Awhile back we shared the story of Doug Harkey, an Iowa resident who had his vision restored in his eye through chiropractic care after 12 years of blindness. This week I would like to check in with a younger patient.

In the early 1950s, Winifred Gardella was the poster child for the March of Dimes in San Francisco. An image of Winifred was used in a national campaign to raise money for the organization, drumming up millions of dollars in support. The image consisted of Winifred bracing herself on crutches with cumbersome leg braces supporting her fragile legs. She was suffering from the effects of Polio and her story is one that is not only moving, but absolutely true.

While the image of Winifred Gardella opened up the pockets of donators, the very same doctors receiving the money tried for two and a half years to help Winifred with her ailments. The attempt was unsuccessful; prompting the doctor's to tell the parents, "there is no hope."

Despite the prediction of the medical doctors, Winifred's grandparents were desperate to find a solution. They brought Winifred to Dr. Lewis Robertson, a chiropractor. After six months of chiropractic treatment for nervous system interference, Winifred was able to throw away her crutches and leg braces. In a defiant and well documented picture, Winifred Gardella, once hopeless, took a walk holding hands with Dr. Robertson.

This was more than 50 years ago. Imagine if you will what the medical profession was doing 50 years ago and the advancements that have taken place since that time. The same can be said about our understanding of chiropractic care, its purpose and the proven results it delivers to millions of patients each year.

Chiropractic is not just a tool for relieving back pain. Chiropractic is a tool to restore neural efficiency within the body. Your nervous system is your most vital organ and without it you could not survive.

The 24 bones that make up your spine house one of the most important parts of your nervous system, the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a superhighway of information traveling from the brain to the body and back. Your spinal bones are not fused together. Physical stresses, emotional stresses and trauma can cause the bones to shift out of place and create pressure on the nerves that carry information to and from your spinal cord and brain.

This movement of the bone is what is known as a subluxation. It reduces the ability of your nervous system to function correctly. While this can create pain, often times you cannot feel a subluxation. This persistent interference with the function of the nervous system can create much larger health problems.

Chiropractic has continued to evolve sine the successful treatment of Winifred Gardella. We at Spoelstra Family Chiropractic now use chiropractic care in a program called Focus. This program seeks to help those experiencing sensory integration issues such as ADD/ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders, learning disorders and undiagnosed problems with hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness without the use of medications.

We strive for the same results that Dr. Lewis Robertson achieved with Winifred Gardella with the same tried and true chiropractic philosophy.

If you would like to learn more about chiropractic or the Focus program, please give us a call at (208) 667-7434. You can also find us on the Web at www.CDAHealth.com. We offer free informational meetings for the Focus program every other week on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. Space is limited, so please schedule as early as possible.