Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) And Upper Cervical Care

(Editors note:  The following summary is adapted from a monthly newsletter I receive.)

A documented case study appeared in the November 7, 2011 issue of the  Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health reporting on the improvement of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) with (upper cervical) care. Sensory processing disorders are when a person can not properly process sensory input involved in daily activity. Various authorities have different opinions as to what constitutes SPD, however, estimates suggested that 5.3% of kindergarten children may meet the criteria for a SPD.

In this study a four and a half year old boy, described as "well nourished", was brought to the (upper cervical doctor) with Sensory Processing Disorder and related symptoms. The boy had been diagnosed with SPD by a childhood developmental therapist a year earlier. At 18 months old his parents noticed there was a problem when he started to become very aggressive, substantially increase the amount of food he ate, and was breaking out in unexplainable blotchy rashes.

The study noted that the initial exam was very difficult to conduct as every time the doctor tried to examine the child he would throw himself to the floor and start screaming uncontrollably.  After 40 minutes of this behavior, the child collapsed crying into his mothers arms, and the initial attempt at examination was postponed.

One week later an examination was performed and it was noted that there was a problem in the upper cervical (neck) spine. (Upper cervical corrections) specific to findings of (head/neck misalignment) were initiated. In addition to the corrections the child was placed on a  gluten-free, casein-free, and refined sugar-free diet. The mother followed the care and dietary recommendations carefully, but she did note that occasionally the boy's grandmother would "slip him some treats".

The changes reported in this study were nothing short of life changing for the boy. The author reported, "There were dramatic decreases in sensory stimulating behaviors, physical outbursts, and behavioral outbursts following the introduction of care. There was also a dramatic increase in his attention span and ability to focus on one thing at a time. The patient also started to read for the first time after the 8th correction."

(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)

Upper Cervical Care And Athletic Performance.

Athletic Performance
What Upper Cervical Has To Offer!
From www.uppercervicalcare.com

What do Lance Armstrong, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana and Evander Holyfield all have in common? Not only have they risen to the top of their respective sports, they all consider regular chiropractic care essential to improving their health and gaining a competitive edge over their competitors.

The truth is, it doesn’t matter if you are at the top of your game, a weekend warrior, or a stay-at-home mom training for your first 5K run, upper cervical care can help you perform at your BEST!

Athletes undertaking rigorous fitness regimes often push their bodies to the limit. Since their performance is based on the health and strength of their body…whether they need to recover from injury, improve performance or increase joint flexibility, ongoing upper cervical care is a valuable addition to their training regime.

In recent years, spinal care has become a valuable partner in the everyday athletic health regimen. Athletes find it not only improves performance but also reduces the risk of injury. Studies show that upper cervical care improves athletic ability, agility, balance, power, speed, reaction time and recovery.

How does upper cervical care help to improve athletic performance? The answer lies in the nervous system. In our bodies, the brain and brain stem act as our “Master Control System”. Everything that we do is regulated by the nerve impulses that are sent from the brain/brain stem out to the body through our network of nerves. For the athlete who is looking for an edge to his or her physical performance, this improved communication between the brain and every part of the body, especially the heart, lungs and muscles can make the difference between winning and losing.

Upper Cervical corrections help to improve the overall function of the nervous system, which, in turn, improves the efficiency of the communication between the brain and the body. With a fraction of a second meaning the difference between gold and silver, many of today’s top athletes are checked regularly during training and off seasons to maintain peak performance.

Research

A research study conducted by Dr. Jon Schwartzbauer, studied changes in athletic performance in baseball players with and without upper cervical care. Each athlete’s performance was evaluated through assessment of the vertical jump, broad jump specified, standing broad jump, and muscle strength. Blood pressure, pulse rate, microcirculation (capillary counts), and treadmill stress testing were also evaluated. The results showed significant improvement at fourteen weeks in muscle strength and long jump distance in the group receiving upper cervical corrections. Moreover, this same group showed significant improvement in capillary counts after five and fourteen weeks of upper cervical care. Evaluation of the group receiving care revealed decreases in resting blood pressure and pulse rate as well as pulse rate following tread mill activity. By comparison, trends in these same measures showed increases within the control group (non-upper cervical). All this translates into better athletic performance! In another study by Drs. Anthony Lauro and Brian Mouch, upper cervical care improved athletic performance by as much as 30% after 12 weeks. Athletes were tested on several aspects of athletic ability including kinesthetic perception, power, reaction time, agility and balance. At the 6 week mark of this study those who received upper cervical care showed an 18% increase in performance while those who did not showed only a 1% increase in performance.

These studies showed that athletes who have full brain to body communication (subluxation-free athletes) react faster, have better coordination, execute fine movements with improved accuracy and precision, amounting to an overall better athlete.

Key Benefits

In addition to improving performance, ongoing upper cervical care offers several health and wellness benefits, including:

•Improved posture
•Increased range of motion
•Improved immune system that can ward off common illnesses or disease
•Better focus and concentration
•Reduction of migraines or severe headaches
•Increased blood circulation
•Better joint flexibility
•Reduced risk of injury
•Increased blood and oxygen flow throughout the body
•Improved recovery rates after a sports injury
•Reduction of pain in major joints

Some athletes turn to upper cervical care only after they have been injured, but it is much more beneficial to incorporate care into the weekly training routine. An upper cervical doctor can offer natural supportive care for runners, bikers, tennis players, baseball, football and basketball players - any athlete who is constantly on the move.

For both casual sports participants and high-performance athletes, a natural method of stress reduction and toxin removal is necessary for better health overall. Upper cervical care can play an important role in the lives of these athletes throughout their training season, and during their most competitive seasons.

Our Thoughts And Upper Cervical Care

Adapted from: "It's Up To You"
author unknown

I wake up sometimes feeling like a part of the "rat race" and then I think to myself, "I am who I think I am." I know that sounds strange, but it is so true. Many clients that come to my office have the diagnosed mentality. They have been told that they possess some sort of illness/disease and that the body is failing them. Usually until the day they die, they will hold in their possession their title (diagnosis) forever. Just the other day a client of mine had asked me if they still had high blood pressure. They stated that they have been with me for about 1 1/2 years now and six months into their care, they had stopped using their medication. Their blood pressure has remained in normal levels, but they were still holding on to the diagnosis for the past year. Does that person still have high blood pressure?

Why are we so afraid of letting go? Why not have the thought that if my body can degenerate, it can also regenerate? Our body reacts to our thoughts. For instance, if we were in a car and all of the sudden the car in front of us slammed on the brakes, we would also slam on the brakes to keep from hitting the car. You never did hit the car, but your body goes through a state of shock. You break out into a sweat, your eyes dialate and your heart races. Your body reacted to a thought that you had. Just like worrying about something that hasn't occurred. Your stomach begins to make an excess of acid and now you have an ulcer. You didn't tell your stomach to do that; it just reacted to your thought.

So, what thoughts are you having everyday? Are they constructive? Worry free? And, what do your thoughts have to do with Upper Cervical Care? Thoughts travel through the body as impulses that begin in our brain and end up within our organs. Your nerve system resides within your spine and if something were to be wrong with your spine (head/neck misalignment) then, your thoughts will be misconstrued. From anxiety to confidence, peace to chaos, your body's thought process is dependent upon how well your spine is functioning.

First and foremost, wake up with the thought of abundance. Remember that you lack nothing and the only reason you don't have what you want in life is because you are thinking out of scarcity. What you think about, you will bring about. Think good--you get good. Therefore; think bad, guess what... you get bad.

Secondly, make sure that you are getting your spine checked. Having your spine functioning correctly allows the body to function at its optimum. Developing into an illness/disease is like gaining weight... it takes time. One doesn't gain weight overnight, therefore; you didn't get a sickness/disease overnight either. If it takes time for the body to build itself sick, you must allow it to build itself well again. The process is sped up dramatically by a constructive healthy thought and an optimum functioning spine.

So what are you thinking about? How well is your spine functioning? Get your spine checked and, if needed, get an upper cervical correction and think good things! Have an abundant day!!!