Dangers of Pediatric Cold Medications

It’s frustrating to watch your child suffer with a cold, and it can be tempting to reach for cold medicine.  But recent research reveals that children’s cold remedies serious health threats – and are not even effective.

I have been teaching patient for more than 20 years that colds are a normal, natural and necessary as part of childhood.  By fighting off colds, your youngster’s immune system builds strength.  I encourage you as a parent to avoid cold medications whenever it is safe to do so, and focus on prevention. As a parent I know it is emotionally hard on us for your child to get sick and watch the perceived suffering that the child must go through to become a healthy adult. I usually tell my patients to not to give an unnecessary useless antibiotic’s to a child. This is like hiring a personal trainer and then letting the trainer do your workout. Children need to be exposed to “bugs”. I draw the line when the temperature is over 103 degrees, this is a signal that intervention may be needed.

For years, researchers have raised grave concerns about the safety and efficacy of pediatric cold medicine, It is widely known that they do not help and actually prolong the child's suffering. A healthy  well adjusted child will usually be “sick” for about 3 days. This is Normal.

A 2007 study reported that during 2004 to 2005, an estimated 1,519 children under the age of 2 were treated in US emergency departments for adverse events, form overdoses, associated with cough and cold medications.  Alarmingly, the study concluded that the dosages at which cough and cold medications can cause illness or death in children aged [less than] 2 years are not known. (Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2007;56:1-4.)

Over-the-counter medications for youngsters are harmful but they’re also ineffective.  According to the data that exist, there is not any evidence that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are effective in children.” (Curr Opin Pediatr 2006;18:184-8.)

Finally, in October 2007, the makers of all over-the-counter oral cough and cold medicines for infants announced that they were pulling those products off the market.

Federal Health advisors also warn that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn’t be used in children younger than 6 years of age.

Biopuncture more than just pain relief.

Biopuncture is a technique using homeopathic products injected into acupuncture, trigger points and into other specific dis-eased areas. The products injected have been proven to be safe and have been used since 1796. The developer of Homeopathy Samuel Hahnemann was a trained German physician  who knew that traditional medicine did more harm than good. He is credited with using synergistic biological products that are derived from plants.

In my office I use prescription only Products. Homeopathic remedies are derived from substances that come from plants and minerals. Treatments are individualized and tailored to each person in fact — it is not uncommon for different people with the same condition to receive different treatments, depending on, but not limited to genetics, age of the patient, current health issues, diet, and family history. Some examples of the Biopuncture medications are:

Lymphomyosot is used for lymphatic drainage.

Traumeel for inflammations and sports injuries.

Spascupreel for muscular cramps.

The pharmaceutical medication in the homeopathic ampoules contains very low concentrations of active substances. The products are non-toxic and they have few side effects. While they can be used with any other drug therapy or traditional pain medication the goal is obviously to help the patient use a natural cure rather than a dangerous drug or addictive narcotic.

 The ampoules used in Biopuncture are manufactured by companies that guarantee the production quality of their products. Most of the ampoules used for injection are made in Germany and Canada. They are held to very strict quality control regulations. Clinical studies on thousands of patients have confirmed the safety of ampoules. 

Case

#1

A man (23) had pain in his right shoulder for 7 months, the injury occurred when he fell and landed on concrete on his shoulder, Radiographic examination (X-rays) showed that he had suffered a grade three AC separation. He used kinesio tape, physiotherapy and acupuncture with some results. He began using NSAIDs and Lortab for the chronic pain. He reported that he was not able to lift his arm and woke several times nightly due to pain.  He received injections with Traumeel®  and Lymphomyosot®  in the pain zone subcutaneously, using a 27G x 1/2" needle. After one injection he improved by about 50%. after the second visit and using the same prescription his pain was 100 percent gone.

#2

A 45 year old male was t-boned by a drunk driver at high speed. He had thoracic pain that was unrequited after 1 year of treatment of Chiropractic, acupuncture, active therapy and physical therapy. The pain was normally a 5 out of 10 with 10 being incapacitating. After a Biopuncture  injection series along the para spinal muscles his pain went from 5 to 3. This patient is still under my care and is scheduled for Biopuncture this week.

I will keep you posted as to his success.

Dr. Dave Thomson

Chiropractic Adjustments and the Immune System

It’s started, many of my patients are coughing, sneezing and more thanks to any number of seasonal illnesses.  If you’d like to avoid it altogether, and frankly who wouldn’t, you’ll need an immune system that’s in top shape.  But how do you shape up your immune system?  A healthy diet is a great way to contribute to this. And while many people are aware of that—regardless of how well they comply-- fewer know how the body’s immune system is impacted by another biological network: the nervous system.  The primary nexus point of your nervous system is found at your spine.  It’s the foundation of the traditional chiropractic care I provide, but what does it have to do with getting sick or being able to fight off illness?

The alignment of your spine can play a big role in the way your body communicates across systems, including your immune system.  If your spine is misaligned, or if subluxations are present, the result can be a lack of immune defense, like when you become susceptible to the flu, or an improper immune response, as is the case with many allergies.  While it’s not very hard to tell if you’re coming down with a bad cold or if hay fever is taking its toll, you can’t always tell if the root cause is a subluxation. While fundamental to health, misalignments and subluxations may not be something you may be able to feel directly.  If you’re masking your symptoms with medicine, you’re only silencing your body’s immune response.  To alleviate your symptoms, you must correct your immune response by realigning your body so it can function at its best.

This is accomplished through tried and true, natural chiropractic adjustments. When the spine is in proper alignment the complex communication that occurs throughout your body’s networks is restored, and when that happens, your body can heal innately and defend against illness.  So before you consider a flu shot or restock your medicine cabinet in preparation for cold, flu and allergy season, try a spinal adjustment as your best line of defense, as well as the most efficient, non-invasive and natural method for enabling your body to do what it should do best: heal and thrive.        

-          Dr. David B. Thomson B.Sc. D.C.