It’s that time of year again where school busses are on the road and school supplies are on discount (because who really has enough pens?). It’s also the time to pick out your child’s backpack. Using backpacks is an efficient means to carry a number of books and items in a practical way by distributing the heavy load across a strong back and shoulder muscles. However, improper use can lead to spinal dysfunctional movement, poor posture and down the road, pain.
 
The biggest risk is overloading. A study in Spine Journal found that the weight of backpacks significantly affected the rate of low back pain in children. According to the study, carrying an overloaded backpack frequently caused compression of spinal discs in the lower spine. They concluded that a large portion of low back pain suffers presented changes in the lumbar spine with MRI scans. The distortion of the natural spinal curvatures in the middle and lower backs, as well as the ribcage leads to pain. Over time this causes forward rounding of the shoulders and an anterior (forward) head posture. This pulls the neck muscles and contributes to headaches, shoulder pain, low back pain and arm pain. Although not fully researched yet, the regularly recommended weight should be around 10-15% of the child’s body weight. So your 100-pound child’s backpack should be between 10-15 pounds.
 
Habitually carrying backpacks over one shoulder cause muscles to strain and compensate for the uneven weight (also talking to you Mom’s with an overfilled tote). The spine will lean to the opposite side and stresses the middle back, low back and ribcage asymmetrically. This type of muscle imbalance will cause muscle strain, muscle spasms and back pain in the short term. Long term effects will cause posture issues and a speedy development of back problems later in life if not corrected.
 
In 2013, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission cited 5,415 backpack-related injuries treated in the emergency room.  Spine Journal reported over 60% of adolescents between 6 and 19 years old have reported their backpack has caused back pain. There is little chance there will be permanent damage caused from carrying a heavy backpack, but can set your child off on a dysfunctional postural course leading to spinal issues later in life. Set your child up for success this school year with a light and even distributed backpack. The American Chiropractic Association lists a few things to consider:
 

• Is the backpack the correct size for your child?
• Does the backpack have padded shoulder straps for comfort?
• Are the shoulder straps adjustable?
• Does your child use both straps?
• Does the backpack have a padded back?
• Does the backpack have compartments to keep items in place?

 
References:

1. Neuschwander T, Cutrone J, Macias B, et el. The effect of backpacks on the lumbar spine in children a standing magnetic resonance image study. Spine 35(1):83-8. 2009.
2. Aprile I, Di Stasion E, Vincenzi M, et el.  The relationship between back pain and schoolbag use: a cross-sectional study of 5,318 Italian students. Spine 16(6):748-55. 2016.

The most precious gift in life is good health. If you don’t believe me, ask anyone who is chronically ill or fighting a disease. Without hesitation they will tell you that what they want most is “my health”. Likewise, if you ask any parent with a sick child what they would be willing to do to give their child good health, they are most likely to say “anything and everything”.

            The World Health Organization (WHO) describes health as follows: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition has not been altered since 1948 and yet what we have modernly come to recognize health as being “the absence of symptoms and disease.”

            Due to the quick-fix theory and instant access that so many live by, people think that the answer to all ailments can be found in the utilization of a drug, medication or surgery. Instead of focusing on the basis of good health, science has concentrated on trying to find the cause of disease and on defining the ability to fight disease.

            What is today called traditional medicine works at eliminating or controlling signs and symptoms of disease by utilizing external invasive forces, such as surgery. It is mechanistic in nature by using chemicals in the form of drugs to change chemistry, attempts to control readings and battles disease by attempting to take over the body’s innate wisdom. All while working at relieving pain and postponing death – regardless of quality of life. This is NOT health.

            The health care system in the United States is in serious trouble. In the U.S., more money per capita is spent on health care than any other country in the world. We have become the product of commercialized propaganda and have made many decisions about health that actually lead to increased disease and morbidity. The U.S. makes up less than 5% of the world population, yet Americans consume more than 50% of prescribes drugs worldwide.

            Many reputable and highly regarded researchers have provided information to governments that could serve to improve the health of our communities and save taxpayers billions of dollars; yet few of these ideas are ever implemented. Documentaries such as Doctored, Bought, Undoctored,  Sicko and Making a Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging present facts that are hard to believe – and fatal to ignore.

            The dedication of the majority of medical doctors is without a doubt to the wonderful advancements that have taken place regarding crisis and emergency care. For that we are grateful. Yet, at the same time, there have been serious abuses of power. The influences of control by pharmaceutical companies towards how health and health care is perceived is definitely a concern. We are constantly bombarded with this information. In an average 1-hour news TV broadcast, there are 24 commercials and 17 are prescription related.

            The book The Truth About Drug Companies says, “Drug companies are involved in every detail of research, from design of the study through analysis of data, to deciding whether to publish the results or not. That involvement has made bias not only possible but also extremely likely. Researchers don’t control clinical trials anymore, sponsors do.”

            According to WHO, the United Sates, who has excellent resources of scientific minds and technology, is not among the top of the healthiest countries in the world. As health care systems go, the U.S. holds the esteemed position of…37th! Can you believe that? We spend the largest amount towards health care, take the most prescription medications and yet 36 countries rank higher than our stars and stripes. Shocking!

            Under the heading, “ World’s Heathiest Countries,” Bloomberg’s ranking positions the U.S. at 33rd, Canada at 14th and Australia as 3rd. To achieve better results with your family’s health, you must be willing to think differently, look at all of the available options and make wiser informed decisions.
 
Albert Einstein said; “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created the problem in the first place.”
 
            Therefore, we must encourage all politicians taxpayers and health care professionals to recognize the value of moving our health care system to embrace and respect the human’s body innate ability to health itself.

            Every spine might have a subluxation (displacement that affects the nervous systems self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms). We know that each subluxation leads to dis-ease and, in time, full blown disease. Every subluxation needs to be adjusted and ultimately needs Chiropractic.

            The developer of Chiropractic, B.J. Palmer said, “Every man, woman and child has a spine. It makes no difference whether he or she is black or white, red or yellow, whether they live on a mountain or in a valley; on land or water; at the North Pole or equator; rich or poor-it is equally applied.”

            It is our hope that this motivates you to come learn and communicate the large amounts of research towards this exceptional healing art called Chiropractic, whether for your child, a loved one or yourself.
 
Dr. B.J. Palmer said; “Potentially every sick person is demanding Chiropractic-calling for it, needing it, crying for it-actually shouting for it, but doesn’t know.”
 
            Be the person who tells them. We can only impact those around us by talking about it, whether it be uncomfortable or not. Share your knowledge to those who may not know. I leave you with this: Syrus said, “Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.”

1. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records if the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.
2. Dr. Marcia Angell, MD. The Truth About Drug Companies (2005)
3. Dr. Gilles LaMarche. The Art of Being Healthy, Real-Life Accounts of Children and Mothers Healing with Chiropractic (2016)

Subluxation. A word you will hear in our office frequently. But what does it mean?

The aim of the Chiropractic adjustment is to remove subluxations within your spine.  A subluxation is first found as a segment within your spine which is not moving correctly. Without proper motion, your brain does not receive correct sensory information and thus your brain will not send out the correct neural response. Imagine stroking a feather across your cheek and your brain  puts out a response as if it is a blow torch. This incorrect response can be manifested in a multitude of ways, including pain, headaches, increased blood pressure, gastrointestinal issues, and dysfunctional movement patterns, just to name a few.

The most important word to hang onto is NEURAL.

Your brain and descending nerves are the biggest players being affected here. Your spine and joints are the medium we use to reach this essential self-regulating, self-maintaining and self-healing system. When this system is not functioning properly, it goes into a stress response with muscles spasms, joints restricting motion, nearby nerves are choked and chafed, and your internal regulatory system loses control. 

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In fact, the literal translation of the word subluxation is: 
SUB – under, below, beneath
LUX – light, lumen
ATION – result or product of an action

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When you are subluxated, your internal light is not shining at maximum capacity. Ridding yourself of subluxations does not remove dis-ease but adds in life and light. Come get adjusted and turn the light on in yourself.

Your brain processes 400 billion bits of information per second, but we are consciously aware of only 2,000 of those. It picks up info from our external environment; like temperature, pressure, the ground beneath you, air quality, and the things touching your skin; as well as our internal environment; like digestion, respiratory, heart rate, and overall body positioning (proprioception).  Your brain quickly categorizes this info in order of importance and what needs to be conscious to you; that is hot, move your hand; and unconscious; your clothes touching your skin or heart rate. The majority of info is unconscious to us so we can focus on the world around us.
 
The purpose of your brain taking in this mass amount of unconscious sensory info is to be able to output the proper motor control to function in our surrounding environment; so we can balance and stand upright on uneven ground.
 
Every time any of your joints move you are relaying information your brain. Without joint movement, or with improper joint movement, your brain is receiving a false message. A chronic decreased range of motion associated with subluxation results in adaptive neuroplastic changes resulting in increased pain (nociception) and decreased proprioceptive input into the brain. In general, neuroplasticity refers to an adaptation of the nervous system in response to changes in the internal and external environment. Ultimately this means your nervous system changes and adapts to the information it receives, therefore leading to changes in what your body puts out.
 
Say for example your pelvis is not moving through full range of motion. Your brain is receiving a signal that the ground is at a different distance than it truly is. This is one reason why you may stumble or trip over something that is not there. Your brain thinks the ground is there, but in reality it is not.
 
Joints need to go through full ranges of motion, against resistance, every day to stay healthy and continue proper communication with the brain. Type 1 mechanoreceptors are only active while at extreme ranges of motion and when healthy joints are in both a static position and in motion. This is important because these receptors only fire at extreme or end ranges of motion, therefore FULL range is essential. It is also important to note that input is received while in motion and while at rest because it goes to show that information to the brain is a basic nutrient needed for proper control and function.
 
This defines the essential nature of continuing proper joint movement while conscious feeling pain and while NOT feeling any pain. Continue to feed your brain and nervous system with proper full range of motion of all joints, especially spinal joints, with chiropractic care. Specific adjustments through chiropractic care restores full motion within joints and continuing to move every day is what helps maintain it. This evidence gives us the understanding of how important joint movement is to not only feel better, but to function better overall.  
 
References:

1. Lesk, M. Info capacity one in a million; information vs attention. Intl Jol Comm. 2012;6:13.
2. Seaman, DR. Joint complex dysfunction, a novel term to replace subluxation/subluxation complex; etiological and treatment considerations. JMPT. 1997;20(9).
3. McLain. Mechanoreceptor endings in human facet joints. Spine. 1994;19(5).
4. Wyke, B. Neurology of cervical spinal joints. Physiotherapy. 1979;65:72-6.