Optimal methods in using mobility for handicapped children

Poznan, Poland November 14, 2003

The Role of the Subluxation in the Neurologically Compromised Child

Dr. Bobby Doscher

President/C.E.O.  

 Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center

The purpose of this course of instruction is to provide the professional with a better understanding of the implications of the subluxation, especially in children with neurological problems, as well as the application of that understanding in the detection, evaluation, and care of those affected.

Our objective is to sharpen the powers of observation in all people interacting with children. Objective empirical findings may facilitate early detection of a neurologically compromised child, thus allowing for more complete intervention, the restoration of health, and the enhancement of life.

We propose: Chiropractic as part of a greater awareness of creative answers that allows us to see the love in life and the power by which we serve.

We present: Case studies and slide presentation showing the power of chiropractic and the restoration of the life force within the body.

I.The Premise of Chiropractic
a.  Presence of Universal and Innate Intelligence
b.  Interference to function by subluxation
c.  Relationship of subluxation to the severely ill or neurologically damaged child.

II.The Chiropractic Detection of Early Signs of Neurological Problems
a.The power of observation
b.The symptoms of early detection,

III.Understanding More of What is Happening in Illnesses Today
a.Description of Illness patterns
b.Dis-ease, Dis-orders, Dys-function, No-function

IV. Making Changes That Last
a.Learning to see and understand the changes
b.Living the chiropractic way of life

The basis for scientific thought is found in philosophy rather than in the lab.  Double-blind studies and scientific methodology are useful only as they may be taken from the test tube and applied to life.  In natural health care empirical science recognizes the patterns of energy flowing in the body. 

Most of the people around the world know and accept the idea that there is a higher power, and that this power plays an intimate role in their life.  Why not their health and well being? The acceptance of a higher power by chiropractic philosophy is not to be taken as a religious belief. It is not religious to acknowledge the presence of a greater power that animates the universe and is responsible for the unfolding of life.

D.D. Palmer, founder of chiropractic, began defining and refining the principles of chiropractic in 1895.  He chose to use the terms “Universal Intelligence” and “Innate Intelligence” because it was within the body to identify the powers he accepted as higher than man. The definition of Universal Intelligence, as cited by R.W. Stevenson in The Chiropractic Textbook is, “A Universal Intelligence is in all matter and continually gives to it all its properties and actions, thus maintaining it in existence.’ (Principle No.1) His definition of Innate Intelligence is, “A ‘living thing’ has an inborn intelligence within its body, called Innate Intelligence.” (Principle No.20) He goes on to say, “The function of Innate Intelligence is to adapt universal forces and matter for use in the body, so that all parts of the body will have co-ordinated action for mutual benefit.” (Principle No.23)

Innate Intelligence controls the expression of health in the body.  All normal body functions are involved in this full expression.  Interference to the ability of Innate Intelligence to communicate with all cells of the body prevents the full expression of health and vitality.

In the human body the nervous system is charged with the control and coordination of all functions.  By way of nerves there is almost instantaneous communication throughout the body.  It is through the free flow of communion that Innate Intelligence collects the necessary information from body cells and allows for its analysis and synthesis within.

When interference to proper function of the nervous system occurs, the communication systems begin to become uncoordinated.  This dysfunction, whether on a very small, momentary scale or of a far reaching, chronic condition, impedes the ability of Innate Intelligence to properly direct and control.  As control is lost, dis-ease, dis-order, and dys-function and no function result.

The chiropractic premise is this: insidious interference to the functioning of the nervous system is called vertebral subluxation, caused by stress, trauma and toxicity.  This is the primary concern of the chiropractic profession: to remove pressure exerted on the spinal cord or on individual spinal nerves. These pressures compress nerve tissues.  Even very small pressures result in a lessened ability of the body to maintain communication. 

In young children this lack of communication can result in the following symptoms:

• The shutting down or disorganization of sensory pathways: vision, hearing, tactility, smell, and taste   

• The distortion of balance and spatial orientation.

• Loss of emotional equilibrium.

Consequently, the above impedes a young child’s development of fine and gross motor skills and cognitive ability.

It is the chiropractor’s role to locate and remove vertebral subluxations within the body of each patient, and to correct the malposition of the vertebrae.  Thus, the pressure is removed from the nervous system, Innate Intelligence is once more able to coordinate the bodily functions, and health and quality of life return as a natural consequence.  Allowing the body to remain free of vertebral subluxations gives each person the opportunity to express his life with optimal potential.

Chiropractic and medical experts agree that every single body function, regardless how large or small, is controlled by electrical and chemical messages that travel from the brain to all parts of the body and back again at the rate of thousands of messages per second.  These messages pass through the brain stem, which is an extension of the brain and is located at the top of the neck where the head and neck join.

“Role of the Brain Stem in Controlling Motor Function”

–Guyton and Hall 9^th edition Medical Physiology

• The brain stem consists of the medulla, pons, and mesencephalon
• In one sense, it is an extension of the spinal cord upward into the cranial cavity because it contains motor and sensory nuclei that perform motor and sensory functions for the face and head regions in the same way that the anterior and posterior gray horns of the spinal cord perform these same functions from the neck down
• In another sense, the brain stem is its own master because it provides many special control functions
• Control of respiration, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal function, and many stereotyped movements of the body, equilibrium, eye movement.
• The brain stem serves as a way station for “common signals” from still higher neural centers that “command” the brain stem to initiate or modify specific control functions throughout the body.
• The roll of the brain stem in controlling whole-body movement and equilibrium.
• Especially important are the brain stem’s reticular nuclei and vestibular nuclei, plus the vestibular apparatus that sends most of the equilibrium control signals to the vestibular nuclei and, to a lesser extent, the reticular nuclei.

Body imbalance can put stress, tension and/or pressure around the brain stem to block or impede the flow of these vital messages to the body.  This interference always reduces the body’s ability to fully express life, and can cause pain, sickness, suffering, and disorganization.

The upper cervical spinal correction is engineered to restore body balance, relieve stress, tension and pressure from around the brain stem.  This reactivates the normal flow of health and healing messages from the brain to the affected part of the body so that the body’s self-healing process can regain and maintain optimum health.

Precision x-rays are used to develop a formula necessary to make the upper cervical spinal correction.  Just as no two patients are alike, each formula is specific to that patient.

In Oklahaven’s 41-year history we have observed the power of chiropractic and the upper cervical spinal correction in the restoration of children lives.