Peeling The Onion

The Layers

By the time the first symptoms of most health care problems appear, that condition has been developing for months, if not years. There is an initial incident that causes normal function to be interrupted. After the loss of normal function, the next step is the tissue change or pathology. Then after enough tissue damage has taken place, symptoms will finally begin to appear. Considering this, it is clear that by the time we feel or know something is wrong the process is already in one of its later stages.

The 40 year old executive who dies of a sudden heart attack may have had no symptoms beforehand, no forewarning that the problem was there until too late. However, he did not just get "sick". There were processes leading up to that fatal moment of symptoms. This is basically true with most other health care problems. When the underlying dysfunction begins, the body tries to compensate. Then the dysfunction changes in nature, and the body again tries to compensate for that change. Each one of these compensations become, in fact, a" layer" of the disease process. Battle after battle, war after war, the two processes rage on: breakdown, degeneration, and death fight against repair, regeneration, and life. Back and forth it goes, until eventually, in the disease process, the degeneration starts to win, and, in time, symptoms inform the person of this fact. Usually the first symptoms are faint and infrequent. Gradually they become more severe and frequent, until the person realizes that something is really wrong. Unfortunately, in our society, the first step then is to try to SUPPRESS these symptoms.

Traditional Drug Approach

The American health care system approach is sadly ineffective: most doctors will recommend a drug or medication to help cover up or suppress the symptoms. Aspirin for chronic headaches, coating solutions for chronic indigestion, tranquilizers for chronic anxiety, nervousness, depression, painkillers for chronic pain, and on and on. These approaches simply do not deal with the problem. As we sedate or cover up the symptoms, this allows the disease process time to become more chronic, more imbedded and deep-seated, and more difficult for the body to correct, or repair.

The Layers Accumulate

When the patient, finally desperate enough to seek alternative health care options, finds a doctor who is involved in returning the body back to true health, he can find himself in an uphill struggle. By now there is layer upon layer upon layer of the disease process already in place. There will also be toxic remains within the body from the drugs, that will have to be eliminated. Most disease processes change as they progress; as more and more tissues become involved, and then different organs.

The natural health care physician now must help the patient work back through each of these levels in an effort to reach true health. The disease process could represent 5-40 years of progression! However, the patient may have only had symptoms for weeks or months. His expectation is to be well in a week or so, unless he is made aware of the true nature of his condition. The healing process can take time, as the body back-tracks through each level of toxicity and dysfunction until it returns itself to 100% normal function.

Vega Testing Evaluation

This layer effect is something that becomes very obvious in our offices when we utilize VEGA-TESTING as part of the diagnostic evaluation of a patient. When a patient comes in with a particular symptom which concerns him, we do the initial testing. Certain organs, glands, deficiencies, etc. show up at that time. As we treat these, we may find that the condition will improve, but not completely disappear. Further testing then may reveal other organs or glands that need to be treated; or the same gland may need additional treatment that wasn't evident at the first test.

This is because the body can only deal with certain levels at a time. To use an example, if we are dealing with a certain stomach condition, it may actually be a condition that is being affected by the pancreas, the liver, the kidneys, and the colon. The initial diagnostic evaluation may only show a problem with the stomach that is associated with the pancreas. As we treat the pancreas, strengthen its function, and clear that problem, then the liver and colon may show up. They will then need to be supported, and treated. After that the kidney may show up. This is because it reflects the process of how the stomach problem first originated. We will go through a reverse order until we completely clear out all the factors that lead to the particular stomach problem; then the stomach will completely heal at that time. In this process. symptoms may have gotten better at each stage, or there might not have been any symptom relief until we got to the final stage.

"Fix Me Now!"

Because of these particular complexities, there may be a time factor involved in the healing process that we as Americans are unprepared for. "Plop plop, Fizz fizz, Oh, what a relief it is!" is the philosophy of quick cure that is very popular with our "instant" world. We want what we want and we want it NOW! If you want quick relief at any cost, then you will not have a healthy body. Our apporach is dedicated to finding the root cause/s of your health problem and to work with the body until we return each organ, gland, and system of the body back to normal. And, understand, that can take time.

DETOX SYMPTOMS

It is also possible that, as we remove one layer after another, certain negative symptoms can show up. This can be common in natural health care, and has several different names: retracing, de-toxins, healing crisis. It is basically a detoxifying process that the body has to go through in order to get well. That is why we will often recommend different types of cleansing diets to help the body quickly flush out these stored toxins so that it can get on with the process of healing, and so that the process can be undergone with the least amount of discomfort possible.

Be Patient

If you have been asked to read this brochure by Dr. Keefe, it is probably because you find yourself presently in this process. Your body is attempting to return itself back to normal as fast as it can, but it may not he doing that as quickly as you would like it to. We ask that you have patience with the process, for your body's sake. We ask that you continue to follow the recommendations you have been given in order to help you get well. Be sure to communicate any questions about your particular symptoms to Dr. Keefe. We are partners in "peeling the onion" one layer at a time, attempting to get to the core. That is the goal of good health. We all have a potential of a level of good health if we are willing to work the process until we get to the desired destination. Good health may be just around the corner - you may be closer than you think you are.

Benefits Of Good Health

That is why it is important that we have a clear understanding about health and how to achieve it. Good health will affect every aspect of our lives. Good health will give us the energy we need to enjoy life and to do the things we must do in life. Good health is essential for a good state of mind, and for a feeling of wellbeing, of enjoying life at its fullest. It is worth our strong commitment and effort to be healthy in order to fulfill our callings in life.

But it takes time ... and effort. If you have not had a recent diagnostic workup, including blood tests and VEGA testing, your health could be at risk and you would not know it yet. We encourage you to schedule a Diagnostic health screen at our office to make sure all systems are functioning as they should be. Do what you need to do to get well, and then stay well by continuing to do what you need to do. Our first concern is your health. You are worth the time and effort it takes to reach that goal!! REMEMBER TIME IS THE FRIEND OF DISEASE, Get going NOW.

Weight Loss

Weight loss can be frustrating experience. Counting calories, weighing and measuring your foods, and dealing with the Appetite Demon. Many people give up and try to find the easy way out.

Unfortunately, when it comes to our bodies and health, there is no easy way out. I know that there appears to be an easy way out sometimes. Any gimmick that you try with your body, in time, will backfire. Many people, when it comes to weight loss, have relied on drugs to suppress their appetite and speed up their metabolism. And now, we find in recent news reports that these individuals have caused irreparable damage to their bodies, and several have lost their lives. There is a principle that is eternal. You can't cheat natural law, with weight loss or any other health issue. Do it correctly or you will suffer some negative consequences.

At Keefe Clinic, we approach weight loss with a wholistic viewpoint. We look at diet, metabolism, chemical imbalances, exercise and methods to enhance function. Your body has a drive to seek its natural healthy weight. If you are overweight something is resisting this drive.

Your diet could be wrong even though you're eating good foods. There are four classic metabolic types each requiring different diet and exercise regime. Learning your metabolic type could be one of the keys you have missed in maintaining a proper weight.

Your metabolism could be off because of thyroid problems, a congested liver, endocrine problems, blood sugar problem, and problems with serotonin levels and other neurotransmitter imbalances. If you have one or more of these conditions then they need to be dealt with in order for your body to reach and maintain a normal weight. I hope you can see just taking a drug or trying some other wonder pill is not going to give you any type of results that will last for long. And studies have shown most people who began some quick weight loss have gained not only their weight back but usually more within the year.

• The following are the components of the normal natural weight loss program:
• Chromium picolinate helps convert fat to lean body mass, and reduces craving's for sweets.
• Amino acid pills work as a natural appetite suppressant and balance neurotransmitters.
• Developing the proper water intake enhances the release of excess fluids improves overall metabolism and reduces appetite.
• Working out an exercise program based in your body type helps increase the burning of calories.
• Detoxification programs sometimes can be essential to get proper weight loss started.
• Using the zone diet concept can help maximize your metabolism, promoting weight loss, high-energy and blood sugar control.
• Establishing the right body type diet for lifetime weight control.
• Working with Homeopathic remedies to help control mood swings and other emotions that might interfere with a weight loss program.
• Auricular therapy to help metabolism and appetite.

Give us a call for more information. Keefe Clinic (918) 663-1111

We have entered the era of chronic disease. From herpes to AIDS, heart disease to cancer, more and more conditions are appearing that we have no wonder drugs to cure. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is another. Although labeled incurable by the medical profession, who are seeking for some wonder drug, this disease is being helped through Chiropractic. It is important to note that most of the new health problems of today are immune system-related.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Chiropractic is the #1 effective way to rebuild a weakened immune system.

In a three-year study of 107 individuals who had been under chiropractic care for five years or more, Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York's Prevention Institute, found that chiropractic patients had a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care.

I felt that, rather than boring you with a lot of facts and figures about CFS, I would let a very special patient tell you her story.

CASE HISTORY: Debby S.

In July of 1985, I was diagnosed as having Chronic Mononucleosis. I was sent home with directions of bed rest, and really thought nothing serious of it. Weeks passed and I was still very ill. I had to quit my job. Months passed, and I was still very ill. I was getting worse, not better.

Medical expenses started piling up in the desperate search to find "my cure," "my health again," that which had been taken for granted for so many years. I was sent from one doctor to the next until I landed in the hands of an infectious disease specialist only to have him again do more poking and prodding.

In the end, I was sent home with a pamphlet entitled, "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - How to Live with Your Disease". All I could see before my eves was a picture painted with illness. . I drove home with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome branded in my mind, soul, and body.

CFS is an illness that is not totally understood. Its cause is unknown and it consists of many different symptoms ranging from severe and debilitating fatigue. muscular aches and pains, neurological problems, flu-like symptoms to a host of different other problems. I found nothing to stop the horrible sickness. Nothing could be done to control the waxing and waning of the illness. The months passed into years.

I truly began to believe I would have to learn to live with this illness, until I was led to Dr. John Keefe and his practice. After a few weeks of working with Dr. Keefe. I began to start picking up. The sick, flu-like feelings started to subside. Little by little, my energy started coming back. I stopped "living my illness" for the first time in along time. I knew I was pulling out of it!

Through the incredible Vega testing Dr. Keefe performs, my body has been able to communicate what supplements it needs. Through the spinal adjustments, my immune system is straightening out.

I have come a long way in the last 6 months. It has taken a lot of serious dedication to Dr. Keefe's program. I know I would still be lying on the couch if I had not kept the faith and hung in there!

I urge anyone with any illness to go through the program. It has worked for me! I'm back to working full time and feeling better and stronger every day. I no longer "live with.. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I HAVE MY LIFE BACK.

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).

Diet, Exercise, Attitude, Rest And A Pressure Free Nervous System

Have you ever thought much about your nervous system? Millions and millions of tiny electrical fibers sending chemical and electrical information throughout your body. Making muscles move, causing glands to secrete, creating the miracle of sight and sound. Most people don't think much about how the body works but if we were going to decide upon the most important system it would have to be the nervous system. Not that you can do without your cardiovascular system or your digestive system but these systems and all the rest are controlled and coordinated by the nervous system.

Gray's anatomy, one of the most widely used anatomy books, indicates that the nervous system controls and coordinates every organ, part and system of the body and relate the individual to his or her environment. To put that in plain english your stomach won't digest, your lungs won't take in air, your joints won't lubricate themselves and your brain won't interpret what your eyes see without the function of the nervous system.

Who Are You?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the physical sense you are your nervous system. You're not your liver, though your liver is a part of what makes up your body. If you get a liver transplant you're still you. If you get a heart transplant you're still you but if science could transplant your nervous system then you would not be there anymore. Not only are you expressed through the nervous system so is your health.

Your nervous system was the first recognizable organ, a little gray streak, within a mass of identical looking cells. It was your nervous system's job to take those cells and make a complete human being. And now it's your nervous systems job to maintain the normal function of your body. It controls the growth of cells, the function of organs as well as coordinates the massive job of navigating your body's movements. The miracle of balance and movement of our human bodies is pulled off masterful by the control of the nervous system.

How Do You Work?

How fast should your heart beat right now? How much insulin should your pancreas produce right now? What is your cholesterol level right now? The answer to these questions are programmed within your nervous system. The ability to regulate these functions and thousands upon thousands of others is the ability your nervous system has to maintain you health. When your nervous system is in full control it can express your genetic potentials as far as health is concerned. It keeps your cholesterol level normal, your blood sugar normal, your hormone levels normal, your blood pressure normal etc.

If you have a digestive problem what's wrong with your nervous system? Your nervous system controls and coordinates the growth, repair and function of your digestive system. Why is your digestive system acting up? Has your nervous system forgot want to do? Of course not, but you can be assured something is interfering with its function. Your nervous system knows how to keep your digestive system functioning normally. Then why do you have digestive problems. Is it due to some lack of a drug? Some antacids? What is the daily recommended requirement for Alka-Seltzer?

No, your nervous system has not forgot want to do. But the information can get blocked and never reach your digestive system. When the information that tells your stomach how much acid to secrete becomes garbled what is your stomach to do? The organs need direction in order to function properly. It's your nervous systems job to give it that direction. When you get sick this direction is lost, chiropractic can restore it.

How Do You Get Sick?

There are different causes for nerve interference but the number one causes is subluxation. The subluxation is a slight misalignment of a vertebra which causes distortion within the spine. This misalignment with the accompanying changes in the spine can cause a considerable amount of stress on the nervous system. Unfortunately this stress is not always felt as pain. In fact a considerable amount of stress can develop along key nerves without any back pain whatsoever. As this stress is maintained, organs, parts and systems start to malfunction. Again this malfunction can take place slowly over time without a lot of warning. Our body slowly loses the vitality and energy that is part of normal function. Slowly over months and years disease develops.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POSTURE AND HEALTH Roger Sperry,Ph.D. (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1981) discovered that 90% of the brain’s activity is used to balance your body within the gravitational field of earth. If your body is mechanically distorted, it will affect the other 10% of the brain's activity, which controls all the other body functions such as breathing, digestion and cognition. If the body framework (bone structure and spine) is misaligned it can impede or block the electrical and chemical transmissions of the nervous system, which controls all of your body's functions. This interference to the nervous system can cause or contribute to all kinds of symptoms and illnesses (in other words, the feeling that "I am hurting or I am sick"). Published research studies indicate that when body balance is restored, the body enters a healing cycle that alleviates pain and symptoms, elevates the immune system, increases blood and oxygen circulation, normalizes nervous system communication and creates more optimum body performance ("I feel good again").

Science

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 WlIks vs. AMA)

How Do You Get Well?

A Chiropractic physician is trained in detection and correction of spinal subluxation complex. A Chiropractic physician is trained in diagnosis as other physicians are but when it comes to treatment we specialize in a natural approach. The Chiropractic adjustment to reposition the spinal bones also rebalances the spinal distortion that results from the subluxation. This releases the spark of life that allows the body the miracle of healing.

How Do You Stay Well?

The Chiropractic physician includes diet, exercise and other lifestyle techniques to restore the body to good health. Because the Chiropractic physician works with the spine many people mistakenly believe that chiropractors just work with spinal problems. A Chiropractic physician works with most health problems with treatments that are designed to fix and not cover up. The Chiropractic approach is a natural health care approach. We offer health care for the whole family.

Long Term Chiropractic Patients Have Higher Blood Levels of DNA Repair Chemicals  Published by drkita on November 16, 2012

The February 18, 2005 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research finds that patients under long-term chiropractic care have higher levels of the blood chemicals associated with effective DNA repair and overall wellness.

The test was a retrospective analysis of 46 patients, all over the age of 40 who had been under short- term chiropractic care for 8-52 weeks or long term wellness care for 52-312 weeks. Researchers assessed the levels of serum thiols, blood factors that have been found to help the body repair the damaging effects stress has on the structure of DNA. Serum thiols are measured in terms of nM cysteine.

The authors found that non-chiropractic treated patients in the control group had serum thiol levels of 124 nM cysteine. Patients with active disease processes going on generally had levels below 90 compared to patients under long-term chiropractic care who had values of 146.

If you know someone with a chronic health problem please pass along this post. Please see our other posts in the natural law series.

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.

Healing comes from within. The wisdom that made your body can heal your body. Chiropractic science teaches that the body has an inborn ability to heal itself. In chiropractic we call this innate intelligence.

When you cut your finger in most cases all you need to do is clean the cut and the body will do the rest. When you break a bone if it is not severely dislocated the body can pull the bone back together and make it stronger than it was before the break.

As a chiropractic physician I rely on your bodies inborn intelligence to produce the results from care. My job is to remove the interference and let innate intelligence do the rest. Yes we have to give innate the proper building blocks through proper diet and nutrition plus we need to stop overloading the body with toxic chemicals and depleted nutrients like refined carbohydrates or junk food.

Exercise, oxygen, clean water, stress reduction and proper rest are all components necessary for good health. Drugs can not give you healthy tissue cells, vitamins can not give you healthy tissue cells without innate intelligence doing its job. That's why the adjustment is so important. The doctor inside needs to have full access to every part of your body in order to maintain good health. Nerve pressure interferes with the innate intelligence's ability to restore health. Who do you know who would benefit from chiropractic care?

Chiropractic releases health from within, not from a pill.

Let us define what is meant by proper rest. Ideally it means freedom from work or physical activity; freedom from disturbance of mind or spirit, peace of mind. The purpose of proper rest is to restore, to bring back to a former or original condition.

 

There are presently many theories as to why we require rest or sleep, what happens mentally and physiologically while we sleep and even how much each individual really needs. Based on the information that we have, a rational approach serves to unravel some of the mystery surrounding sleep and the essentials of proper or adequate rest.

When individuals are sleep-deprived their most common complaints are mental fatigue or confusion and musculoskeletal discomfort. These conditions are relieved by subsequent rest. We therefore may extrapolate that sleep is essential to maintain mental clarity and to neutralize structural stress. The physiology behind the restoration of mental capacity is not yet well understood, however, it would appear to be associated with renewing neurotransmitting chemicals and cell membrane potentials throughout our bodies.

These processes in turn are dependent, at least in part, upon the length of rest, the quality of one's nutrition, and the state of one's mind. Rest also provides time for your logical, analytical 'left' brain to relax its dominance and thus allow the emotional and imaginative 'right' brain valuable time for 'creative' expression. Thus, one of the keys to effective rest is learning how to turn down the volume of your 'left', brain while you tune into your 'right'! This is where regular use of an exceptional guided imagery tape can be so useful.

The physiology behind the other major function of rest and sleep, structural recuperation, is more important. There is a relentless force acting upon our physical structure, day by day, week after week: The constant force of gravity. The more effectively one learns to be aware of this force and to deal with it intelligently, the less destructive its influence. Failure to pay heed and to effectively reduce the effect of this downward pull on our bodies, often results in chronic and recurrent musculoskeletal discomfort (stiff, sore shoulders, neck, and back: hip, knee and ankle distress). Degenerative disc and joint disease, myofascial problems and even headaches are the result.

How then may we better cope with these stresses, especially with those related to the earth's gravity? While most of us are aware of the need for a good night's sleep, too few recognize the need for proper rest and relaxation. Both those who are engaged in heavy physical labor and business executives or white collar workers alike are subjected to a variety of physical stressors throughout their 'working hours'. There is mounting evidence that those who manage to obtain some rest and more resourceful postures during the day, not only live more comfortably and work more effectively, they also live longer! Once convinced of the benefits, how does one go about obtaining proper rest during business hours? Proper rest refers to "those inactivities which serve to aid restoration of optimal mental and physical function" (i.e. good health).

Our goals here include assisting the nervous system in its ability to cope with the stresses upon it, and assisting the physical body in compensating for the wear and tear of manual activities and the effects of gravity. All that is normally required is 15 to 20 minutes, twice daily, (in addition to your usual night sleep) to counteract the onslaught of stress-related fatigue and wear and tear.)

One of the most effective practices involves getting off your feet, and/or derriere, and laying supine on your back on a firm surface. Any carpeted floor will do nicely. The knees should be bent up toward your chest until your thighs are at right angles to your trunk, perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs resting on a chair seat, couch, or even a box with padding on top.

Many books have been written concerning diet. What is a good diet? Is there a perfect diet? Is there a diet everyone should follow?

When I was in school an instructor challenged us; "You can make any statement about diet, even an outrageous one, and I will find an authority who agrees with you and one who disagrees." He defined an authority as anyone who has written a book. Believe me, after over 25 years in practice I know, for the layperson, diet can be very confusing. It can be confusing for a lot of doctors as well. The one law concerning diet that few will disagree with is "all things in moderation."

WE ARE DIFFERENT

Over the years, as the effects that food has on individuals has been studied, we have noticed that certain foods will have a unique effect on a persons moods and physiology. Mothers have seen that sweets might make one of their children hyperactive and another child moody or depressed. Foods do not have a universal affect on individuals, the facts are different foods affect people in different ways. So if individuals have different metabolisms than they have different dietary needs. If we were all exactly the same then one perfect diet might be the answer.

The fact is we are individuals, different types of music affect different people in a unique way. For some people like one type of music, some another. To think one diet will fit all makes as much sense as thinking one type of music will be enjoyed by all. At Keefe Clinic we attempt to understand how each patient is unique. There is absolutely no way one diet can be right for all people. Yet for the last several years a low-fat, high complex carbohydrate diet has been pushed on the general public.

The Low-Fat Diet Can Kill

In April 1996 the Second International Symposium on Dietary Fats and Oil Consumption in health and disease was hosted by the Southwestern University Medical School in Dallas, Texas. Nutritional researchers from around the world presented their findings on the effects of fat in the human diet. After the presentations showing the subjects following the low-fat, high complex carbohydrate diet hadn't got rid of their obesity, had not lowered their cholesterol levels, had lowered their HDL levels (the good cholesterol), and had increased their blood levels of triglycerides (a major risk factor for heart disease), the moderators of the symposium pronounced the low-fat diet a failure.

Now some people who have followed the low-fat diet have benefited. Those individuals have lost weight, lowered their cholesterol and blood sugar, and have extended their lifespan. But when you get a massive study of the population as a whole, the good is far outweigh by the number of individuals that have been hurt. Some metabolisms need a low-fat diet; some metabolisms need a high protein diet. Some metabolisms need to stay away from red meat. Some metabolisms should have red meat on a regular basis. Some people like classical music, some people like rock-and-roll. Just as our auditory needs are different our chemical needs are different.

Before Heart Disease Was So Common

In 1910 we consumed 83% of our fat as animal fat and only 17% as vegetable fat, and practically all of that came from eating the actual vegetables. Now, we get three times the amount of vegetable fat we did then, and a little more than half the animal fat. And we have added a new kind of fat; unnatural, processed fat called Trans fat, to the mix. Trans fat, widely used for baking, turned up in all kinds of processed foods; unfortunately, according to the Second National Health in Nutrition Examination Survey done nearly 20 years ago, the largest contributions of calories in the U.S. diet are white bread, rolls, crackers, doughnuts, cookies, and cakes, so we consume-at least those of us who follow the typical American diet-a hefty dose of these unnatural fats. In order to avoid Trans fats, it's important to look for the words partially hydrogenated and avoid any products that contain them.

There are some universal truths: eat real foods. It's possible today to have a meal that consists of very little real foods. Try to eat something fresh and raw everyday, fiber is an essential element to good health and raw foods are full fiber, as well as, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Junk food got its name because it's primarily junk. Garbage in-garbage out, a computer law that's true for our bodies as well.

The Water Cure

New research links dehydration with a number of common diseases. Are you dying of thirst? Forty percent of your body weight in ozs. is the minimum of water you should drink everyday, 50 percent is your cleansing dose. If your weight is 100lbs. you need to drink 40-50ozs. of water every day. Your body is 75 percent water; your brain is 85 percent water, you need to replace this with clean water everyday. As we get older our sense of thirst gradually decreases which can lead to our bodies becoming chronically and increasingly dehydrated.

The Nature Cure

How about fresh air and sunlight. Our bodies need these elements as well. Indoor air has concentrated pollutants that can effect our health. Get outside and enjoy God's creation. Today we hear a lot about the dangers of sunlight. We are told that the ozone layer is opening and we are being exposed to more harmful rays of the sun. To that I say, "junk science". The sun has not changed, we have. We do not eat enough foods that have the antioxidants that protect us from the sun. We are exposed to more toxins that deplete us of antioxidants and so we have more skin cancer. Eat your vegetables and enjoy the sunlight, remember all things in moderation.

Knowing Your Body

There are four distinct body types with many subgroups. The different body types have differing chemistry related to which organ is the most dominant. The types include Thyroid, Adrenal, Gonadal (sex glands), and Pituitary. In men the Adrenal and Gonadal are combined in the Adrenal type.

The ratio of proteins, carbohydrates and fats differ for each type. The Thyroid type and Pituitary type require a lot of proteins whereas the Adrenal type and Gonadal type require a lot of complex carbohydrates. Too much fat can cause problems for Adrenal type and Gonadal type. The Thyroid type and Pituitary type can handle fats pretty well but carbohydrates would put their metabolisms under a lot of stress.

Learning what ratio of proteins, carbohydrates and fats that work best in your system will go a long way in balancing your body's chemistry. Each body type has certain foods that pose particular health risks for them. Understanding this information and realizing how your body type is genetically wired can give you a handle on your health for the rest of your life.

Filling out a simple form will help us determine which body type you are. Knowledge is power.

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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.