Aside from our weekly Chiropractic Health talks we will be holding Talks once a month on other interesting and thought provoking topics such as Stress, Nutrition, Kids, Headaches, Bowel Problems etc etc!  Just keep an eye on your inboxes for times and details.  And remember these talks are free!

When America Sneezes ......... We catch a cold!

Considering how small the world is becoming it is no wonder that so-called health decisions taken in the US will have a profound impact on us!  Well The American Academy of Pediatrics  in their wisdom has recently  released new guidelines for diagnosing and possibly treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The following is copied and pasted from an article I read by Dr Guy Riekemann.

The new guidelines mean pre-kindergarten kids can be added to the millions already on Ritalin. The Los Angeles Times reported this year that five percent of children ages 6 to 17—about 4.5 million children—have been diagnosed with ADHD, and two-thirds of them, 2.7 million, are being medicated for it. The number being medicated continues to increase exponentially, up 1,600 percent since the 1970s.

Significantly ADHD is a disorder, not a disease, and there is no blood test or other biological marker for it. It is determined subjectively—by parents, teachers or doctors. Could they ever be wrong? According to University of Michigan research reported in Science Daily, nearly one million children in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed simply because they are the youngest—and most immature—in their kindergarten class.

Pediatrician Sanford Newmark says: “ADHD is often grossly and carelessly misdiagnosed and over-diagnosed. All too often a teacher complaint and a 10-minute talk with a pediatrician results in an ill-considered diagnosis and an indefinite prescription for psycho-stimulant medication. This hurried process can miss both simple explanations (a gifted child who is bored, a poor fit between student and teacher, parents without adequate time and resources to motivate an intense and difficult child), or more serious problems like anxiety, depression, dyslexia and other learning disabilities.”

And what about the drugs to treat ADHD? According to the Department of Justice, quoted on the website drugenquirer.com: “Of particular concern is that ADHD literature prepared for public consumption does not address the potential or actual abuse of methylphenidate [Ritalin]. Instead, methylphenidate is routinely portrayed as a benign, mild substance that is not associated with abuse or serious side effects. In reality, however, the scientific literature indicates that methylphenidate [Ritalin] shares the same abuse potential as other Schedule II stimulants. Further, case reports document that methylphenidate abuse can lead to tolerance and severe psychological dependence.” The site lists 23 side-effects, plus side-effects of overdosing.

So what option do parents have? Dr. Newmark says that natural, non-invasive and inexpensive means are more effective in addressing the causes, among which he lists junk food, allergic reactions, overstressed parents, too much TV watching, standardized testing and other lifestyle reasons.

“By the way, why don't most doctors know and tell you about this?” Dr. Newmark asks the world. “It is because all too many physicians get their information from pharmaceutical representatives and from conferences sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. These companies have no interest in letting anyone know about cheap and simple non-pharmaceutical treatments. It is also a sad fact that most of the ‘experts’ who write articles in prestigious journals about the ‘correct’ treatment for ADHD receive significant financial support from these same companies.”

It is time to rethink our over dependence on medication!