Natural Therapies
for Keeping Kids Healthy Local Practitioners Prescribe Preventive Wellness Care by Linda Sechrist
I
n 2002, the National Health In- terview Survey, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, included a supplement on alternative medicine, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The data was impressive: 38 percent of U.S. adults reported using complementary health care practices, including acupuncture, dietary supple- ments and chiropractic medicine, for wellness and prevention. With the growing popularity of these modalities, now commonly used in conjunction with mainstream medicine, it is natural for parents to inquire if they are safe for children as part of a plan for maximiz- ing the natural strengths of the body and its capacity to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. Natural Awakenings recently que- ried several local natural health practi- tioners about how children can benefit from holistic approaches to health and well-being. Their answers offer insight- ful reassurance.
Acupuncture
The most up-to-date survey results, published in 2008 by NIH, indicated that 150,000 children had used acu- puncture in 2007 for headaches, back and neck pain, anxiety or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Local acupuncturists John Patton, founder of the Healing Arts Center, in Naples, and Phyllis Weber, owner of Gulf Coast Acupuncture & Herbs, are quick to agree with well-known author and physician Dr. Andrew Weil, who suggests that the reason acupuncture hasn’t been more popular with children in the U.S. is mainly because young- sters tend to be afraid of needles. Patton and Weber’s answer to the fear factor is acupressure, a sister treat- ment to acupuncture that focuses on the same pressure points and merid-
32 Collier/Lee Counties
Awareness Center, Dr. Chip Sheman- sky, owner of Gulfshore Chiropractic Clinics and Dr. Michele Pelletiere, owner of Pelletiere Family Healing Center, support the recommendation of the International Chiropractic Pediat- ric Association (ICPA): a chiropractic examination during a child’s first year of life is integral to providing them with a head start in good health.
ians. Rather than using needles on their young patients, they gently press key healing points to avoid over stimulating a child’s bio-energetic system. Both agree that acupressure is effective for building up a child’s im- mune system and keeping it strong. “This is important in the early years, when a child’s immune system is work- ing to ward off all sorts of childhood illnesses,” says Weber.
According to Patton, it’s a win-win proposition for parents to introduce children to complementary alternatives at an early age. “Children are quick to respond to natural solutions such as herbs and homeopathies, as well as proper nutrition and supplements, which most acupuncturists are familiar with,” he says.
Chiropractic
For promoting health and as a treatment for common ailments, many families throughout the nation are using chiro- practic as an integral part of wellness care, as noted in a NIH cross-sectional survey of chiropractors and parents of pediatric patients.
Southwest Florida chiropractors,
such as Dr. Matt Bergtold, owner of Advanced Chiropractic Health &
swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com
Bergtold and Shemansky advise that they adjusted their own children shortly after birth, and Pelletiere notes that she did the same for her nephews. “Spinal trauma can occur during birth, as well as from tumbles while learning to sit up or walk,” says Bergtold, who points to an ICPA survey of parents which indicates improved sleep and immune function for kids that saw a chiropractor. Shemansky considers chiropractic adjustments a necessity for children that participate in contact sports or those which call for repetitive movements, such as running. “It also helps to prevent injuries and increases your child’s ability to perform better,” he says.
“Adjustment of the first cervical vertebrae can be effective as an ap- proach to chronic earache in young children,” advises Pelletiere, who clari- fies that children’s Eustachian tubes are shorter and aligned horizontally from the ear to the inside of the mouth, mak- ing it easier for bacteria and viruses to enter the inner ear. As youngsters grow, these tubes begin to naturally angle downward and drain better, sometimes lessening the occurrence of earaches.
Dentistry
The Public Health Dental Program of the Florida Bureau of Family and Community Health advises parents to schedule their child’s first dental exam before the age of 1. Parents of newborns may not real- ize that as soon as a baby’s teeth break through the gums, they are susceptible to decay. Early treatment—beginning at age 2 or younger—can save most children from the physical and psychological consequences of dental neglect. Baby teeth also play a significant role in a child’s overall health. Without the front baby teeth, it’s hard to bite into foods like carrots and apples. Teeth help a child to chew and strengthen facial and jaw muscles.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64