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Ptak Wellness | Success Stories 3
Asthma, allergies, ADD and more gone
I had just arrived at the cafe of my favorite bookstore on a rainy Saturday morning. I was armed with a briefcase full of work and was looking forward to a couple of hours of light work and some recreational reading. I was only a couple of pages into the latest issue of Scientific America, when I noticed her out of the corner of my eye. She appeared to be in her late 40's and was carrying a large stack of the local city newspaper. She also seemed to be staring at me as if she knew me.
I looked up as she approached my table. "Excuse me, is your name Keith?" she asked. I replied, yes. She held out her hand, "I'm Ellen Farber, we met about five years ago. I was in an auto accident and was required to attend a health class at the chiropractors office, you were the guest speaker at that class." I struggled to remember the lady, but had no recollection of her. Ellen, I apologize, I do a lot of lectures each year and I meet a lot of people. She interrupted me and said, "I have a son named Eric." Eric, the light bulb in my brain went on and I immediately remembered this woman and her son. Eric had accompanied his mother to the class.
He was small and frail. I estimated him to be 9-10 years old, but he was actually 13. He fidgeted throughout the entire class. I remembered talking with his mother after the class and she cited just a partial list of his health history including allergies, asthma, ADD, ear infections, sinus infections, digestive disorders, chronic colds, the list seemed endless. I was certain that he has a number of spinal subluxations, and I remember telling his mother that he was certainly a candidate for chiropractic care.
Ellen, I do remember you and your son Eric, how is he doing? She stared at me for several seconds. I could not tell if she was suppressing a smile or a frown. Well, I certainly remember you Keith she said. There I was, a single mother working two jobs to make ends meet, I had just been in an auto accident and did not have a vehicle, I was already paying all kinds of money for Eric's medical treatment and you wanted me to spend additional money and time on chiropractic for him. I was really angry with you that evening. Then, just ever so slightly she smiled and said, "After we talked that night, I did sign up Eric for a chiropractic exam and I went ahead and committed to the adjustment schedule that the doctor recommended," she paused again.
"So how is Eric doing?" I asked, She took the top newspaper from the stack and opened it up to the sports page and laid it down in front of me. The top story showed a picture of a high school football player catching a touchdown pass. The headline read FARBER SELECTED TO FIRST TEAM ALL STATE. It was the same Eric, only instead of being a small, frail teenager; he was a 5'11" 185lb muscular athlete. I looked back at his mother, she said, "Eric was never the same after he began chiropractic care. We saw the change in his health immediately, not only did he physically improve, but his attitude changed along with his grades, in fact he will graduate in the top 5 in his class and he has both athletic and academic scholarships from over 25 universities," she said proudly. She reached out and touched my shoulder, "Thank you Keith," and she turned and walked away.
There are literally hundreds of thousands maybe millions of children like just Eric out in the world. They and their parents are waiting to hear the chiropractic story and are waiting to see their entire lives change.
Keith Wassung
www.riverhorsepubl.com
1-866-642-0916
Attention Deficient Disorder
Two years ago, my son Zach, was diagnosed with Attention Deficient Disorder. What the doctors addressed was that although my son did not have the hyperactivity behavior trait, he still had ADD. They informed me that there were two types to this disorder: hyperactivity type children and inattentive type children. My son was diagnosed with the inattentive type because while in regular classes, the teachers and psychologists observed that he was inattentive to the events in class and lacked persistent task involvement.
Like any concerned parent, I sought advise through our family physician who, in turn, referred the case to a pediatrician and child psychologist. My son was prescribed Ritalin. Yes, the medication worked. My son turned into a Zombie. The once bubbly child who liked to tell stories was all of a sudden quiet. When asked questions, he would only reply with a brief answer and not add his opinion to the question. He stopped eating - as long as the medication was in effect, he was not hungry. He did not eat his lunch and the school did not care as long as he HAD a lunch with him. In the early evenings, when the medication had worn off, my son had an eating binge and, literally, had to be told that enough was enough with regard to the amount of food that he consumed.
Zach had a bedtime of 8:30 PM, which I believe is reasonable for an 8 year old. He would go to his room but could not sleep. Many nights at midnight, I found him playing in his room or downstairs watching T.V. as he could not sleep, he became a very agitated and angry young boy. He wanted more medication. He hated himself for being an angry individual who argued with his parents and siblings regardless of the consequences. He told me once, on the medication, he had no feelings; nothing bothered him. I sought assistance through the medical profession only to be told that they could prescribe more medication - their solution was one drug to help him eat and another drug to help him sleep. No way. Enough is enough!
As Faith would have it, I met a chiropractor at a talk he was giving about children. He explained that sometimes at birth a child may suffer a trauma to the head or neck or sustain trauma during preschool ages that could misalign their spine and the nerves could not transmit their messages to the brain or body appropriately. He further explained that with chiropractic care, the spine could be aligned and that many children in his office have been able to stop using Ritalin and many other medications as well.
I decided to give chiropractic a try. My husband had his doubts, but he supported my decision. In the middle of February 2003 my son Zach was taken off Ritalin completely. The first two weeks were horrendous, both for us at home and for the staff at school. All the teachers wanted him back on drugs. I would have given in if not for the persist enthusiasm and commitment of Dr. Jeff and his wonderful team who told my husband and myself that it will take some time to correct the years of stress and damage to Zach's nervous system. So we kept him off the medication and continued with Zach's chiropractic care plan.
Well during week three things started to shift for Zach. His appetite came back for the first time in 2 years. He has been able to eat his lunches -NO MORE BINGING !! He now goes to bed at 8:30 PM and actually falls asleep. He is back to himself - bubbly and chatty at times - NO MORE ZOMBIE! He is no longer inappropriately angry and irritable. Zach has been keeping his weekly adjustment schedule since January 2003. In March, we received his second report card. His marks were mostly B's and a couple of C's; an average student. I recently spoke to his primary teacher regarding his behavior in class. She continues to be quite pleased and stated that Zach is once again on task. She has no concerns with his behavior or his focus on school work. He has even received a few A's in English lately. Imagine! - all without the use of Ritalin. Thank you chiropractic Care. Thank you Dr. Jeff and your amazing team. When it got rough you were all there for assuring us to never give up.
~ L.M.
NOTE: Zach's history is no different then many of ours. Born in a hospital. Epidural. 20 plus labor hours. Typical kid running around, playing sports, being vaccinated, eating what most kids eat, taking drugs for colds and flus, antibiotics, etc... Zach's x-rays showed a loss of cervical curve (normal = 43 degrees) a loss of the atlas (first cervical bone) plane line (normal = 31 degrees). Subluxations in his neck, lower back and sacrum. These are typical findings for typical kids that turn into typical adults with symptoms or kids with symptoms. Within a short time he started to show actual proof that removing subluxations leads to a healthier life. Its now 10 months since he and his family began care and Zach is a healthy, happy kid and mom and dad are doing well. They are all nearing the end of their corrective care and will be reduced to maintenance by years end.
I Now See Beauty In Life
I wanted to tell you about my changes, cause it's so neat. I think my brain (or heart?) is opening up, don't know how to describe it. The awareness of love is increasing and manifesting for everyone, friends, strangers, puppies and nature. I see my friends mature and grow through their experiences, clearly, seeing god working through them.
I want to tell them how awesome they are, what warriors they are to stand up to the hardships of life and destructive side of the ego, change their thinking to positive mode and get something out of the experience, want better for themselves, now not putting any limitations on their goals or numbers. That's how it should be. I cried all over this. So impressed with my girlfriend and her interpretation of what was going on in her life, then reaching for the higher space, where god exists and living there.
I seem to be more emotional with my awareness's. Feeling lifted more and more. There is such an awareness and appreciation for the magnificence of this perfection that flows from the inside out. It still overwhelms me to see it in nature, the awesome beauty and design of it all.
A friend of mine saw me this weekend and told me I looked different, good, asked me what it was I was doing? (of course I gave her the shpeel) Was I in Love? Yeah, I think I'm in love with LIFE..... My LIFE. Thanks, Dr. Jeff
~ L.L
Chiro: More Than Physical
The more I learn about chiropractic physically, helps me to connect with god more which just might be my process of healing and being at one, finding god, which ultimately is the goal.
~ Lisa Hall
Depression, Insomnia, High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure Gone
I Was Handed My Life Back
Thank you so much for all that you have done for me. Your encouragement and support have been invaluable and I am forever grateful for all the chiropractic adjustments I have received from you; they have yielded amazing results.
As you know, I have been suffering from depression for many years. I experienced insomnia most nights and my concentration, focus and ability to think clearly were dimmed so much that I was afraid that I had lost my grasp on myself forever. Everyday blended seamlessly into the next, without much for me to look forward to, devoid of inspiration. All I had left was a bit of compassion to carry me through.
I came to see you because a friend needed help, and she would never have have gone if I couldn't tell her positive things about my experience, I thought. After asking questions and observing and attending your office orientation I decided adjustments would not hurt me, so why not. So I came by not really expecting much out of it for myself and to ensure that my friend would come because she had the horrible back and leg pain. Me - I had a medical condition that I had been taking antidepressants for and sleeping pills, anti-cholesterol and blood pressure medication for years.
Then something began to happen for me. I realized that I began taking my medication less often and I even began to sense that they were doing me more harm then good, so out the window they went. As I continued my weekly visits, I started feeling better about myself, and had a few creative thoughts (which hardly ever happened anymore).
So as we proceeded through my first 2 weeks of daily adjustments and then as I graduated to 3 adjustments per week my life took a dramatic turn for the better. I started to read again - and actually understood what I read; my thoughts became clearer, and soon I was able to enroll in the full-time study program I just now graduated from (with honors).
I feel better than I had been in years- dare I say better than ever? It is as though my head had a reconciliation with my body: I feel more relaxed, at ease, and together. I am my old self again, only improved; connected and in tune with the world around me. I feel I was handed back my life. I appreciate the adjustments, the talks, and the workshops you give. Your cheerful attitude, your smile, and your presence in all that you do is truly inspiring. For all these things I am thankful, more than words could express.
~ F.T.
Adjustment Helped Relieve Repressed Psychological Stress
One cozy day while driving in my car about 1/2 hour after my adjustment I had a memory of being molested and I could feel the physical sensation almost as a witness. I do believe that adjustment moved my bones, nerves and muscles around which carry information and memories allowing a space to be opened to release a memory-event not needed. I can stand taller now. I know understand the meaning of retracing.
Thank you,
Yaunee
Chronic Abdomen Pain Gone
So the neatest thing is changing. First of all the pain in my abdomen is gone. That's incredible knowing I've had a chronic pain there for as long as I can remember. I just pushed it aside for so long. Secondly, I feel my femininity surfacing. That's been lost for a while also. I'm aware of men being attracted to me more. That's pretty cool. I feel like I am back into the land of the living (smile).
Yes I have been to doctors and other chiropractors. One gave me homeopathy, and still I hurt. One said it was all in my colon, never adjusted me and just prescribed supplements for my colon. And still I hurt. Thirdly, the dancing thing. I feel my body wanting to move more. I can really feel the music. So more points for my feminine side. I went dancing a lot in my twenty's and it feels like my old self coming back.
Thanks Dr. Jeff,
Jennifer
Hearing Restored
I would like to start this as "Once upon a time...", but this is a true story.
I'm a forty-five year old women who walks and talks just like you. I'm a person who was told fifteen years ago I would be deaf in my later years and would be wearing a hearing aid to help me in life. My family on my mother's side are all hearing impaired and so are a lot of my brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.
I would like to tell you about the last three months. My husband had a booth at a fair and met a chiropractor. We started talking and he tried to tell me he could help with my medical problems, because I had a lot of pain in my back, leg, arm and had headaches most of the time. He noticed I was wearing a hearing aid and questioned me about it. Then he told me a story about how chiropractic was founded-a deaf man was adjusted by a chiropractor and he had his hearing restored. Well let me tell you I thought this man was nuttier than me!
I had been to see my family doctor, who of course could not find anything wrong with me. My husband talked to me and because he loved me asked if I would give chiropractic a try. I said, "Yes." By the end of my second week of adjustments I've been headache-free. By month 3 my back is feeling better, but my big surprise is...
As I got up this morning and got ready to see Dr. Jeff, I thought I would walk to the office. No big deal right? I put my hearing aid in my pocket because of the wind. As I was walking over I heard something I have not heard in 15 years without my hearing aid. I heard the birds singing and it has got to be the most beautiful thing in the world. Just so you know, I'm having a hard time believing this and I'm the one going through it.
I may never get 100% of my hearing back because of the damage done over the years, but to hear birds singing without my hearing-aid is a big step in the right direction for me. It's Ok if you don't believe this, but I know it is true as I'm living proof.
I think anyone out there can at least try to make themselves healthy and alive. It is a beautiful life; don't just throw it away like I almost did. Do something about it today! Just because you have been told there is no hope or help-do believe that sometimes they are wrong.
~ D.M.
P.S. "I know keep my hearing aid in my purse. It helps my purse hear better!"
Removing Subluxations Change Lives
Robert is a great example of what is possible when subluxations are removed and Life-force is restored - I have been coming to see Dr. Ptak for two months. My girlfriend's back was hurting and Dr. DiAndreas, founder of the 21 Day Detox Program, suggested she see him. While accompanying her for the first few visits, I was given a spinal exam and x-rays. The x-rays showed some major calcium deposits, created by stress due to an out of alignment spine. So it's 2 months later and I don't get so stressed out anymore, I quite smoking, I gave up sugar, I enjoy the simple act of breathing, and I'm not sure where my anger has gone. These adjustments have helped me finally take control of my life and become the person I had always dreamed of being.
Forever in Gratitude.
Robert S.
Life-Long Struggle with Acne Cleared
Dear Dr. Jeff,
Thank you soooo much for your awesomeness ! Your loving energy and support are beyond compare. Thank you for helping me get healthy both physically and emotionally. I cannot tell you what a challenging 5 years it has been for me with my acne. With your support and help I can now go out and be with people. I can work again. Thank you for sharing your advice and thanks for your trust and genuine concern for my well-being. YOU RULE!!! My world is Healthier, Happier, and all around better with you in it.
Thank you to Patricia, Brigitte, Susan and Olga for all of your help, love and support during the worst times in my life. A life-long struggle with acne is clearing-up. A gazillion thank you's to you all!
In loving gratitude,
Alex M.
Chiropractic Student's Testimonial
Dr. Ptak:
As a chiropractic student at Life University, I am constantly being told about the "Innate" powers of the body and how MD's are useful in emergency situations and in some co-managed situations but have yet to talk to a doctor that really act as a Primary Care Physician, trying to educate his/her patients about immunizations, natural childbirth and how to take the initiative to learn about health and take responsibility for one's self. Don't get me wrong, we do many chiropractors' sites that have this info but in the field I see few first hand. That's why I enjoy reading your material. It shows me that there is actually substance and vivification to it and not just philosophy.
It's one thing to hear it and say "Hey, that makes sense," and another to practice it and trust it enough to tell your patients. I have never been admitted to the hospital nor have I been to a MD for over eleven years. The only "drug" I take is an occasional Excedrin Migraine when the adjustment hasn't seemed to ease the Migraine. I live and breathe the fundamentals of chiropractic but as a student you tend to wonder how much worked for me because of me and how much what were taught is for everyone when you see so many PI and AUTO DC's practicing for quick cash and not much mention of the recuperative healing powers of the body.
So thanks. Thanks for the regular emails an newsletters with encouraging information. You are one of the many reasons why I stay focused.
Sincerely,
Jeff Schoeller
I Lost the Urge to Smoke
Dear Dr. Ptak:
As I related to you, I used to smoke for quite some time. I knew I wanted to quit, but after our first session, I got the courage to finally act-- and I have not had a cigarette since! I have been seeing you regularly for about three weeks now and I have just about completely lost the urge to smoke. Thanks!
~ Jeremy Mittman
4 Generations Served
Dear Dr. Jeff,
As you know my family and I have been to many different chiropractors over the past 20 plus years. Now all 4 generations are so delighted to be served by all of you. You have left your "effect" on all of us. You, and your whole office staff, are the most friendly and positive people we have ever known. It is our pleasure and privilege to know all of you. Thank you so much for everything!
Love,
Rosesharon Hallgren
Creating A Safe & Healing Place
Dear J:
Thank you for creating such a safe space for me this morning to release that energy. What made it especially powerful, was feeling your incredibly loving and unconditional support right there with me. I didn't have to say anything, explain anything... all I had to do was BE! It was like swimming with the dolphins....and you are the dolphin!
See you next week!
Melissa N.
I Ditto That!
Reading your testimonials took me back to the very first visits I had at your office well over ten years ago. I worked at IBM and was a mess in every sense of the word. I was also in a whole lot of physical/emotional pain. The physical was in crisis and those adjustments began to straighten me right out.I remember the pain like yesterday but I am so glad to say that a great portion of my healing came through the process of chiropractic care. I am so grateful to know and be cared for by such a conscientious and caring human being. Your staff is lovely too.
Have a fantastic weekend and I'll see you soon.
All is well and keeps getting better.
~Mary Lee
