awful? It is because our exposure to light also changes. This disrupts our internal sleep/wake cycle, better known as our circadian rhythm. And, as much as this affects adults, with grogginess or the inability to fall asleep, the impact on kids is even greater. Kids need more sleep than adults. This abrupt change in their sleep cycle can prevent them from getting adequate sleep to refuel and feel well-rested.

Here are some tips to help with the “Spring Ahead” transition for fewer meltdowns and an easier transition.

• Try gradually adjusting kids’ bedtimes before the change. Many parents have reported that changing bedtimes and or nap times by 10-15 minutes has made the adjustment easier than the abrupt one-hour change.

• Movement: Based on several available studies, the more physical activity that your child has throughout the day, the faster they fell asleep than kids who were more sedentary.

• Consider using room-darkening shades or blinds in your child’s room. Raise your hand if your child likes to go to bed when it’s light out (said no parent ever! 😉). Remember, darkness will come sooner, and so does dawn! Keeping the room dark when it’s still light out will make it easier for your kids to wind down and perhaps prevent your child from waking up too early.

• Avoid artificial light from TV and other devices for at least one hour before bedtime. Because exposure to artificial light limits the production of melatonin (the hormone responsible for regulating the body's sleep/wake cycle), avoiding artificial light from electronic devices is important at all times of the year.

• Establish or maintain calm bedtime routines like baths, reading, and possibly using “white noise” to aid in promoting restful sleep.

• Stick to regular daily routines. Keeping the same schedule of waking up, meals, naps, and activities can help your kids have one less big change to their routine.

• Maintain your own patterns and routines, as well. Ensuring you are eating healthy, exercising and getting your proper sleep will help you better deal with your children as they make the adjustment.

But, if your efforts do not work, (or if “Spring Ahead” sneaks up on you again this year!), do not feel you are doomed. Just be ready to exercise a bit of patience with both your kids and yourself.

Strengthen Your Core with the Bird Dog Exercise

The bird dog is an excellent exercise for strengthening and stretching your lower back while boosting physical and cognitive coordination. By coordinating movements on opposite sides of your body, the bird dog exercise stimulates neurological/cross crawl activity and your spinal stabilizing musculature. If you’re unfamiliar with the phrase “cross crawl,” it refers to bilateral movements coordinated across opposite parts of the body, like your arms and legs. Other examples of cross crawl movements include running, walking, swimming, and crawling.

This type of motion simultaneously fires neurons in both hemispheres of the brain. Since physical coordination precedes cognitive coordination in our development, cross crawl motions like the bird dog exercise are excellent foundational exercises for kids.

According to Your Therapy Source, benefits of cross crawl exercises include:

• building core strength

• improving eye teaming skills, needed for reading, writing, and mental focus

• enhancing whole-brain thinking

• developing proprioception (spatial and kinesthetic awareness)

The benefits for children are clear, but the bird dog is an exercise for nearly any age! Whether you suffer from lower back pain or simply want to improve your balance, flexibility, posture, and core strength, this is the exercise for you. Doing it regularly may also help you prevent strains and injury.

Watch this video by Dr. Joe to learn how to strengthen your core with the bird dog exercise or guide your child through the motions.

Interested finding new ways to help your child thrive, physically and mentally? Try unstructured play!

Share the Power of Your Stable Nervous System

If you’ve spent much time around kids, you know there’s no reasoning with a toddler who’s mid-tantrum or an older child who’s in the throes of overwhelm or worry. The same is true for adults! It’s hard to resolve a problem in the middle of an emotional storm. So what can you do to help calm someone who’s angry, anxious, or overwhelmed? Share the power of your stable nervous system.

It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

Sharing your stable nervous system is a form of mindfulness. By being a calming presence, you can help bring someone else’s emotional state back to equilibrium, or something closer to it. In other words, by sitting calmly with them, you can “be the anchor in their proverbial storm.”

“We cultivate this gift, this secret power of our own stable nervous system, each time we sit in stillness. Each time we take a few moments to notice our breath, we invite regulation into our system. And because we are members of a co-regulating species of mammals, our regulation invites the nervous systems around us to regulate as well.”

The next time your child - or anyone you know - seems distraught, give them the gift of your stability. There are several ways to do it, but the main idea is that you remain calm and give them space to talk through their concerns or simply breathe with you. The article, Share the Power of Your Stable Nervous System, offers some specific examples of how to offer your regulated state.

You may also be interested in learning how to Enjoy Your Kids with Mindful Parenting.

“We come into this world immature and dysregulated, and it’s only through the soothing voices, gentle touches, and reciprocal attention of our caregivers that we learn to experience stillness, safety, and peace.”

— Sarah Rudell Beach, M.Ed.

Learn more about mindfulness practices you can try at home with this video of Belly Breathing with Dr. Joe and Luna.

View the full article in Pathways to Wellness, Issue # 65.

Chiropractic Care for Newborns and Infants

Being a parent to an infant is an amazing, albeit trying, experience. One week they’re sleeping through the night and the next, barely a wink. How wonderful it would be if our little ones could verbalize their discomfort to us! Enter a skilled chiropractor with experience working with children to interpret distress and correct it without the use of medication or surgery. In fact, a recent article in Pathways to Wellness indicates “many chiropractors are saying that all babies need to have their spines checked to determine if vertebral subluxations are present.” The birth process itself can be traumatic for infants, so an excellent first step in caring for your newborn is to have him examined and adjusted by a chiropractor.

Can chiropractic help infants?

The article references a study by German physician Dr. G. Gutmann, who has examined and treated over 1,000 children. From his own experience and research, he concludes that approximately 80 percent of all children are “not in autonomic balance” and suffer from subluxations or blocked nerve impulses. That’s an alarming figure, but Gutmann says “ chiropractic can often bring about amazingly successful results,” and he “has been ‘constantly amazed how, even with the lightest adjustment with the index finger, the clinical picture normalizes, sometimes gradually, but often immediately.” 

What are the benefits of chiropractic care for newborns and infants?

The birthing process not only puts strain on mom, but it can also cause stress to baby’s cranium and spinal cord, contributing to numerous health problems, such as asthma and difficulty nursing. Chiropractic care for infants is an effective first step in your child’s health.  

Additionally, regular chiropractic care can help relieve: 

“It is no longer conjecture whether children can be helped under chiropractic care. Chiropractic can change lives.”

— Larry L. Webster, D.C.

• Ear infections and earaches

• Colic and acid reflux

• Fussiness

• Trouble breastfeeding

• Asthma and allergies

Related: Why Infants Need Chiropractic Care

Is chiropractic care gentle enough for infants?

It’s natural for parents to be unsure about chiropractic care for their newborns and infants, but chiropractors take an even more delicate approach to adjustments for babies than they do for adults. Chiropractic for babies is gentle and many times goes unnoticed by the baby. The pressure applied for the adjustment is about the amount of pressure you would use to check the ripeness of a tomato - safe, gentle, and effective.

If your newborn or infant is suffering, contact us to schedule a consultation and get her on the path to wellness.

Read the full article, Newborns, Infants, and Chiropractic, in Pathways to Wellness, Issue #60.

Chiropractic for Childhood Bedwetting

People often think of chiropractic care as treatment for pain, but helping your nervous system work optimally can resolve all kinds of issues, including childhood bedwetting.

Often, the cause of bedwetting is simply the impairment of the phrenic nerve. Chiropractic adjustments can focus on the vertebrae that surround this nerve, which affects the bladder, to relieve any subluxations preventing the nervous system from functioning at 100%. If childhood bedwetting is an issue for your child, a few visits to the chiropractor may be just the trick.

An awesome example of this “miraculous bedwetting fix” is Kelsey’s story. Kelsey’s chiropractor states that she had never seen a seven-year-old look so sad. On the first visit into her center, she noticed that Kelsey wouldn’t smile and simply looked as if she were in pain. After the rundown of her issues including stomach aches, migraines, allergies, asthma and a host of other concerns, it was obvious that Kelsey had a lot on her plate.

Related: Chiropractic Provides Relief from Migraines and Chronic Pain

From all of these ailments, the thing Kelsey was most upset and embarrassed about was her bedwetting. She wet the bed multiple times every night and had never enjoyed a the joys of a sleepover with friends, for fear that she would wet the bed.

After just one chiropractic visit, Kelsey had a reduction in the number of nights she wet the bed, and she wasn’t wetting the bed as many times each night. By her third visit (two weeks after her first visit), she reported no bedwetting incidents in the past four nights. By her fourth visit, she had a planned a sleepover!

“Over the years now I have witnessed many chiropractic “miracles,” but I also understand that they are not miracles at all. They are simply the body’s innate power doing exactly what it is supposed to do once the nervous system is functioning optimally. We are born to survive and designed to thrive. Anything less is diminishing our potential, dimming our shine, and dulling our sparkle.”

— Kelsey’s chiropractor, Brenda Trudell, D.C.

A few simple chiropractic visits had “unlocked her nervous system” so that it could function at its full potential. The result was a happy and healthy child who felt “normal.”

Read more about Kelsey’s story, which was published in Pathways to Family Wellness, Issue #61.

Belly Breathing with Dr. Joe and Luna

Are you feeling mental strain from the pandemic? If you are, you’re not alone. New CDC data shows that a third of Americans are feeling symptoms of anxiety or depression thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve talked before about the benefits of deep breathing, and now, Dr. Joe and Luna are here to show you and your kids how to do belly breathing exercises that will calm your mind and relax your nervous system during anxious or stressful times.

Related: Moving Meditation During Pregnancy Calms Your Mind and Body

Study Shows Chiropractic Relieves Reflux Symptoms in Infants

Is reflux keeping your baby up at night or causing her to vomit or spit up frequently? Reflux is a common problem for babies, and the pain, sleeplessness and discomfort it causes can be hard on the whole family. If nothing you have tried is helping, consider chiropractic. Recent research shows chiropractic care may reduce or eliminate gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in infants.

The study, reported in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, followed a 9-week-old baby who experienced severe reflux symptoms. He wasn’t sleeping well, had sinus congestion, vomited frequently, and had trouble being placed on his back. He had trouble keeping down breastmilk, and prescription medications weren’t helping.

Related: Chiropractic as a Solution for Breastfeeding Difficulties

A chiropractor discovered that the infant had tight muscles in his neck and changes to his posture, due to subluxations in his upper neck.

After a single chiropractic adjustment, he saw immediate improvement. The infant slept 6 hours the first night with no symptoms, 7 hours the next night, and 9 hours the next. According to his mother, all his reflux symptoms ceased, so he was able to stop all medications.

If your infant is suffering from reflux, contact us to see if chiropractic care can improve his nerve function and ease symptoms of reflux.

Want to Feel Better? Spend Time Outdoors!

Have you ever noticed that walking your dog, walking to lunch, or watching the leaves flutter in the wind makes you feel better? Ecopsychology studies the relationship between humans and nature, and it’s no surprise that harmony with nature helps reduce stress and aids in relaxation. But did you know that immersion in nature also benefits our physical health?

Studies show that spending a minimum of two hours a week in tune with nature improves health and psychological well-being. It only takes 120 minutes per week - or just over 17 minutes a day - to feel better!

“It’s well-known that getting outdoors in nature can be good for people’s health and well-being, but until now we’ve not been able to say how much is enough. Two hours a week is hopefully a realistic target for many people, especially given that it can be spread over an entire week to get the benefit.”

— Mathew White, European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter

Deepening your relationship with nature can:

• lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels

• boost your immune system

• reduce anxiety

• and improve your mood.

Additionally, an increasing number of employers and healthcare providers are embracing a back-to-nature approach.

The ways to embrace nature are immeasurable. Take a walk through your neighborhood, join a garden club or explore one of our city’s many hiking trails - whether you want to walk, run or mountain bike, Chattanooga has an abundance of trails for all skill levels. Whatever activity calls to you, it just takes two hours a week to feel the benefits.

Learn more about the benefits of immersion in nature, then head to a green space and enjoy some time outdoors. While you’re at it, send your kids outside for some unstructured play. They’ll get a double-dose of well-being from free play and time spent outdoors.

Help Your Kids Thrive with Unstructured Play

Think back to your own childhood. Did it involve climbing trees, roaming the neighborhood with friends, building forts in the living room, squishing mud pies and long, lazy summer days with friends? These days, parents have to try harder to find time to let their kids be kids and play without rules. And that’s too bad, because kids NEED unstructured play time. It’s good for their physical, social, mental and emotional development.

From exploring their physicality, to overcoming obstacles, reducing stress, and learning how to take turns, free play is essential to our kids’ healthy development.

Discover 10 ways kids benefit from unstructured play, from Pathways to Wellness:

1. Confidence

2. Recovery from setbacks

3. Overcoming emotional trauma

4. Personal resilience

5. Stress relief

6. Empathy

7. Self-expression

8. Discovering interests

9. Sense of self

10. Respect for nature

“When children engage in free play with their friends, their cooperation, sharing, helping, and empathy skills grow by the game.”

It’s hard to squeeze one more thing in between sports, music lessons and academics, but your kids are more likely to thrive if you can give them time and space to play on their own. Playgrounds and yards are great for this, but kids can get just as creative indoors.

You may also enjoy Helping Kids Find Balance, to discover other ways to help your kids thrive and keep their bodies healthy and balanced.

Chiropractic Shown to Help Infants Suffering from Failure to Thrive

Recent research reported in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic indicates that chiropractic care may help infants who are failing to thrive. The study followed a 3-month old who was delivered by C-section and was suffering from failure to thrive, colic, GER and acid reflux.

“Numerous case studies and some clinical studies are revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and the various health challenges that infants experience.”

— Dr. Matthew McCoy, chiropractor and public health researcher

Traditional treatments, including several medicines, weren’t improving her situation, so her parents sought help from a chiropractor. After an exam and X-rays, the chiropractor confirmed that the baby had structural shifts that could be interfering with healthy nerve function.

Following chiropractic treatment, her colic, acid reflux, GER and failure to thrive were all resolved. And, her parents also saw improvements in her sleep, weight gain and mood!

Learn more about Why Infants Need Chiropractic Care.

The researchers recommend further study on chiropractic care for infants who have suffered trauma at birth, but this case suggests that chiropractic is a safe, effective option to consider when an infant is failing to thrive.

Read the full article in the Chronicle of Chiropractic.

Is Homework Helping or Hurting Our Kids?

Kids spend their days at school learning. Then they come home and spend their evenings doing homework - even kindergartners! It seems like the extra work should be boosting grades or teaching non-academic skills like time management and perseverance. But is all that homework helping our hurting our kids?

The author of The Homework Myth, Alfie Kohn, says it’s hurting our kids more than it’s helping them. Studies have shown few benefits from homework, especially in younger children. Studies also show plenty of negative effects, like strained familial relationships and stressed out, exhausted kids who aren’t making greater academic strides. What’s worse, kids who are spending so much time on homework have less time to spend on play, which does help kids in myriad ways.

As parents, you don’t control how much homework your kids’ teachers assign. But you can talk to the teachers and administrators at your school to express your concerns about homework. You can also look for opportunities to help your kids get their homework done before they come home. For example, after-school care programs and homework clubs may provide time for getting work done at school, so there’s more free time later for family activities, play time, and rest.

Learn more about the harmful effects of homework in Down with Homework, published in Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Issue #12.

Chiropractic as a Solution for Breastfeeding Difficulties

“Among other numerous benefits of chiropractic care for infants, the ability to successfully breastfeed has life long consequences for the baby’s future health potential.”

— Jeanne Ohm

New, breastfeeding mothers worry about all kinds of things: ”Is my baby latching correctly? Why does she want to nurse so often? Is it normal for my nipples to be so sore? Why does she only want to nurse in one position?”

What moms may not realize is that chiropractic care for their infant could resolve many common breastfeeding difficulties. The birthing process can be traumatic for your baby, putting stress on his head and spine. As a result, your baby may have biomechanical injuries that are affecting his ability to breastfeed.

Some of the most common indicators of difficulty with breastfeeding are:

• Babies who cannot latch firmly

• Babies who can latch and not sustain sucking

• Babies who are unable to smoothly coordinate suckling, swallowing, and breathing

• Babies who can feed in only one position

• Babies who seem dissatisfied when nursing or who remain fussy and distressed throughout the day

• Babies who chew and damage the mother’s nipples

• Babies who may not feed any better from other devices

• Babies who have the need to suck 24/7

  (excerpted from Breastfeeding Difficulties and Chiropractic)

Exclusive breastfeeding is best for the first six months, for all kinds of good reasons. Breastfeeding boosts your baby’s immune system, strengthens your emotional bond, and provides the nutritional support he needs for physical and neurological development.

Moms set out with the best of intentions, but when breastfeeding difficulties arise, they often give up early, because they can’t find the support or solutions they need to successfully continue.

Chiropractor Jeanne Ohm, in Pathways to Wellness, suggests that chiropractic care may be the missing link. Chiropractic addresses the underlying biomechanical causes behind your baby’s breastfeeding difficulties, so you and your baby can continue enjoying the benefits of breastfeeding. It’s one more excellent reason to schedule a chiropractic exam for your newborn, in support of his lifelong health and well-being.

Get more breastfeeding help in our blog, Five Breastfeeding Tips for Mom.

For local breastfeeding support, contact Ashley Lucas, RN, IBCLC.

Source: Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Issue #11.

Chiropractic May Alleviate Allergies and Immune Conditions

Did you know that our immune and nervous systems are linked? This relationship explains why chiropractic care can reduce and improve a wide variety of problems, including allergies and immune deficiencies.

Recent research following a 5 year-old patient confirmed that chiropractic care may alleviate suffering caused from allergies and other immune issues.

The patient had been born five weeks prematurely. Since birth, she had suffered from recurrent respiratory infections, a chronic cough, repeated ear infections and constipation. Because of these problems and others, she was diagnosed as immuno-deficient and took a variety of medicines for allergies and asthma, including frequent rounds of antibiotics.

A chiropractor examined her and discovered vertebral subluxations, or structural shifts in her spine. These shifts contributed to her abnormal posture, decreased spinal range of motion, muscle spasms, neck and back pain, and a loss of curvature in her neck.

“With everything we know about the relationship between the nervous and immune systems, chiropractic makes perfect sense in the case of autoimmune disorders and allergies. In fact, chiropractic is not treating the allergies or immune dysfunction but re-establishing normal neurological function which benefits the immune system of the patient and allows the body to heal.”

— Dr. Matthew McCoy

During her course of chiropractic care, the child’s allergy and asthma symptoms improved, she was sick less often, she slept better, and she missed fewer days of school because of illness. Her chiropractic treatments also eliminated her neck and back pain and improved her posture and the curve of her neck. Eventually, she stopped taking all medications except for a single inhaler.

If your child is suffering from allergies, asthma or other immune-related issues, consider chiropractic care as an option for treatment and prevention.

Source: The Chronicle of Chiropractic. Read the full article or review the research.