Isn't It Time For WHOLISTIC Medicine?

Written by D. Braun


Continued from page 1

Therapeutic touch is being used in hospitals for surgery and heart patients, successfully. The power of prayer - dubbed ineffective byrepparttar so-called scientific experts for decades upon decades - has now been proven to have a measurable positive effect onrepparttar 113839 ill.

So, isrepparttar 113840 pendulum finally swinging back to center? I sure as heck hope so. But, more than that, I hope it doesn't completely swing inrepparttar 113841 opposite direction.

If I feel my children need medical attention, I do NOT HESITATE to get it for them. But, if I can keep my children healthy inrepparttar 113842 first place with natural therapies, herbs, vitamins, good nutrition and treat them at home inrepparttar 113843 same manner successfully, I do that.

We need that ever-elusive balance. Science, allopathic and 'alternative' medicine working TOGETHER forrepparttar 113844 good ofrepparttar 113845 people. In my humble opinion, THAT is what 'holistic' should mean. Everything working together as a whole to helprepparttar 113846 whole ofrepparttar 113847 person. The new buzz term for this is 'Integrative Medicine'.

But, no matter what you call it, it makes sense. Use everything at your disposal to heal - and first, do no harm. (I wishrepparttar 113848 pharmaceutical companies and many doctors would follow that!)

Dee is a Certified Aromatherapist, Certified Reflexologist, and Reiki Master. Her site is AkobiAromas.com - a source of quality aromatherapy, herbal and reflexology information and products.


Choosing Wheelchairs for Kids

Written by Maricon Williams


Continued from page 1

Seating and Support One ofrepparttar most critical decisions regarding chair options, and one for which professional input is most crucial, isrepparttar 113838 choice of a seating cushion.

"The basis for good seating posture starts inrepparttar 113839 pelvis," Seiberlich says. "We're looking to distributerepparttar 113840 weight over as big an area as possible, for support, for comfort and to prevent skin breakdown."

She notes that pressure sores, or decubitis, are a critical concern with prolonged seating. For those who aren't inrepparttar 113841 wheelchair for many hours at a time, a flat seat may be appropriate. For more prolonged use, or when stability inrepparttar 113842 chair becomes an issue, a high-quality foam cushion becomes preferable. Other alternatives include air-filled or gel-filled cushions.

"Children with scoliosis (curvature ofrepparttar 113843 spine), whether or not it has been stabilized with spinal fusion, may have some left-right tilt inrepparttar 113844 pelvis," Seiberlich says. "In such cases, we can userepparttar 113845 seating system to minimizerepparttar 113846 effects ofrepparttar 113847 tilt. Some ofrepparttar 113848 kids are still flexible, so by raisingrepparttar 113849 lower side, we may be able to level outrepparttar 113850 pelvis. Onrepparttar 113851 other hand, ifrepparttar 113852 tilt is fixed, we'll supportrepparttar 113853 higher side, so it takes up some ofrepparttar 113854 weight. Distributing that weight isrepparttar 113855 key."

Scoliosis also figures intorepparttar 113856 choice ofrepparttar 113857 back. "We can't always use a standard flat back or sling back. We may need a molded back to match up torepparttar 113858 spinal curvature. Again, we're trying to get more surface contact to lessen pressure," Seiberlich says.

Lateral supports may be an important element as well. "Ifrepparttar 113859 child does not haverepparttar 113860 trunk strength to maintain their upright posture, we need to do it with laterals. Even with spinal fusion, they may need them to help prevent tipping."

Becerril notes that a "tilt-in-space" chair may be appropriate for someone with very little trunk strength. This type of chair maintainsrepparttar 113861 sitting posture, but tilts back to relieve some ofrepparttar 113862 anti-gravity work for a while, combating fatigue. Recliner chairs, which allow a prone position, are used more often for those unable to toleraterepparttar 113863 normal angles of seated posture.

Final Fitting Oncerepparttar 113864 chair has been ordered, Becerril says, expect a couple months delay before it arrives. "Authorization takes time, and typically we're dealing with several different companies, and it's a custom product. Nothing related to wheelchairs ever happens quickly."

Oncerepparttar 113865 chair arrives,repparttar 113866 hands-on fitting process may take two to three hours, Becerril explains. "Things come up you can't foresee. Also, we want to show parentsrepparttar 113867 signs of an improper fit. It's not something you do once and it's done: Kids grow fast, and their condition can change fast, so you need to monitorrepparttar 113868 fit constantly."

Seiberlich adds, "We always want parents to be checking for redness, because this indicates too much pressure. They need to checkrepparttar 113869 buttocks,repparttar 113870 back,repparttar 113871 feet, andrepparttar 113872 back ofrepparttar 113873 legs. Anywhererepparttar 113874 chair is making contact, there'srepparttar 113875 potential for too much pressure."

She offers an important rule of thumb: "There should be no more than three fingers worth of space betweenrepparttar 113876 front ofrepparttar 113877 seat andrepparttar 113878 back ofrepparttar 113879 legs. With any more than this,repparttar 113880 seat is not providing enough thigh support, andrepparttar 113881 chair may dig intorepparttar 113882 legs. It also makes sitting more difficult, as you don't getrepparttar 113883 same amount of surface holding you up. Also, you need to make sure thatrepparttar 113884 footrests are low enough to get full contact forrepparttar 113885 whole thigh." There should be at least half an inch betweenrepparttar 113886 hips andrepparttar 113887 side ofrepparttar 113888 chair. The laterals shouldn't be too tight, and shouldn't dig intorepparttar 113889 armpits.

"Parents can make these adjustments, if they know what to look for," Seiberlich says. "But we like to seerepparttar 113890 child in his chair at least once a year, especially if he's still growing. And anytime they think there's a problem they can't fix, we want them to come in."

Maintenance In addition to monitoringrepparttar 113891 fit ofrepparttar 113892 chair, Seiberlich stressesrepparttar 113893 importance of regular maintenance. "The chair should be washed regularly, using a spray cleaner. Most cushions are washable, or have washable covers. A thorough inspection ofrepparttar 113894 whole chair once a week is a good idea: Checkrepparttar 113895 brakes, look for loose hardware, and checkrepparttar 113896 tires and seat."

Becerril points out that change in temperature can changerepparttar 113897 inflation pressure of tires and air-filled or gel-filled seats. Simple problems can easily be fixed at home. More involved ones can be taken care of byrepparttar 113898 vendor, who will almost always do maintenance for free.

Finally, Seiberlich returns torepparttar 113899 transportation issue to stress an important safety rule.

"Chairs are generally not crash-tested, andrepparttar 113900 pelvic strap that keeps you inrepparttar 113901 seat is not as strong as a seat belt. We recommend that a child be onrepparttar 113902 car seat, strapped in usingrepparttar 113903 car's seat and shoulder belts." If needed for lateral support, a chest harness can be used as well.



For additional Information about the articles you may visit http://www.wheelchairspower.com


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