Have you seen the billboard?

"Keep healthy, get your flu vaccine"

Every time I pass this billboard on I-94, my initial thought is that I will keep healthy.  However I will keep healthy by NOT getting the flu vaccine!  My plan for keeping healthy will be a little different than injecting my body with a vaccine full of chemicals to be injected into my body to protect me from only ONE strain of the flu (H1N1 flu virus, bird virus, swine virus, etc).  Not to mention the chemicals which potentially could have side effects.  Being that there are more than ONE strain of the flu, I would rather focus on a different approach.

I would rather focus on keeping a healthy immune system which is strong and can rid itself of any germ, bacteria or virus that comes my way.  So when it comes to the flu, cold or any other sickness, I focus on investing in things that will build my immune system up to fight EVERY strain of the flu, bacteria, virus or germ I come in contact with. 

 I will build my immune system by
1) getting the proper amount of rest
2) providing my body with the proper nutrition to make strong, healthy cells
3) drink the appropriate amount of water.  This is calculated by taking my body weight and dividing it in half.  This equals the ounces of water I need to drink daily.
4) taking good quality supplements, when necessary
5) and of course, making sure my nerve system is free of nerve interference.  Since every single cell, organ and system (including the immune system) is controlled by the nerve system

Growing up, I would probably have believed this billboard.  I believed that health came from a pill or from the outside.  When I was sick, my parents would take me to the Medical Doctor.  The MD would give me a prescription for amoxicillin.  I would take it and my body would get better.  It was not until I was able to drive that I realized that my body could actually heal itself.  I would drive myself to our family medical doctor per my parents’ request.  I would get the script for amoxicillin but I would not drive to the pharmacy.  Instead I would drive home and sleep.  And, by surprise (seriously!), my body would heal….even without the amoxicillin. 

Today I have an understanding of where health comes from.   I trust that taking care of my body will result in true health.    

Dr. Pam Tomaszycki, D.C.

Degenerative changes are seen in patients WITH and WITHOUT Back Pain.

This is exactly why I tell patients that “pain is the WORST indicator of health.”  A normal spine is able to protect the nerve system. A degenerative spine is NOT able to protect the nerve system.

I am reading an x-ray report from the Henry Ford Health System today and on a part of the report it states the following;

            Degenerative changes are seen within the thoracolmbar spine.

            The following findings are so common in normal, pain-free volunteers that while we report their presence, they must be interpreted with caution and in the context of the clinical situation. Among people over the age of 60 who do not have back pain, a plain film x-ray will find that about;

9 in 10 have disc degeneration

8 in 10 have disc height loss

4 in 10 have facet degeneration

3 in 10 have spondylolisthesis

Let’s first define a few things. Although a condition may be labeled as “COMMON” or may actually be seen commonly does not make it “NORMAL”. If we use these parameters and apply them in other areas of health care, we would have to surmise that cavities are “Normal” for children. Foolish.

Osteoarthritis, or more commonly known as DJD (degenerative joint disease). Although it may be common, its risks are not normal or expected. Why is it, that it is more common to have 1 knee or 1 hip replacement surgery? Do we find that we hop on one leg for a majority of our lives, therefore wearing this single joint down? No, the reason we more commonly see DJD later on in life is because many of us go through injuries or stress to our frame and structure many times in our early lives and then leave it. We let the problem fester. The body then builds up toxins around the joints due to a loss of movement and proper circulation. What happens then is the joint begins to move irregularly, creating irregular wear patterns to the joint. In most cases, the body won’t allow this process to be unchecked. So what the body does next is the Visual component, what we see, Lippincott and spring of the bone. This is the single most common indicator to diagnose “Arthritis”. By this time the process has been in play for years.

This is why it is imperative to identify the biomechanical imperfection early. Your chiropractor is uniquely qualified better than any other doctor to correct this problem. Yes, early enough detection means that DJD may be reversed or prevented.

So I will leave you with this thought. Why are we leaving our kids home to potentially live with this problem later on in life?

Dr. Douglas McLeod

Does the CANDY FAIRY come to your home?

Parents, what do you do with all the candy your children get during Halloween?  Do you let them eat all they want?  Do you put a limit to one candy per day?  Do you get tired of having all that candy around your home?  Do you not like your children to have all of that candy because it is not good for them or for you?

Solution.  Have the Candy Fairy visit your home!  Every year since our children began trick-or-treating, the Candy Fairy has stopped by our home.  The Candy Fairy will visit your home in the middle of the night on Halloween or even the next night.  Whenever it is convenient to your family.  The Candy Fairy magically visits your home and takes the bags of candy that is laid by the front door.  She will leave a gift or money in exchange for the candy.  Similar to what the tooth fairy does.  The tooth fairy will take a tooth and leave money. 

Benefit.  There is not an excess of candy around your home, making each person in the home unhealthy.  The children also get an opportunity to have fun on Halloween and they end up with something they would enjoy just as much as the candy.

This is how it works in our home.  My children will collect candy at school and church functions.  They will also collect it during trick-or-treating.  They then get to eat a couple of pieces along the way as well as pick 10 of their favorite pieces of candy and put it in a Ziploc bag.  The pretzels, chips and other items like this is set to the side and given out throughout the week in their lunches or given as snacks.  Prizes or money collected by each child is also kept for themselves.  My children then put the rest of the candy into bags which will be set at the front door for the Candy Fairy.

When the Candy Fairy comes, she collects the candy and leaves the prize or money.  She then will take all the candy that she has collected from all of the homes to other boys and girls throughout the world that were not able to celebrate Halloween.     

Dr. Pam Tomaszycki, D.C.

"Growing Pains"

Have you said or have you heard someone use these words?  What does this mean?  Does it really hurt to grow?  Should it?

Coming from a mother raising 3 children whose ages are currently 5, 8 and 10, I know that growing should not hurt.  However children injure themselves almost daily.  From learning to walk, to playing sports, playing on the playground, rough housing, wrestling with dads or each other, and many more ways.

These minor bumps and bangs jam and jar the spine or other joints in the body.  If the injuries are not corrected they heal possibly misaligned and stuck.  Then those areas begin to grow but due to the injuries left uncorrected, the child experiences a discomfort or pains.  Some people have accepted the term "growing pains" as a reality.  They haven't been taught how to care for their spine or joints let alone know how to take care of their children's spine or joints.

My children have complaints of knee pain, foot pain, neck ache, headache, etc.  They get their spine checked.  If misalignments are located, the misalignments are corrected.  The body heals.  And instantly they are better.

I know parents want the best for the children.  I know that if they understood the importance of regular spinal checks, they would invest in their child's health.  I believe that parents don't want their children to have "growing pains" or to hurt.

Schedule an appointment to have your spine and your children's spine checked today.  Make sure you schedule with the specialist in this area, a doctor of chiropractic!

Dr. Pam Tomaszycki, D.C.

Vertebral Subluxation

“When chiropractors use this phrase, vertebral subluxation, they refer to mechanical compression and irritation to spinal joints and nerves”.   The strong bones of the spine have been designed to protect the delicate nerve system.  The brain, spinal cord, and nerves are part of the nerve system.  Your brain is your master controller.  Your brain sends messages to all parts of the body through the spinal cord and out through the nerves. 

The nerve system is like the electrical wires in a home.  You have a Electrical Box that is like the Brain.  The wires run out from the electrical box to the areas of your home, like your T.V., lights, refrigerator, etc.    What happens if the wire running to your T.V. is pinched, kinked or even severed, will your T.V. work?  Well, of course, not!

The same thing happens in your body, when there is interference between the electrical box (brain) and the parts of the house (body), then that part of the house (body) will not be able to work or will work (function) at a less than optimal level.

Therefore vertebral subluxation can affect the body in many ways.  For one person, it could show up as back pain. For another person it could be ear infections or gastrointestinal complaints or (fill in the blank).

Dr. Pam Tomaszycki, D.C.

Who Created Your Beliefs?

Beliefs are like a pair of glasses.  We each view our life through our own glasses.  The way we see our life is by the beliefs that have fogged our glasses. 

Who creates each of our beliefs?  I believe it more than ever before, that our beliefs are created and established early on in life.  They are created by our parents, our caregivers, our teachers, and others that are around us growing up. 

Some examples of beliefs are listed below.

o   That health comes from a pill

o   That life is a downward spiral from birth to death

o   That there is a God

o   That anything is possible

o   That nothing really matters

o   Vote Republican or Democratic

Since it was not each us who created our own beliefs or the fog on our glasses; than at some point in our life, I think that it is safe to say, that we have to evaluate the fog on our glasses. 

I can think of a couple of times in my life that I have had to realize I had foggy glasses and needed some cleaner to clean away the fog.  The first time that I cleaned the fog was when I began working in a doctor of chiropractor’s office.  I saw people get better without drugs or surgery.  Another time that I was able to clean away another layer of fog from my glasses was when I realized that I was not the one in control of my life or others.  That my Creator was in control of my life.  A third time that this happened in my life was during a conversation with a family member.  I actually witnessed how our words as a parent can truly create who our children will become possibly detouring them for all that they were created to be.

I look back in my life and truly am blessed for all those people that were put in my life.  I also am thankful that I have had the opportunity to put some of my beliefs to the test.  I am thankful that I have been open to making change if those beliefs that were passed onto me as a child where not creating the results that I wanted in my life. 

We are each created for a purpose.  Don’t let the fog on your glasses stop you from your purpose!

Dr. Pam Tomaszycki, D.C.

Women, Mothers, and Mothers To Be (Part 3)

In order to be the best mother possible, you must consider the things to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy, labor and childbirth.

There are some things that each woman would consider when pregnant, like eating right and having the correct prenatal vitamins.  Getting the right amount of sleep.  Keep moving and even exercising during pregnancy.  Mentally preparing during the pregnancy for what is to come.  (Note: I wrote about this in Part 2).

 

What about physically preparing the body for the changes that will occur during pregnancy?  And the changes that are expected to happen during delivery?  And even the demands on the mother’s body after childbirth as she takes care of her new baby.

 

Chiropractic care is very beneficial before pregnancy and throughout the entire pregnancy as well as after delivery.  Below I will discuss the benefits during each of these phases.

During pregnancy the spine, pelvis and body will shift to accommodate the baby as he/she grows.  However if there have been injuries or damage to the spine before this time in life, then it restricts the body’s ability to accommodate the babies growth.  The mother will possibly begin to experience discomfort.  The baby’s position will be compromised.  

Let me expand on what I mean when I mention injuries and/or damage to the spine before pregnancy.  Physical injuries can happen throughout a person life beginning at childbirth, then when learning to walk, or ride a bike, playing sports, automobile accidents, falls, and much more.  These events can jam and jar the spine.  If they are not corrected when they occur, they will heal in wrong and add layers of damage to the spine.  Let’s use an onion, for example.  If you take an onion and cut it in half, you will see the layers.  Imagine that each layer represents and injury that you have had throughout your life.  The more injuries you have had in your lifetime, the more layers of the onion you will have over your spine and therefore the more layers of weakness.  So the best time to correct these injuries is before pregnancy.

However these injuries and misalignments can also be corrected during the pregnancy.  Chiropractic care is safe for the pregnant mother and the baby in utero.    Mothers that I have had the opportunity to adjust over the past fourteen years comment about how much easier their pregnancies were while regularly undergoing chiropractic care. 

Chiropractic can be helpful after delivery to continue to correct the misalignments that can occur due to living life, the care of the newborn baby, the care of the home, and more.  The lifting, bending, twisting while caring for the baby can cause misalignments.  When nursing the baby, sometimes the posture of the mother is not always ideal which can cause misalignments in the spine. 

 

As a chiropractor, these misalignments are more specifically called subluxations.  A subluxation is when the bones of the spine misalign and choke the nerve.  The spine was designed to protect the nerve system.  When the injuries and misalignment occur, the spine does the exact opposite and begins to interfere with the nerve system.  The nerve system controls how your body functions.  The brain is the master controller and the wires or nerves link the brain with all the other parts of the body.  Every cell, tissue, organ and system of the body is controlled through the nerve system.  So by getting chiropractic care, it allows the nerve system to function better every time and therefore the body to function better. 

 

This leads me to the thought about getting your newborn baby checked right from birth.  The first spinal injury can happen during the delivery process.  If the baby is born in the hospital the doctors usually hold the baby’s head in order to pull to get the baby’s left and right shoulder out.   This force usually causes the baby’s first subluxation.  There can also be subluxations caused during cesarean delivery as well.  Correct the subluxations as they occur, throughout the child’s life, and the child will live a healthier and happier life.  When the child is healthier and happier, the parents are also happier.

Dr. Pam Tomaszycki, D.C.

 

Women, Mothers, and Mothers-To-Be (Part 2)

Each of us have experiences in life in which we can learn, share, or keep to ourselves.  The last eleven years of my life have been packed filled with experiences of being a mother.

My experiences of pregnancy, labor and birthing are something I don't share very often.  I have three children and each have blessed me with a different experience.

I treasure these experiences because they have helped me become certain about a couple of truths when it comes to a woman's body when it comes to pregnancy, labor, and birthing

1)  The woman's body is amazing in what it is capable of doing.  It is going to do exactly what it needs to do, without interference, in most situations.

2) The baby is going to be able to grow and develop and be who God has created the baby to be without all the tests and ultrasound pictures.

3) Babies are going to come when they are ready; When they are done growing and developing not necessarily on the estimated due date.  The due date is exactly that.....an estimate.  Don't rush this day, time or hour.  And don't worry if this estimated date passes and baby still has not arrived.
The best suggestion my midwife gave me was to give everyone a date past the estimated due date.  This way the pregnant mother can wait patiently for baby’s time to be "due".

3) There is no need to fear labor.  Be patient.  One contraction builds on the other.  It prepares the mother for what is to come.  Don't speed it up with drugs because this only causes all of the contractions to come equally intense and close together. 

4) Labor is intense!  Put your mind in a peaceful place with confidence and focus on your breathing knowing that your body is preparing to welcome a beautiful baby.  The day you have been waiting almost ten months for.

5)  Don't fear labor because of what you have heard from someone, seen on TV, or what your doctor has told you. Embrace it.  Surround yourself with women who have been through natural birth and have embraced the process.  These are the women that can support and coach you through.

6)  With each birth, approach it confidently that this time you will have a beautiful natural birthing experience. If you are a first time mother, know with certainty that you can natural give birth naturally. As with everything, you don't know if you can unless you try. Why would you sell yourself short the first time and schedule a cesarean birth.  Plan and focus on natural childbirth.  This is the best for you and baby.  If at the end things are not progressing or something changes, you can make the decision based on the situation and what is best for you and your baby.

7) Even if you have had a VBAC, you can approach the next pregnancy and focus on a successful natural delivery.  Go back and read the third point from above.  Labor may be longer and slower due to some scar tissue from the major abdominal surgery (cesarean).  Be patient and allow your body to do what it needs to do to allow for natural childbirth.

8) Begin mentally preparing yourself during your pregnancy for the labor and delivery of your baby.  Visualize how beautiful the day will be when you get to welcome your baby into the outside world.  Surround yourself with woman who have successfully given birth naturally and have positive encouraging words to share. 

Labor and delivery is a beautiful process and is extremely fulfilling.  It all unfolds at the moment you get to hold your baby in your arms.  That moment, in itself, is enough to work through the highs and lows of labor.  The opportunity for you to be at your best and ready to nurse and take care of your child:  to hold, love, nurture and bond with your child.

 

I speak from my experience.  I have had three children:  the first by an unscheduled cesarean, the second child was a VBAC and the third was a natural birth at home.  I share this information in order to empower other mothers-to-be to believe in themselves and their bodies.  Choose natural childbirth first.

Dr. Pam Tomasyzcki, D.C.

Women, mothers-to-be, and mothers

I have had this gnawing thought in my mind after participating in an event in Waterford and having the opportunity to talk to numerous pregnant mothers.  Do we (women, mothers-to-be and mothers) trust our bodies?  Even more specifically, do we trust our bodies through the process of pregnancy and delivery?  Or do we fear the process of natural childbirth.  Because of these gnawing questions, I decided to do a little research. 

I wanted to research the cesarean rates in Oakland County.  I then was curious for the county I live in, Macomb County.  One of the sites that I researched online was www.cesareanrates.com.  The rate (or percentage) of cesarean births is found by taking the total cesarean births and dividing it by the total births.  Below is a list of the hospitals found in these two counties and their cesarean rates. (1)

                     

Oakland County

Botsford General Osteopathic Hospital                      33.25%

Crittenton General Hospital                                        39.58%

Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital                       31.83%

Huron Valley Hospital                                                33.05%

Providence Hospital                                                    31.13%

 St. John Health Providence Park Hospital                 35.49%

William Beaumont Hospital (NICU)                          41.64%

William Beaumont Hospital – Troy                            39.86%

Macomb County

Mt. Clemens General Osteopathic Hospital               34.31%

St. Joseph Hospital West                                            34.87%

St. John Macomb Oakland Hospital – Macomb Center         30.52%

On the CDC’s website (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) at www.cdc.gov, I found that the “average cesarean rate in the United States is 32.7%”. (2)  This means that the majority of the hospitals in Oakland and Macomb County have HIGHER cesarean rates.  I also found that cesarean rates including “low-risk cesareans have been on a decline from 2009 to 2013 in most states EXCEPT for three states.  Michigan happens to be one of these three states”. (3) 

After reviewing Michigan’s rate of cesarean births by County at www.cesareanrates.com,  I realized that not all Michigan counties exceeded the United States cesarean rate of 32.7% like Oakland and Macomb Counties.  In fact there were numerous hospitals that were under 28%.  I have listed below the hospitals that delivered a total of 700 births or more in a year period and had a cesarean rate at approximately 28%.

Bay Medical Center East                                            27.96%                                    Bay County

Borgess Medical Center                                             27.52%                                    Kalmazoo County

Foote W. A Memorial Hospital                                  26.09%                                    Jackson County

Henry Ford Hospital (NICU)                                     27.64%                                    Wayne County

Henry Ford Wyandotte General                                 28.44%                                    Wayne County

Hutzel Hospital                                                          27.54%                                     Wayne County

Oakwood Hospital (Annapolis) (NICU)                    27.33%                                     Wayne County

An interesting thing to note is that four out of the seven hospitals listed above are from Wayne County.  What is Wayne County mothers and doctors doing differently than Macomb and Oakland County?  If I was choosing a hospital, I would be searching for a hospital with a low cesarean birth rate because cesarean birth is a serious concern to me.  As stated on the CDCs website

“Cesarean delivery is abdominal surgery with short- and long-term risks and consequences, such as surgical complications, admission to neonatal intensive care, and higher costs, compared with vaginal delivery.” (3)

An expecting mother and father MUST know that making a decision to have major abdominal surgery is a major risk to the mother and the baby.  This decision should not be taken lightly!  What is happening in the mother’s mind or even in the doctor’s prenatal care that encourages a women to make the decision to have a cesarean birth?  Is it….

• ·         Fear of not being able to endure labor
• ·         Fear of the “baby being too big”
• ·         Convenience for the mother and/or doctor

What is it? 

Dr. Pam Tomaszycki, D.C.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.  Arnold, J. (2014). CesareanRates.com: Michigan Cesarean Rates. Retrieved August 18, 2015, from http://www.cesareanrates.com/2015/02/Michigancesareanrates.html http://www.cesareanrates.com/2015/02/Michigancesareanrates.html

 2.  Births - Method of Delivery. (2015, January 22). Retrieved August 18, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/delivery.htm

3.  Osterman, M.H.S, M., & Martin, M.P.H., J. (2014, November 5). Trends in Low-risk Cesarean Delivery in the United States, 1990–2013. Retrieved August 18, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr63/nvsr63_06.pdf

Giving you a "piece of our mind"

The chiropractors of Hope Chiropractic will now have a place to share what is on their mind.  They will be sharing
- their perspective on health topics in the news
- answers to questions frequently asked
- personal health related experiences
- and much more. 

You can visit www.hopechiropractors.blogspot.com to view this and future BLOGS.