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Some of the causes of
so-called "learning disabilities" include nutritional deficiencies,
toxic diets, yeast and parasite infections, environmental
pollutants, and a poor home or school environment. All of these
other factors can be addressed but the results will still be
unsatisfactory until the misalignments in the skull are corrected.
Therefore, it is essential when treating children with learning
difficulties that cranial adjusting (cranio-sacral therapy) be included in the treatment
protocol.
Subluxation Principle
The principle of subluxation in the spine is that
misaligned vertebrae pinch on peripheral nerves, causing either pain
or malfunction. This principle also applies to the skull.
Skull misalignments can cause:
Pressure directly on the brain interfering
with its ability to function.
Pressure on the nerves coming to and from
the brain; interfering with communication.
Decreased blood supply to the brain, further
impairing its function.
These factors produce a brain that is unable to
function at its potential.
The brain misinterprets the messages coming from
the peripheral nerves in response to various stimuli and sends
inappropriate messages back to the various parts of the body. This
results in bizarre behaviour, incorrect answers, misinterpretation
of instructions, and totally unrelated reactions to information.
Important Facts About the Skull
- The bones in the skull do not fuse together.
- They are joined together with sutures
(puzzle like structures) that remain movable.
- The sutures cannot be pulled apart but the
bones in the skull can be knocked out of place.
The major cause of skull misalignments is the
birth process. Instrumentation used in the birth process such as
forceps, suction, and vacuum extractors can misalign the skull.
A very large percentage of the "special needs"
children that I have examined were born with forceps, which caused
misalignments in the skull. Forceps deliveries almost always cause
problems because of the enormous pressure exerted on the soft skull
by those hard metal instruments.
Other causes of cranial misalignments are head
injuries from falling while learning to walk, hitting the edge of a
coffee table or hard chair, and tumbling down stairs. Blows to the
head with instruments such as: a swing, baseball bat, ball, shovel,
punch, kick, hockey stick, or any other impact with a hard object
can do damage to the skull as well.
Sports injuries, car accidents, occupational
accidents and habitual poor sleeping positions can also cause
misalignments in the skull.
I believe that the onset of such conditions as: learning
disabilities, Autism, ADD, ADHD, headaches, and PDD can be directly
traced to a head injury.
Electro-Dermal-Screening and Darkfield Microscope
Many of the children we examine are malnourished
and suffering from deficiencies and infectious agents of many kinds.
The Electro-Dermal-Screening and Darkfield Microscope are the
methods I use to analyze the child to determine the presence and
severity of these factors. From these types of analysis it is easier
to make nutritional recommendations and address specific
deficiencies and infectious agents without the usual guesswork that
is necessary without proper testing.
The other common causes that I see in children
with "special needs" are:
1. Dehydration – 80 to 90 percent of the brain is
water. If the child is not consuming enough water, the brain will
not be able to conduct the electrical impulses properly and the
signals originating in the brain will not be relayed accurately. The symptoms of dehydration can be memory loss,
decreased mental acuity, allergies, stomach problems, digestive
problems, hiatus hernia, ulcers, constipation and high blood
pressure.
2. Sugar consumption is one of the main concerns.
This is detrimental to anyone’s health and is especially harmful in
children with learning difficulties. Do not substitute aspartame for
sugar as it has been found to interfere with the brain’s ability to
facilitate nerve impulse transmissions. Avoid them both.
3. Essential fatty acids are usually lacking in
"special needs" children. By adding the essential fatty acids to the
child’s diet, the ability of the nervous system to receive and
transmit messages is improved tremendously. This is especially
helpful in treating hyperactive ADD type problems.
4. Eliminating toxic substances from the diet and
environment such as: food coloring, MSG, preservatives, chemical
additives, chlorine and fluoride give the body a chance to produce
healthy brain and nervous tissue.
5. The Standard American Diet (SAD), consisting
of mainly processed foods, which contain very little – if any –
nutritional value, is almost always associated with "special needs"
children. A typical SAD consists of:
- Breakfast – sugar coated, denatured cereal with
white toast, hydrogenated margarine, and jam;
- Lunch – hot dog and
fries with a pop;
- Dinner – pizza or macaroni with processed
synthetic cheese and more pop;
- Snack – sugar, candies, chips,
cheeses and pretzels.
In the SAD, fruits and vegetables are unheard of.
There is very little water consumed, and there isn’t any concern for
protein, carbohydrate and fat combinations. Everything is processed
and cooked in the microwave. No wonder the brain does not work very
well! The most difficulty I have with getting the
children to change their diets is the parents. The parents are
reluctant to change their lifestyle and can’t see how their diet can
possibly affect the children’s ability to learn. Some of the parents
have sabotaged their child’s possible progress with our treatment
protocol.
6. Yeast, virus, bacterial and parasite
infections are present in almost every child with "special needs".
When parasites are present, they eat up what little nutrition is
available. Yeast infections are common because of the frequent use
of antibiotics. Yeast thrives on the body’s blood sugar, which
decreases the amount available to the brain. Viral and bacterial
infections will exhaust the child’s immune system. This leaves them
more susceptible to environmental and household toxins, further
decreasing their abilities.
The full treatment protocol for treating Special
Needs children requires the following:
- The structural misalignments in the spine
and skull must be corrected.
- Electro Dermal Screening or Darkfield
Microscope testing is also done to identify the associated
factors.
- Diet and nutritional changes are made.
- Internal and external environments are
detoxified.
- Nutritional supplements are introduced where
necessary.
- New study techniques are incorporated to
re-educate the brain.
In order to get the best results, all of the
above steps are necessary in the complete protocol to adequately
treat "special needs" children.
Dr. Roger L. Turner D.C. is a practicing chiropractor in Barrie & North
Bay, Ontario, Canada.
