Seasonal Allergies

Sniffling, sneezing and coughing are typically the signs of a cold coming on; but for those who have a family member that struggles with seasonal allergies, you know that’s not always the case. Often times, those itchy eyes area sure sign that allergy season is coming and with it the head congestion associated with an allergic response. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way; while the allopathic community says that allergies are incurable and only manageable, there’s more to the story.

    What are Seasonal Allergies?

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, seasonal allergies, like other allergies, develop when the body’s immune system becomes sensitized and overreacts to something in the environment that typically causes no problem in most people. Typical airborne allergens include pollen, dust, mold, pet dander and smoke (either cigarette smoke or that produced by burning paper, chemicals or waste products).  When exposed to an allergen, the body triggers the immune system to go into action. The immune system cells, known as “mast cells”, release a substance called histamine that attaches to receptors in blood vessels causing them to enlarge. Histamine also binds to other receptors causing redness, swelling, itching and changes in secretion.

While “allergy season” is considered to be in the Spring (flowers blooming and pollination) the truth is that tree, grass and plant pollination happens throughout the year and, depending upon the allergy, can cause symptoms all year long.  Not only are allergies affected by what is being pollinated, but there are climate factors that can influence the severity

of the symptoms, these include:

•Tree, grass and ragweed pollens thrive during cool nights and warm days

•Molds grow quickly in heat and high humidity

•Pollen levels tend to peak in the morning hours

•Rain washes pollen away, but pollen counts can soar after rainfall

•On a day with no wind, airborne allergens are grounded

•When the day is windy and warm, pollen counts surge

•Moving to another climate to avoid allergies or airborne allergens

Those with seasonal allergies know it is impossible to find a climate with no airborne allergens

What are the typical treatments?

Typically, a medical doctor is going to be focused on relieving the symptoms, not getting to their source, and so will generally recommend over-the-counter allergy medications.  For the child, a pediatrician will commonly suggest diphenhydramine, sold under the brand name Benadryl.

Before following this advice consider the side-effects associated with this chemical: dryness of the mouth, nose and throat; drowsiness; disturbed coordination; upset stomach; dizziness; chest congestion; and headaches. In some cases, these can even include: heart palpitations or increased heart rate; blurred or double vision; hyperactivity or excitability (especially in children); or nervousness or anxiety.  Parents should also be aware, before giving this drug to a child, that this same chemical is used in most over-the-counter sleep aids, including Tylenol PM. The most popular recommended over-the-counter for adolescents and adults is cetirizine HCL, sold under the brand name Zyrtec. This drug is taken to provide temporary relief of runny nose, sneezing, nasal stuffiness and itchy or watery eyes associated with common inhalant allergies. However, the side-effects from this chemical include drowsiness, tiredness, dry mouth and stomach

Dr. Thompson Keeps You Informed

When exposed to allergens, the body triggers the immune system to go into action. 

there are always healthier choices than over-the-counter chemicals, including the following:

•Essential oils – peppermint, basil, eucalyptus, lemon,and tea tree oil are the top 5 essential oils when, dealing with allergies (

•Vitamin C – taken daily can block the histamine that causes the allergy symptoms

•Apple Cider Vinegar – this most popular home remedy should be taken as 2 tbsp Apple Cider

Vinegar, mixed with 4 oz of water and 1 tbsp ofnatural honey up to three times a day

•Raw Honey – 2 tbsp of natural, local honey up to three times a day has been known to relieve

allergy symptoms

•Bromelain – this pineapple extract decreases theinflammation associated with allergies

•Zinc – helps control inflammation in the respiratory tract and supports proper immune function

One of the primary benefits of home remedies, as opposed to over-the-counter drugs, is the absence of chemicals in the body that may create their own problems in side effects.

The Chiropractic Factor

One of the primary causes of allergies is an impaired immune system, which substantially increases the risk of allergic reactions. “This occurs when the immune system becomes stressed due to an overload of toxins,” says C. Gableman, MD, a practitioner of environmental medicine.

Chiropractors are the only healthcare professional that recognizes the important role a healthy

nervous system plays in a healthier immune system.  Most, if not all, over-the-counter and prescription allergy treatments adversely affect the nervous system, which means that they will adversely affect your overall health and wellness.  Many parents report that their children’s allergies improve with regular Chiropractic care; so, before you reach for a chemical, reach for the phone and schedule an appointment with Dr. Thompson today 316-721-3003.

Colicky Infants and Chiropractic Care

Is your infant abnormally fussy? If your baby is younger than five months old and cries for more than three hours in a row, more than three days a week, for three weeks, he or she might have an issue of colic. When a child is colicky, it can be overwhelming as a parent; sometimes it seems as if the baby is crying nonstop without a known cure or solution.

Chiropractic care has been proven to reduce colic symptoms in babies. Because of how gentle the treatment is, chiropractic care relieves the baby of the colicky symptoms without fear that the adjustment will have adverse effects on the child.

If you can’t get to the chiropractor right away, here are a few tips to help soothe your baby during a crying fit:

1. Swaddle your baby in a thin blanket to help him or her feel safe and warm.

2. Put your baby in a rocker. The steady motion can help your baby relax enough to fall asleep.

3. Change the position in which you are holding your baby. Sometimes one position might be uncomfortable for your baby, but another may not be.

4. Give your baby a pacifier. Every baby won’t take a pacifier, but it can be a quick way to soothe the baby if he or she does like pacifiers.

Don’t let the stress and worry of caring for a colicky baby continue to build up. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Thompson here to relieve your baby’s symptoms and your concerns.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Ear Infections

One common reason to bring your child to a chiropractor is to help improve chronic ear infections. Chronic ear infections occur when your child has fluid build up inside their middle ear cavity. That fluid causes the infection, and the pain your child feels when they say, “mommy, my ear hurts”.

The reason the fluid is trapped in their ear, is because the muscles surrounding the Eustachian tubes are spasming, and blocks the fluid from draining. When you visit the chiropractor, the adjustments we will make to your young child will help those spasms stop.

Chiropractic Care and Ear Infection Research

A 2011 study conducted by Pohlman and Holton-Brown, published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine that reviewed 49 studies proved that there is no evidence to prevent using chiropractic care to help ear infections, and there is no safety issues either.

A chiropractic adjustment is intended to help the normal functioning of the nervous system be restored so the body can heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. That is why it is perfect for your little one.

Don’t wait until your child’s infection gets worse - click here to schedule an appointment today.

What Is The Webster Technique?

By definition the Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that
reduces interference to the nerve system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments.
This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, a cause of intra-uterine constraint of the baby and
allows for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth. Dr. Thompson is Webster certified
by the ICPA and has years of experience working with women with breech babies.

When misalignments occur in your pelvis they may cause the uterus to twist and pull,
and this can cause a tightening of the muscles of the uterine wall. When this happens
your baby can no longer move and becomes stuck in the wrong or unnatural position.
This position may cause difficulty during delivery and could result in your baby having to
be delivered by c-section.

It is my desire to correct the misalignment in your pelvis thus relaxing the uterine wall
and allowing your baby to naturally move into position for a quality labor and delivery.
However, this isn’t where my responsibility to you or your baby ends.

While in this unnatural position, your baby’s spine is being forced into an unnatural
position as well and this may have resulted in misalignments that can manifest as a
variety of common childhood disorders such as colic, reflux, chronic ear infections,
constipation, torticollis, etc. This is why I recommend all of my pregnant patients bring
their baby in for an evaluation following delivery.

Why Would My Child Need to See a Chiropractor?

Modern day medicine suggests that if you’re not sick then you’re well. The Family Wellness Chiropractor knows better. A lack of obvious symptoms of illness does not mean that you and your family are healthy.

What is Subluxation?

Our spine protects our spinal cord, which is the message highway from our brain to all of our other muscles, tissues, organs and glands via the nerves that exit between each vertebrae. Commonly known as the “central nervous system”, it’s the master controller of all of your body’s systems. If just one vertebrae is even slightly out of alignment, it can cause nerve interference resulting in a lack of wellness. This lack of wellness will manifest itself in silent signs of subluxation, usually not given a lot of attention from a general practitioner or medical doctor. However, your family wellness chiropractor will recognize these signs right away.

Difficulty Sleeping

Subluxation can affect many areas but one of the most annoying is a disrupted sleep pattern.

Poor Posture

It goes without saying that our spine will affect our posture, however, what many parents don’t realize is that the majority of typical activities enjoyed by today’s youth will actually increase poor posture. It has been determined that the typical child spends 8 ½ hours a day “plugged in”. This means that for over 8 hours a day your child is bent over a hand-held video game or
laptop, slumped in a chair staring at a TV or computer screen, or hunched over their cell-phone sending text messages. If your child already has subluxation leading to poor posture, these typical daily activities are only going to make that existing problem worse.

Weak Immune System

If your child seems to be one of those children that catches every bug going around then this could be a sign of subluxation. Consider that the immune system operates by the brain recognizing an invader (virus or bacteria) and responds by telling the body to produce antibodies and eliminate the problem. If your child’s immune system is operating properly they will hardly show any symptoms of having contracted the cold, flu or other common childhood
illness. When your child’s spine is misaligned and the messages are interrupted from the brain to their muscles, organs and glands, their body will not function properly. Nerve interference will hinder the message and the glands won’t respond properly, which may result in your child’s body being unable to fight off the illness.

In fact, a study published in 2009, revealed that regular chiropractic care for children resulted in commonly reported immune system-related improvements. For instance, parents reported back that their children were sick less often, had improved sleep patterns and an improved emotional state or mood. It should also be noted that in all of these cases, these improvements were unrelated to the initial reason for seeking chiropractic care.

Behavioral Problems

A study published in 2010 found evidence to support the improvement in ADHD symptoms as well as other behavioral, social or emotional difficulties following routine wellness chiropractic care. Family Wellness Chiropractors recognize that beyond the effect of subluxation, our western culture and diet are contributing to behavioral problems in our children. With regular adjustments as well as diet and exercise recommendations, chiropractic care can be effective in
helping children.

Respiratory or Food Allergies

Whether your child suffers from runny noses and itchy eyes or asthma, respiratory allergies are highly irritating and food allergies can be equally frustrating, but your chiropractor might be able to help.

As with many of the other silent signs mentioned so far, nerve interference can be equally at fault in all types of allergies. Basically, allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a food or airborne allergen that it has mistaken as harmful. It reacts by creating specific antibodies or histamine to fight something that isn’t really dangerous. A body that is functioning properly may not react this way.

Digestion and Elimination Problems

The process of digesting food and eliminating waste is another important bodily system controlled by the central nervous system. Nerve interference can affect how the body functions
resulting in common digestion and elimination problems such as colic, reflux, constipation and diarrhea.

In Summary

An absence of symptoms does not always mean the presence of health. Dr Thompson has
been specifically trained to recognize the silent signs of subluxation and help you and your family have a higher quality of life.