Our Patients Tell Of Asthma Success

David  started his care when he was five years old.  He suffered from asthma since he was two.  David had been admitted to hospital on several occasions with this condition. He needed to use a machine called a nebuliser which helped him to breathe.  Also since he was two he had been taking two inhalers four times daily.  Sometimes he was given steroids to be taken along with his other medicine. David attended the hospital as an outpatient so that his condition could be kept under control, but always with drugs.  Some days David felt drowsy because he had so much medication to take and this affected his schoolwork and he had quite a few days off. Then in August 1991 David started to attend the chiropractor. It took just three visits for a remarkable improvement to occur.  He was able to stop one inhaler and then another. He was able to run about and play and get out of breath like other children.  He no longer needed the drugs prescribed by the hospital. David still attends the chiropractor regularly to keep well and drug free. I would recommend anyone to seek the help of a chiropractor.  It can make such a change because they treat the cause of the illness and not the symptom. Elizabeth, David’s mother.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, characterized by periodic attacks of  wheezing shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.  Asthma is a disease in which inflammation of the airways causes airflow into and out of the lungs to be restricted.

When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles of the bronchial tree become tight and the lining of the air passages swells. This reduces airflow and produces the characteristic wheezing sound. Mucous production is also increased.

Asthma Facts

2.2 million people in Australia have asthma including one in six children and one in nine adults.

• The numbers have increased since 1989-90 by eight per cent.
• The prevalence of asthma in Australia is relatively high, by international standards.
• More boys than girls have asthma. However, after teenage years, asthma is more common in women than in men.
• The risk of dying from asthma increases with age. The major of deaths occur in people aged 65 years and over.
• Chiropractors have reported numerous successes treating asthmatics since modern chiropractic began over 100 years ago.
• Although more research is needed preliminary studies point to a role for chiropractic in the treatment and management of asthma.

Alice’s Story

I have attended this service for nearly three years.  I had asthma and I was really bad with it. I was on prednisone tablets and a number of inhalers when I first came here. But since coming here, touch wood, I haven’t had asthma in such a long time and I do not take any medication either. I appreciate the treatment I have received and I thank you for a normal life.

Alice

Chiropractic treatment has great results with asthma because, as in David’s story, we treat the cause not the symptom.  And asthma is just one of the non-musculoskeletal conditions we help. Others include digestive disorders such as heartburn and constipation and circulation disorders such as high blood pressure and cold hands or feet. The list is too long to print but it is enough to know that by going to the core or origin we can help so many health problems.  More research is needed to tell us why we get such good results and we are sure this will come.  Until then lets continue to enjoy the many benefits of lifelong wellness chiropractic care and share it with those we care about. Our next Advanced Health Workshop is on Wednesday the 21^st of November.  The topics will be Exercises for a strong Spine and a Strong Body and Empowering Yourself by Putting Your Life into Alignment.  We will cover the five absolute best exercises you need to be doing to build and maintain a strong and resilient spine and body.  Learn a simple and powerful strategy to focus your precious energies where they are needed to quickly achieve a greater level of life balance and alignment. The workshop will go for one hour as usual and please book in at the front desk as seating is limited.  This will be an excellent workshop to help you with all those New Year health resolutions!

Tips to Help Reduce or Prevent Asthma

Always Keep the spine and nervous system healthy and flexible with regular or periodic chiropractic adjustments.

• Children raised in a home with multiple pets are less likely to develop allergies often associated with asthma.
• Breastfeeding offers some protection from developing asthma.
• Exercise may prevent asthma by “working out” the airways.
• Exercise also helps reduce childhood obesity which is a significant risk factor in asthma.
• Plastic nappies may emit chemicals or perfumes that can irritate airways and lead to asthma.
• A healthy diet low in polyunsaturated fats (margarines and oils) and high in vegetables will minimise asthma.
• Drink plenty of water as dehydration may induce bronchospasm even before exercise and make exercise-induced asthma worse.

Research Studies Support Chiropractic for Asthma

In a study published in 2001 thirty six youngsters aged six to seventeen years had 23 chiropractic visits over a twelve month period.  After three months of combining chiropractic treatment with optimal medical management for childhood asthma, the children rated their quality of life substantially higher and their asthma severity substantially lower. These improvements were maintained at the one year follow-up. In 1997 a self-reported asthma-related impairment study was conducted on 81 children under chiropractic care. Over 90% of the children reported significant improvement 60 days after receiving chiropractic care.  JMPT 2001 (July); 2(6):369—377