Asthma In Children
And Brain Therapy
© 2005 Dr. Barry R. Gillespie
Asthma in children is a very correctable
condition with the proper bodywork and dietary modifications.
This is a very strong statement to make since
the medical model has said that asthma is an incurable disease.
Thousands of scientists around the world are now looking for
the drug (magic bullet) that will "cure" the disease.
The only way to correct asthma in
children is to get at the root cause of the problem.
Once the physiological correction is made, the
disease tends to fade away.
This article will briefly discuss the role of
Brain Therapy in the treatment of asthma in children. It is
my strong belief that in the future every pediatric office
will have therapists trained to give natural care for the
correction of children with asthma.
Pediatric asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease
in children. In America 5 million children have the
disease, making it the most expensive childhood chronic condition.
The terrible fact is that over 5,000 Americans die each year
of asthma, a significant proportion of whom are children.
In the future society will discover that natural care
will be the way to eradicate this disease, and that
health care professionals trained in Brain Therapy will be
called upon in great numbers to provide that care.
The drug treatments used today only manage the symptoms but
never get at the root of the problem to correct
the condition. Long-term drug therapy can create toxicity
and side effects for children as they grow into adulthood.
Our main goal through Brain Therapy is to show the medical
system and society in general that natural care offers the
best model for correction of childhood asthma.
When a mother presents with her asthmatic child for evaluation,
I will explain the condition in the simplest of terms.
Asthmatic children have one thing in common -
their bodies are tight.
I will ask mom, if your child's body is tight, what would
you do to correct the problem? The correct answer, which she
often says, is to loosen the child's body! The main goal with
Brain Therapy is to free the soft tissue around the entire
respiratory system so that the child can breathe better.
It is that simple.
Three Most Important Therapies
In The Correction Of Asthma
I believe that the following three areas of bodywork are
the most important in the correction of asthma.
First, fascial strain is the key for most
asthmatic children.
In the evaluation Brain Therapists check for strain in four
important areas - the left lung, the right lung, the tracheo-bronchial
tree, and the throat.
In my career every child with asthma has had fascial
strain in at least one of these areas. It is the hallmark
of the disease.
Fascia can strain up to 2,000 pounds per square inch; if
it is pulling anywhere in the respiratory system, asthma can
easily result. Through a course of fascial release therapy
over a series of weekly visits, the respiratory system and
breathing can begin to normalize for children.
The second area is a possible cranial restriction
of the vagus nerve.
This nerve originates from the brain stem, passes through
the jugular foramen between the occiput and temporal bones,
and down into the neck and trunk to innervate the breathing
apparatus, among other structures. If this nerve is "pinched"
in the foramen or pressed by strained fascia in the upper
neck, it may not fire correctly to the respiratory system,
causing asthmatic symptoms.
Craniosacral therapy is a must to make sure both
vagus nerves are free to work correctly. For best
results the brain should ultimately be moving smoothly in
at least a 60 second cycle.
The third area of evaluation is muscle tightness.
Our main breathing muscle, the diaphragm, must be free to
function properly. The secondary muscles such as the sternocleidomastoids,
scalenes, and intercostals must be relaxed for the respiratory
system to work correctly.
This is an important piece of the asthma puzzle. Muscle therapy
in conjunction with fascial work and craniosacral therapy
form the cornerstone of Brain Therapy for children with asthma.
The Role Of Diet
The fourth and last area concerns diet.
For the best possible results, children with asthma need
a diet that is free of mucous forming foods. Dairy foods
can be the biggest offenders. Mucus gets caught in the
respiratory system and makes breathing more difficult. A diet
free of dairy products and also wheat (gluten) for some children
can be very helpful for the correction of asthma.
Many medical doctors offer this advice to parents of asthmatic
children. For further information about the health consequences
of dairy products, please go to www.notmilk.com.
For the best possible results for all children
with asthma, all four of the above areas must be fully addressed.
Today's medical asthma care revolves around the management
of the disease. Drugs only mask the problem and never get
at the root of the condition.
Looking at the disease from another perspective, we as health
care professionals with Brain Therapy have an unbelievable
opportunity to make a change for the better in pediatric care
for children with asthma.
Let's show society what we can accomplish!
For
more articles about the role of Brain Therapy in correcting
chronic conditions in children and adults .
. .
For
more information about the "Brain Therapy for Children
and Adults" seminar for health professionals
. . .
