Above is the headline from a December 12, 2011 article posted on 121 Doc. The article was based on research published on the November 2011 issue of the Journal of Virology. The research shows that flu vaccine may weaken some children’s immune systems to other influenza viruses.

Lead author Rogier Bodewes, from the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam Netherlands explained his beliefs by stating, “Annual vaccination against influenza is effective but may have potential drawbacks that have previously been underappreciated and that are also a matter of debate.” 

In this study, researchers collected blood samples from 27 healthy, unvaccinated children whose average age was 6 years. The researchers compared these blood samples to the blood samples from 14 children with cystic fibrosis who had received the annual flu shot. The results showed that the unvaccinated children had a superior immune response, involving broader protection against the types of viruses children are exposed to during the flu season.

The study results showed that the vaccinations seem to, at least temporarily, increase one type of immunity while decreasing general immunity to many other forms of viruses and other ailments. While studying the effects of seasonal vaccinations, the researchers found that unvaccinated children developed virus-specific T cells that normally increased with age and are required for overall immunity.  In contrast, researchers found that the blood samples of vaccinated children showed no increase in number of virus-specific CD8 T cells over time.

The articles and study note that many countries do not recommend routine flu vaccinations to healthy individuals and children. Dr. Bodewes, wrote, “Most countries recommend annual flu vaccination of certain high-risk groups to protect against seasonal influenza. Furthermore, some countries recommend annual influenza vaccination of all healthy children more than six months of age.”

For safe and effective care for your family please call Schofield Chiropractic and Massage at 253-946-4524.

The headline above is from a January 7, 2012 article in the health section of the New York Times. This article, as well as a similar one from Medical Press on January 4, 2012, is based on research published on January 3, 2012 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The research studied 272 adults who were suffering with neck pain for 2- to 12-weeks duration. The subjects were divided into three groups, and received either chiropractic adjustments (called SMT or spinal manipulative therapy in the study), home exercise with advice (HEA), or prescription medication. The adjustments were delivered by one of five chiropractors while the medications were prescribed by medical physicians.  The medications consisted mainly of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, or both.

The care in each of the three groups lasted only 12 weeks in this study. The people in the study were asked to rate their pain initially and at various points thereafter up to 12 months later. The level of pain was recorded for each of the participants at the intervals of at 2, 4, 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks. The results reported that chiropractic adjustments did better in helping neck pain patients and showed “a statistically significant advantage over medication after 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks.”

Even though the care rendered for each of these groups was only for 12 weeks, the long term follow-up showed that 53 percent of the people who had received chiropractic continued to report at least a 75 percent reduction in pain.  The exercise group also had similar numbers.  However, the group taking medication showed only a 38 percent reduction in pain overall.

Dr. Gert Bronfort, an author of the study and research professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, noted his reasons for the study included a lack of information on choices for people with neck pain. “There was a void in the scientific literature in terms of what the most helpful treatments are,” Bronfort said. He noted that the results showed chiropractic superior to medications.   “Even a year later, there were differences between the spinal manipulation and medication groups,” Bronfort said.

Not only did the group taking medications not fair as well in pain reduction, there was also a problem with usage as people kept taking them in an attempt to get help. “The people in the medication group kept on using a higher amount of medication more frequently throughout the follow-up period, up to a year later,” said Dr. Bronfort. “If you’re taking medication over a long time, then we’re running into more systemic side effects like gastrointestinal problems.”

For safe and effective treatment for your neck pain, please call Schofield Chiropractic and Massage at 253-946-4524. We are in Federal Way on 320th.

A case study published on January 2, 2012 in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health documents the case of a baby girl who was suffering from developmental delay, colic and GERD, and who was helped by chiropractic care.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a condition in which the stomach contents (food or liquid) leak backwards from the stomach into the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach). This action can irritate the esophagus, causing heartburn, and other symptoms.

In this case, a mother brought her 15-month-old daughter to a chiropractor after noticing that the girl was developmentally behind where she should be. These developmental issues included not standing, walking or talking appropriately for her age level. The baby was only crawling, and could not say more that two-syllable words.

The study reported that, previously, the mother had brought her baby to the chiropractor at the age of five months. At that time, the baby was suffering from GERD and colic. These issues were both resolved within three chiropractic adjustments. The study was recorded later when the child was 15 months of age and was suffering from the developmental delay issues.

A chiropractic examination revealed subluxations in the upper neck. Specific adjustments were initiated once a week for a 19-week period. The results showed that by the third adjustment the child was walking with some assistance. The study reported that by the 6th visit, the child was walking by holding on to a table and had added words to her vocabulary. By the 9th visit, she had taken 6 steps by herself and increased her vocabulary by three more words.

An update assessment was done on the 19th visit. At this time, the girl was 19 months of age. She had improved her walking and was now at the level of a 12-month-old. Her speech was at the proper developmental level for her age, and she no longer had any signs of other developmental delays.

For safe and effective treatment please call Schofield Chiropractic and Massage at 253-946-4524.