What is the big killer in the U.S.? AIDS? Cancer? Heart Disease? Guess again - when you add up all of the accidents, suicides, overdoses and violent deaths due to drugs and alcohol, then drugs and alcohol addiction is the number one killer by far!

A few years ago, Dr. J.M. Holder researched effects of auricular therapy (a form of acupuncture stimulation to the ear - a technique we have used here at Keefe Clinic since 1980). You may have read about that study in the papers then - it indicated that auricular therapy was the most effective therapy for drug addictions of the 178 government-approved therapies at that time! This study was released in the early 1990's and has started to revolutionize drug addiction programs across the country.

This study was headed by Dr. J.M. Holder, D.C., M.D., Ph.D. He practices chiropractic, teaches at a medical school, and conducts research. He was the first American physician to win the Albert Schweitzer Prize in Medicine, and is in line to receive more awards due to his most recent research.

As he studied the effects of auricular therapy on drug addictions and the physical causes behind the addictive personality, he found that by stimulating these acupuncture points in the ear, he could enhance what is known as an "award cascade" effect from the limbic system. This re-balances an addict's chemistry. It can change the addiction from an overwhelming compulsion to a manageable situation which the patient can then eliminate. Certainly, many drug addicts would give anything to rid themselves of their habits - but that over-whelming compulsion to use the drug is more than they can overcome. Thus, this help is a wonderful asset to the addict on a physiological level.

Now to his next study: Dr. Holder reasoned that the effects demonstrated in the first study described above dealing with problems with the limbic system could be tied in to the effects that subluxations have on the nervous system. He knew that the limbic system is not just a compartment hidden in the center of the brain, but it also extends down the "dorsal horn" of the spinal column. He decided to test to see what Chiropractic adjustment intervention could do with this particular system of the nervous system.

In 1994, the Holder Research Institute established that only vertebrates have an opiate reception site, brain reward system. This means that the vertebral subluxation complex is the hallmark of insult to any vertebrate's ability to express the state of well-being to its fullest potential. If messages from the brain are interrupted from their expression to itself and the rest of the body by vertebral subluxations, the vertebrate necessarily will not have the fullest quality of life. What is called the "brain reward cascade" is a scientific model that has the vertebral motor unit as its cornmon denominator which provides an understanding to the neurophysiologi-cal mechanism on how the meso-Limbic system expresses a state of well-being. Therefore, a subluxation-free spine is mandatory to express one's greatest potential.

Dr. Holder went before the Research Committee at the where he teaches to present his research ideas. They approved his study, and conducted it at the largest addiction hospital in Miami, Florida. This study divided addicts into three groups: group one receive regular counseling therapy that is common to all addiction centers. Group two received that therapy plus Chiropractic adjustments, and Group three received standard addiction therapy plus "sham" Chiropractic treatments. That means that these patients were really not adjusted.

At the end of that study, the results were astonishing, even to Dr. Holder. After compiling all the data, he found that the combination of Chiropractic adjustments with counseling therapy approach to addiction and compulsive disorders produced far better results than any other test results for any other government-approved technique now available. His conclusion: for the 180 different addiction disorder techniques that have been tested, Chiropractic now proves to be the most effective, even more effective than the use of auricular therapy found previously so helpful.

This means that: Chiropractic care, coupled with proper nutrition, electro-stimulation of points in the ear, and counseling is the best help currently available for individuals who have addictive-compulsive disorders.

September 18, 1895

 

DEAF 17 YEARS
I was deaf 17 years and I expected to always remain so, for I had doctored a great deal without any benefit. I had long ago made up my mind not to take any more ear treatments, for it did me no good. Last January, Dr. Palmer told me that my deafness came from an injury in my spine. This was new to me; but it is a fact that my back was injured at the time I went deaf. Dr. Palmer treated me on the spine; in two treatments I could hear quite well. That was eight months ago. My hearing remains good.

Harvey Lillard
320 W. Eleventh St.
Davenport, Iowa

TODAY

Hi, my husband and I have been trying to start a family for seven years. After trying the doctors my medical doctor sent us to without success, we were told about chiropractic. Well, two months later I was pregnant.
- Linda

My name is Jim. I lifted something wrong at work and heard something pop and went to my knees in pain. I was told surgery was the only option I had, and I would be off work several months. Then the bad news......I might not ever return to my same job. Someone told me to try chiropractic, best suggestion I ever got. I was back to work in three weeks and am doing great...
- Jim

It was a year ago that I had the car accident, and just a few weeks after that, the first seizure hit. For the next several months I was terrified when the next one would come. Every few weeks the doctor would increase my medication until he said any higher could be fatal. I was looking at a life of drugs that left me a zombie and I was still having seizures. When a friend told me about chiropractic, I didn't think it could help. What a mistake I almost made! Today I am free of seizures and feel fantastic, even my daily headaches are gone.
- Jill

I used to have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome before I tried Chiropractic
- Beth

My child was hyperactive and doing poorly in school...not any more! For the first time she is making A's!....
- Karen

I couldn't believe after twenty years my allergies were gone.....
- Larry

In 1895 Dr. D.D. Palmer gave the adjustment that was heard around the world. Today Chiropractic is the worlds largest natural health care system.

Though started in the U.S. in the late 1800's, Chiropractic is now found around the world.

Chiropractic is a science, philosophy and art making up the second largest healing art in the U.S.

PHILOSOPHY

The power that made the body can heal the body. There is an inborn intelligence (innate) that controls all function within the body. As innate is expressed to each tissue at 100%, then there will be 100% function or health. The body does not need outside help to do its job-- it just needs no interference. When the spine is subluxated (misaligned) INNATE can't control and coordinate the body, thus ill health happens.

SCIENCE

Health is when each organ is functioning properly, and is functioning in relation to the needs and wants of the rest of the body. (Dorland's Medical Dictionary) The nervous system controls and coordinates every organ, part and system of the body and relates the individual to his or her environment. (Grays Anatomy) Nerves from the spinal cord (Pre-ganglionic fibers) communicate (synapse) with the nerves controlling organs (up to 20 post-ganglionic fibers - autonomic chain). Vertebra become subluxated (misaligned) and compress the nerves (pinched nerves). 10 millimeters of pressure decrease the nerve function 40%. 20 millimeters of pressure decrease function by 60%. (Spinal Research University Colorado) This nerve pressure causes the underlying weakness that allows disease to develop. Healthy bodies don't get sick. Studies show chiropractic is twice as effective as medical care, at half the cost. (Trial records Wilks vs. AMA)

ART

The highly skilled, specialized art of finding and adjusting misaligned joints of the body (mainly the spine). Helping restore proper function by restoring normal nerve and blood supply to the body. Taking the knowledge of chemistry, physiology and diet to restore proper blood chemistry balance and organ function.

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, diet , and in the cause and prevention of disease."
- Thomas Edison

The Chiropractic Physician looks to correct the cause-not just to cover the symptoms.

Symptom relief is the approach most medical physicians use in treating their patients, leaving the underlying condition time to get worse. This approach is widely used, although drugs can't replace sick cells with healthy ones. And physicians who were only taught drug therapy in school don't have the tools to do anything else.

Chiropractic training takes a totally different approach. Lifestyle components like diet (vitamin therapy, herbs etc.), exercise, stress, body ecology and nervous system health are taught in place of drug therapy.

Because of the difference in philosophy of health care, tension has built up between the two approaches in patient care. This tension has produced a lot of negative propaganda from the AMA (the union of most drug therapists). It has gotten so nasty that the federal court has demanded the AMA stop its attempt to block the growth of chiropractic. Despite the scare tactics the AMA has used over the years to keep patients from seeing other types of doctors like Chiropractors, Chiropractic has grown into the second largest health care system in the US and the world's largest natural healing art. The federal judge found the AMA's main objection to chiropractic was an economic one. Chiropractic patients were getting well after medicine failed to help them and they were telling others. Not only that, they were asking their drug therapists why they did not do for them what their chiropractic physician did....ouch!

LAWS OF HEALTH

Chiropractic Physicians don't claim to cure every disease, and they refer patients to other specialists at a far greater rate than the reverse, even when the MD knows we could help his patient.

However, most chiropractic patients report receiving what they came for. In fact, Chiropractic doctors have the highest approval rate over MDs in patient opinion polls.

There are no magic potions or pills to produce good health, but there are five laws:

• Diet
• Rest
• Attitude
• Exercise
• Healthy Nervous System

Some have said that there are no incurable diseases, just incurable patients. If you don't work the laws, don't expect to receive the benefits.

A SPECIAL CLASS

In studies of those who visit Chiropractic Physicians as compared with those seeing drug therapists, the following profile was discovered.
On the average Chiropractic patients:

• Had more higher education.
• Were more concerned about their health, and took more responsibility in their life styles.
• Asked more questions and expected to get answers.
• Thought for themselves and refused taking information from their physician without question.

COULD I BENEFIT FROM MODERN CHIROPRACTIC?

Only a Chiropractor can tell for sure. Some people don't know most health problems respond to the tools that modern Chiropractic has to work with. Call today and find out what you are missing! 663-1111

FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still unknown. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons - the soft fibrous tissues in the body.

Most patients with FMS say that they ache all over. Their muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes the muscles twitch and at other times they burn. More women than men are afflicted with FMS, and it shows up in people of all ages.

To help your family and friends relate to your condition, have them think back to the last time they had a bad flu. Every muscle in their body shouted out in pain. In addition, they felt devoid of energy as though someone had unplugged their power supply. While the severity of symptoms fluctuate from person to person, FMS may resemble a post-viral state. This similarity is the reason experts in the field of FMS and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) believe that these two syndromes may be one and the same. Gulf War syndrome also overlaps with FMS/CFS.

Symptoms And Associated Syndromes

Pain - The pain of FMS has no boundaries. People describe the pain as deep muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, and stabbing. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the morning and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used repetitively.

Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and yet incapacitating in others. The fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained of energy.

Sleep disorder - Most FMS patients have an associated sleep disorder called the alpha-EEG anomaly. Patients appeared to spend the night with one foot in sleep and the other one out of it.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas, and nausea represent symptoms frequently found in roughly 40 to 70% of FMS patients.

Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about 50% of FMS patients and can pose a major problem in coping for this patient group.

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - This syndrome, sometimes referred to as TMJ or TMD, causes tremendous jaw-related face and head pain in one quarter of FMS patients. Typically, the problems are related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the jaw joint and not necessarily the joint itself.

Other common symptoms - Premenstrual syndrome and painful periods, chest pain, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, dizziness, and impaired coordination can occur. Patients are often sensitive to odors, loud noises, bright lights, and sometimes even the medications that they are prescribed.

Aggravating factors - Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, infections, allergies, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, anxiety and over-exertion may all contribute to symptom flare-ups.

Possible Causes

The cause of FMS remains elusive, but there are many triggering events thought to precipitate its onset. A few examples would be an infection (viral or bacterial), an automobile accident or the development of another disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or hypothyroidism. These triggering events probably don't cause FMS, but rather, they may awaken an underlying physiological abnormality that is already present.

What Is The Prognosis?

Long term follow-up studies on FMS have shown that it is chronic, but the symptoms may wax and wane. The impact that FMS has on daily living activities, including the ability to work a full-time job, differs among patients. Overall, studies show that FMS may be equally as disabling as rheumatoid arthritis.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Currently there are no laboratory tests available for diagnosing Fibromyalgia. Doctors must rely on patient histories, self-reported symptoms, a physical examination and an accurate manual tender point examination. Proper implementation of the exam determines the presence of multiple tender points at characteristic locations.

Hope for fibromyalgia.

Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to help several patients with fibromyalgia. It has been my experience that there is not one cause for this condition so individualizing a patient's treatment program is essential. The immune system appears to be the most common weakness with the patients that I have worked with. Through the use of diagnostic testing like Vega testing we have been able to unravel the underlying cause and develop a treatment program on an individual basis. Not all patients respond as quickly to therapy because not all patients have the same underlying cause. From detoxification to specialized nutrients to rebalance the immune system as well as treating individual nutritional deficiencies, patients have responded extremely well to care. Though not all patients show a complete recovery, many do. Our program consists of developing an individual diet that matches a patients genetic makeup, targeting therapy to balance the immune system through chiropractic adjustments and specialized nutritional formulas. Enhancing a patients neurotransmitters with nutritional products that help enhance sleep and educating patients on the importance of following the five laws of natural health (see our pamphlets on the natural laws of health).

Each health-care system around the world has an underlying philosophy that it is based on. Medicine is based on an evolutionary/materialistic philosophy whereas Chiropractic is based on a vitalistic philosophy. Philosophies do have an effect on the theory and practice of the health-care system. For instance medicine has looked at the appendix as a residual organ leftover in our evolutionary development. And for years the appendix was routinely removed when surgeons were in the abdomen doing other surgeries. Today we realize that was a mistake because those patients without an appendix have more colon disease and cancer.

Chiropractic philosophy has always respected the body even before we understood how each organ worked, realizing those organs were there for a purpose. The vitalistic philosophy recognizes that if there is a design or intelligence then there is a designer or universal intelligence. Where as materialistic philosophy would look at design as a curious accident. In a vitalistic framework if one was walking in a forest and found a watch there wouldn't be any questioning about this watch being formed by some marvel of random action. In a vitalistic philosophy man is understood as more than just material or a bag of chemicals. Man has a spiritual component. As we study the effect of attitude upon health we will explore both mental and spiritual attitude.

First it is important to note that scientific studies have proven the effect of spiritual/religious activities on the health of man. People that exercise regular spiritual disciplines such as prayer or even church attendance have been shown to be healthier than the general population. Since our goal with each of our patients is to help you achieve the highest level of health let's for a minute explore how spiritual and mental attitudes affect our health.

Let's first look at a positive mental attitude.

If you are a patient reading this pamphlet you have been explained how the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and the billions of nerve fibers) controls and coordinates your body. By definition health is when every organ, part and system of the body is functioning normally and its function is coordinated with the needs, wants, stresses and demands of the body. The basic principle of Chiropractic understands health as the normal expression of the nervous system to each cell in the body and the corresponding feedback from the cells or body to the central nervous system.

 

The brain and spinal cord are the key components of the central nervous system and the mind is expressed through these structures. Fortunately for us the unconscious mind or subconscious mind primarily is responsible for keeping track of the hundreds of millions of impulses traveling to and from the central nervous system. Our conscious mind would be overwhelmed since some of us have problems chewing gum and walking at the same time. Fortunately our subconscious mind can effortlessly keeping track of all the incoming information and perfectly devise a plan to maintain normal function. Even so our conscious mind does have an effect on our subconscious mind. Study after study shows the connection between the stress that we deal with on a conscious level and a corresponding affect on our subconscious mind and thus our bodies. So when our mind is at peace that has a positive effect on our bodies.

 

How does this spiritual part of man affect the mental part of man and is there a connection between spirit and body?

 

There are different disciplines that are considered spiritual in nature. Prayer, meditation, fasting, service to mankind could be considered a short list. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness temperance are considered some of the spiritual attributes. We hear a lot about happiness in our society. Happiness depends on happenings and with a lot of people if good things are happening then they are happy and if bad things are happening then they are sad.

Joy is more of an inward attitude and does not necessarily depend on what's happening. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones from the writings of Solomon. Many people who have obtained this spiritual attribute can maintain joy even when circumstances would appear adverse. I think if one understands the importance of attitude upon the function of the body one could quickly see how Joy would be better than sadness.

If one could call upon the resources of their spirit to maintain a constant positive attitude then there would be a corresponding benefit to that person's health. Many scientific studies show this connection. There is a difference between just trying to maintain a positive mental attitude and being able to draw on the resources of one's own spirit. It's much like looking at the conscious mind and subconscious mind. If a person's conscious mind had to maintain all of the bodies' functions than you can see how overwhelmed and impossible that responsibility would be. Our subconscious mind has more than enough resources to accomplish this task. In the same way as we learn to tap into the resources that are available on a spiritual level we can draw upon positive energies to help maintain a healthy attitude even in a world that is not always positive.

It's interesting to study the effects on individual lifestyles of people who routinely focus on their spiritual side as opposed to individuals who primarily focus on the physical/mental. Individuals focusing on developing a spiritual nature routinely discard many negative lifestyle habits. It seems that those individuals that ignore this component of their lives become involved in lifestyle practices that over stimulate their systems. " Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags" from the writings of Solomon. The spiritual component of man is more at a deeper level, more inward and individuals who ignore this part of their person tend to over stimulate themselves in the mental and physical areas as if in an effort to distract them from their deeper selves. "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings" from the writings of Solomon.

If you're reading this and are dealing with chronic health problems, issues with stress such as sleep disorders, depression or anxiety consider exploring the possibility of improving your mental and spiritual attitude through spiritual disciplines. Studies have shown simply doing something for someone else and becoming less focused on oneself can have a dramatic positive effect on one's health. The effects that prayer and/or meditation have on improving body function and reducing stress with the corresponding depression and anxiety, are well documented. To ignore this area is very short sighted. Just as it is important to feed your physical body good food you need to properly feed your mental and spiritual bodies. "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding" from the writings of Solomon.

Despite persistent skepticism, the most common childhood psychiatric disorder is increasingly understood to be a brain malfunction. Different forms of the disorder may have different biological roots.

Discoveries in neuroscience are reinforcing a growing consensus that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as it is officially known, is not just a set of behavior problems but a biologically based disorder of brain function. The symptoms of impulsiveness, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity arise, this research suggests, because misfiring of the brain's executive function - its management system - make it difficult to stay still, concentrate, and exercise forethought and self-control.

ADHD is known to have a strong genetic component - one of the highest among psychiatric disorders - and several genetic markers are known. Similar symptoms have also been found in children with autism and fetal alcohol syndrome and even those exposed to nicotine in the womb. In two studies, ADHD-like symptoms appeared in 15 of 29 children who had strokes, and in 16% of children admitted to trauma centers after a head injury. In most children diagnosed with ADHD, signs and symptoms appear before the age of 7, although they sometimes may occur even earlier.

Inattention

Signs and symptoms of inattention may include:
"    Often fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities
"    Often has trouble sustaining attention during tasks or play
"    Seems not to listen even when spoken to directly
"    Has difficulty following through on instructions and often fails to finish schoolwork, chores or other tasks
"    Often has problems organizing tasks or activities
"    Avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort, such as schoolwork or homework
"    Frequently loses needed items, such as books, pencils, toys or tools
"    Can be easily distracted
"    Forgetful often

Hyperactivity-impulsiveness
Signs and symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsive behavior may include:
"    Fidgets or squirms frequently
"    Often leaves his or her seat in the classroom or in other situations when remaining seated is expected
"    Often runs or climbs excessively when it's not appropriate or, if an adolescent, might constantly feel restless
"    Frequently has difficulty playing quietly
"    Always seems on the go
"    Talks excessively
"    Blurts out the answers before questions have been completely asked
"    Frequently has difficulty waiting for his or her turn
"    Often interrupts or intrudes on others' conversations or games

Most healthy children exhibit many of these behaviors at one time or another. For instance, parents may worry that a 3-year-old who can't listen to a story from beginning to end or finish a drawing may have ADHD. But preschoolers normally have a short attention span and aren't able to stick with one activity for long. This doesn't mean they're inattentive - it simply means they're normal preschoolers.

Symptoms of ADHD in adults

ADHD always begins in childhood, but it may persist into adult life. The core signs and symptoms of distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior are the same for adults as for children, but they often manifest themselves differently and far more subtly in adults. Hyperactivity, in particular, is generally less overt in adults. Children may race around madly; adults are more likely to be restless and to have trouble relaxing.
On the other hand, problems with organization and concentration often increase as people get older when their lives become more complicated and demanding. Adults diagnosed with ADHD often say that their biggest frustration is their inability to focus and to prioritize, leading not only to missed deadlines but also to forgotten meetings and social engagements.

We have seen many patients helped over the years with a combination of chiropractic adjustments to improve neurological function, neurological exercise and Eyelights when indicated and diet and nutritional therapy including detoxification and food avoidance as necessary.  Also the lack of proper sleep habits can be a big factor sometimes. Each patient is evaluated and treated individually.  Patience and persistence are the key to treatment success.  Below is the suggested first two weeks dietary changes to help identify offending foods.

First, what NOT to eat for TWO WEEKS:

1) NO DAIRY PRODUCTS, especially cow's milk. This is the single most important restriction. Instead try Almond milk, Rice milk, or Better Than Milk. Drink water instead of milk. In fact, drink lots of water. The brain is about 80% water, and increasing your water intake to 7 to 10 glasses per day might be helpful all by itself. Sodas, Gatorade, teas, icees, etc., do not count as water. Water counts as water.
2) NO YELLOW FOODS. Especially Corn or Squash. Bananas are white. Don't eat the peel.
3) NO JUNK FOODS. If it comes in a cellophane wrapper, don't eat it.
4) NO FRUIT JUICES. Too much sugar content. One small glass of apple juice has the sugar content of eight apples. Later on you can have juice, but dilute it with water 50/50.
5) CUT SUGAR INTAKE BY 90%. If you can, cut it down to zero. Sugar is in just about everything, but give it a try. Do your best without going crazy. Ask about Steva.
6) CUT CHOCOLATE BY 90%. No more than a single piece, once a week.
7) NO NUTRASWEET. None. Period.
8) NO PROCESSED MEATS and NO MSG. Only get meats with labels that say, "Turkey and Water," etc. If the meat has chemicals listed that you can't pronounce, don't buy it.
9) CUT FRIED FOODS BY 90%.
10) AVOID FOOD COLORINGS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. See if your child is sensitive to any particular colors, such as Reds, Yellows, etc. For now, though, avoid all if possible.

SUMMARY: Just eat foods that God made for a while. Eat like people did in the 1940's. Go to a used book store and get a Betty Crocker's Cook Book for recipe ideas. There really are about 10,000 meals that you CAN eat. Just not much in the way of "fast foods" or "convenience" foods.

AFTER TWO WEEKS begin adding these foods back into your diet, one food every other day. Eat A LOT of that food every day for four days. If you have a problem with one of the foods, you will see some kind of a "reaction" within four days. The reaction can vary from big red splotches on the body to ears turning bright red to explosive temper outbursts. If there's a problem, you'll know. If there's no problem, enjoy the food.