Leg Cramps

Most leg cramps select no certain age or gender. In ages under 45, there is doubt one has blockage of the arteries to the legs. However, everyone who has frequent recurrent leg cramps does deserve a medical examination.

Most leg cramps at night in people who do not have leg cramps in the daytime are not caused by poor circulation. They seem to be a reflex reaction. There are a number of things one can do for the common night leg cramps. One is to stretch the leg muscles thoroughly every night before going to bed.

Another is to wear warm long socks or even the bottoms of thermal underwear. The legs and feet cool off more than the rest of the body during sleep and that is one reason they are prone to cramps.

Your sleep position is important. Sleep on your side with one or two pillows tucked at the knee (my favorite), on your back with a pillow under the knees, or try sleeping with a covered board at the bottom of the bed so that your feet rest against it and your toes do not drop down. A major cause of muscle cramping is shortening of the muscle. With the toes pointed down the calf muscle is already in a contracted position and ready to cramp.

Sinus & Allergy Problems

Throughout Southern California people are suffering from sinus trouble (sinusitis). The majority believe the symptoms to be nothing more than a slight cold in the head that periodically worsens. They do not realize they are suffering from chronic SINUSITIS, nor do they realize how rapidly a chronic sinus condition can flare up and become serious.

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining one or more of the nasal sinuses. There are 8 sinuses; cavities in the cheekbones, forehead, and on either side of and behind the nose. The function of the sinuses is to aid in the all important pollution control of air entering the lungs. Even the sweetest country air contains dust particles, pollen and other impurities. City air is often filthy with soot and smog. During the few seconds it takes for air to be sucked into the lungs, the air must pass through an intricate maze of snares and traps. The body's system of "air conditioning" begins with the hair just inside the nostrils. These hairs strain out and move obvious particles of dust, flying insects, and other large particles of filth riding the air stream as it is sucked into the lungs. Heat from the rich blood supply in the nose warms the air on its journey to the lungs, but both the warming affect and the cleansing effect of the nasal passages are lost in breathing through the mouth. Since it is highly desirable to keep impurities out of the lungs, the importance of catching such impurities in the nose is apparent. It is essential to good health that the sinuses function properly. Usually the pain is dull and aching. It may become excruciating with excessive activity.

Sinusitis can be either chronic or acute. A tendency to head colds that hang on and on is a major symptom of chronic sinusitis. Pain is often less than in acute conditions and may be merely annoying, but unless corrected completely, chronic sinusitis may stay with the victim through the major symptoms come and go.

Patients with chronic sinus trouble are often astounded at how quickly relief comes with Chiropractic care without the use of drugs and/or operations. Give it a try .... it works!

Start From Here

When I was a young boy, I often visited my great grandfather in Beaverton, Michigan. I was always curious and asking questions of many things. On one of those occasions, I wondered about the city's name. While sitting on the front porch of his farm, I asked, "What is this place called Beaverton known for?"

He smiled down on me and replied, "Well, young Jimmy, this is the starting point for any place in the world you desire to go."

How true this is in life. Whatever you want to be, wherever you want to go, start from here and start now. It is up to you to choose your destination and the mode of travel. You may wish to advance your education and go off to college or join the military to serve your country. It doesn't matter which path you choose, simply start from here.

You are created with many hidden talents. Those talents may remain in neutral, or you have the choice to awaken them. Start from here, from where you are and make yourself what you want to be. The degree of your success is determined by how much of yourself you put into your undertaking ... and especially how soon you start.

Some talents evolve slowly, but all talents must be encouraged, awakened, developed, practiced and trained. As you sow, so shall you reap; nothing more. The time to begin is here and now, wherever you may be. Take the first step with your objective in life clearly in mind. Keep on keeping on, and your goal will be reached.

There can always be obstacles in your way. Some of you may be  physically or emotionally "handicapped". Some may have chosen a lesser educational level in life, meaning you made that decision by choice or by life's dictate. So what! Many persons, both male and female, have faced life's hurdles, yet they have succeeded. They even utilized their stumbling block as a steppingstone.

Jimmy Durante had a big nose, Abraham Lincoln was not an attractive man and had no formal education. So what! They started from where they were and went to the top. And remember, as you strive for your goals, your physical and emotional well-being is performing at it's finest.

Try being a role model for yourself ... then you become a role model for others.

Flowers For The Living

A tribute of flowers is a nice gesture on any occasion. At funerals the departed may be smothered, so to speak, with flowers. This speaks well for the respect in which such a person was held, but in some cases perhaps the flowers were given for other reasons. Perhaps to ease a conscience, or maybe to impress the mourners. Certainly the departed is not impressed.

The important question is, how did you let your feelings be known while the departed was alive? Were you friendly, were you kind, did you pay deserved tribute by offering a bit of praise for the good work he or she had done? Did you place your hand on his shoulder when he was feeling low? Did you compliment him or her when it would have been appreciated so very much? That surely would have been much better.

A wonderful poem by Seaver, states it this way:

"A better world "twould surely be

If only we would spread

More flowers upon the living,

And fewer on the dead.

The flowers you give will wither,

As all flowers surely do,

But in some heart they'll bloom again

When that someone thinks of you."

Many people feel depressed because they are not well. some become cross and irritable for the same reason. Do you offer a word of encouragement, or sympathy, or extend a helping hand, or do an act of kindness in such a situation? Surely flowers or even words of encouragement would be more appreciated on such occasions. Think long about this ..... and what you could do!

If you are in quest of health, see a chiropractor. If you know someone who is ill, send them the best bouquet of all, a word about chiropractic. That will open the way to better health and a more fulfilling life.

"The difference between gossip and news is whether you hear it or tell it."

Keep Your Head High, Chin Up

Have you ever seen or heard a rooster crow with his head down? NO! He's always has his head up and flapping his wings exuberantly.

Someone has said, "I like to see a rooster crow because he reminds me of so many men I know who wave their arms and shout without a damned thing to crow about."

As this may be true, on the other hand, sitting down and wishing will never change your fate. The Lord provides the fishing, you must dig the bait.

It is said that opportunity knocks at your door but once, and then goes its way to come no more. This is not true for those who hold their head high and are ready to open the door whether the bell rings or not. Do your best with what you have and you may expect the best. Take for instance the performance of Noah Galloway, of 'Dances With The Stars'. Dancing without an arm and leg and yet he exudes confidence and possesses a zest for life.

Are you still a doubter? Bear this in mind; no one wins with a head hung low. You've got to be ready and on the go to attract attention. But that is not all. Have courage, believe in yourself, and keep your head up wherever you go. The one who lets his head hang low will stumble along letting the habit grow wherever he goes. Remember, as you sow, so shall you reap, whether you laugh or whether you weep.

And consider this body of ours, fearfully and wonderfully made, according to a Psalm.

First, consider the skeletal system consisting of 208 bones in size from tiny bones in the ear to large and the irregular bones of the spine and pelvis. Then, there are 682 muscles, large and small, all of which pad the bones and bind them together in united form.

But, that is not all. Both bones and muscles would be meaningless without the nervous system that provides a means of communication from brain cells to tissue cells activating function and activity in all living cells. Amazing ... simply amazing.

No wonder your body has been called God's masterpiece. And, you have every reason to hold your chin up and your head high.

From Acorn To Oak

Do you count things in a big way? Consider that all little things count also. Thus, never discredit small things, nor even yourself, should you feel insignificant in this great world of ours. Someone once said, "An oak tree is only a little nut that held its ground long enough to grow up." How ironic.

Have you ever stopped to think that everything, regardless of size, first starts from a small beginning? The whale was once a small mammal in a great ocean; the giant Sequoia grew from a seed, almost as tiny as a mustard seed; the largest skyscraper began with a single brick; Hoover Dam started with a bag of cement and yard of sand .... and so it goes.

Every giant enterprise or important invention started with a simple idea. The iron teakettle, singing on the stove, provided the original idea for the steam engine; a spider wed woven across the garden path may have suggested the suspension bridge; even an apple, falling from a tree, gave Newton the idea which is known today as the law of gravity.

In medicine, a bullet wound in the abdomen of a patient, aids a doctor in studying the principle of digestion; a bump on a man's spine, and his subsequent deafness, were the forerunner of the science and art of health known today as Chiropractic.

All these beginnings were little things, yet what wonders they held in store when the right moment arrived for the world to see the light and know the way.

What the chiropractor does with his hands on the spine of the sick or injured person, seems like a little thing to do. But, the patient gets well which, after all, is the big thing that matters most.

 "You will not achieve big things ... if you are distracted by small things."

Be On Time

One of the most important things in life is that of being on time. Time is life, thus use it well. Start at the beginning and be on time when the appointment or work schedule begins. In my day, 15 minutes early, was considered being on time. Bear in mind that the best in every achievement will be yours for the asking because you were there when you should be, a responsible act.

Be on time on every occasion because that is when the outline is presented and you in turn grasp the basic principle that determines the success or failure of the program in hand. But, there is another reason for the promptness. It is a good habit to form. By doing so, you will be pleased with yourself and others will be pleased with you also.

You may protest that circumstances alter occasions. Your transportation was late, the weather was bad, or other excuses came up at the last moment. Perhaps you ad a headache or others were off schedule and that upset everything.

There may have been various extenuating circumstances involved that weren't your fault. That may be true on occasion, but do not let this become a habit. Learn to be on time and time will by yours to command.

Ill health is one of the hardest problems to overcome, but it is a problem you need to watch and curb on most occasions. Beware of the drug habit. By that I mean the casual acceptance of the doctors prescription, or even Nsaids. Avoid learning to rely on pain killers, tranquilizers, and sleeping aids. By doing so you will eventually pay a sad price for so-called relief from disease.

Perceive this; disease is want of ease. When you try to obtain ease by some form of pain killer, it gets you upset and off schedule, and that can be hurtful.

Health is something more or less under your control. It may be a situation wherein you seek to create ease by taking something to numb the nerves at the expense of normal relief. Remember, health come from within outward when the nervous system is under control and free from the drug habit that you may have acquired in an unsuspected way.

Be on time on all occasions, whether in activities of daily living, or your health needs. Have your problems corrected naturally without drugs or surgery, thus making possible a more plentiful life.

 "Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your own way."

Double Vision

Do you sometimes have double vision? For example, do you sometimes see two bridges to cross, and should you have had a drink or two, thus, do you attempt to cross the wrong bridge? That may become disastrous.

Here is sage advice. Never try to drive a car when you have been to a party that serves alcohol. Never use your cell phone, by hand, while driving. Even better advice; restrain yourself from the use of strong drink and/or cell phone tasks, regardless of the occasion, or the bridge you may have to cross might prove fatal.

Double vision technically is a physical condition that may require skilled attention. Your eyes, normally, are focused to give you single vision to avoid confusion. Your eyes are designed so that you have a pair of ligaments that are focused together serving as a team. They pull together on the same load, or as two electric units serving as a separate unit. This is not double vision, but serves a single purpose.

In your physical body, many functions are arranged in pairs for better functional purposes. For instance, you have two eyes, tow ears, two hands, two feet. In contrast, you have only one nose and one tongue so that they can function better and not get into other people's business.

How wise was the Creator for all concerned! Have you ever given thought to what has been called God's masterpiece? Have you considered your own body and how it works for a single purpose?

There are two decidedly separate, yet important, elements that work together for the common good of all. These are the spinal column, formed of many separate elements. The spinal column has 24 movable vertebrae to which all major muscles and ligaments are attached. These vertebrae are separated by padding of cartilage called discs that act as shock absorbers besides giving flexibility to the spine.

The other separate element, yet vital structure, is the nervous system that stems from the brain and spinal cord. Through this medium sensation is flashed to the brain and responds with mental impulses directing all functions and activities of the body in what is termed a state of health.

Is this not a wonderful design? The spinal column is the key to the spinal nervous system which conveys an intelligent force that directs and controls all bodily functions and activities of this creation - God's masterpiece.

"Do not try to stand higher than other people; only try to stand higher than your past self."

 

Scared To Death

Are you scared to death about this kind of bug or that? Are you fearful of getting a bug or germ of some kind because someone sneezed in your presence without a handkerchief over their mouth or nose? Are you scared stiff because of germs of countless kinds? How miserable can you make yourself and others by needless fears? What should you do? The best thing to do is to get rid of your fears.

The American Public Health Association in New York shared publicly research regarding the control of communicable diseases. Here is what is said about pneumonia:

"1. Infectious Agent:  Defined as the various pathogenic bacteria commonly found in the nose, throat, and mouth, such as the pneumococcus, the bacillus of Friedlander, the influenza bacillus, etc.

2. Source of Infection:  The discharges from the mouth and nose of apparently healthy carriers, as well as of recognized infected individuals, and articles freshly soiled with such discharges.

3. Mode of Transmission: By direct contact with an infected person, or with articles freshly soiled with the discharges from the nose or throat of, and possibly from infected just of rooms occupied by, infected persons.

4. Incubation Period:  Short, usually two or three days.

5. Period of Communicability:  Unknown; presumably until the mouth and nasal discharges no longer carry the infectious agent in an abundant amount or in a virulent form.

6. Methods of Control: 
  A.  The Infected individual and their environment:
     1. Recognition of the disease, meaning the clinical symptoms. Specific infection organisms many                 be determined by serological and bacteriological tests early in the course of the disease.
     2. Isolation: Patient during clinical course of the disease.
     3. Immunization - None; vaccines are worthy of further careful trial.
     4. Quarantine - None.
     5. Concurrent disinfection - discharges from the nose and throat of the patient.
     6. Terminal disinfection - thorough cleaning, airing and sunning.

  B.  General Methods
        In institutions and social functions, when practicable, people in large numbers should not be congregated closely within doors. The general resistance should be conserved by good feeding, fresh air, temperance in the use of alcoholic beverages, and other hygienic measures.
"Note - The early reporting of pneumonia is highly desirable in view of its communicability."

Therein we have the medical attitude toward pneumonia and the germ theory; "much ado about nothing" as one of Shakespeare's plays is entitled. When you sum it all up, good common sense is of most importance in all diseases. Health comes from within outward and is determined largely through the nervous system that stems from the brain and spinal cord. Also, its numerous fibers that radiate from the spinal cord through openings provided between the vertebrae are for this purpose.

Sometimes, however, due to spinal shocks and strains one or more vertebrae are displaced to a degree so that nerves are "pinched", this in turn disturbs function, lowers resistance, and results in dis-ease determined to a great degree by the resistance of the body, the environment, and other factors.

Remember, health comes from within outward thus opening the way to a more abundant life, free from fear and the side effects of drugs.

"Fill your mind with forgiveness, faith, and love, and you will radiate blessing like the sky above."
       

Bad Breath - Perhaps an Ileocecal Valve Syndrome

The ileocecal valve (ICV) is an extremely important valve which is located between the small intestine and the large intestine. It is supposed to work as a shunt valve opening and closing as designed. However, in many individuals, much to their detriment, it operates improperly by opening and closing without purpose.

The primary concern of the ileocecal valve us to disallow waste products that have been stored in the large intestine (better known as the garbage area), to regurgitate back into the small intestine, or "kitchen" area. The valve therefore acts like a garbage can cover. When the valve operates normally, food that has been utilized in the "kitchen area" of the bowel (small intestine) is then shunted into the "garbage" area of the bowel for eventual removal. But when the valve does not function properly, or loses the tonicity required to remain tightly closed, waste products from the large intestine are allowed to re-enter the small intestine. As these products of waste are now toxic to the body, and as the small intestine is an area of rich blood supply, these toxic wastes are absorbed into the blood stream very readily, thus creating a condition of the blood known as toxemia.

These toxins then circulate through the body, and very often will present themselves at areas of muscle stress, such as sudden pain in the lower back region when the patient is bending or lifting. Or, the patient who has worked the upper extremities and suddenly is subjected with intense shoulder pain. Some of the other symptoms displayed can be halitosis (bad breath), heart fluttering, and even chest pain. When examined by their doctor, the symptoms do not prove to be at all related to their heart. Morning headaches, which are evident upon arising, seem to go away. But there is another, even more disastrous effect of this syndrome. the insidious destruction of the organs of the body that filter the toxins out of the bloodstream. In other words, the liver, spleen, and kidneys are always working to filter these poisons out of our bloodstream, and the intermittent accumulation of these toxins in these organs eventually damages them severely.

Therefore, it can now be more easily seen why the ileocecal valve must work properly. I review with my patients a simple procedure that should, after my initial treatment, allow the valve to work properly - a bit of at home therapy if you will.

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."
-Marcus Aurelius

Time Marches On

Yes, it is true, time is not with us long. Some say that time marches on, others that it flies by. Regardless of the term employed, time is not here long, it is fleeting. No one can deny this absolute truth. So, if you have things to do, do them now. Put your hand upon the plow and don't look back, to quote the Bible. The time embracing yesterday is gone forever. the time ascribed for tomorrow is not yet here. Do things now. You have nothing to fear unless you procrastinate regarding time which is life, but soon is no more. Whatever you have to do, do it now. Keep on keeping on is a wise thing to do.

Be on your guard. Time is a priceless gift; yours to sow and to reap; yours to use but not to keep.

Do things well, do your best work better. Be certain of yourself, be proud of your chance to win, and time will help you on the way with faith increasing once you begin.

Never give up! There may be hills and mountains to climb. There may be detours to slow you down, but time is yours to use. Use it with a smile, and it will help you mile after mile.

Perhaps you will say that time gave you little chance to win. Ill health has been constantly a hurdle all along the way. What can you do under such circumstances? What are the doing?

Please consider this. Disease is only the absence of ease. Health, like other virtues, comes from within outward when the way is clear for the normal expression of life through the nervous system.

The spinal column is the strength and support of the body. The nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord plus spinal nerve fibers. This makes the spinal column the distributing center of the entire nervous system. Through this medium is served every function of the body; heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, and the relationships vital in every way.

Time marches on, time becomes life, and time is life in every respect. Be healthy, both in mind and body.

What Can You Do?

When problems arise, as they always will, do you sometimes wonder what you should do to continue to follow the straight and narrow path? A mature and logical answer is to just use common sense.

But, a problem may still arise. What is common sense? Where can you find common sense? Are you wise enough to recognize common sense? Or, do you stumble upon it along your path? Is the message always clear? Are you still deep in the mire and muck?

The first thing to do is to sincerely ask yourself what you shall do. If the problem is one of a  relationship with someone else, care should be utilized. And if you were to reverse places, what course would you take? The answer is to do unto others as you wish to be done by them. Where does that leave you? Still in a quandary? Perhaps. Yet doing unto others as you wish to be done by them is a familiar teaching from the Bible. Why not turn to this source for more answers?

You may reply that even so, there are contradictions and errors in this source. What of it? Is there anyone or anything that is perfect? The Bible tells it like it is. Seek the best and do your best on all occasions and you can't go wrong. You should be able to do that. The question ... will you? Remember that life provides one specific - as you sow, you also reap. Reap a harvest of life!

"Walk ..... don't run, and enjoy the journey"

Sowing Seeds of Happiness

When you want to grow something in your garden you prepare the soil and sow the sees of what you desire.

Life is like that. You get back what you give. The yield is measured by the care, the nourishment, and the cultivation you employ.

Cultivation is important. You must nurture friendship and love. You must cultivate honesty, trust and good will. You must likewise cultivate happiness.

It is said that joy is not in things, it is in us. Happiness is the product of right thinking and right action. There is no human being in the world who cannot be happy by complying with the laws that produce happiness. Happiness is a product that comes back to us from what we send out; no one ever found happiness who did not manufacture it for themselves. It is a product of and/or mental attitude toward others.

This applies to civil rights, equal justice, square dealing and all public relations. Sometimes issues have to be forced. Those in control must sometimes be dethroned and made to concede the right of others. Even so, good will and happiness can come only when love, kindness, and the Golden Rule are practiced.

Happiness is sometimes measured by the state of your health. But here again, health is not a thing apart that can be bought and sold. You can't buy health in a bottle at the drug store. You can't have health injected with a needle or grafted on by surgery. Health, like happiness, comes from within. You have to be in tune with its laws emotionally and physically. There is no other way.

Of course, you can employ drugs to numb the nerves and ease pain or to even make you sleep. However, that cannot be defined as health. Such methods set a false standard because they correct no cause of dis-ease. Such a course is like building a house on sand; it is not stable and likewise nerves until the proper foundation is laid.

To have complete health, emotions must be under control. You cannot expect true health or happiness when you are filled with hate, resentment, and jealousy. Nor will health abide in a worried, fearful mind. Be the captain of your soul and keep emotions under control.

The other most important factor is to keep your spine in adjustment so the nervous system will be unimpaired. Every function of the body depends upon its nerve supple for which the spine is the distributing center of the entire nervous system.

"I am old, I am bent, I am cheated,

      Of all that youth urged me to win;

But name me not with the defeated,

      Tomorrow again I begin."

Bed-Wetting aka Enuresis

Many times parents actually blame their child for urinating in bed. They believe this is a behavior intended to get back at them for something. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Children do not willfully wet their beds. The anguish of the young child who wets the bed at night is a personal nightmare! He cannot go to camp, stay over night at his friend's house, or go on trips without the constant fear of the wet bed in the morning. Psychologically the bed wetting child bears a burden, but so does the mother. The constant changing of bed linens is certainly a chore she would like to put behind her.

Is there anything that can be done for bed-wetting? This is a question parents sometimes ask of the chiropractor. Usually, this question is asked when other methods of treatment have been tried and found ineffective.

Bed-wetting (enuresis) is another of the many reasons why parents bring their children to see the chiropractor. What can the doctor of chiropractic do for this problem? The phrenic nerve and the sacral nerves must be addressed.

The phrenic nerves come out from between the 3rd, 4th and 5th cervical (neck) vertebra. Subluxation of these vertebrae can cause nerve interference, which can disturb the proper function of the phrenic reflex and cause bed wetting. Chiropractors correct vertebral subluxations, and thus influence the return of proper nerve function.

Most children wet the bed for the first few years of life, but by the age of 4 to 5 years old, most children should be able to establish proper bladder control. Enuresis refers to the inability of a child to establish this proper bladder control resulting in either daytime or nocturnal involuntary urination.

Just what causes Nocturnal Enuresis (bed wetting) and is there any help for this problem? Yes, there is and to explain why children wet the bed we must understand a spinal reflex called the phrenic reflex. You see, when a baby sleeps, its respiration (breathing) gets slower and slower until a mother might bend over the crib and be concerned, Eventually the breathing normalizes.

This pattern of breathing goes on throughout the night. As the infant sleeps respiration continues to slow down until the carbon dioxide in the body gets high enough to trigger a breathing mechanism called the phrenic reflex. This mechanism stimulates the large muscle of breathing, the diaphragm, to increased activity and the normal rhythm of breathing returns. If this mechanism is not working correctly, the carbon dioxide continues to increase and when it gets too high, “smooth” muscles begin to relax. Smooth muscles are the involuntary muscles of the body, those that function without our conscious control. The valve at the bottom of the urinary bladder is a smooth muscle, and when it relaxes the bladder simply does not retain its fluid, you might say it leaks throughout the night.

This is normal for infants, as the phrenic reflex is not fully developed at birth, but as the child grows, the reflex matures and soon most children can sleep all night and retain their urine. This reflex develops more slowly in boys, in the same way that boys mature sexually later than girls, and thus boys are more frequent bed wetters.

Primary enuresis occurs in a child over five years of age, who has never been able to establish proper bladder control. Secondary enuresis is the diagnosis for the child who has been able to establish proper bladder control, but who has since lapsed back to wetting the bed. Occasionally a pathological mechanism such as neurogenic bladder may be responsible, but usually no such cause can be identified.

In most cases, bed-wetting is considered as just an unfortunate childhood problem, and no outside treatment is sought. The parents are frequently prepared to simply wait until the child grows out of it, and in most cases these problems go untreated. A bed wetting child is typically a very active child, often playing to exhaustion and when at sleep, sleeping in a very deep slumber with slow respiration. The child's sluggish, or immature phrenic reflex allows too much carbon dioxide to build up in the system. The bladder valve (sphincter)relaxes, and the bladder leaks throughout the night. No, the child does not voluntarily urinate in bed. The urine simply runs out involuntarily while he sleeps.

The traditional chiropractic approach to treating the child who is a bed-wetter is to adjust the spine, usually in the area of the lumbar spine or sacrum. A review of the anatomy and physiology of the bladder may help us understand why these areas are chosen as the prime target.

Bladder Anatomy and Physiology
Emptying of the urinary bladder is controlled by the detrusor and trigone muscles. The nerve supply to these muscles is via the sacral parasympathetic nerves from S2 to S4.

Appropriate bladder function is also controlled by the urogenital diaphragm which derives its nerve supply from the L2 spinal nerve.

Development of the Sacrum
The sacrum (or tailbone) develops as five separate segments. These segments remain separated until a child reaches puberty, at which time fusion of one sacral segment to another commences. Eventually, the sacrum will be one single bone with all five segments fused together, but this does not occur until the mid-20s.

Because the sacrum consists of separate segments during the early years of life, it is possible that misalignment of these segments can cause nerve irritation or facilitation. This nerve facilitation, especially to the area of the bladder, may be the cause of the inappropriate bladder function associated with bed-wetting.

As we have seen, the developing sacrum in the early childhood years remains highly mobile, existing as separate spinal segments. During this period, the sacrum can be subjected to repeated trauma from childhood falls and the early attempts at walking. This early trauma to the sacrum may be the major reason why bed-wetting in some patients ceases after the spine is adjusted.

Is the Spine the Cause of all Enuresis?
Adjustment of the sacral segments in the bed-wetter has an anecdotal history of effectiveness throughout the years. Bed-wetting is due to several causes, one of which is spine related. Children with a spinal cause respond while those with other causes of bed-wetting do not.

The conclusion would therefore appear to be to have all children who are bed-wetters evaluated for the possibility of spinal problems as the underlying cause.

Try A Little Kindness

Did you ever arise one morning when everything started off wrong? You simply felt like blowing your top. What's the use? Will one more uttered growl help? Why not try a little kindness? Smile, say a pleasant word as a starter, and keep it up all day. Spread a little sunshine along the way and the first thing you know your day will be brighter and your heart will be lighter. Laugh whenever you can and all will be well. Kindness and happiness start with you, so keep the idea clear and true.

Perhaps you will say you don't feel well. You have a headache or indigestion or you had a miserable night. Drinking and walking can create a bruised ego, should you not take proper care.  Is that not a legitimate excuse for being grumpy? It is an excuse all right, but why depend upon excuses? Why not find and correct the cause of the headache, or indigestion, or ill feeling and provide a better excuse for living? A much better course of action.

Bear in mind that a headache is a symptom of something being wrong with the body. So are indigestion, aches and pains, all produce a miserable feeling. What is health? It is basically a state of normal bodily function and activity, and an expression of life and well-being. Thus enabling your outlook on life being one of sunshine instead of rain?

What about indigestion? Digestion is a process of chemistry within your body that transforms the food you consume into usable form so that it actually becomes a part of the living body. "In" is a prefix meaning "not." Therefore, when digestion is not complete or not normal, so you have "indigestion."

And what about a headache? That, as stated above, is a symptom wherein you feel pain within the head and neck, indication that all is not well somewhere in your body. That report is then manifested by pain of one kind or another. It may be a throbbing headache, a sick or a tension headache. It may accompany indigestion, constipation, menstruation, or other health problems.

What can be done about the ache? Medically, there are many forms of treatment to numb or ease the pain, none of which heals or cures the disease that accompanies the headache. What then, is best to do? The ache is a warning that something is wrong, a warning that the problem should be corrected by finding and removing the cause instead of merely numbing the effect. The cause sends a communication to the brain and the responding mental impulses of life energy and stirs glands and organs to constructive action and function, that constitute a state of health.

Try the kindness of chiropractic health care. Then perhaps your improved health and emotions will help you to express kindness in all your human relationships.

"Some people are so busy learning the tricks of the trade, they don't learn the trade."

Inner Space

We hear much talk about the conquest of outer space. It is amazing to look at the full moon and realize that men have walked on its surface and sent messages back to earth. What hath God wrought,  working through the genius of man!

Conquering outer space has its thrills. Expanding the resources of man and employing natural laws in a constructive way has been a proud achievement, but an even greater accomplishment is the conquest of inner space yet to be exploited.

The wonders that man has achieved in the past fifty years are astounding, but science tells us only the surface of scientific progress has been scratched. It is no secret that God can do through the inner ability of man when natural laws are harnessed for the accomplishment of good. It is equally true that misuse of ability can destroy the whole human race. As mankind sows, so will the harvest be.

What is the conquest of inner space? It is utilizing the ability of man for the common good instead of relying on outer forces for achievement.

Take the question of health, for instance. For thousands of years the conquest of disease has been made through the application of magic, superstition, and the use of drugs in various forms of medication; something to swallow, something to rub on, and remedies to be injected hypodermically. Failing in this method, surgery is resorted to and employed to cut out the diseased part. By these methods, some progress has been made, but often the side effects have marred the good that may have been done.

In 1895, Daniel David Palmer, a lay practitioner, advanced a different approach. He maintained that health, as other virtues, must come from within outward, through the conquest of inner space.

The anatomical study of man has reached the conclusion that all function comes from within outward and is manifest through the nervous system, with the spine being the distribution center of this great system.

By studying the spinal column one cab observe that the spine encases the spinal cord which encases the nerves from the brain. The spinal column provides openings between the vertebrae through which all nerve bundles emit before separating into countless fibers that form a direct contact from brain cells to tissue cells.

Further studies of the spine reveal that spinal shocks or strain can, and do, displace a vertebra to a degree so that nerves are "pinched". Nerve interference disturbs function, lowers resistance, and results in dis-ease with its various symptoms.

"To err is human but it takes a better excuse the second time."

Mandating Vaccines Not The Answer

The following professional editorial states the obvious common sense perspective from highly respected and informed Dr. Bob Sears, M.D. FAAP, based in Dana Point, CA.

Measles. It used to be just a disease. Now it's become a banner under which politicians gather to threaten our most sacred right to give informed consent for medical treatment.

Whether you are for vaccines, against them or neutral, ponder this question: Is vaccination a medical treatment which should fall under the protection informed consent or does the government have the right to force them on every American?

When I give patients the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine in my office, I follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which mandate that I provide informed consent. The American Medical Association describes it as a patient's right of self-decision and a basic policy in both ethic and law that physicians must honor.

If vaccines were harmless to every single person who received them, then I could understand putting this decision in the hands of our elected officials. But consider this:

• Roughly 2,000 severe reactions are reported to the CDC each year, which result in prolonged hospitalization, permanent disability or death. Yet, because most can't be proven, the medical community denies that they can happen.
• Over $3 billion has been paid out to victims of vaccine reactions. Are we paying that much money to victims of pretend reactions? I think not.

Your might think it's the actual measles outbreak that is responsible for the current political hysteria, But it is not.

Instead, it is an opportunistic attempt to overstate the dangers of what measles could potentially do to our nation. Let's look at the facts of the current outbreak:

• As of Feb. 17, there are 141 cases nationwide. Not thousands. According to the Orange County Public Health Department, no new cases have been reported in O.C. since Feb. 4th.
• After the initial surge, it is now moving slowly. It is not spreading like wildfire in an exponential explosion of unprecedented proportion.
• Last year's 640 cases were an anomaly, because over 400 occurred in one Amish community in New York and over 100 cases hit an unvaccinated church community in Texas. But for the rest of highly vaccinated America, last year's measles was business as usual. This year we are off to a tough start, but it's slowing down.
• It (measles) has killed no one. It can kill about one person in every 1,000 cases. Will someone die of measles in the United States someday? Maybe. But it hasn't killed anyone in the past 15 years or more.
• It's measles. It's not the plague. It's not polio. It's not Ebola. We need something a lot more dangerous than that if we are going to rob each and every patient of the sacred right of informed consent.

Let's stop panicking over what measles might do and calmly examine what it is doing.

It has a small and intermittent presence in our country. It makes people sick, then they get over it. It has complications, but rarely so. Vaccination is important and protective. But it cannot be forced, a parent must give consent.

If you would rather make your own medical decisions within the sacred confines of the doctor-patient relationship, then let Sacramento know now.

Written by Dr. Bob Sears, M.D. FAAP, Pediatrician

How Beautiful The Sunrise

"How beautiful the sunrise!" How often you have heard this phrase before. But in reality, how often have you witnessed the sunrise? Perhaps your work schedule does not permit it, or the sunrise comes at the wrong time of the day, or it may be cloudy. There are any number of excuses, but guaranteed that at any time or place the sunrise is superb.

You might say that there is a lot of sameness in a sunrise; color, cloud effects, silhouettes of trees, birds singing, dogs barking, and even roosters crowing. Does this become commonplace after a time?

He who has eyes let him see; ears, let him hear; perception, let him perceive. Life is mostly what you make it or how you take it. Beauty is where you find it, whether you are asleep or awake. What does a sunrise mean to you? "As a man thinketh, so he is," or so he becomes. Isn't all this, in a manner of speaking, an element of the sunrise?

Look at it this way. A sunrise heralds another day, a day of opportunity, a period in which you can grow, a time when you can do things, a time when you can wake up and live, a time when you can be yourself, a truly interesting event. And if not, can you make it so? You are uniquely different from anyone else. Do you find joy in this fact? It is an opportunity in which to grow and change the world around you, or a time wherein you can be glum, or a time of beauty and gladness. Have you ever thought of that?

Do you enjoy eating? Why? Is it merely because the food tastes good? There must be a reason. Who knows? It's because you have an appetite, a desire to consume. In the process of eating all food is put through chemical changes, called digestion, by an intelligent reaction within your body directed and controlled by the nervous system. In the digestive process some of the food becomes waste material and is eliminated from the body through organs of elimination. The food retained is further changed and absorbed eventually becomes flesh, bones, blood, nerves, hair skin, and nails distributed in proper proportions to provide a normal, healthy body equivalent to a beautiful sunrise.

Sunrises are not all alike, but all serve a definite purpose. And all sunrises, in many different ways, are beautiful and wondrous, as is all nature ... because such is the kingdom of heaven.

Then we must consider the emotions and all things that enter into the elements that constitute the human body. Do you occasionally say that you sometimes feel glum, disgruntled, and negative in your reactions? Try seeing the beauty in the sunrise, as well as the sunset. Your emotions and feelings will tend to be uplifted, all of which tend to make life more beautiful.

"A man is poor not  because he has nothing, but because he does nothing."

6 Minute Workout

For those of you using excused that effective exercise takes too much time, try these eight exercises and decide for yourself. You may be pleased with the results and no longer complain.

Perform the following exercises consecutively for 30 seconds apiece, resting only to transition from one exercise to the next (15 seconds max). The only equipment you need: your body; a chair, box or other elevated surface; and a wall or flat vertical surface. The goal is to complete as many repetitions of each exercise within 30 seconds, but without sacrificing form or function. So do each exercise the right way as fast as you can. That means you avoid putting your neck, shoulders and back at risk; and make sure you're engaging the body parts that are supposed to be engaged (e.g., if you're doing bicycles – see exercise #6 below – and your neck hurts, you're doing something wrong).

1. Push-ups: Start with a basic move: the push-up. Do as many as you can with good form within 30 seconds. Good form means your elbows are approximately shoulder-width and your head / buttocks / feet are essentially aligned (no dipping, slumping or twisting). As you descend into each repetition, your elbows should bend back toward your feet, rather than out perpendicular to your body (which will engage your shoulders and risk injury). Keep your core (abs) tight throughout.

2. Plank: Speaking of your core, once 30 seconds has expired, transition from push-up position to plank position, which really means changing your point of contact with the floor from hands (push-ups) to forearms (plank). Bend your elbows to a 90 degree angle at approximately shoulder height and rest on your forearms for 30 seconds, holding your core tight. Again, avoid flexing your lower back, which could risk injury.

3. Wall squats: Transition from plank position to a wall squat, which is as simple as standing with your back against a wall and lowering yourself down until your knees are bent to a 70-degree angle or so with your body. Hold for 30 seconds. Avoid slumping your shoulders. Tighten your abs.

4. Triceps dips: Grab a chair (or use a similar firm surface that won't give way) and perform triceps dips for 30 seconds. Position yourself so you're facing away from the chair, etc., and support yourself with your hands (fingers facing forward). With arms extended completely, lower yourself by bending your elbows to a 90 degree angle and then raise yourself back up so your arms are extended again. The key here is to keep your elbows in a fixed position (except for their bending motion) so you work the triceps (the back of your upper arm).

5. Step-ups: Take that same chair / stable surface and transition into step-ups / step-downs. It's as easy as it sounds. Stand in front of the chair and step one foot up, then the second foot up, then the first foot down, then the second foot down; repeat for 30 seconds as quickly as you can. Keep your back straight and concentrate on the movement to avoid falling. Balance is more important than speed here.

6. Bicycles: Time to ride a bicycle for 30 seconds – without a bike! Lie on the floor, knees bent toward your chest, hands behind your neck for support (and to help engage the abdominals). Elevate your shoulders slightly off the floor and move your legs through a pedaling motion for 30 seconds and feel the burn in both the upper and lower abdominals. Avoid pulling on your neck with your hands; just keep them there for support.

7. Side planks – right side: Finish your 6-minute workout by assuming the plank position again, but instead of facing the floor, your starting position is one your side, supported by one elbow, with your elbow-side leg / foot supporting the other leg / foot. Rather than hold the position for 30 seconds, as in the original plank, lower your body slowly and deliberately (bending your side toward the floor and raising back up again). This not only works your core as you hold the pose, but specifically engages the obliques (what many refer to as love handles).

8. Side planks – left side: After you've done as many reps as you can in 30 seconds on the right side, switch sides (opposite elbow supporting your body) and repeat the process. Keep it up for 30 seconds, rest for another 15 seconds.

Eight exercises of 30 seconds each (4 minutes), with 15-second transitions / rests after each (2 minutes) Humor yourself and give it a try .... it works!

"Form the habit of singing; it soothes a tired mind and relaxes a tired body."

Victims Of Routine

Many people are victims of circumstances, victims of wind and weather, victims of flood and famine, of war and many other hazards. But, one of the worst is becoming the victim of routine?

What is routine? SAME STUFF, DIFFERENT DAY, pretty much defines the "beast". It's somewhat a habit, doing things in a constant way, adopting some regular mode of action in business or pleasure. "Pursuing a given course with little flexibility," states the dictionary.

What is wrong about that? Nothing really, unless the habit becomes static, unproductive, or stale.  I personally lived that scenario in business, and sadly also in my personal life for over 15 years. Going to my office, doing the same fixed tasks, and over time feeling sorry for myself because I was becoming a miserable failure after enjoying a once successful career. Then, change became apparent with my funds depleted and my practice seeing fewer and fewer patients. My routine was attempting to run a medical practice solo. I could not imagine doing anything else. My common sense was departing slowly and my health problems became a serious issue with trips to the emergency room.

It was then my life changed dramatically. I was evicted from my office of 27 years. With no money and no place to practice, Downtrodden, I felt sorry for myself and excused it me being the victim of misfortune. When in fact, I was totally responsible for all that occurred. I was a "victim of routine".

Discover good habits and you will find they aid in accomplishment, they guide you in a regular course, making things come easy or quickly, all to the good. More power to such a positive routine. That is exactly what I unearthed - good habits and a positive mental attitude. Both needed to succeed.

There is always chance of becoming a victim of negative routine, constantly doing things the hard way, being unwilling to change, holding fast to an antiquated pattern, giving too much attention to time consuming, unprofitable details. Such routine needs to be modified and brought up-to-date.

In a broader sense there is also routine in politics, in religion, and health methods. Voting for the same political party, regardless of policies, holding fast to one political group or to fixed methods. Religion likewise becomes more or less static with many people. Prayers are sometimes routine, asking the blessing is a good example. People in general follow fixed patterns; even the Lord's Prayer is more or less a matter of note without giving thought to it's true meaning. Have you thought of that?

And what about your health methods? What is your pattern when ill? Do you rely on aspirin, pain killers, anti-depressants shots, MLM products, vitamins, without thought about side effects and the consequences to your overall general health? Are you a victim of treatment routine?

"Think, for the mind tells the body what to do."