PE-649
Infections & Natural Health Care
develop good resistance
This pamphlet is currently out of print. The full text is presented here. The thrust of the pamphlet is to build the autoimmune system in children.
Stephen Barrett of the infamous "Quackwatch" slams applied kinesiology as he does most all alternative therapy. At the end of the pamphlet text listed below is how Barrett takes information out of context to discredit applied kinesiology and other forms of natural health care.
Pamphlet Text
Resistance to infection is something we all want for our children. But how is additional resistance to infection gained? How do we handle infection when it is present in a child?
Resistance to infection is an individual’s ability to successfully fight off invading bacteria, viruses, and other micro-organisms. When these invading micro-organisms first enter the body, numerous defense mechanisms mobilize to eliminate the invaders. When these defense mechanisms are successful, no infection results.
We tend to think that bacteria or viruses cause infection. Looking at the situation from a natural health care perspective, however, we can see that in most cases it is not the microorganisms that cause the problem; it is the inability of an individual’s body to cope with the micro-organisms. If the micro-organisms caused the problem, all children would be infected. We know this is not the case when we look at a classroom of children basically subjected to the same bacteria and viruses; only a certain percentage of the children — even in an almost epidemic situation — are overcome by the infectious process.
Your child’s general health
The first criterion, of course, is to have a good general health level. This includes not only adequate nutrition but also a high level of quality nutrition. This is more difficult to obtain than it seems because today’s food is so highly refined. Unfortunately, much of this refined food appeals to children because of Saturday morning television commercials and other advertising directed toward young people. Sugar-coated cereals are actually negative in food value; they can be more harmful than beneficial to the body. Soda pop and some fruit drinks, candy, ice cream, and many other foods used as “rewards” are actually more harmful to a child’s health than helpful in the limited food value they provide.
Today there is a condition known as hypokinetic disease or attention deficit disorder that is found more and more often in our nation’s youth. This condition develops from lack of physical exercise and nutritional deficiency, and conforms with many structural imbalances. Structural imbalance in the body is extremely important because it can cause interference with normal nerve function controlling organs, glands, and structures. It can also interfere with other energy patterns of the body. It is absolutely necessary for a child to have sufficient quality physical activity.
Another factor that can be involved in your child’s health, besides nutrition and structure, is his/her mental attitude. More and more information is being developed about how the mind affects the body in health and disease. The health of a child constantly surrounded by sick parents or other adults is indirectly influenced away from health. There may be a direct influence from adults pointing out that the child is sick all the time, has poor resistance, and why can’t s/he be strong like Johnny, Billy, or Mary. This will usually adversely affect his/her health. A positive mental attitude toward health is very important to an impressionable young child.
An important factor concerning the structural, chemical, and mental factors discussed previously is that your child be examined periodically and treated, if necessary, by a doctor knowledgeable in applied kinesiology. Applied kinesiology is a system by which a doctor can evaluate all three of these factors and make appropriate corrections and/or adjustments for optimal health.
Protecting your child
There is a happy medium in protecting your child from the many situations that may cause infection. It is important to see that the child does not become chilled by running in and out of the house without a coat, get wet while playing and then get chilled, or play on the floor in drafty areas without adequate protective clothing. It is true that chilling alone does not cause a cold or infection; however, it does lower the body’s resistance to micro-organisms because of its effect on the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is one of the body’s primary defense mechanisms against infection. When chilled, the lymph becomes high in viscosity and does not flow through vessels and glands adequately, thus lowering the body’s ability to fight infection. Adequate fluid intake in the form of plain water aids the activity of the lymphatic system, which becomes sluggish in the presence of minor dehydration. Lymph drainage may also be blocked because of postural imbalance.
Adequate rest is important in maintaining a high health level of good resistance to infection. Avoiding toxic substances — such as pesticides, herbicides, and other poisons — is very important to the well-being of the adrenal gland, which is an important mechanism in the body for handling stress of all kinds. Stress can be classified under four categories: physical, which includes excessive physical activity and inadequate rest; chemical, which includes poisons and inadequate nutrition; emotional; and thermal. The adrenal gland produces hormones that are anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory in nature and are very important in helping handle infectious processes. If the adrenal gland works too hard trying to control any one or all four stress factors, it can become exhausted and incapable of meeting the body’s needs. If, at this time, a child comes into contact with infectious bacteria, s/he is very likely to develop an infection.
On the other hand, we sometimes see a child overprotected. This will also ultimately cause poor resistance to infection. If a child raised in a completely sterile environment were suddenly thrust into the ordinary world, s/he would probably die from infection because his/her body had no opportunity to develop resistance by successfully fighting off infection. Building resistance to infection is very similar to developing the muscular — or any other — system in the body. If, as a child is growing up, his/her mother never lets him/her lift things, tug on anything, or use muscles in any way, s/he will never have an opportunity to build strength in them. It is important for a child to fight off infections periodically. This helps build the body’s resistance to meet the demands of the environment. A child overly protected from micro-organisms is thrust into the school environment where contact is made with high levels of micro-organisms; these can set up an infectious process because there never was a chance to build resistance.
This same philosophy is present in natural health care regarding the overuse of medications to kill infection. If a child is given medication every time a slight infection develops, s/he never develops resistance.
What happens when an infection does develop?
It is inevitable that a child will eventually get an infection. It may be anything from a simple viral cold to a more severe bacterial infection. The care given the child in the form of home nursing is of primary importance at this time.
Fevers
A fever is generally considered a detrimental factor that should be reduced as quickly as possible. It is definitely an indication that a problem is present, and it is something we do not want to have.
Looking at the situation more closely, however, we find that it is not actually the fever that is the problem, but the situation causing the fever — usually an infection. Fever is simply a byproduct of the body working very hard to eliminate the infection. When the body works in this manner, heat is produced faster than the body can remove it; thus an elevated temperature results. Fever itself — unless it gets exceedingly high — is not detrimental to the body; in fact, it indicates that the body is doing its job in fighting infection. Actually, we have a much greater potential problem if there is an infection and the body does not work hard enough to produce a fever. This indicates that the body is not fighting the infection as it should.
Overreaction to fever, and the consequent effort to immediately lower it, is actually harmful to the body’s defense mechanisms against infections. Fevers are typically lowered with medication such as aspirin. It is believed that aspirin accomplishes this by reducing body activity. This reduction takes place just when the body most needs the high activity. We are, in effect, taking away some of the body’s ability to fight the infection. Remember, the infection is the problem, not the fever — unless the fever gets too high.
If a fever becomes too high, damage can occur. In these cases, it is very important to artificially lower the fever. This can often be accomplished with an alcohol bath. Mix standard rubbing alcohol and water, half and half, and bathe each of the child’s extremities. After bathing the extremity, rub it vigorously with a towel. Keep the child covered, with the exception of the extremity on which you are working. After completing one extremity, go to the next. Continue to monitor the child’s temperature until it is lowered to the degree suggested by your doctor. The doctor will also give you instructions regarding how to lower an exceedingly high temperature if the alcohol bath procedure proves inadequate.
When an infection develops, have your child examined by your doctor using applied kinesiology procedures. He can evaluate the energy patterns and usually find the reason the infection developed in the first place. By correcting the energy patterns and paying specific attention to nutritional supplements and dietary management, any infection your child does develop will be handled adequately, in most cases.
The italicized paragraph above is quoted by Barrett to discredit applied kinesiology. He does not produce the next paragraph which puts the quoted paragraph in perspective. He also does not mention the general thrust of the pamphlet to improve resistance to infection.
It is occasionally necessary to use antibiotics or some other drug therapy to help override a particular infection. If this is the case, your doctor using natural health care methods will make the appropriate referral. The key is to build natural resistance in your child, so that significant infections are infrequent or nonexistent.
Barrett also notes "research" that discredits applied kinesiology. For a discussion of the research methodology see Motyka, T., Yanuck, S. “Expanding the Neurological Examination Using Functional Neurologic Assessment Part I: Methodological Considerations.” Int J Neuroscience, Vol. 97, 61:76 (1999)