'Chemical Burns' Seen as Possible Cause of Vaping Lung Damage

Lung injuries from vaping probably result from direct toxicity or tissue damage caused by noxious chemical fumes.

"We were not surprised by what we found, regarding toxicity," Brandon T. Larsen, MD, PhD, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, and a national expert in lung pathology.

"We have seen a handful of cases, scattered individual cases, over the past two years where we've observed the same thing, and now we are seeing a sudden spike in cases.

To learn more about the pathology of vaping-associated lung injury, Larsen and colleagues studied lung biopsy specimens from 17 patients (13 men; median age, 35 years) who reported vaping and who were suspected of having associated lung injuries. Most (71%) of the patients vaped with marijuana or cannabis oils.

All of the lung biopsy specimens revealed "patterns of acute lung injury”. 
The researchers saw no histologic or radiologic evidence of tissue damage resulting from an accumulation of lipids such as mineral oils, which until now have been a suspected cause of vaping-linked lung injuries.

“It seems to be some kind of direct chemical injury, similar to what one might see with exposures to toxic chemical fumes, poisonous gases and toxic agents,"

More than 800 lung injury cases have been linked to vaping during the past several months, and at least 12 patients in 10 states have died. 

Some states have temporarily banned the sale of e-cigarettes or the flavored liquids used in the products, pending health investigations. The American Lung Association says e-cigarettes are not safe and can cause permanent lung injury and disease.

"Everyone should recognize that vaping is not without potential risks, including life-threatening risks, and I think our research supports that."  "It would seem prudent based on our observations to explore ways to better regulate the industry and better educate the public, especially our youth, about the risks associated with vaping."

Adolescent years are times of important brain development. Brain development begins during the growth of the fetus in the womb and continues through childhood and to about age 25. Nicotine exposure during adolescence and young adulthood can cause addiction and harm the developing brain

E-cigarettes are very popular with young people. Their use has grown dramatically in the last five years. Today, more high school students use e-cigarettes than regular cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes is higher among high school students than adults.

The following is a great tip sheet on how to talk to your kids about vaping/E-cigarettes.

https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/documents/SGR_ECig_ParentTipSheet_508.pdf

Dr. Stephen Kelly D.C.

Dr. Kelly practice at Family First Chiropractic located at 142 Erickson Dr in Red Deer. Call us today to book an appointment 403-347-3261  www.family1stchiro.ca

CranioSacral Therapy and Babies

CranioSacral Therapy and Babies

Your baby crying immediately alerts you that there is something wrong in his or her world.

Is your newborn hungry? Tired? Needing a diaper change? Too Cold? Too hot? In pain?

Many first time parents find this guessing game a challenge but gradually as a routine establishes they learn to recognise what their baby’s cry means and how to satisfy their needs.  But what if you have done everything (including checking with doctor or health nurse) and your baby is still crying? Are there other reasons which cause your baby’s distress?
While CranioSacral therapy is of benefit to all babies it is especially helpful to a crying, upset and distressed baby. In my experience the following are the top three reasons for the distress that leads to your infant crying:

1.    Problems arising from the birth process.

2.    Problems with feeding and digesting.

3.    Problems with sleeping.

Infants may have one, or a combination, of the above problems to cause their crying. Let’s look at each one in turn and explore them further. You may recognise aspects of the problems that relate to your infant and why he/she is crying.
1. The Birth Process
If there has been intervention during the birth (induction, caesarean section, vacuum or forceps) or a long and heavy labour – this, in some cases, may have an ill effect on the infant’s head and back. The bones of the skull and spine, the nerves and membranes are moved out of their correct position and so cause the infant discomfort.
While these interventions were necessary for the infant’s safe delivery the excess force can override the baby’s natural ability to allow these bones to slip back into their correct position. If this is a problem for your infant you may notice that your infant tends to turn only in one direction, doesn’t like to lie flat, wants to be held in an upright position or that there are obvious bumps, cone shape or depressions on the head. Some moms notice bruising or marks at side of the head.
When these restrictions are released with the subtle touch of Craniosacral therapy - the baby is happier, sleeps and feeds better and so doesn’t need to cry.
2.  Feeding and digesting
As your infant learns to suck, swallow and breathe - their feeding pattern becomes established. Problems arise when there is a difficulty with any one of these steps. You may notice that your infant is not latching on correctly and is just using the lips to suck. This may cause sore nipples for mum and is not helping with milk flow.
In a Craniosacral treatment I would check that the bones in the mouth are free moving and this then corrects the suck. This is done with a gloved finger in the mouth and works on the bones of the palate as the baby is sucking. Often, it is this final correction done by the Craniosacral therapist that completes the process and allows the baby to feed easily.
3.  Problems with Sleeping
Infants need lots of sleep. Look out for the signs of a sleepy infant (rubbing eyes) and always finish feeding, burping and diaper change before settling baby to sleep. Swaddling your infant provides security and helps him/her fall to sleep but check that they are not too hot. Some infants like to stay close to mom for the first few weeks but it pays to establish a good routine of putting baby into the crib to sleep when you both feel ready.
Some infants may still have difficulty getting to sleep despite mom and dad doing all of the above. Many of these children would have had a difficult birth and go on to develop problems with both feeding and sleeping before I first see them.
When I treat these children I check for any areas of tightness in their body. As these release the baby sighs and relaxes. If the birth has been distressing, we take time to check the effect this has had on the infant, mom (and dad too) if needed. This helps with the bonding process which in turn helps baby to feel more secure and mom to feel more competent. It is common for baby to sleep for a long time after a Craniosacral treatment.  Many parents report that they have had their first night sleep following a Craniosacral treatment.
In summary
While it is ideal to get your infant’s crying problems sorted out as soon as possible after their birth, it is also possible to address these difficulties at any stage throughout your child’s development. I have found, through working with many upset babies – that Craniosacral therapy is a very gentle and effective way of getting baby more comfortable – and providing mom and dad with a practical way of dealing with the distress that leads to crying.

Jeannette Raskin practices at Family First Chiropractic, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer, Alberta.  403-347-3261. www.family1stchiro.ca. 

Text Neck

Text Neck

The act of holding your head flexed and forward while looking down at your handheld device and/or laptop screen places your cervical spine in a tenuous position.  Our neck normally has a forward lordotic curve. This curve is straightened with prolonged forward head posture. Over long periods of time, maintaining this head-forward posture can lead to muscle strain, disc injury, nerve impingement and arthritic changes of the neck. This increases the potential for developing ongoing neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and pain radiating down the arms.

For every one inch of forward head posture away from neutral the weight of your head increases by 100% or 10lbs. The more your neck has gone forward, the more weight it has to carry. This disorder is associated with chronic headaches, shoulder and neck pain. Medical research has also uncovered evidence of related early onset arthritis and even decrease lung capacity. Try this for yourself. Have your head over your shoulders, take a deep breath. Put your head forward and try that same deep breath. It was harder to take the deep breath with the head forward wasn’t it!

The original term was "text neck"—the new term “tech neck” highlights the fact that it's not just texting anymore—almost all the time we spend looking at any screen has the potential for damaging the neck.

Exercises can help improve your posture, strengthen your neck and create better habits for everyday life. To avoid developing degenerative neck changes due to posture, here are several simple steps you can start today.

Set time limits. Limit the amount of time and frequency that you use your device. If you have to use it for an extended period of time, take breaks. Develop a habit of taking a three-minute break for every 15-20 minutes you use your device. Change your posture and move around.

Set automatic reminders. Utilize an automatic alarm with your smart device reminding you to take a time out

Use a tablet holder. Purchase a holder to elevate your device to significantly reduce the amount of neck flexion and forward positioning. Try to keep the device as close to eye-level as possible.

Sit in a chair with a headrest. Switch to a chair with a headrest, and make sure to keep the back of your head in contact with the headrest while using your tablet, phone or laptop. Keeping the back of your head flush against the headrest will ensure that you're not looking down with your neck flexed forward.

Use pain as a warning. If you're experiencing pain in your neck, between the shoulder blades, numbness or tingling in the arms, or frequent headaches there may be a more serious issue going on. Pay attention to these warning signs and act quickly to make changes to reduce or eliminate any head-forward posture that is straining your neck.

Chiropractic treatment is the best option for these issues. If you are having symptoms or just want to check if you or your children have this problem, book an appointment.

As a general rule, the sooner you seek treatment the more likely it is that you'll have success in treating the problem.

Dr. Stephen Kelly D.C.

Dr. Kelly practices at Family First Chiropractic located at 142 Erickson drive in Red Deer. Call us today to book an appointment (403)347-3261 or visit us at www.family1stchiro.ca

Does your Child have Low Back Pain

Does your Child have low back pain?

Many children complain of low back pain and this should never be shrugged off as ‘growing pains’ or a ‘nothing’ to worry about they will ’outgrow’ it or it will go away. The most common low back complaint in children is a spondylolysis, which may lead to spondylolisthesis.

Often when we are taking a history on an adult patient we discover that many have had the issue and low back pain since childhood or even adolescence. Often when we do an exam and a plain film x-ray we discover that there is a pars defect in the low back vertebra causing a spondylolysis and sometimes a spondylolisthesis (slippage). There is now new research to show that often this defect cannot be found on plain x-ray and a MRI is needed to discover a ‘pending spondylolisthesis’ – which is basically a stress fracture on the pars interarticularis of the vertebra.

The most common cause of low back pain in children and adolescents that can be seen on X-ray is a stress fracture in one of the bones (vertebrae) that make up the spinal column. Technically, this condition is called spondylolysis (spon-dee-low-lye-sis). It usually affects the fifth lumbar l5 vertebra in the lower back and, much less commonly, the fourth lumbar vertebra L4.

If the stress fracture weakens the bone so much that it is unable to maintain its proper position, the vertebra can start to shift out of place. This condition is called spondylolisthesis (spon-dee-low-lis-thee-sis). Growth plays a definite role in the cause of spondylolysis and has a strong prevalence in age 14- younger in females from the earlier adolescent growth. This factor explains the prominence of slippage in girls (listhesis) and more pars defect in boys (lysis). Often congenital defects found on x-ray such as facet orientation, occult spina bifida and/or a longer pars have a higher relevance of spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis can also be caused by a traumatic event such as a bad fall or hit playing sports or otherwise. Often we do not know the specific incident that causes and spondylolysis/listhesis in children and adults.

Treatment for a childhood spondylolisthesis includes chiropractic adjustments to approximate the pars defect, pelvic tilt exercises, as well as possible rehab with a Boston Brace. The Boston Brace holds the pelvis in a pelvic tilt- helping to approximate the pars defect, allow healing in the correct position. Often the brace is recommended for 3-4 months duration. If you suspect this issue in your child get them checked by your chiropractor.

Dr. Joelle Johnson has been a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association for 15 years and has treated many children for low back pain and complaints. She is located at 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer. T4R 2C3 

www.family1stchiro.ca  403-347-3261

http://www.acatoday.org/press_css.cfm?CID=430

http://www.theamericanchiropractor.com/articles-radiology/4710-spondylolysis-andor-spondylolisthesis-lets-get-it-right-and-stir-things-up.html

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spondylolisthesis/spondylolysis-and-spondylolisthesis

http://cdn2.perfectpatients.com/childsites/uploads/41/files/spondylolisthesis.pdf

http://www.theamericanchiropractor.com/articles-radiology/8733-pending-spondylolysis-andor-spondylolisthesis-whats-it-all-mean.html

http://books.google.ca/books?id=YmQ3GGGjDhMC&pg=PA463&lpg=PA463&dq=Boston+brace+and++spondylolisthesis&source=bl&ots=5MhLxBEgGt&sig=i30PQHZIVnX-i08HQNhA-QMvnsA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FJFfVOaBHcv5yQTJyIHYCw&ved=0CHQQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Boston%20brace%20and%20%20spondylolisthesis&f=false

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