Chiropractic for kids, too

Always on the go, kids are magnets for falls, sprains, strains and sports-related injuries. Chiropractic is an invaluable therapeutic option for children because it's noninvasive and medication-free. In fact, chiropractic is used so commonly with kids that a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that approximately two million children receive chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation each year.

Pediatric chiropractors have post-doctorate training and experience in working with children. They use techniques that are gentle and age-appropriate. The pediatric chiropractor shouldn't replace your child's regular pediatrician. Instead, the treatments should complement each other.

Is a backpack harming your child? You've probably picked up your child's backpack and wondered if it was full of rocks. What you may not know, however, is that a heavy backpack can be harmful to your child.Almost 6,500 kids are taken to the emergency room each year because of backpack-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. And emergency room physicians are seeing more than just back pain caused by heavy backpacks. Injuries are almost as common in the knee, leg, ankle, shoulder, wrist, elbow, hand, head and neck

Following are ways you can make your child's backpack less of a burden on his or her body.

The weight of the backpack should be no more than 10 percent to 15 percent of your child's weight. Remind your child to always use both straps. Select a backpack with a waist belt or frame that places the weight of the pack on your child's pelvis, rather than the shoulders.

Tighten the straps so the pack is held close to the body. Make sure the straps and the side of the backpack that rests against the child's back are well padded. Pack heavy items at the bottom of the pack and balance the load as much as possible.Choose a backpack with wheels for pulling.

Chiropractic offers many benefits to older adults

It's no secret that as we age, our bodies change dramatically. Muscles shrink and react more slowly. We have less of the fluid the body needs to remain supple and strong. Bones lose mass and become more fragile. We're more susceptible to musculoskeletal injury. When we are injured, it takes longer to heal. Yet, when we seek treatment, we're more sensitive to medications and surgery carries greater risk.

Given this set of circumstances, medication-free, noninvasive chiropractic treatment is ideally suited to most older people. In working with the elderly, DCs use gentle techniques appropriate to the aging body. Ongoing wellness and preventive care are important elements of treatment. This may include recommendations on exercise, nutrition and lifestyle modifications.

Chiropractic care can help alleviate pain, improve joint function, boost mobility, increase balance and coordination, and decrease stiffness. Although it's not a fountain of youth, chiropractic can do wonders in improving your comfort and quality of life.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-more than just a nuisance

The carpal tunnel is a passageway through your wrist. Nerves and muscles from your hand and fingers pass through this tunnel and up the arm. Sometimes, however, the important median nerve that supplies motion and feeling to your fingers and hand gets pressed or squeezed. When the nerve function is impaired by this pressure, you have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

The symptoms of CTS are numbness, burning, itching or tingling in your hand or fingers. In severe cases, carpal tunnel syndrome can make it difficult to grasp objects or to feel hot or cold. Women are three times more likely to have the condition than men. It is rare in children.

What causes CTS? Many people believe too many hours spend a keyboard cause CTS, however, a study at Mayo Clinic found this is not the case. In fact, any number of factors can cause the condition, including:

Carpal tunnels that are naturally narrow Injury, Arthritis , Retention of fluid during pregnancy

Diabetes ,Thyroid conditions ,Obesity ,Regular use of vibrating hand tools ,Inadequate work ergonomics

Your chiropractor can diagnose and treat CTS. He or she may prescribe resting the hand and wrist for a period of time, applying a splint to immobilize the wrist, stretching or strengthening exercises, icing the wrist or joint manipulation.