About a year and a half ago, we began the long process of trying to figure out what was causing our youngest son, Nick, to have debilitating hip pain. Multiple MRIs, blood tests, consults with other chiropractors, functional medicine doctors, orthopedic surgeons and rheumatologists, lead us to the diagnosis of a stress fracture, tendinitis and an auto immune disease called enthesitis-related arthritis. Essentially, he has a juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which means he can suffer from joint swelling and/or inflammation and swelling and/or inflammation of the connective tissue where the tendons or ligaments attach to the bone.
The rheumatologist said he would need to be on anti-inflammatory medications for the rest of his life. He was 9 years old when she told us this.
Nine.
We decided this was not an option. This child had an unmedicated home birth. This child has never had a vaccine or Tylenol or an antibiotic. How would this medication affect his liver, his stomach, his kidneys? We were told he may need other medications to combat the side effects. The anti-inflammatory medications would not solve the problem. The rheumatologist admitted they don’t know what causes this and they don’t have a cure. They could only manage the pain and inflammation. Nick was understandably discouraged. He had to take a leave from his 4th grade travel basketball team, couldn’t participate in gym and had to sit out at recess. Even PlayStation became too much, the hopping up and down while he played was aggravating to his hip. This active little boy was spiraling downward emotionally. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to return to his normal activities.
We decided to listen to our gut and follow what we believe to be right. We chose to take a holistic approach and to support his body to help it function optimally. So along with regular chiropractic care, we developed a specific supplementation regime that has been life changing for him. He takes a full spectrum probiotic that supports his GI track and immune system. He takes a specific fish oil that helps his body’s adaptive capacity and promotes a health immune response. He takes D3 10,000 w/vitamin K because through this process we found his levels were deficient. Finally, he takes a high dose hemp oil, HempMeds, which stimulates his endocannabinoid system, further helping his body function at its best.
Within one day of adding the hemp oil to the regime (two 25mg doses), he played 3 basketball games in one day with zero pain and zero limp! Since we started this plan almost one year ago, he continues to strive and show improvement. It’s been so great to see him back to his normal self, enjoying playing basketball and being a regular almost 11-year old boy.
We share his story in an effort to help others who want to take a different approach, those who are at a loss for what to do next. There are many options medically and holistically, and you should explore all of them to find which combination works best for you and your family. If you’re looking for a second opinion, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office. We have 17 years of professional experience and plenty of personal experience to share! And, if you have boys who love basketball like ours do, we’ll probably see you at a court somewhere in Minnesota!