On June 27th Austin Frackt, assistant professor at Boston University's School of Public Health reporting for the Kansas Health Institute said “that there is a lot of over-treatment in U.S. medicine: the use of medications and procedures that deliver little or no benefit, increase the cost of care, and expose patients to unnecessary harm from side effects.”
He goes on to say “A case in point is the use of proton pump inhibitor medications (PPIs, familiar brand names include Prilosec and Prevacid) for the treatment of supposed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants. GERD is a severe problem in which the esophagus is eroded by regurgitated stomach acid. PPIs have been shown to be an effective treatment for this condition.”
However, the GERD diagnosis has increasingly been applied to infants who do not have the specific physiological symptoms of GERD, but who spit up and cry frequently and are hard to soothe. These latter infants are now frequently treated with PPIs. As Eric Hassall explains in the Journal of Pediatrics, “in the 6 years from 1999 to 2004, there was a >7-fold increase in PPI prescription. One of the PPIs… saw a 16-fold increase in use during that 6-year period…”
Writing with a sarcasm unusual in a scientific journal, Hassall notes that “…this data would imply that somehow the diagnosis of GERD has been missed over the past several decades or has recently become a major scourge of infants in the developed world, with acid suppressing drugs becoming a new essential food group in their own right. This change in practice has come about for several reasons, none based in medical science.”
Hassall believes that the growth in the use of PPIs occurred because extensive direct-to-consumer advertising for PPIs and similar medications for adults popularized the term “acid reflux.” So it made sense to parents that these drugs would provide a solution for a seemingly intractable problem. And for doctors, calling the problem GERD and prescribing a PPI to the infant was a way to at least soothe the parents.
The problem with that is that randomized controlled trials provide no evidence that PPIs are better than placebos for difficult infants without objective evidence of GERD. PPIs cost money, and provide no benefit when prescribed beyond a severely ill population.
So what should a parent do if their child has the symptoms of acid reflux?
During the birth process a misalignment can occur in the upper neck that will change the communication between the brain and the body leading to a variety of different problems, including acid reflux.
Several medical doctors from Europe have done extensive research into upper neck problems in newborns and how that relates to the health of children. For instance, Dr. Godfrey Gutmann, a German medical researcher was looking into the connection all the way back to the 1960's... in 1987 Dr. Gutmann published his research linking the upper neck to problems ranging from acid reflux to scoliosis, ear infections, torticollis, colic and many other common childhood conditions. Gutmann found over 80% of the over 1000 infants in his study had problems in the upper neck that needed to be addressed!
Birth trauma was the most common cause. Forceps delivery, vacuum extraction and even just normal birthing methods with a woman flat on her back rather than in the standing position where gravity can work, can be an extremely traumatic experience for the head and neck of a newborn.
Upper neck misalignments can be corrected in babies safely, gently and effectively with an upper cervical chiropractic approach such as NUCCA.
If you have a child that’s been diagnosed with acid reflux, before considering giving medication to your baby have their upper neck evaluated for a traumatic birth injury. You can look for the cause of the problem rather than just covering up the symptoms.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/.
A fairly common problem for infants is acid reflux. This can make it difficult for the baby to keep down any amount of food. It can also result in a lot of crying and sleepless nights. What is the primary cause of this condition? Can upper cervical chiropractic help babies that are suffering from acid reflux? Read on to learn more.
Acid reflux in infants seems to be connected with some form of birth trauma that results in an injury to the upper neck. These upper neck injuries can be caused by anything from a breech birth to extended labor. These injuries are frequently the root cause of the acid reflux.
Unfortunately, once most doctors make a diagnosis of acid reflux, they immediately start offering drugs such as Prilosec, Zantac, or Prevacid to treat the symptom rather than the problem that is causing it.
How does upper cervical chiropractic provide a safe and drug-free alternative?
Since the ultimate issue is frequently an injury to the two uppermost vertebrae at the base of the brain, using gentle upper cervical chiropractic procedures can provide natural relief for the condition. Studies on a number of infants have shown the benefits that come from upper cervical chiropractic care, especially when the baby suffers from acid reflux.
Dr Erin Elster has done some incredible research in the upper neck area. In one case series, she evaluated nine babies from 3 weeks to 11 months of age all who had been diagnosed with acid reflux by their pediatrician.
All 9 children were found to have an upper neck misalignment. All 9 children had their upper neck misalignments corrected with upper cervical chiropractic care. The care programs took between two and eight weeks and in all 9 cases symptoms resolved by 100%, and all medications were discontinued.
Don't just treat the symptom, treat the cause. Upper cervical chiropractic can help to alleviate your child's acid reflux symptoms permanently by repairing the injury that is causing it in the first place.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/.
