Your eye Health

Does North America have a a hard time seeing?


As most of you know, the conventional medical system tends to equate "health" with the absence of symptoms of disease. The entire industry is built around treating symptoms with expensive patented drugs, many of which are profoundly toxic and dangerous. Pharmaceutical companies now rule the entire healthcare system, and they go to great lengths to protect their profits, even if it means sacrificing patients' health in the long run.A recent story from the United Kingdom illustrates how far drug companies will go to make sure their expensive drugs are used when cheaper ones are available, and how medical facilities completely ignore more obvious cost-saving and safe solution.In London, in a legal maneuver intended to eliminate their competition, drug maker Novartis is now trying to force state-run hospitals to use their eye drug, which costs nearly 12 times as much as a cheaper drug the hospitals are currently using. Novartis' drug, Lucentis, is the only one recommended for treatment of macular degeneration in Great Britain. But in an effort to save money, hospitals have been using the cancer drug Avastin instead, even though it's an off-label use that its manufacturer, Roche, says it hasn't even studied. (Avastin was recently recalled by the U.S. FDA because of its dangerous side effects, which include heart attacks..Novartis is now demanding a judicial review, to make the hospitals comply with the standard recommendation to use their drug and stop using Avastin off-label to treat this eye disease. Needless to say, using a dangerous cancer drug off-label to treat macular degeneration is far from an ideal solution, even though it's 12 times cheaper than the other drug alternative... If they really wanted to save money and spare people's eyesight, they'd start paying closer attention to the research into astaxanthin. Studies have shown this safe and natural supplement is therapeutic for macular degeneration, and it's a product anyone can take without running the risk of potentially devastating side effects. Astaxanthin may in fact be one of the most powerful nutrients ever discovered for eye health, and it costs pennies on the dollar compared to either Lucentis or Avastin. Research Supports Astaxanthin for Macular DegenerationWhile the off-label use of Avastin for macular degeneration is said to be based on a study published in The New England Journal of Medicinelast year, which showed Avastin worked just as well as Lucentis for treating macular degeneration, numerous studies exist demonstrating the treatment potential of astaxanthin for this eye disorder.

This information is brought to you by Dr. Stephen Kelly. Dr. Kelly practices at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, located at 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer. Call 403-347-3261 to book an appointement today!
www.family1stchiro.ca

What to expect in a CranioSacral therapy

So, what happens during a CranioSacral therapy treatment?By Jeannette Raskin RMT, CST. Jeannette Raskin practices at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness located at 142, Erickson Drive, Red Deer, Alberta T4R 2C3 403-347-3261

www.family1stchiro.ca

Before the treatment - If this is your first appointment, we will first work through your medical history and your expectations from this CranioSacral Therapy treatment. You will then lie down comfortably - fully-clothed. If it is a child (under 16) or infant, you may be present during the entire treatment.
I will then use a light touch (about the weight of a nickel), beginning at the feet, to assess where restrictions and other related problems are in your body.  Once this is completed, I continue to work through other parts of your body.

During the treatment - Most people feel a general sense of relaxation (in fact most people fall asleep early in the treatment). Some people also feel heat, cold or a stretching of tissues in particular parts of the body.  The treatment generally lasts about an hour for adults and 30 minutes for infants and children.  This can vary depending on the person.

Following the treatment - Some people report that they feel as if somebody had moved things about in their body. You will normally feel tired after the treatment, but after a short rest and a glass of water, you will be well capable of driving home.

The amount of treatment needed depends on the condition, severity and age of the client.  Some people need as few as one treatment to notice changes.

How come I never feel it moving?
This rhythm, the craniosacral rhythm, is very small in amplitude. You can feel it on yourself with practice by placing your hands on your head and simply waiting patiently. Wait and calm your hands. Use very light pressure and you may be able to feel a very small expanding and narrowing movement in your head. This is the craniosacral rhythm! It takes a therapist much training and practice to be able to feel and evaluate this rhythm. A skilled therapist can palpate and feel not only the rhythm, but also determine whether or not it is moving freely or if it is restricted, and where it is restricted.
Call to book you appointment today 403-347-3261

Chiropractic Before Spine Surgery for Chronic LBP University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Plan mandates conservative care before considering surgery for chronic LBP cases. By Peter W. Crownfield, Executive Editor The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health Plan, a health maintenance organization affiliated with the university's School of Medicine, has adopted landmark guidelines for the management of chronic low back pain. As of Jan. 1, 2012, candidates for spine surgery must receive "prior authorization to determine medical necessity," which includes verification that the patient has "tried and failed a 3-month course of conservative management that included physical therapy, chiropractic therapy, and medication." Surgery candidates also must be graduates of the plan's LBP health coaching program. The program features a Web-based decision-making tool designed to help plan members "understand the pros and cons of surgery and high-tech radiology." It is the first reported implementation of such a policy by a health care plan. Putting a Clamp on the Soaring Rates of Spine Surgery According to the December 2011 issue of the UPMC Health Plan Physician Partner Update, which informed participating providers of the new guidelines and the rationale for their implementation, "We feel strongly that this clinical initiative will improve the quality of care for members who are considering low back surgery, and that it will facilitate their involvement in the decision-making process." The update also noted, "Surgical procedures for low back surgery performed without prior authorization will not be reimbursed at either the specialist or the hospital level." Commenting on the UPMC Health Plan guidelines, Gerard Clum, DC, former president of the World Federation of Chiropractic and Life Chiropractic College West, and current executive committee member of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, stated: "The UPMC should be congratulated for its leadership is establishing policies to assure that the least invasive and most likely to be successful care strategies, including chiropractic care, are applied for a meaningful period of time before surgical considerations are made. This decision is both an important recognition of the value of chiropractic care in the acute low back pain environment as well as a recognition of the clinical and economic downsides to spinal surgery in this situation." Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the UPMC Health Plan covers insured in 15 counties in western Pennsylvania. The plan integrates 20 hospitals, 400 doctors' offices and outpatient sites. Chiropractic Services: What the UPMC Health Plan Covers "It is the policy of UPMC Health Plan to recognize chiropractic services and adjunctive procedures as appropriate and consistent with good medical practice and will provide coverage when the services are medically necessary and covered by the member's benefit plan for the specific indications detailed in this policy. Coverage is limited to medically necessary services provided by a licensed doctor of chiropractic, within the scope of his/her license." "Covered chiropractic services include evaluation and management, manipulation, spinal X-rays, therapeutic exercise, and adjunctive procedures that are appropriate and medically necessary for neuromusculoskeletal conditions. ... Indications for Chiropractic Services: Indicated for primary, neuro-musculoskeletal symptoms involving the spine, para-spinal soft tissues, and extremities. Indications for

A Conservative Strategy for Managing Chronic LBP • PCP discussion related to self-care consisting of rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) • Screening for psychosocial factors or "yellow flags" and incorporate behavioral interventions as appropriate with other treatment interventions • Education on self-management techniques – functional ability assessment and education on return to work / usual activity and function • Enrollment and graduation from UPMC Health Plan Health Coach's Low Back Pain Program (mandatory) which may also include participation in other programs such as weight loss, physical activity, tobacco cessation, depression and/or stress • Early referral to chiropractor or physical therapist, but before advanced imaging, for manipulation/mobilization; stabilization exercises; directional preference strategies – member and/or provider movements that abolish or cause centralization of pain (McKenzie self-treatment repeated movements that centralize pain) • Detailed documentation of extent and response to conservative treatment including chiropractor/physical therapy documentation SOURCE: UPMC Health Plan Policy and Procedure Manual, October 2011: Surgical Management of Low Back Pain (partial list of considerations prior to spine surgery to determine medical necessity). Complete policy available atwww.upmchealthplan.com/pdf/PandP/MP.043.pdf.

Dr. Stephen Kelly and Dr. Joelle Johnson of Family First Chiropractic and Wellness

Manipulation: Manipulation is appropriate to restore function that has been reduced or lost by illness or injury. Indications for Adjunctive Procedures: Adjunctive procedures are appropriate to restore function and prevent disability following injury. Indications for Therapeutic Exercise: Indicated for improvement or to restore functional status by building strength, endurance and flexibility of the affected region."

Dr. Stephen Kellya nd Dr. Joelle Johnson practice at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer. T4R 2C3 403-347-3261 www.family1stchiro.ca

What is CranioSacral therapy?

The CranioSacral System

Each person has a craniosacral rhythm.  This is caused by the increase and decrease of cerebrospinal fluid produced and reabsorbed at a regular rate within and around the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). 

Jeannette Raskin CST, RMT

The subtle rhythm can be felt by a practitioner trained in CranioSacral Therapy.  This rhythm (6-12 cycles per minute) can be felt all over the body.  It is similar to the rhythms of the heart (pulse) and lungs (respiration).

The craniosacral rhythm, when felt in different parts of the body, can be used to detect dysfunctions or disturbances in the body.  These disturbances can develop symptoms:  such as back pain, headaches, etc.  A CranioSacral Therapist can usually help the body re-establish balanced motion with gentle, subtle techniques, thus assisting the body to return itself to normal function.

To Book and appointmetn with Jeannette raskin, please call Family First Chiropracic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer 403.347.3261 www.family1stchiro.ca

20 Activities for you and the kids this Summer!

20 Great Activities for You and The Kids This Summer
   
     1. Go on a walk at the beach, in the woods or in your town and take pictures to make an album or collage. Have a theme
     2. Make your own fruit pops.
     3 .Camp in your backyard. Bring flashlights and snacks, of course.
     4. Make your own kite.
     5. Create a backyard mini-golf course.
     6. Paint rocks!
     7. Collect bugs and make them a habitat
     8. Make a nature journal from pressed flowers, leaves and your own sketches.
     9. Create an outdoor scavenger hunt - don't forget to draw the map!
    10. Have fun with water games.
    11. Ten open-ended PLAY ideas.
    12. Don't be afraid to get a little dirty.
    13. Go for a shapes walk! What shapes do you see? (Rooftops, signs, dog houses and more)
    14. Don't forget to hit some yard sales - they can teach your kids to reuse, recycle, repurpose and more!
    15. Create a weekly Game Day at home.
    16. Find rainy-day ideas online.
    17. Download a CD from Kiboomu : sing, dance and spin around!
    18. Find craft ideas from around the world!
    19. Learn to respect our earth this summer: talk, create and work together to reduce waste
    20. Let up your home to be a learning place!

Why Healthy Muscles Matter

Why Healthy Muscles Matter To You

Healthy muscles let you move freely and keep your body strong. They help you to enjoy playing sports, dancing, walking the dog, swimming, and other fun activities. And they help you do those other (not so fun) things that you have to do, like making the bed, vacuuming the carpet, or mowing the lawn.  Strong muscles also help to keep your joints in good shape. If the muscles around your knee, for example, get weak, you may be more likely to injure that knee. Strong muscles also help you keep your balance, so you are less likely to get hurt by slipping or falling.

Chelsea Brausen, RMT

And remember—the exercises that make your skeletal muscles strong will also help to keep your heart muscle strong!

Chelsea Brausen is a registered massage therapist at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive

403-347-3261 to book an appointment

www.family1stchiro.ca

Hospitals Seeing More Babies Born Addicted to Prescription Drugs

Hospitals Seeing More Babies Born Addicted to Prescription Drugs

Conventional medicine is more than a little fond of using costly, toxic drugs. Unfortunately, this "health" strategy exacts a tremendously high price, both in terms of dollars and cents and in actual health status. I've written a lot about the many side effects of most drug categories on the market, but one aspect that doesn't get much publicity is the generational impact of pharmaceutical drug use.

In one of the most startling news reports yet on the overuse of opioid drugs like Oxycontin in America, a new study found that newborns suffering from withdrawal symptoms due to their mothers' use of prescription painkillers tripled between 2000 and 2009.

An estimated 13,500 babies are now born with opioid withdrawal symptoms each year. Over the same time period the number of women using these drugs quintupled. Health-care costs to treat these drug addicted babies rose from $190 million to a whopping $720 million.

The study also found that the withdrawal problems appear to affect poor children disproportionately: 78 percent of the drug-addicted babies were born to mothers on Medicaid (an indication of poverty level), compared to 46 percent born to mothers receiving no public aid.

According to Time Magazineⁱⁱⁱ:

"Prescription drug misuse has risen in tandem with a sharp increase in legitimate prescriptions for pain medication, owing to a better recognition of the high prevalence of severe chronic pain. Both trends are likely to have affected painkiller use by pregnant women, but it is difficult to say exactly how many women use the drugs legitimately and how many do so without a prescription."

Either way, it's interesting to note that while there was great outcry over the horrors of "crack babies" being born to mothers abusing crack-cocaine, the response to legal drug addiction in newborn babies is far more muted. Take the comment of Carl Hart, associate professor of psychology at Columbia University, for example, who is quoted in the featured Timearticles as saying:

"[The research] failed to take into account that there are many women who are prescribed opioids for medical reasons and these women are following their physicians' orders and behaving in the way that society wants them to behave. There's no distinction made between these women and those who are using opioids illicitly."

My question is: Does it really make a difference? Whether you're following doctor's "orders" and "behaving the way society wants you to behave" by dutifully taking your drugs or not, the harm inflicted is real—and it's caused by overuse of prescription drugs.

This is re-posted by Dr. Stephen Kelly at Family First chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer 403-347-3261 to book an appointment today.

www.family1stchiro.ca

Don't Play through the Pain

Prevent Injuries

To prevent sprains, strains, and other muscle injuries:

• Warm up and cool down. Before exercising or playing sports, warm-up exercises, such as stretching and light jogging, can make it less likely that you’ll strain a muscle. They are called warm-up exercises because they really do make the muscles warmer—and more flexible. Cool-down exercises loosen muscles that have tightened during exercise.
• Wear the proper protective gear for your sport, for example pads or helmets. This will help reduce your risk for injuring your muscles or joints.
• Remember to drink lots of water while you’re playing or exercising, especially in warm weather. If your body’s water level gets too low (dehydration), you could get dizzy or even pass out. Dehydration can cause many medical problems.

Don’t try to “play through the pain.”

• Don’t try to “play through the pain.” If something starts to hurt, STOP exercising or playing. You might need to see a doctor, or you might just need to rest the injured part for a while.
• Be careful when you lift heavy objects. Keep your back straight and bend your knees to lift the object. This will protect the muscles in your back and put most of the weight on the strong muscles in your legs. Get someone to help you lift something heavy.

Family First Chiropractic and Wellness - Your FAMILY team

Call us at 403-347-3261 to book an appointmetn today
142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer
T4R 3C3
www.family1stchiro.ca

According to a recent study commissioned by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, there are, right now, over 200,000 people living with spinal cord injuries caused by sporting and recreational accidents in the United States and thousands more in Canada.

This summer, don't put yourself at risk for serious injury by forgetting these simple safety tips.

Driving
- Buckle up… properly! Bottom strap across hips and shoulder strap across chest.
- Do not be distracted by other passengers, motorists, cell phones, radio, etc. Stay focused!
- Obey car and booster seat guidelines.

Swimming and diving
- Do not dive in less than nine feet of water. - No board, no diving!

Personal watercrafts
- Be watchful, defensive, obey speeds, and keep your distance.

Body boarding
- Hold board so it extends past head.

General Water Safety
- No re-dos; do not combine alcohol and water-related activities!
- Be aware of sandbars.
- Feet-first entry.

Bicycle Riding
- Wear a helmet… properly! A helmet should be worn snug, fitted, and level.
- Replace helmet after three to five years and/or if cracked.