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Chiropractic care and colicky babies

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Crying_newborn

We had a case of colicky baby come in to the office yesterday with very satisfactory and hopefully long lasting results.  The mother had been referred to us by her pediatrician and was unsure what we could do to help.  The infant was having daily crying spells of approximately 6 hours at a time with no evident problems.  The baby was screaming loudly once he woke up from his nap.  While adjusting him using only fingertip pressure, the baby relaxed, stopped crying, opened his eyes and just looked around.

Infantile colic is the term commonly used to describe an otherwise healthy infant who exhibits persistent, forceful crying for no apparent reason. The crying usually persists for several hours each day and is usually evident at least five days in each week. Parents’ attempts to comfort the infant by holding and rocking the child, changing the diaper or by offering nourishment have little or no effect on the condition. The affected infant will have a tense, rumbling abdomen, with knees flexed, tight paraspinal musculature and will emit an excessive amount of gas. Occasionally the head and neck will be arched backwards.

Colic affects about 20 percent of all infants with symptoms most commonly occurring at one to four weeks of age and ending spontaneously at around three to four months. The cause of this condition has not been precisely determined, although many infants have been shown to respond well to chiropractic care.

Research studies into the effects of spinal adjustments for infants with colic have shown excellent results. The most significant study of this condition showed satisfactory improvement in over 90 percent of the infants who received chiropractic care.

Dr. Whidden is a former U.S. Navy pilot turned chiropractor in Destin, Florida. Emerald Coast Chiropractic, finding solutions to today’s health care issues, Who’s YOUR Chiropractor?

Ken Whidden, DC
Emerald Coast Chiropractic

Pull Your Weeds, Not Your Back, When Gardening

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This article reprinted courtesy of the American Chiropractic Association.

As springtime approaches, weather warms up and leaves turn green, many people will spend more time outside planting bulbs, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. Gardening can provide a great workout, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, your body may not be ready for exercise of the garden variety.

Gardening can be enjoyable, with the right gardening tools from whatforme.com. However, the back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists are all major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb.

A warm-up and cool-down period is as important in gardening as it is for any other physical activity,” said Dr. Scott Bautch of the American Chiropractic Association’s (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. “Performing simple stretches during these periods will help alleviate injuries, pain and stiffness.”

To make gardening as fun and enjoyable as possible, it is important to prepare your body for this type of physical activity. The following stretches will help to alleviate muscle pain after a day spent in your garden.

Garden Fitness Stretches

  • Before stretching for any activity, breathe in and out, slowly and rythmically; do not bounce or jerk your body, and stretch as far and as comfortably as you can. Do not follow the no pain, no gain rule. Stretching should not be painful. o While sitting, prop your heel on a stool or step, keeping the knees straight. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh, or the hamstring muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Do this once more and repeat with the other leg.
  • Stand up, balance yourself, and grab the front of your ankle from behind. Pull your heel towards your buttocks and hold the position for 15 seconds. Do this again and repeat with the other leg.
  • While standing, weave your fingers together above your head with the palms up. Lean to one side for 10 seconds, then to the other. Repeat this stretch three times.
  • Do the “Hug your best friend.” Wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side, stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 10 seconds and reverse. Repeat two or three times.

Finally, be aware of your body technique, body form and correct posture while gardening. Kneel, don’t bend, and alternate your stance and movements as often as possible to keep the muscles and body balanced.

When the Bulbs Are Planted…
If you already feel muscle aches and pains and did not complete the warm-up and cool-down stretches, there are ways to alleviate the discomfort. Apply a cold pack on the area of pain for the first 48 hours or apply a heat pack after 48 hours, and consider chiropractic care.

Dr. Whidden is a former U.S. Navy pilot turned chiropractor in Destin, Florida. Emerald Coast Chiropractic, finding solutions to today’s health care issues, Who’s YOUR Chiropractor?

Ken Whidden, DC
Emerald Coast Chiropractic

10 Potholes That Can Wreck Your Auto Injury Claim in Destin, Florida

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car accident Destin

 

Destin chiropractor Ken Whidden

 

The following is a list of mistakes that an auto accident victim can make to sabotage their own auto injury claim (provided by Hughes and Coleman Law Firm personal injury lawyer).  The list is summarized from the book written by Fort Walton Beach, Florida attorney and former Florida Highway Patrolman Coy H. Browning.  You can obtain the entire book by emailing his office at CarAccidentBook@BrowningLawFirm.com or call his office at 850-864-4384.

Failure to document everything that happened after the accident – You need to document everything you can including photographs of damage and physical injuries

Missing the statute of limitations (4 years for an auto accident in Florida ) – Once you have been injured in an auto accident in Florida, the law gives you  four years to either commence a lawsuit or settle your claim with the insurance company.

Not seeking medical treatment or having gaps in treatment – There is nothing an insurance company loves more than a claimant who either failed to seek medical treatment at all, or did so half-heartedly.  In addition, some symptoms may appears weeks or months after an auto accident.

Giving too much information to the other party’s insurance company – After your auto accident, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will almost certainly try to contact you.  Their goal is to poke holes in your case and minimize your claim

Failing to consult a lawyer – Studies have shown that insurance claimants who hire Kendall office attorneys recover more on their claims than those who go without legal representation.

Not hiring the right lawyer – Just because you consult a lawyer does not mean that you have to hire that particular lawyer.  Choosing an injury lawyer Jackson Wyoming is a major life decision, and you want to make sure you choose wisely

Exaggerating your injuries – The best way to preserve your credibility is to be honest with everyone about everything.  If you exaggerate the extent of your injuries to the professionals helping you, then they cannot help you.

Not being truthful about past injuries or accidents – Past relevant information may include any past accidents, preexisting health conditions, a criminal record, and any drug or alcohol problems in your past.  You should choose to work with a Birmingham car accident lawyer or other specialists of not less qualification, so he can prepare the best strategy for your case.

Not being aware of lien holders prior to settlement – Providers of medical services are entitled to recover their expenses from the settlement amount.  You need to account for them when determining what amount you are willing to settle for.

Not having uninsured/underinsured insurance on your policy – If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, you may be held responsible for a majority of expenses incurred.

It has been my experience that if a person injured in an auto accident seeks treatment for their injuries quickly, their recovery can be much quicker and with greater results.

Dr. Whidden is a former U.S. Navy pilot turned chiropractor in Destin, Florida. Emerald Coast Chiropractic, finding solutions to today’s health care issues, Who’s YOUR Chiropractor?

Ken Whidden, DC
Emerald Coast Chiropractic

Ear infections: Can chiropractic care help?

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Destin chiropractors treat colicEar infections (otitis media) are the most common cause of pediatric visits, and subsequent antibiotic use during the first two years of a child’s life. In the U.S., the cost of the medical and surgical treatment of otitis has been estimated to be between three and four billion dollars annually.  While a majority of parents take their suffering child to the pediatrician for another round of antibiotics, there is another alternative that can be very effective.

Otitis media is a complication of the common cold, sinusitis, or a sore throat, developing once normal resistance to infection has been lost.  Just as mental or emotional stress impairs the immune function, physical stress on the central nervous system lowers our resistance to disease.  The physical structure of the child’s eustachian tubes can prevent the ear from draining properly, especially if there is some misalignment in the child’s cervical spine.  The aforementioned misalignment could be the result of the birth process itself.

Use of antibiotic therapy for treatment of otitis media has become quite controversial. Research shows that antibiotic treatment of otitis media is no more effective than a placebo. It also can increase the risk of re-occurrence (Cantekin, 1994).  It has been shown that the type of antibiotic therapy used does not influence recovery from otitis media, or the length of time for which it was given. Those who received no antibiotics at all had improved rates of recovery (Froom et al., 1990).

It has been found that 93 percent of all episodes of otitis media treated improved with chiropractic care. Seventy-five percent of the cases improved in 10 days or less, and 43 percent with only one or two adjustment (Froehle, 1996).

A visit to the chiropractor can be a safe, effective way to eliminate or reduce the frequency of these occurrences and far more cost effective if one considers the more invasive method of inserting tubes in the ear.

Dr. Whidden is a former U.S. Navy pilot turned chiropractor in Destin, Florida. Emerald Coast Chiropractic, finding solutions to today’s health care issues, Who’s YOUR Chiropractor?

Ken Whidden, DC
Emerald Coast Chiropractic

Do I Need Orthotics?

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Destin chiropractor orthotics
Do I Need Orthotics?

 

 

 

One of the questions I ask when a person comes in to the office with chronic or recurrent low back pain is, do you have foot or knee pain?  Why you ask?  What do my feet have to do with my low back?  Maybe they mean a lot more than you think.  Your feet form the foundation for your pelvis and spine.  If your pelvis is level, your spine will tend to be straighter and more stable.

From the time you learn to walk, your feet assume three crucial functions: they support your body whenever you stand, walk, or run; they assist you in achieving movement from one place to another; and they help protect your bones and soft tissues from damaging shock stress as you move. Being overweight, having minor structural defects in the feet, or injuries — all of these factors can contribute to additional foot and body stress. So even though one-quarter of all the bones in your body are ina your feet, having to perform these three strenuous tasks day after day can (and often does) lead to some type of foot and/or body problem. It’s not too surprising to learn, therefore, that by the age of twenty, nearly 80% of us have some kind of foot problem, and by age forty almost everyone does.

  • A loss of arch height will cause a flattening and rolling in of the foot— this is termed pronation. Because everything is connected, the bones of the leg also inwardly rotate.
  • Excessive rotation of the bones of the leg (tibia and femur) will cause unnecessary stresses on the knee as well as twisting of the pelvis and spine. If the pronation is more prevalent on one side, there can be a resultant unleveling of the pelvis and a functional scoliosis.
  • Tilting of the pelvis places tension on muscles and connective tissues, which can eventually lead to chronic back problems.
  • High levels of heel-strike shock can result from breakdown of the body’s natural “shock absorbers.” The shock wave then transmits up the kinetic chain causing painful symptoms all the way up to the head, slowed recovery of leg and spine injuries, and aggravation of other conditions.

If your feet are over-pronated or you have fallen arches, your foot will roll toward your big toe.  This change in structure of your feet can cause bunions, knee pain and hip pain.  If your feet are experiencing pain, it changes the way you walk, stand and move.  You will tend to favor the painful foot and cause hip pain on the opposite side.   Wearing Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers inside your shoes is similar to placing a shim beneath the leg of a wobbly table: it adds support to eliminate unwanted motion in the entire structure.

If you have foot problems or think you could benefit from shoe orthotics, give our office a call for an evaluation to determine if orthotics are for you.

Dr. Whidden is a former U.S. Navy pilot turned chiropractor in Destin, Florida. Emerald Coast Chiropractic, finding solutions to today’s health care issues, Who’s YOUR Chiropractor?

Ken Whidden, DC
Emerald Coast Chiropractic