Network Spinal Analysis

A year ago Sophie was only able to have a pixie haircut. She had to have short hair because there were spots all over her head where she was bald. It just wouldn't grow. Then last July the pieces began to fall into place. We uncovered her lactose intolerance and she began to eat. Slowly her body responded to the changes and began to get the nutrients it so desperately needed. Hair began to grow.

November came and she finally had access to OT and PT services that brought balance to her always out of kilter body. She no longer needed to pull her hair in order to relieve her anxiety. The bald spots began to fill in.  We hadn't figured out all of Sophie's pieces yet but the world was becoming a less scary place.

Two months ago, a fellow SPD mom messaged me about the wonders of chiropractic care and nutrition response testing. I found a chiropractic office that did both and we began the next step in our journey to support Sophie.

Today I divided Sophie's whole head of hair in two and gave her pigtails "like Abby Cadaby." She wore a short sleeved shirt with itchy wings and grinned from ear to ear. She has been waiting for years to have those pig tails. I may have shed a tear as I looked at her. All I could think was, "look how far we've come..."

We are now firm believers in Network Spinal Analysis Chiropractic care. It has changed our life for the better. I have decided to spend part of my summer collecting information on and writing about this particular branch of chiropractic medicine. I hope what I post will be helpful to everyone and especially those families who love someone with SPD. We will always have tough days but when I look at how much hair Sophie has grown in one year, I know we are on the right path.

A PSA from your friendly neighborhood choral music teacher...

Hello there! It’s me! The person you instantaneously tell your music horror stories to the minute you learn that I have a university degree in the subject! Even the adults who work with my children preface every singing activity with “don’t listen to me- I have a horrible voice.” I want you to lean in close and listen very carefully- you don’t!  Gasp! Believe me when I tell you, the ones who are apologizing for their instrument, usually have no reason to do so. Here is where the problem lies. By yourself, you actually have a great voice! The out of tune rendition of “Happy Birthday,” that ends with an apologetic shrug and a frantic glance around the room to make sure no one recorded it; has little to do with the quality of your voice and everything to do with your ear not being trained to match another person’s pitch. Great singers listen to each other; amazing singers listen to everything and use their ears to strengthen the technique they have worked so hard to achieve. There are very few people in this world who couldn’t become great singers with a few vocal lessons and a lot of singing in groups.

But here’s the thing. Singing is like weight. Your children don’t notice you have a flabby belly until you point it out and they don’t realize that you can’t sing like Lady Gaga until you flag your flaws. I am no Indina Menel but I love to sing and do it as often as possible around the house. And guess what, my children could care less! My kids ask my husband and me to sing their favorite songs and then they joyfully join in! So sing! Don’t let any child know you are less than perfect- teach them what a release it is to belt out your favorite songs in the car, while washing dishes or changing diapers. Why is this so important? Well, singing, like exercising, has health benefits. I would quote the stats from any number of peer reviewed music journals but I can hear you over there thinking “well, they have to say that, it’s their job!” so instead, I found an article in a magazine most of us are familiar with- Prevention. It says that singing “helps you to bond with others and make connections,” that it is thought to “improve your heart rate variability or the amount of time between heartbeats” and most importantly “helps curb snoring and may help people with asthma.” If you don’t believe me, check it out! www.prevention.com/health/6-health-benefits-of-singing.

Whatever you do; sing frequently. The more you do it, the better you will get! Don’t wait until karaoke and several adult beverages are involved. It may help your health, it may make your children more confident in their own abilities and it will certainly guarantee that the music educators like me aren’t left singing alone.