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Under Nolan's Hood How D'You Know? BRI LANGE What's Your Story? SIMRAN CHAWLA
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Editor’s Letter
acial expressions and gestures play a major role in interpersonal communication, comprehension, and the delivery of intended messages. The upper (forehead, eye brows, eyes), middle (nose and cheeks) and lower (mouth, lips, chin, teeth) portions of the face each play an important role in expressing feelings and mood. The recommendation for use of face masks (covering the middle and lower face) as a protective measure during the pandemic has taken a toll on our ability to communicate (see Page 23 to learn more about the impact of mask wearing on expression of emotions). This is especially true in the doctor-patient setting where positive facial expressions play an important role in decreasing patient anxiety. To enhance the quality of interpersonal communication while wearing face masks, consider: 1) emphasizing the use of the upper face, such as closing the eyes for “agreement” and raising the eyebrows in “disagreement”, 2) talking like an “Italian”, using hand gestures to your advantage, like placing a hand on the chest to demonstrate “empathy”, 3) facing the person you intend to communicate with, 4) holding appropriate eye contact (50% of the time while talking, and 70% of the time while listening) and 5) talking louder and slower than you normally would. On the back cover, you will find a doctored "Gaze of the Mona Lisa", which is meant to acknowledge the times we are living in and how, now more than ever, appropriate eye conact is necessary with our patients. We have a great issue for you. Nolan offers recommendations for his version of success in the health center, with a title that gives a "nod" to BJ Palmer's, "Get the big idea, and all else follows". Unlike the intense eye contact common from BJ, Nolan graces our cover with eye contact that is both appropriate and approachable. Alexis emphasizes the importance of research in Chiropractic, Meagan provides healhty budget eating opportunites in the Bay, Simran tells us how binge-watching "Tiger King" helped her find herself at LifeWest, Sara gives her "swan-song" as a long-time Lifelines writer and shares her experience at LifeWest, while Bri Lange walks us through her approach to pediatrics in the Health Center, part of which emphasizes the repetative capturing of a child's gaze. Lastly, let us recognize and congratulate our first all-female student body executive committee! (opposite page). Have a great quarter! In Gratitude,
Dr. Austin Bergquist, PhD abergquist@college.lifewest.edu IG: @plantedchiro 2 | LIFEWEST.EDU/LIFELINES-MAGAZINE/
EDITOR’S LETTER
"Women belong in all places where decisions are being made." -Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Julia Rose - President -
Emma Harbage - Vice President -
Maddy Duncan - Treasurer -
Simran Chawla - Secretary #LIFELINES | 3
MEET OUR SIMRAN (SIMI) CHAWLA (Quarter 6; @simi10125) Currently, I am a part of student council as secretary, social media coordinator for LCCW and part of the AXP sorority on campus. I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada AKA the biggest little city in the world! I attended the University of Nevada Reno and obtained a bachelor’s in biology. During my free time, I love to watch Dr. Phil or The Office and have found myself enjoying life the way Michael Scott would.
ALEXIS GRIFFITH (Quarter 10; @aye.lexis) Before attending Life West, Alexis studied fine art, art history and general biology. Her more recent chiropractic education has revealed her fascination for the human body and its physiological functions, leading her to work in the Life West anatomy lab as a dissector. She is also currently a Research Honors candidate, working with electroencephalography technology and its clinical applications in the Human Performance Lab on campus. While this keeps her quite busy, in her free time she enjoys painting, modeling, reading and lifting.
NOLAN HALVERSON (Quarter 10; @nolanhalv29) Nolan Halverson started LifeWest at 20 years of age, and in his time at Life West has served as president to the Dynamic Essentials, SICA, and NUCCA clubs and is a captain on the school’s hockey team. Nolan has served as his class representative for all 10 quarters at Life West, as the Athletics Coordinator for 4 quarters, as a large group tutor for 7 quarters, and as a student ambassador for 1 quarter. He has been the recipient of the “VOXX Leadership” and multiple “Commitment to Excellence” scholarships. Once in clinic, Nolan fulfilled his preceptorship adjusting requirements (100 outpatient and 50 student) in just under one quarter! 4 | LIFEWEST.EDU/LIFELINES-MAGAZINE/
MEET OUR PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. BRI LANGE (Quarter 12; @briilange) Bri grew up in British Columbia, Canada and from a young age knew that she wanted to work with kids. She did her undergrad at UBCO in Kinesiology where she fell in love with the human body and early childhood development. Although she thought she wanted to be a pediatrician, she couldn’t get over the fact that she would mostly be working with sick kids. Throughout her time at Life West, she fell even more in love with infant care and pregnancy. Currently, Bri is finishing her ICPA Certification and adores working with healthy, thriving kiddos. In her spare time, you can find her out surfing, backpacking or playing pickle ball!
SARA PARSONS (Recent Grad; @itsparpartime) Sara Parsons is devouring every bit of information on chiropractic and the human body/mind/spirit. A self-proclaimed bibliophile, Sara is usually reading 3-4 books during the moments she isn’t studying or running around at rugby practice. Sara is the President of LifeWest TIC Talkers, Vice President and founding member of Alpha Chi Rho, and the Women’s Premier League representative for the Life West Rugby team. She has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from the University of Nevada, Reno, and was blessed with humble beginnings in a small cow town outside of Reno.
MEAGAN STACHNIK (Quarter 6; @megschirolife) A Canadian in California - Meagan is a registered Kinesiologist who worked with special populations as well as in the Occupational testing field prior to attending LifeWest. Meagan aspires to continue to work in the sport and fitness industry with a focus on prenatal/postpartum and pediatric care after graduation. Animal Chiropractic has a special place in Meagan’s heart as she comes from a long line of farmers. Meagan always enjoys a trip to the beach, a hot cup of tea (no, not coffee, sorry) and a good movie on a sunday night.
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CONTENTS 08 | Why Research? "First, do no harm" - All chiropractors should strive to abide by this dictum. By Alexis Griffith
10| Budget Eats in the Bay An example of What a balanced diet looks like, and how to have it on a budget. By Meagan Stachnik
12 | 25001 Industrial Blvd. The student experience at Life Chiropractic College West, in a nutshell. By Sara Parsons
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14 | All Else Follows The secret to my success in the Life Chiropractic College West Health Center. By Nolan Halverson
16| What’s Your Story? What are the consequences of not checking in on our spines, and how does not doing so affect our everyday lives? These questions lead me To LifeWest. By Simran (Simi) Chawla
18| How D’You Know? Analysis with a child requires flexibility, responding to where the child is mentally, physically & emotionally on any given day. By Bri Lange & Austin Bergquist 6 | LIFEWEST.EDU/LIFELINES-MAGAZINE/
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CONTENTS
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WHY RESEARCH? "PRIMUM NON NOCERE" - FIRST, DO NO HARM. ALL CHIROPRACTORS SHOULD STRIVE TO ABIDE BY THIS DICTUM, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SCOPE OF PRACTICE.
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- By Alexis Griffith -
ne way in which we can assure that we do no harm and have patients’ best interests in mind is through evidenceinformed, patient-centered practice guidelines, which are a result of critical thinking, rational discussion and scientific research. Regardless of personal viewpoints, research and current literature awareness not only have a rightful place in our practice, but a non-negotiable one at that. Scientific inquiry is the basis from which all understanding of the universe has been acquired. It is how we have continuously discovered answers to things unknown, all the while filling our gaps in knowledge and challenging the ways in which we think. We’re all familiar with the classic example of Copernicus’ Heliocentric Theory. In the 16th century, astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the Earth and other planets orbit the Sun, instead of the other way around. Had this never been discovered, life may not have been very different. But the discovery of the true nature of our solar system led to further inquiry and discovery, resulting in the advancement and accuracy of what we currently know about the universe and its governing laws. Why should healthcare research, namely chiropractic research, be any different? An evidence-informed approach is simply that. Evidence-informed. This means that the current best evidence is utilized consciously and responsibly in the assessment and decision-making regarding individual patients and their personalized care. It should not, however, be assumed that best empirical evidence 8 | LIFEWEST.EDU/LIFELINES-MAGAZINE/
is the only important aspect when approaching patient treatment. Clinical knowledge and expertise, understanding patient values and experiences, and developing solid relationships with patients that are based on mutual respect are all vital elements to what is known as the Evidence Informed Practice Model. It takes what we know clinically from empirical evidence and puts the patient at the center of care by emphasizing outcome markers that matter directly to them. Will the patient actually get out of pain and back to their daily activities and passions? Will the treatment plan meet this person where they are and positively affect their outlook and quality of life? This is called patient-centered care and, along with evidence informed practice, strives to ensure the most clinical efficacy possible.
"Certainty is the enemy of curiosity, and research is curiosity in practice" The opposite of patient-centered care is doctorcentered care, in which patients are viewed the same and treated the same due to the false belief that there is only one cause of their problems and only one way to help them. For example, a physician that does not have a patient-centered approach would treat 10 different patients with 10 different conditions the same exact way. This is a result of clinging to traditional
An evidence-informed approach also helps to ensure life long learning. While adhering to and being confident in traditional approaches isn’t inherently bad, being certain in those approaches to the point of disregarding contradictory information is what can become detrimental to an efficacious practice. Certainty is the enemy of curiosity, and research is essentially curiosity in practice. Another barrier that chiropractors and students face when trying to stay up to date on current research and guidelines is that they just don’t know where to look or where to start, which can be very discouraging. Firstly, there are some great websites with detailed condition references and template treatment plans. Our health center interns have access to ChiroUp, an amazing evidence-based resource, and there is also Physio Network and OMT Training with similar resources for free. The latter two are technically physical therapy and osteopathic resources, respectively, but contain invaluable information nonetheless. Podcasts are another great way to stay up to date and gain new perspectives, with The Evidence Based Chiropractor and The Gestalt Education Show being my current personal favorites. These specific podcasts share great chiropractic research as well as practice management tips. For those of us with a little more time on our hands, there are great textbook resources as well. Of course, there’s Souza’s Differential Diagnosis and Management for the Chiropractor, but I recommend Dr. Nikita Vizniak’s Clinical Chiropractic and Orthopedic Conditions as condition reference manuals as well as his entire line of textbooks for additional information. There are also amazing texts by Dr. Stuart McGill, an expert in spinal biomechanics and low back pain, Dr. Craig Liebenson on rehabilitation of the spine, as well as David Butler’s Explain Pain, which explains the physiology of the pain experience. Another overlooked resourced that students have is free access to scientific journal articles through Life West’s online database, but literature searches and analyses can be daunting, especially when not properly educated in research literacy.
These are just a few suggestions to get prospective learners started on the road to literature competency and will have a substantial impact on your approach to and treatment of various conditions that you will inevitably be exposed to as a chiropractor. Remember that while research can be intimidating and will challenge your biases and preconceived notions, it is through research and evidence-informed practice that we can truly evolve our understanding of what we do as chiropractors and practice with our patient’s best interest in mind. This isn’t to say that research and evidence are the be-all-end-all, as clinical knowledge and patient values are just as important. But it should be known that research has a place in healthcare, while ego and bias do not, and we should all exercise our due diligence in providing the most correct information and efficacious care to our patients. §
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WHY RESEARCH?
approaches and disregarding the literature that proves otherwise.
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BUDGET EATS
IN THE BAY
AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A BALANCED DIET LOOKS LIKE, AND HOW TO HAVE IT ON A BUDGET. - By Meagan Stachnik -
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hiropractic students will undergo various nutrition classes and health studies on how to appropriately guide patients in their quest for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Chiropractors should be practicing what we preach but how does a student who is currently in crippling debt, have zero spare time and live in an environment where the housing market could be considered exponential, truly live a healthy lifestyle? We need resources that are sustainable and don’t break the bank. What benefits does a balanced diet provide? Well for starters, it prevents disease and infection, such as cardiovascular disease. Our body utilizes and processes the necessary vitamins and minerals through the blood and tissues without blockage or depletion of essential nutrients. An added benefit is the ability to control weight. If we limit processed foods and continue with a balanced diet, we are able to control weight variability for the long-term. Researchers state that 90% of our exercise regime should be focused on the kitchen while the 10% is truly exercise-based. When we nourish our bodies post-workout we are replenishing our body stores correctly and providing ample opportunity to increase energy and limit fatigue. If we do not fulfill the needs of our tissues, we limit our body’s ability to recover and heal. Finally, we need to nourish one of the most important organs in our bodythe brain. When we provide adequate nutrition, the brain can revert into more of a parasympathetic state 10 | LIFEWEST.EDU/LIFELINES-MAGAZINE/
instead of a constant sympathetic attempt to replenish the missing nutrients. The brain releases hormones that allow our bodies to grow and function which for children are one of the most important aspects. When the brain is continuously fighting to keep our bodies afloat, we could slip into a depressive or high anxiety state which limits our normal processing. We could fall into fatigue, high levels of stress, insomnia, have issues with our physical growth and potentially become immunocompromised. People can live a longer, more fulfilling life as a healthier diet sustains their systems to the fullest extent.
Fruits and Vegetables- Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal or snack (e.g. leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, avocado or blueberries). Whole grain foods- Fill a quarter of your plate with whole grain foods. These include crackers, wild rice, quinoa and oatmeal. Grains contain fibre, protein and B vitamins. Protein- Fill a quarter of your plate with protein foods. These include: legumes, nuts seeds, tofu, fish, and kefir. Water- At a minimum, men should drink approximately 15.5 cups (3.7 L) of water per day and women should consume approximately 11.5 cups (2.7 L) of water. Increase water intake based on exercise and environmental factors. How to have a balanced diet on a budget. 1. Grocery Outlet- groceries for a fraction of the price with a selection of brand items sold at more expensive health food stores, for example, whole foods. 2. Frozen fruit and vegetables- If you are attempting to increase your fruit and vegetable consumption try frozen items first. They are less expensive and handle long term storage until you can maintain your healthy habit. 3. Smoothies are a great go-to and you can pre package smoothie bags in the freezer or fridge either pre-blended or not. When you are running behind, pour the bag into the blender or a cup with a choice of liquid (oat milk, almond milk, water) and walk out the door.
pan and create either soup, stew, hash or stir fry to finish off those lingering leftovers you are not sure what to do with. All four of those are budget friendly and you can have meals for a few days following. Tips and tricks to eating healthier: Plan a meal guide each week and where to get the items. Meal prep and include your friends and family when the day arrives. Prep easy to go snacks and buy decent food containers to package your meals. This includes making your breakfast and lunch the day before when you have a busy day ahead of you. Choose recipes that have a high amount of fruit or vegetables allowing you to consume more in one meal. A stir fry would be a great option. Avoid sugary drinks. Drink water when you feel hungry (mild dehydration can be confused for hunger) Invest in a crockpot or instant pot- throw food in and you do not have to worry about it for an hourperfect time saver. §
4. Farmers Markets- Markets are a great way to purchase food with low pesticide contaminants and you can learn a lot about care for the food. Near the end of the market time, vendors will want to take the minimum amount of food back with them and will haggle with you for the right price. 5. This is the time to grow your own garden- This could be a kitchen counter herb garden or one or two vegetables you regularly consume like tomatoes. Plant life also helps detoxify the air around you. 6. Track your local favorite food establishments for their meal deals. Taco Tuesday can be upgraded to become a healthier alternative. 7. Budget your meal and adapt to the budget. Don't really want to eat rice today? Lentils are a huge budget friendly alternative to meals. You can throw anything into a pot or #LIFELINES | 11
BUDGET EATS IN THE BAY
What does a balanced diet look like?
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25001 Industrial Blvd. A STUDENT'S EXPERIENCE AT LIFE CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE WEST, IN A NUTSHELL. - By Sara Parsons -
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y the time you are reading this, I will officially be an alumnus of Life Chiropractic College West. Even as I sit here at my cluttered desk in my tiny room typing away on my trusty laptop, it is nearly unfathomable that this chapter of my life is coming to an end. I was sitting in the student lounge today (week 9 of last quarter) waiting to see my intern in the new and improved downstairs, air conditioned, fully oxygenated student clinic reminiscing of my first quarter here on campus. I realized with a sudden pain of sadness that a lot of you never experienced it as the central hub it once was, buzzing with the spirit of community only possible when people who are fired up about life and the endless possibilities of serving humanity come together and let their guards down. Like family members getting together for the holidays. In my mind’s eye, a whole quarter of students crammed the main dinner table as they also crammed for an exam, a musical genius sat in the community wooden chair tuning the community wooden guitar getting ready to bless the room with their joy for strumming the old 6-string while singing slightly off key, and lines snaked through the room out both doors as eager students waited to warm up their lunches and rush off to two of the five clubs they belong to because they’re both on the same day. I smile as I remember the beautifully conducted hecticness of it all, and hope those of you who entered school since the lockdown will experience that before your time here is over.
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"...I feel like I was put in a pressure cooker...set on high, and in less than 5 cooking minutes came out of the Instant PotTM a fully cooked doctorate of Chiropractic, ready to serve the world." They said it would fly by and before I knew it, it’d be over. They were right. They were also so, so wrong. They were right in the sense that I feel like I was put in a pressure cooker seasoned with neurology, physiology, anatomy, public health, research, conferences, clubs, HIPPIRONEL but don’t make it weird, infectious disease, pathology, wait what’s Differential Diagnosis and why are there 80 people in my class, philosophy, business, blood labs, metabolic labs, urine labs, labs labs labs, set on high, and in less than 5 cooking minutes came out of the Instat PotTM a fully cooked doctorate of chiropractic, ready to serve the world. And that’s why they were wrong. I’ve been cooked and my time roaming these halls aimlessly between tasks is over. AND the knowledge, skills, and uncountable life lessons I have learned in this highpressure ever-changing environment will continue
to help me build meaningful relationships and have an impact in the lives of those I serve. I have learned how to better communicate my thoughts and feelings, something I’ve always been terrible at. I have learned that the more you do the more you can do (shout out Dr. Bev Scott, you genius). I have learned that we are never alone, and we also can’t do it alone. I have learned grace and forgiveness, patience and the stillness in actually listening, when to say yes with joyful enthusiasm and when to say no without regret. In essence, Life West has taught me how to love my community, and how to love myself. I had a coach that once said to me “If you take care of the game, it will take care of you.” I
Always remember to Give, Do, Love and Serve from Abundance. And Go Life West! Chiropractically yours and signing off, -Sara §
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25001 INDUSTRIAL BLVD.
"The more you do, the more you can do." - Dr. Bev Scott -
promise you that if you put in the work, do the little things, be disciplined and at times spontaneous, this sacred always-seeming-to-be-breaking-down oldwarehouse-turned-institute-of-higher-learning will provide everything you need during your time here. Because it’s not the building, it’s not the equipment, it’s not even Sid square with the light shining through the ceiling bouncing off the green palms brightening our drabby days. It’s the people that belong to our family that create the buzz and lift our spirits when we’re down. It’s our Life West community, as gripey as we sometimes may be, that loves and supports each other as we try at all levels to help each other become not only The Best Chiropractors, but The Best Humans that we can be.
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All Else Follows THE SECRET TO MY SUCCESS IN THE LIFE CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE WEST HEALTH CENTER. - By Nolan Halverson -
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ou have the opportunity to be a chiropractor because chiropractic is a profession. Chiropractic is a profession because Chiropractic saves lives.
In the fall of 2016, a 17-year-old high school football captain got concussed after a nasty tackle. Like most families, he went to a medical doctor (MD) who sent him to a neurologist who gave him drugs for migraine relief and told him he could never play sports again and would live his whole life disabled and dependent on drugs. The drugs and lack of
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"The former charismatic high school football captain was now drugged, depressed and lifeless... He felt no connection to anyone, including himself."
By the grace of God, something lead the kid’s parents to take him to that chiropractor. Maybe it was in spite of the neurologist or maybe it was innate guiding the family in the right direction, but whatever it was it saved the kid's life. As the 18-year-old received his first ever chiropractic adjustment, like a dam bursting open to end a drought, he felt months of build up fluid escape from his head and life rush back into every cell of his body. He noticed the colors in the room becoming more vivid and he felt happiness for the first time in months. It didn’t take long for the kid to get off the life-sucking drugs and through consistent chiropractic care he was healthier, happier and had more energy then before his head injury. That high school football player was me and I wouldn’t be here today without chiropractic. I am beyond blessed I made it to the chiropractor, but not everyone does. There are over three million concussions a year in the US alone, and how many do you think end up on unnecessary neuro-inhibitory drugs? How many people are out there living with a subluxation that is causing of all their suffering, but they, or anyone they’re close too, don’t know about it? What’s happening to those people? Are they taking their lives because monopolized medicine offers no hope besides the suppression of symptoms? I recently finished my preceptor requirements faster than anyone in the history of Life West and I hear everyday, “Nolan, you have to tell me how to finish clinic so quickly. What’s the secret?” The secret
"Chiropractic saves lives, and your certainty in that is equal to your success in clinic and in practice. If you imprint on your soul what chiropractic can do for humanity, then all else will follow." is there are sick and dying people out there. There are people taking their lives because there is a bone putting pressure on their brainstem causing havoc in their body and no one can tell them what’s wrong with them because everyone thinks chiropractic is about back pain. They have no clue about the real power of chiropractic. The secret is, it’s not about finishing clinic quickly, it’s about spreading the chiropractic message to everyone you can. BJ used to say, “you never know how far reaching something you think say or do will affect the lives of millions tomorrow”. My story is living proof of this. Every adjustment has the potential to change the world and if I never received that first atlas adjustment, I would not be alive today to spread the chiropractic message; who knows how many lives will be saved because of my first adjustment and what those lives will do for humanity. Chiropractic saves lives and your certainty in that is equal to your success in clinic and in practice. If you imprint on our soul what chiropractic can do for humanity, then all else will follow. You will have more success and happiness in life than you can even imagine. If you’re thinking you don’t know how to embody that big idea, I feel you. Even after chiropractic saved my life, my passion for being a chiropractor was not much more than average. What put the fire in my heart for chiropractic was attending Dynamic Essentials, so if you’re struggling to truly love chiropractic, get to DE.. you and all your future patients won’t regret it. § #LIFELINES | 15
ALL ELSE FOLLOWS
hope lead the kid to a deep depression and thoughts of suicide crept into his mind. Chasing after life, he would try to stop taking the drugs, but the stabbing migraines lead right back to the pills. Multiple times he would bring this up to his unscrupulous neurologist and the answer was always the same, more drugs. After a month of this vicious cycle, a family friend told him about how a local chiropractor rid her of migraines. This was brought up to the neurologist and his response was that chiropractic was fake and dangerous and, instead, prescribed the kid tinted glasses. The former charismatic high school football captain was now drugged, depressed, and lifeless… wearing sunglasses inside. He felt no connection to anyone, including himself.
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WHAT'S SIMI'S STORY? “EVERY ORGAN IN YOUR BODY IS CONNECTED TO THE ONE UNDER YOUR HAT.”
-BJ PALMER. IF THIS IS THE CASE, THEN WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT CHECKING IN ON OUR SPINES, AND HOW DOES NOT DOING SO AFFECT OUR EVERYDAY LIVES? THESE QUESTIONS LEAD ME TO LIFEWEST.
- By Simran (Simi) Chawla -
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ue Bollywood music. I’m a first-generation Indian American who was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. By the age of five I was sold on going to the University of Nevada Reno and by 15 I was ready to major in biology. My dad and I would plan everything out and made a “To-Do” list for medical school. Chiropractic was never on my radar. I was first introduced to chiropractic through my younger brother, Saurabh. He was fourteen at the time and was playing his ninth year of football. In all his years of playing, he hadn’t gotten badly hurt, but one day he was injured during practice and had a hard time breathing. There was a concern of potential surgery that we luckily avoided. My dad called Saurabh’s previous coach who was a chiropractor. I found it strange that my dad would call a DC over an MD. The adjustments for Saurabh proved to be very effective, and he began to heal both physically and
"I let myself “go” so much that one day I got onto the scale and it reached 320 lbs. I couldn’t stay awake at work, I felt uncomfortable, and my self esteem was in the dumps." emotionally. He took his renewed energy and applied it to making videos and becoming creative in writing, editing, and filming. Saurabh decided to quit football and focus on his passion for videography. Noticing the benefits it provided in his own life, Saurabh began to recommend chiropractic care to everyone. I didn’t think anything of it until I could barely focus on homework due to back pain and stiffness. The pain was becoming unbearable. I was already on medications for epilepsy and didn’t want to go to the doctor to get another prescription for pain. Although I was still skeptical, I took Saurabh’s advice and made an appointment with a chiropractor (Dr. Doyle) the next day. My
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skepticism faded immediately because I felt amazing and after that I went once a month and saw so many differences in my body. Although I enjoyed my experiences, I still had a few more obstacles to face before I realized where my true calling was. For several years, my grandma suffered from dementia, which escalated quickly, impacting mine and my family’s lives as we worked to help her however we could. My coping mechanism at that time was to go to the grocery store, walk the aisles, grab my favorite junk food, and then binge while watching TV. I was a year into therapy and still in denial about my health and “bad” habits. I blamed everyone around
I called Dr. Doyle’s office hoping to get back under care. Luckily, they took me in. Dr. Doyle adjusted me, but also had a conversation with me about the importance of consistent care. Not only was he looking out for me, but I felt heard by a doctor. This time I followed the care plan and found great improvement to the point that I was motivated and wanted to chase after my dreams again. I never knew how much I would rely on chiropractic, especially when the pandemic hit.
Chiropractic College West and how the philosophy makes you rethink the healthcare system we are brought up in. That night I kept thinking about looking at Life West and the credentials needed. I pulled up the website and checked off all the boxes needed to apply. I was terrified and so excited because this time there was no hesitation. I felt like I was being called to this profession. Before I knew it, the application was filled and sent in. Three weeks later I was accepted into Life
Chiropractic College West and every day I count my blessings. Chiropractic has let me do a complete 180° in my life, from my health to my happiness, I feel like a new person. I am passionate about spreading love, serving my community, and giving back by encouraging future students to have the same hope I found in the profession and in their lives. Everyone has a right over their health; it is not a privilege. Every human should have the knowledge of how to take care of themselves. §
As I binge watched Tiger king, like most during lockdown, I thought about what I wanted to do with my life. Although my dad insisted, we follow the med school “To Do” list, there was still a lot of hesitation on my part. One night I was also watching a lot of tiktok videos and stumbled on one where a baby was being adjusted by a chiropractor. Amazed and slightly startled, I began to research the benefits of chiropractic care. I began to look back and realized the benefits it made in my life. I discovered the concept of innate intelligence and wanted to know if chiropractic was truly built on this foundation or if I was reading some false information. During my appointment the next day, Dr. Doyle confirmed everything I had read about the night before and I wanted to know more. He mentioned going to Life #LIFELINES | 17
WHAT'S SIMI'S STORY?
myself and slowly my “To-Do” list for medical school faded away. I let myself “go” so much that one day I got onto the scale and it reached 320 lbs. I couldn’t stay awake at work, I felt uncomfortable, and my self-esteem was in the dumps. When I did start to work out, I would be in pain just from walking.
| 8-min read |
HOW D’YOU KNOW?
Analysis with a child requires flexibility, responding to where the child is mentally, physically & emotionally on any given day. By Bri Lange & A. Bergquist
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When I do my analysis, I verbalize everything I’m doing, what I’m looking for, and what I find. I’ll say, “I’m looking to see that there is equal muscle tension from side to side. Oh look, this side has more tension. Can you feel that [presses on paraspinal muscles]?”. Without verbalizing, parents and kids will often have no idea what you are doing. I will regularly talk with the parent to ask questions like, “How has [child’s name] been
HOW D’YOU KNOW?
T
he very first thing I do when a child [i.e. kid] comes to see me at the clinic, is establish a bond with the parent or caregiver, making sure that the child sees this. Kids are always looking to their parents for guidance, asking “Is this okay?”. If you are not bonding with the parent, you are unlikely to bond with the child. Once I’ve made a connection with the parent, I will then get on the child’s level, look them in the eye, and talk about what the visit will look like for them. I talk with them like I would an adult, but in understandable language. A trick I use to build rapport with a child is to look to their shoes or outfit, and comment on something they are wearing. Do they have animals or a character on their clothes that I could comment on before entering their space? Bonding with the child sets the foundation for how the rest of the interaction will go. Another technique I use to initiate contact with the patient, is to invite the child into my space, rather than entering their space. This gives the child a sense of autonomy and a sense of safety, to be allowed to choose to be assessed.
sleeping?”, but I will always come back to making eye contact and talking with the child, because maintaining that connection with them is “super” important. My analysis differs, depending on the age. For infants, I would have the child face up on a pediatric pillow to start. For toddlers, they are establishing their autonomy and often choose not to follow instruction, so my analysis will happen while they are playing
"If you are not bonding with the parent, you are unlikely to bond with the child." with a toy (Are they balanced, how is their rotation, is their walking symmetrical, are their toes pointed in?) and for older kids who respond to instruction (>4 y.o.), I will ask them to go face-up or face-down on the table. If a child is not responding to my instruction, a trick I use is to have the child lay on their parent and usually the child feels comfortable enough to do that. One time I used this technique with a young girl who I just could not keep still at all, and when she went face up on Mom, she
was a complete “noodle” for my assessment. So, use the parents! Toys are also helpful. I have finger puppets that I use to help me assess cervical range of motion. I have the child follow my finger puppets left, right, up, down. It’s all about making it fun for kids! Unlike analysis with adults which can be relatively consistent and structured from visit to visit, the analysis with a child requires flexibility from visit to visit, responding to where the child is mentally, physically & emotionally on any given day. A useful technique to help build a sense of safety is to have the child palpate a toy or Mom or Dad before working with the child. I would say, “oh, can you help me palpate your stuffy?”, and then go through the motions. “Oh, can you use this ‘clicky’ toy to adjust Mom? Now that we did that, could we use this on you today too?”. Once the child sees that Mom is okay with it, then the child is usually more receptive. Also, kids love helping, so giving them a role to play helps them feel a part of the process. When I assess kids, I’m not so focussed on posture, so much as I #LIFELINES | 19
am on function. Are they balanced in their movements? Can they bend equally from side to side, are they using both feet. I’ll toss them a ball and see if they can catch the ball. If they can’t, I’ll see how they pick it up. I’ll also ask a child that is walking already, to show me how they crawl. Demonstrating how they crawl can give me information about their pelvis that I might not gather from their walking. Symmetry is hugely important in kids. This kind of analysis will happen at every visit.
I have a strong philosophy and believe that we should adjust kids, or anyone for that matter, in a state where they are comfortable. So, I will never adjust a screaming, crying, or complaining child. Kids have full body autonomy, and I want to be congruent with their wishes. Some days, I’ll put my hands on a child’s neck, and they will say, “No, I don’t like that!” and I will just say, “Okay, we’re not doing that today”. It can be tricky though, because sometimes the
child doesn’t want to be touched in an area of the spine, say the atlas, because palpation in the area is tender and might be related to a subluxation. So, you have to figure out when it’s a subluxation, or when its just that they don’t want your hands near them. Sometimes the parents will say that they will help and “hold them down”, but that’s not what this is about for me, so I don’t push it. It’s not life or death, I would just check again the next week. Sometimes the hardest part about working with kids is about reading the signals and knowing when to stop. When it comes to finding subluxation in kids, a general rule of thumb is that things should feel “squishy”. If you are finding restriction, or a tightness, that is a good indication the area needs attention. With kids, palpation is the most important technique for finding subluxation. I use visualization, take history, do leg checks when the child is weight bearing, but palpation is the most valuable information for finding subluxation. With atlas, I will slide off of the mastoids and feel for symmetry, motion lateral to medial on one side, then the other. With atlas, you should feel the contact side move in and the opposite TPs separate. Sometime when an atlas is subluxated, it will feel like a tight ball of muscle sticking out. I would correct atlas adjustments with light sustained contact, maybe a light vibration, until you feel there is “ease” in the system. With lower cervicals, the line of correction is P-A, but still sustained contact. Sometimes I will do leg check for cervical syndrome as an added
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piece of information. With kids, I prioritize atlas and pelvis. These two areas give the biggest bangfor-your-buck. When checking pelvis, I will do a heel-to-buttock check to point me in a direction. If I get a positive [uneven leg restriction], I would be looking for a posterior segment, either S1, S2, S3, S4 on the side of greater leg restriction. The sacrum is not fused in kids, so I will palpate and feel for any posteriority at any one of these segments. I use these two fingers [index and chiro index] and apply pressure I-S, P-A across each segment, and as before, it should feel “squishy”. If not, then the area needs attention. With infants, I will squeeze the bum cheeks, and the butt-crack will point to the side of sacrum that is anterior-inferior [Bri: “Austin, can you maybe use a better word for ‘butt-crack’? *laughing*; Austin: “Sure I can” *laughing*]. Always ask for permission from the parents to do this test, because you are literally pulling the back of the infants pants down and squeezing their bum cheeks together to look for a deviation of their [intergluteal cleft] or [bum-crease]. The crease will “fall” into the A-I
side. With this finding, you can choose to hold the sacrotuberous ligament on the A-I side, and/ or look for an adjustment of a posterior segment contralateral to the A-I side. When doing this test, make sure that the infant’s legs are even, because having one leg in front of the other can affect the outcome of the test.
"With kids, I prioritize atlas and pelvis. These areas give the biggest bang-foryou-buck."
a [spring loaded instrument] to bring the iliums back inwards and it totally helped their toeing-in. I was so pumped! After checking the iliums, I’ll use these two fingers again [index and chiro index], and palpate I-S, P-A up the lumbars and thoracics, again looking for a lack of “squishiness”. If I find something, I will do sustained contact (especially with infants), or put a little knife edge over a finger and add some vibration, or [spring loaded instrument] over my finger. Do you adjust everything you find?
No, I don’t adjust everything I find. In kids, thoracic and lumbar subluxations are less common, To check ilium, I want to especially lumbar subluxations. rock the ilium [grabs the air like Like we talked about earlier, I she is holding an ilium in each prioritize atlas and pelvis. I always hand] forwards and backwards, check full spine, but I get a sense outwards and inwards feeling for of what the primary subluxations symmetry in motion and resistance. are based on all the information One important thing to note is how I gather during the interaction, far apart the PSIS’s are. In kids, and I address those subluxations. they should be about 1-2 inches Sometimes I will adjust thoracics, apart. If they are wider apart, there but I always focus on atlas and may be bilateral EX iliums. I had a pelvis. Overall, I find that less is child with severe toeing-in and their more when adjusting kids. § PSIS’s were really far apart. I used #LIFELINES | 21
CREDITS COVER Nolan Halverson; 2-3 EDITOR’S LETTER 2: Yosemite National Park, Dr. Austin Bergquist; POLICY 3: Julia Rose; Emma Harbage, Maddy Duncan; Lifelines is the official quarterly magazine of the Simran Chawla; LifeWest student body, and is funded by Student 4-5 MEET OUR PEOPLE Council. Any articles published herein do not Simran Chawla; Alexis Griffith; Nolan necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of Life Halverson; Bri Lange; Sara Parsons; Meagan Chiropractic College West. Stachnik; 6-7 CONTENTS EDITOR/DESIGNER/PHOTOS 08 Alexis Griffith; 10 Fruit & Veg/PixaBay; 12 Dr. Austin Bergquist, PhD LifeWest.edu; 14 BJ Palmer/Lifewest.edu; 16 Simran Chawla; 18 Bri Lange; FACULTY ADVISOR 8-9 WHY RESEARCH? Dani Lorta, MA Alexis Griffith 10-11 BUDGET EATS IN THE BAY PRINTING Food plate/canadafoodguide.ca; Meagan Michael Poss Stachnik 12-13 25001 INDUSTRIAL BLVD. CONTACT Pressure Cooker/PixaBay abergquist@college.lifewest.edu 14-15 ALL ELSE FOLLOWS Football Field/PixaBay ARTICLE SUBMISSION Would you like to write for Lifelines magazine? We look 16-17 WHAT’S YOUR STORY? Simran Chawla for chiropractic articles that inspire & challange. Email 18-21 HOW D’YOU KNOW? CONTACT for more information. Bri Lange on the shore; KIDS/PixaBay; Bri Lange with Spine; Child on Carpet/PixaBay; PHOTOGRAPHIC SUBMISSIONS 22-23 CREDITS Do you have amazing chiropractic photos that you Masked Emotions/Mheildy et al (2020) would like showcased in Lifelines magazine? By sending your photos, you agree that you have the right Effect of Face masks on interpersonal communication. Frontiers in Public Health. to distribute the image, and maintain that all people BACK COVER depicted agree to have their image published. Email “Doctored” Gaze of Mona Lisa/PixaBay CONTACT for more information.
(A) Happiness is usually perceived when the corners of the lips rise upward. With face masks, happiness can be caught on the face by focusing on the wrinkles at the edge of the eyes. (B) Sadness involves movement of the eyebrows, the nasolabial folds, and the corners of the lips; however, the last two are masked by face masks. (C) Facial expression of anger emphasizes the downward and central movement of eyebrows, the glaring eyes, and narrowing of the corners of the lips, with the latter getting covered by face masks. (D) Expressions of surprise and shock are usually formed of elevated eyebrows and a raised upper lip; only the latter is covered by protective masks. (E) Nose wrinkling and raising of the upper lip convey feelings of disgust; however, face masks cover both expressions. (F) Feelings of guilt are usually portrayed by slightly upping eyebrows together and stretching the mouth, with the latter getting covered with a face mask. 22 | LIFEWEST.EDU/LIFELINES-MAGAZINE/
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The eye, the window of the soul, is the chief means whereby the understanding can most fully and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of nature; and the ear is second. - Leonardo Da Vinci
