Welcome to Dr. Armand Rossi’s email newsletter:
Kid’sUnlimited August 3, 2004
Kid’s Unlimited is a monthly, or semi-monthly, newsletter of various articles, funnies, tidbits and opinions relating to our children and chiropractic. My opinions will always be in red and italicized. Please feel free to share the appropriate articles with patients, friends, and other chiropractors. I never buy any lists or put names on my email list unless the names were submitted to me directly. If you wish to be removed from my list, just reply with the word “remove” in the subject line.
Thank you… Together we will make a difference.
Yours in Chiropractic, Armand Rossi
I just returned from the LP3 event at Life University. It was a fabulous event and demonstrated what can occur when people put aside their differences and come together for a common cause. The event was a positive reinforcement of principled chiropractic and the need for it to survive and prosper. Chiropractic grows by being inclusive rather than exclusive. It grows when principled people become the principal people. I am excited to witness the future. I am excited for the public receiving principled chiropractic. Some will for the very first time. These are the times to remain strong in our beliefs (backed by science and research) and bring chiropractic to the masses. We know that there are too many people dying of subluxation and not getting the correction because they do not have back pain. Now is the time to promote subluxation correction, whether a symptom of any kind is present or not.
Soon, school will be starting again. Children will be going through the ritual of vaccination, trauma (backpacks) and stresses of different kinds. One stress they do not need is the stress of the vertebral subluxation. How about correcting the subluxation to allow them to fulfill more of their God-given talents, instead of back pain and discomfort? They should all be checked. We need to get off of the treatment of symptoms. That is the practice of medicine. If one child is living with vertebral subluxation then my job is incomplete. Education is the first step; action is the key.
It was the blue stripe on our second home pregnancy test that convinced my husband we might soon be parents. Call it intuition, but I knew the instant we conceived – a mere several months after I had put my birth control pills on hiatus. Overnight, my body had transitioned from a common temple into the "Taj Mahal" that would be home to our baby girl for nine months.
All the typical emotions followed – surprise, joy, anticipation and apprehension. Sure, we’d planned to have children. Yet, as a woman in my mid-30s, my mind swirled with more than a few concerns. When will morning sickness start? How long will I be able to work? Will I make it through delivery with little pain and swearing?
The Best Intentions
I was already eating well and certainly never skimped on sleep, but my exercise regimen consisted of occasionally accompanying my husband to the gym and plopping on a LifeCycle while he pumped and pressed. Oh, I had great intentions. Upon learning we were expecting, I purchased a pregnancy aerobics tape and zealously used it for a solid two weeks before losing interest. I just couldn’t find the willpower to stick to any routine.
What ultimately saved me from suffering undue tiredness, aches and stress from my ballooning body shape and shifting hormones was chiropractic care. I already made regular visits to my chiropractor prior to pregnancy, so it seemed natural to continue. My chiropractor recommended I continue with weekly visits, adding that I should come in more often if I felt I needed it. It helped that his wife had recently had their first child, so she cheered me on, as did he, stressing that now more than ever I should get adjustments.
When the day arrived, I was determined to have a natural childbirth, even though I’d never had more than a sprained ankle to test my pain tolerance level. I was somewhat disappointed when, at 8 centimeters of dilation, I succumbed to an epidural. However, minutes after I gave birth and admired our new baby girl, I announced to my husband, "I would definitely do this again."
A Positive Difference
Jeffrey Ptak, a chiropractor in Santa Monica, Calif., explains why chiropractic care can make such a positive difference, especially during pregnancy. "Chiropractic care addresses the functioning nervous system," he says. "When the nervous system is not unduly stressed from environmental factors – physical, emotional or chemical stress – the body will work according to its unique genetic plan,” he says. “A stressful birth will stress all parties involved and remain until the nervous system stress is cleared. Chiropractic, by allowing the body to handle stress, helps expecting mothers, new mothers and their newborn children handle life with greater ease." 
Once home from the hospital, I naturally swapped stories with friends and relatives who had already experienced the wonders of childbirth, and because of the seeming baby boom around me, I was able to share with the many who delivered only weeks after I did.
What I learned was shocking. More than a few women I spoke with, my age and younger, were bedridden as early as their first term. Several had delivered preemies or shared tales of excruciating labor. One friend experienced 30 hours of back labor. None of these women had chiropractic care during pregnancy.
An Easier Labor
"Chiropractic care can actually help with labor,” says Leslie Stewart, who is a certified nurse-midwife. “Some women who run past their due date have used treatment to help start labor, rather than having a hospital induce them." She adds that chiropractic treatment for infants can even help them nurse better.
Having experienced such an uneventful pregnancy and problem-free breastfeeding, I wondered if maybe I was just a product of good genetics or if the chiropractic treatments really made a difference, which led me to another mother who shared her experiences after having had three children.
Charlotte decided to become pregnant her first time, knowing she had two damaged spinal discs since she was 13 and had never had treatment. Doctors warned that if she became pregnant, she could end up on bed rest. She remained undaunted.
"Carrying all that extra weight, my pain had reached a whole new level, and it was unbearable,” she says. “And I couldn’t take pain medication while pregnant. So I wore a back brace, which helped a little.”
Charlotte also had a desk job. Not too far into her pregnancy, she quit her job to stay home and spent the majority of her remaining term in bed just to get through the severe lower backaches. An epidural helped her manage pain during delivery. She began chiropractic care shortly after the baby’s 2-month birthday.
Charlotte’s second pregnancy was vastly different from the first. She received regular chiropractic adjustments, starting with her first trimester. Her back pain was minimal this time, and she stayed at work until a week before delivering. Intending to have a natural childbirth this time, she gave birth to her second child two hours after entering the hospital without drugs and with a significant amount less stress than the first. And Charlotte experienced a faster recovery this time around.
Having been an expectant mother with and without, Charlotte can attest to the benefits of chiropractic care as part of a healthy pregnancy. "Not only is chiropractic care a blessing for expecting mothers, but it benefits the baby as well,” she says. “The healthier the mother and her immune system, the healthier the baby.”
Her statement reminded me of my own daughter. Madeline received regular adjustments her second week after entering the world. She never had colic, ear infections, colds or any symptoms of sickness throughout her first 12 months of life when children are often most susceptible. Some people cringe when I tell them she sees a chiropractor, yet everyone agrees that she is one of the most alert, active babies they have ever seen. Some say I’m lucky, but I tell them it’s really very simple – just stay well adjusted!
"In 1965, a Searle scientist licked some of a new ulcer drug from his fingers and discovered the sweet taste of aspartame. Eureka! Selling this chemical as a food additive to hundreds of millions of healthy people every day would mean many more dollars than limited sales to the much smaller group of ulcer sufferers.
specialist and world expert on aspartame poisoning, has also written a book entitled "DEFENSE AGAINST ALZHEIMER`S DISEASE". Dr. Roberts tells how aspartame poisoning is escalating Alzheimer`s Disease, and indeed it is. As a hospice nurse said, women are being admitted at 30 years of age with Alzheimer`s Disease. Dr. Blaylock and Dr. Roberts will be writing a position paper with some case histories and will post it on the Internet. According to the Conference of the American College of Physicians, `We are talking about a plague of neurological diseases caused by this deadly poison". Dr. Roberts realized what was happening when aspartame was first marketed. He said "his diabetic patients presented memory loss, confusion, and severe vision loss". At the Conference of the American College of Physicians, doctors admitted that they did not know. They had wondered why seizures were rampant (the phenylalanine in aspartame breaks down the seizure threshold and depletes serotonin, which causes manic depression, panic attacks, rage and violence).
From the ICPA::: Read and subscribe;
Family Wellness First
The E-news Letter for Parents to make Informed Health Care Choices
Issue 2: Breastfeeding
Milk Money: Advocates Say Government Pressured by Formula Companies to ‘Water Down` Breast-Feeding AdsThe U.S. government has unveiled a new advertising campaign to promote breast-feeding, after months of fierce lobbying to change its approach. In what has been called a battle between mother`s milk and corporate power, the companies that make infant formula put intense pressure on the government to change its approach. The ads were sponsored by the government and produced by the Ad Council, a nonprofit group that produces, distributes and promotes public service announcements. The ads were set to be released last December, but some formula companies complained after getting an early sneak preview of the ads before they hit the airwaves.
"Many mothers simply cannot breast-feed, or cannot do so for as long as would be desired, or elect not to do so for persuasive reasons (often economic)" ??? " For our government to give all those mothers a guilt trip would just be appalling," stated lobbyist Clayton Yeutter in a letter obtained by ABC News.
"When you say `not breast-feeding is risky,` what you`re saying is `using infant formula is risky,` and that is true and they know it," said Dr. Jay Gordon, a pediatrician in Santa Monica, Calif., and a member of the breast-feeding committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Gordon added that there is no substitute for human milk, with all of its immune system benefits for newborns.
Breast-feeding advocates say the science and the figures used in the proposed commercials were valid.
"The ad campaign is backed by scientific research, by good research," said Dr. Larry Gartner, the former chairman of pediatrics at the University of Chicago and the head of the breast-feeding committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In fact, a study released just last month by the National Institutes of Health found that babies who are not breast-fed have a 20 percent higher risk of death in the first year.
"There are risks to the baby who is not breast-fed in terms of getting ear infections, upper respiratory tract infections, certain forms of cancer," said Dr. Bobbi Philipp, a pediatrician at the Boston Medical Center and a breast-feeding expert for the American Academy of Pediatrics, who was involved in the ad campaign.
"I think it`s a huge public health issue," said Philipp. "I think it`s very similar to smoking in terms of the importance to health of the children and mother."
Philipp added that there are live human cells in breast milk that can`t be added to formula. "And the live cells protect against infection," she said.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/Investigation/2020_breastfeeding_ads_040604-1.html
Some recent articles on the benefits of breastfeeding:Breastfeeding reduces risk of infant mortality by 20%: http://praxis.md/index.asp?page=newsarchive&news_id=6232&news=MD
Breast better for brain:
http://www2.us.elsevierhealth.com/scripts/om.dll/serve?action=searchDB&searchDBfor=art&artType=fullfree&id=as0022347604001829For additional articles on the benefits breastfeeding visit:
http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/children/breastfeeding.htm
For Natural Supplementation Information visit:
http://www.icpa4kids.org/children/breastfeedingalternatives.htm
How Chiropractic Care can Benefit Breastfeeding:http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/breastfeeding.htm
Other Great Articles about Breastfeeding:Assessing the Suck Reflex: http://www.icpa4kids.com/pediatric_chiropractic_articles_feeding_difficulties_in_the_newborn.htm
From Breast to Bowl: http://www.icpa4kids.com/pediatric_chiropractic_articles_breast_to_bowl_babys_first_foods.htm
50 Good Reasons to Breastfeed: http://www.icpa4kids.com/pediatric_chiropractic_articles_fifty_good_reasons_to_breastfeed.htm
U.S. warns breast-feeding women about drug :
Drug Warning for Breast-Feeding Moms : WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Breast-feeding women should not take the drug domperidone to boost milk production, because it may put them at risk of serious heart problems and sudden death, the U.S. government warned on Monday.Domperidone is touted on the Internet as a safe way to stimulate milk production, because it may increase the amount of lactin, a hormone needed for lactation.
The drug is not approved in the United States but is sold in other countries in intravenous and oral forms to treat stomach disorders.
The Food and Drug Administration said domperidone poses serious risks and is not approved in any country for enhancing milk production.
Some people in other countries who were treated with the intravenous version have experienced irregular heartbeats, cardiac arrest and sudden death, the FDA said.
"Because of the possibility of serious adverse effects, FDA recommends that breast-feeding women not use domperidone to increase milk production," an FDA statement said.
Link to improve milk supply naturally:
http://www.compleatmother.com/articles3/weed/natural1.shtml
Breatfeeding Resource Website:
http://www.promom.org/
Family Wellness First comes to you as a courtesy of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.
Please forward this e-mail to friends and family who are interested in making informed health care choices.
To find a Doctor of Chiropractic in your area who works with families please visit: http://www.icpa4kids.org/find.htm
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Asthma Drug May Actually Boost Risk of Deadly Attacks, Cause Heart Trouble
One of the most commonly prescribed medicines to treat America`s 16 million asthmatics may actually make asthma worse and contribute to heart problems, two studies find.
Shelley Salpeter of Stanford University says daily doses of beta-agonists may increase the risk of a fatal asthma attack and more than doubles the risk of cardiac events such as heart attacks.
Beta-agonists help relax muscles in the lungs when they spasm during an asthma attack. They are administered in two ways: as a fast-acting "rescue" drug at the beginning of an attack and in a longer-acting form designed to prevent attacks. The latter is frequently given in combination with inhaled steroids, as both drugs help prevent asthma attacks.
Salpeter and her team reviewed studies from 1966 to 2003 of asthmatics taking beta-agonists. They found that patients who took the drug daily developed a tolerance and had more inflammation in their lungs than those not taking the drug at all, making them more susceptible to a potentially deadly attack.
"People shouldn`t be taking these smooth muscle relaxants long term," Salpeter says. However, the National Institutes of Health treatment guidelines for those with moderate asthma call for the use of long-acting beta-agonists in combination with inhaled corticosteroids.
The team`s second study was on the effects of beta-agonists on the heart. The researchers found that asthma patients who took beta-agonists were more than two times more likely to have cardiovascular events such as congestive heart failure, heart attacks and sudden death.
Beta-agonists increase heart rate and decrease essential levels of potassium, putting the heart at greater risk of attack or failure, according to the study. Robert Meyer of the Food and Drug Administration`s Office of Drug Evaluation disagrees. He says the FDA believes that, taken as directed, beta-agonists are safe and effective. Other studies suggest a faint possibility that regular use of beta-agonists might cause deaths or near-deaths among asthmatics, but none has shown a clear statistical significance, he says.
Michael Blaiss, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, also says there doesn`t seem to be evidence of problems when beta-agonists are used properly.
One tantalizing possibility is evidence that a small portion of the population has a slight genetic difference that makes them more susceptible to problems when they take beta-agonists, Meyer says, but more data are needed.
The studies appeared in two journals: “The Annals of Internal Medicine” and “Chest.”
Pfizer Settles for $430 Million
This just in from the “I Couldn’t Make This up if I Tried Department” - Pfizer the largest drug company in the world with over 12,000 full time researchers and $45 billion in revenues a year has pled guilty and agreed to pay $430 million in fines. The agreement is part of a settlement to end the charges of medical fraud where the company acknowledged spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote non-approved uses for its anti-seizure drug Neurontin. One way it did this was by paying doctors large speakers fees and flying them to resorts as “educational” trips. One doctor was paid $300,000.00 for his involvement in the scam.
An Employee blew the whistle on Pfizer testifying that he was actually told to lie about and exaggerate Neurontin’s effectiveness for unapproved uses. He also said quite candidly that “This is standard industry practice.”
While the settlement number of $430 million might sound like a lot of money, keep in mind that Pfizer made $2.9 billion from Neurontin sales in 2003, up from $97.5 million in 1995. And the kicker: 90% of those revenues were from the off label sales.
If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which taps were played; this brings out a new meaning of it. Here is something EVERY AMERICAN should know. Until I read this, I didn`t know, but I checked it out and it`s true:
TAPS
We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, "Taps." It`s the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes. But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be interested to find out about its humble beginnings.
Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison`s Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union
or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention.
Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment. When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army. The following morning, the broken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy status. His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate. But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead youth`s uniform. This wish was granted. The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" ... used at military funerals was born. The words are .... Day is done ... Gone the sun .. From the lakes ... From the hills... From the sky ... All is
well . Safely rest ... God is nigh ..
Fading light ... Dims the sight ... And a star ... Gems the sky ... Gleaming bright ... From afar ... Drawing nigh .. Falls the night .. Thanks and praise ... For our days ... Neath the sun ... Neath the stars...Neath the sky ... As we go .. This we know ... God is nigh
Here they are, the worst examples ever!
1. A bicycle can`t stand alone because it is two-tired.
2. What`s the definition of a will? It`s a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In democracy it`s your vote that counts. In feudalism it`s your count that votes.
6. She had a boyfriend with a wooden leg, but broke it off.
7. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
8. If you don`t pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.
9. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
10. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I`ll show you A-flat miner.
11. When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.
12. The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.
13. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
14. You feel stuck with your debt if you can`t budge it.
15. Local Area Network in Australia: the LAN down under.
16. He often broke into song because he couldn`t find the key.
17. Every calendar`s days are numbered.
18. A lot of money is tainted. `Taint yours and `taint mine.
19. A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.
20. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
21. A plateau is a high form of flattery.
22. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
23. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
24. When you`ve seen one shopping center you`ve seen a mall.
25. Those who jump off a Paris bridge are in Seine.
26. When an actress saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she`d dye.
27. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
28. Santa`s helpers are subordinate clauses.
29. Acupuncture is a jab well done.
30. Marathon runners with bad footwear suffer the agony of defeat.
Did you know.......
Students in an advanced biology class were taking a mid term. They were to give seven reasons why breastfeeding was considered superior to bottled feeding.
One student who had also partied the night before, was hard put to think of the correct answers. At the end of the class he decided to try these answers out:
1. It is a perfect formula for the child.
2. It provides immunity against several diseases.
3. It is always available as needed.
4. It is always at the right temperature
5. It is inexpensive
6. It bonds the child to the mother, and vice versa.
And then, the student was stuck. Finally, just before the bell
7. It comes in such cute containers.
He got an "A."
A first grade teacher collected well known proverbs She had twenty-five students in her class and she presented each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It`s hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading these keep in mind that these are first graders..... 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic!
1. Better to be safe than .....................punch a 5th grader.
2. Strike while the ...............................bug is close.
3. It`s always darkest before .................Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of .....termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but .....how?
6. Don`t bite the hand that ....................looks dirty.
7. No news is .....................................impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a ......................Mr..
9. You can`t teach an old dog new ........math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you`ll .......stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust ..................................me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ............pigs.
13. An idle mind is .............................the best way to relax.
14. Where there`s smoke there`s ..........pollution.
15. Happy the bride who .....................gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is ..........................not much.
17. Two`s company, three`s ....................the Musketeers.
18. Don`t put off till tomorrow what .........you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and ......you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as ..............Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not ......spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don`t succeed ..............get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you ...........see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind leadeth the blind ........get out of the way.
And the WINNER and last one!
25. Better late than ...............................pregnant
Here are a list of my upcoming talks and seminars. Please note that these may change.