You have to be living under a rock to not be aware of how our world is changing around us. How you may feel about what is happening depends largely on how these changes effect you. If you are a Wall Street banker you may be looking on these changes with some trepidation, uncertain about whether to cash out and move to Costa Rica or hire more security. If you are a Police officer, Fireman or Teacher you are likely making sure your Union dues are paid and that you are registered to vote in the next election cycle. If you are a home owner and are under water in your mortgage it is likely that you are both seething with rage and nervous about losing your home; mostly because someone is threatening to take it if you don't make the outrageous payment 'they' decided you should pay while knowing full well you cannot. Frustration, fear and outrage dominate our mindset as a nation.
Though this is a 'wellness' blog, it is important to note that in order to be truly well we must have a sense of well being about our living conditions as well as our physical state. Since the 08' blow up, blood pressure cases are up, strokes are up, heart attacks are up and drinking related fatalities are up because people are not coping with the stress and strain caused by a few ultra-wealthy souls who perpetrated a massive fraud on our nation, nearly bringing it to its knees and bringing the world economy with it.
So as your wellness assignment today, I want each of you to register to vote and participate in our nations elections. Numbers are what our politicians pay attention to particularly when those numbers represent you the American taxpayer, their constituents. It is up to you to take them to task for your sake as for everyone else's. Vote.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thugs, Drugs and the War on Bugs!!
This is the Title of a Book that I'm reading. It's was written by a Chiropractor here in California Dr. Brad Case.
This is an excellent book and I highly recommend that you go to Amazon and buy a copy. This book outlines the development of our health care system from the early days of church ordained blood letting all the way to how our current political system was completely subjugated by Big Pharma.
It is a book I highly recommend.
Dr. Bend
This is an excellent book and I highly recommend that you go to Amazon and buy a copy. This book outlines the development of our health care system from the early days of church ordained blood letting all the way to how our current political system was completely subjugated by Big Pharma.
It is a book I highly recommend.
Dr. Bend
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The collapse of Big Pharmaceuticals.
If you have a television you are likely aware of the political upheaval in Congress regarding health care reform. The arguments against the Health Care reform bill as passed was the size and scope of the reform. That and the fact that certain aspects of the bill are meant to force the insurance industry to behave and actually do what 'you' have paid them to do. In short the health care reform bill makes the insurance industry behave while prohibiting them from discriminating against 'any' health care provider and also eliminates their ability to drop anyone from coverage if they fall ill and actually need that coverage they've paid for. In essence the insurance industry has been behaving fraudulently by taking 'your' money for coverage they never intended to provide. The health care reform bill prohibits this conduct. Sadly...that will mean the end of 100 million dollar bonuses and out of bounds profits.
This is the last thing their 'share holders' want. The insurance industry has repeatedly expressed concern for the needs of their share holders rather than their clients who pay them for coverage. Who are the share holders? Could it be the pharmaceutical industry? Such a relationship would create a virtual monopoly over the entire health care industry. Especially since the insurance industry has virtually no regulation to speak of due to its exemption to the anti-trust laws. So if the share holders are calling the shots, and those same share holders happen to be the pharmaceutical industry; what direction to you think health care would take?
Considering that health care reform effort has been an ongoing since 1909 the size and scope of the current bill should be no surprise. In fact, it is the primary catalyst for the current political grid-lock in Washington i.e. special interests who have controlled 'your' health care system do not like it. In fact it has been nearly a century since the last real change to our health care system took effect. That change was to make Cocaine and Opium illegal forcing the Pharmaceutical industry to subjugate doctors of medicine and use them as a tool to further their profit margins.
As a result of this unfortunate development we have been forced to accept whatever health care methods were deemed 'acceptable' by a board of directors rather than a doctors experience and expertise. The pharmaceutical industry has become so wealthy and powerful that they no longer bother to hide the fact that they control congress like a puppet master controls a marionette. A position they have enjoyed for far too long and are about to lose and they know it.
The nation has had enough of their bad behavior. This is not to say that wealth is bad, it is not. However, wealth should be the reward for hard work and good behavior rather than restricted to only those who have taken advantage of their position and rigged the system to benefit only themselves, leaving the rest of the nation to salvage a living out of what they leave in their wake. The world is about to reject corporate influence on their health care.
Dr. B
This is the last thing their 'share holders' want. The insurance industry has repeatedly expressed concern for the needs of their share holders rather than their clients who pay them for coverage. Who are the share holders? Could it be the pharmaceutical industry? Such a relationship would create a virtual monopoly over the entire health care industry. Especially since the insurance industry has virtually no regulation to speak of due to its exemption to the anti-trust laws. So if the share holders are calling the shots, and those same share holders happen to be the pharmaceutical industry; what direction to you think health care would take?
Considering that health care reform effort has been an ongoing since 1909 the size and scope of the current bill should be no surprise. In fact, it is the primary catalyst for the current political grid-lock in Washington i.e. special interests who have controlled 'your' health care system do not like it. In fact it has been nearly a century since the last real change to our health care system took effect. That change was to make Cocaine and Opium illegal forcing the Pharmaceutical industry to subjugate doctors of medicine and use them as a tool to further their profit margins.
As a result of this unfortunate development we have been forced to accept whatever health care methods were deemed 'acceptable' by a board of directors rather than a doctors experience and expertise. The pharmaceutical industry has become so wealthy and powerful that they no longer bother to hide the fact that they control congress like a puppet master controls a marionette. A position they have enjoyed for far too long and are about to lose and they know it.
The nation has had enough of their bad behavior. This is not to say that wealth is bad, it is not. However, wealth should be the reward for hard work and good behavior rather than restricted to only those who have taken advantage of their position and rigged the system to benefit only themselves, leaving the rest of the nation to salvage a living out of what they leave in their wake. The world is about to reject corporate influence on their health care.
Dr. B
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wellness and Economics
During the past year I've noticed a tremendous surge of stress in my patients. The stress they are living with in many cases has an economic focus. Some people are losing their homes, some are losing their job and losing their home some are getting divorced due to economic hardships and the list goes on. Yeah, Yeah, yeah doc, what does this topic have to do with wellness? Everything!!! The wellness lifestyle includes a sense of personal well being. Knowing that you will always have a roof over your head, a pillow on a nice warm fluffy bed with warm blankets to keep you warm at night. Having the knowledge that you will be able to feed your kids or look after them when they need you the most. Having the time to dedicate to your kids instead of having to make time in between your many jobs that you have to keep in order to keep them housed, fed and clothed.
Yes, economics plays a role in wellness. In our current climate uncertainty reigns. It seems that every evening we are hearing more double talk by our politicians who seem more and more detached from the realities we as a living breathing nation have to live day in and day out. Frustration with the system, not believing that voting makes any difference and wondering if we should bother voting at all if nothing changes even when we do vote...the essence of apathy. If you want to live a wellness lifestyle then you will have to be willing to make the changes necessary to make that possible. How?? ACT!! Do something about our current situation.
The difference between apathy and hope is the will to act regardless of the outcome. If we do not get the outcome we want the first time...try again and keep trying until you get what you want. The difference is determined by your will to make a difference. Are you willing to accept the way things are or are you going take a stand and kick in the door and make your voice heard above the din of political noise? A wellness mindset includes the will to take a step, to act and to keep taking steps to make changes where one can. Take what you have and do what you can. If that means picking up a phone and expressing your dismay ato a local politician or hopping in the car and driving to Wall Street to join the protests there...do something and be heard. This nation is as weak or as strong as the loudest and most obnoxious voice.
I served in the military not to change the navy but to change me. I wanted to look back on my life and tell my kids that I did some bad assed things in my hey day. OK..so that is a personal ego trip...so what. The fact is I faced a challenge and it in effect changed how I saw the world in which I lived. It gave me an attitude and showed me how to use that attitude. Our challenges today are no different than the challenges our nation faced before. This can be our moment to act and say to our kids and gransdchildren..."Yeah...We took the nation away from a bunch of dirt bags, kicked butt...and gave you back a future."
What are you willing to do?
Yes, economics plays a role in wellness. In our current climate uncertainty reigns. It seems that every evening we are hearing more double talk by our politicians who seem more and more detached from the realities we as a living breathing nation have to live day in and day out. Frustration with the system, not believing that voting makes any difference and wondering if we should bother voting at all if nothing changes even when we do vote...the essence of apathy. If you want to live a wellness lifestyle then you will have to be willing to make the changes necessary to make that possible. How?? ACT!! Do something about our current situation.
The difference between apathy and hope is the will to act regardless of the outcome. If we do not get the outcome we want the first time...try again and keep trying until you get what you want. The difference is determined by your will to make a difference. Are you willing to accept the way things are or are you going take a stand and kick in the door and make your voice heard above the din of political noise? A wellness mindset includes the will to take a step, to act and to keep taking steps to make changes where one can. Take what you have and do what you can. If that means picking up a phone and expressing your dismay ato a local politician or hopping in the car and driving to Wall Street to join the protests there...do something and be heard. This nation is as weak or as strong as the loudest and most obnoxious voice.
I served in the military not to change the navy but to change me. I wanted to look back on my life and tell my kids that I did some bad assed things in my hey day. OK..so that is a personal ego trip...so what. The fact is I faced a challenge and it in effect changed how I saw the world in which I lived. It gave me an attitude and showed me how to use that attitude. Our challenges today are no different than the challenges our nation faced before. This can be our moment to act and say to our kids and gransdchildren..."Yeah...We took the nation away from a bunch of dirt bags, kicked butt...and gave you back a future."
What are you willing to do?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Playing God...a symptom of out of control egotism
Several years ago I read an article in National Geographic titled "The Downside of Upright" written by an Md whose name I do not remember. Its tone struck me as extremely egotistical. The article was about how our current physical habit of walking 'upright' had contributed to our 'flaws' as a species. Flaws? Yes, that was his word for how our species had 'adapted' to walking on two legs. The outrageous lack of humility before nature was highly offensive and based more on opinion than actual knowledge or thought. Of course that is MY opinion. Here is a man, a product of nature or a creation of God, dissing the very intelligence that made his existence possible.
One of his suggestions was that our upright walking 'habit' was bad for our discs. That we as a species suffer from abnormal disc degeneration as a result of our walking upright. Nothing was mentioned about the fact that our 'social' habits have more to do with that particular problem. What habits? Sitting is extremely bad for our species because sitting compresses our discs for hours at a time and our discs are not being pumped as a result. Not only this but when we drive we are in a seated position and the micro trauma of the motion of the car wears at our discs and muscle tissue even more. So our species, as a result of our social habits of late, does have a problem with premature disc degeneration, caused by our social habits not our structure.
He suggests also that our Pelvis is all wrong. That giving birth was more of a hardship now that we walk upright. In his example a picture of a skeleton with the head of a baby inside the pelvis was an example of how we have devolved and now 'need' medical intervention with child birth. What he failed to mention is that the skeletal structure of a fetus is designed by 'nature' to fold over itself to make it fit through the birth canal more efficiently. The picture he used to illustrate his argument was the skull of a toddler not the skull of a new born. So the visual effect was to suggest he was correct. He also seemed to forget the fact that when a child passes through the birth canal the amniotic fluid that fills our lungs while a fetus is squeezed out which also releases a hormone that enables the lungs to inflate with air...more efficiently. So there is an actual physiological need to pass through the canal and actual purpose for the 'hardship'. He also forgot to mention that most of the difficulties encountered with child birth are caused by the fact that the mother was most often on her back during the process which made birthing more difficult. The thought process behind a woman lying on her back is solely for the convenience of the assisting doctor...nothing to do whatsoever with making child birth more efficient or comfortable. Of course this makes it much more dramatic for television moms to scream, push...and sweat..their way through a soap opera birth scene.
In fact we are designed to give birth in the upright position, go figure. Not only does the tissue of the birth canal stretch..more easily gravity plays a role in aiding the process. Hmmmm sounds like intelligent design to me. The article was a nauseating example of intellectually induced egotism. No doubt the man was intelligent but the use he put that intellect to was not only self serving but highly ignorant.We are a highly specialized living, breathing entity with the God given brain power to figure out the problems of the world..and also the capacity to screw things up. However, we usually screw things up when we put ego before intellect.
Enuf Said
Dr. B
One of his suggestions was that our upright walking 'habit' was bad for our discs. That we as a species suffer from abnormal disc degeneration as a result of our walking upright. Nothing was mentioned about the fact that our 'social' habits have more to do with that particular problem. What habits? Sitting is extremely bad for our species because sitting compresses our discs for hours at a time and our discs are not being pumped as a result. Not only this but when we drive we are in a seated position and the micro trauma of the motion of the car wears at our discs and muscle tissue even more. So our species, as a result of our social habits of late, does have a problem with premature disc degeneration, caused by our social habits not our structure.
He suggests also that our Pelvis is all wrong. That giving birth was more of a hardship now that we walk upright. In his example a picture of a skeleton with the head of a baby inside the pelvis was an example of how we have devolved and now 'need' medical intervention with child birth. What he failed to mention is that the skeletal structure of a fetus is designed by 'nature' to fold over itself to make it fit through the birth canal more efficiently. The picture he used to illustrate his argument was the skull of a toddler not the skull of a new born. So the visual effect was to suggest he was correct. He also seemed to forget the fact that when a child passes through the birth canal the amniotic fluid that fills our lungs while a fetus is squeezed out which also releases a hormone that enables the lungs to inflate with air...more efficiently. So there is an actual physiological need to pass through the canal and actual purpose for the 'hardship'. He also forgot to mention that most of the difficulties encountered with child birth are caused by the fact that the mother was most often on her back during the process which made birthing more difficult. The thought process behind a woman lying on her back is solely for the convenience of the assisting doctor...nothing to do whatsoever with making child birth more efficient or comfortable. Of course this makes it much more dramatic for television moms to scream, push...and sweat..their way through a soap opera birth scene.
In fact we are designed to give birth in the upright position, go figure. Not only does the tissue of the birth canal stretch..more easily gravity plays a role in aiding the process. Hmmmm sounds like intelligent design to me. The article was a nauseating example of intellectually induced egotism. No doubt the man was intelligent but the use he put that intellect to was not only self serving but highly ignorant.We are a highly specialized living, breathing entity with the God given brain power to figure out the problems of the world..and also the capacity to screw things up. However, we usually screw things up when we put ego before intellect.
Enuf Said
Dr. B
Friday, September 30, 2011
A scary story for Halloween. Based on true events.
Once upon a time there was a construction worker who had a terrible accident in which his leg was severely injured. It was thought that he might just lose the leg it was damaged so badly. Luckily the treating doctor was a skilled surgeon and knew how to fix the leg so he would not lose it.
However, this man belonged to a PPO network and the adjuster working for the PPO was an evil number cruncher..more interested in the profit margin than the well being of the people he was supposed to help. Upon seeing the request for surgery...to repair the leg...his eyes popped out of his head..."Oh NO!!!" He cried..."this cannot be!!! The cost of repair is too much for me!!!" So the evil adjuster sent a note to the hospital..and said "Amputate, amputate...it is cheaper..how dare you presume I will pay more than I must?!!"
Horrified the patient thought is life was over. "How can I work without my leg?" he cried bitterly to his wife. Then the fairy princess of Chicago..the fair Lady Oprah heard of this mans plight...and decried to the world the tragic decision of the mans PPO. Upon this the world cried fowl...from the lowliest peasant to the highest kings...Fowl!! Fowl!! the world cried as one.
The doctor, fair man that he was, agreed to do the surgery...regardless of the PPOs horrendous decision to take his leg for no other reason than cost. "How about his quality of life?!!" he shouted.
Alas...deaf were the ears of the Adjuster....who chuckled..and said..."I shan't pay a dime...let him..pay for his leg if me must..I did not cause the accident....it was not my fault I say..it is not my fault he got injured why must I pay?"
Along came a noble and thoughtful attorney "I'll take this case!!" he cried. "I will not suffer such outrage!!"
And the noble attorney fought..and fought....for the rights of this man. The evil adjuster...fought well...but had not the spirit of righteousness in his heart...and soon lost the will to fight and so was vanquished...sorely.
The noble attorney took the battle to the adjuster and made him pay for the surgery, then made him pay for the emotional damage is greed had caused...then also took a nice tidy fee for his trouble, which the evil adjuster paid.
The Evil adjuster...wrote the check...and lamented....."Oh Woe...is me... how could this happen to me? How will I profit anon...How can I go on?" His lament was heard...by another evil PPO adjuster who bought his company and paid him well...and the first evil adjuster moved to Cancun. The new evil adjuster...was better able to perpetrate evil upon his newly acquired victims...and profited nicely by pretending to care but finding new, creative ways not to pay....which he continues to this very day....
The good man kept his leg and lived a good life..no thanks to the PPO...the attorney retired....and the evil adjuster went insane...drinking tropical, fruity adult beverages..lamenting his inability to make a profit harming the innocent....It is said that he died...screaming a curse.."NO, NO..I will not pay...I will not...I will not ever pay...I say!!!!" And so the curse of HMO and PPOs were cast upon the wind in his final breath. So that his evil is now ever present..and the same curse is repeated day in and day out 'NO, NO I will not pay, I will not, I will not ever pay...I say!!!" by adjusters the world over.
The End.
However, this man belonged to a PPO network and the adjuster working for the PPO was an evil number cruncher..more interested in the profit margin than the well being of the people he was supposed to help. Upon seeing the request for surgery...to repair the leg...his eyes popped out of his head..."Oh NO!!!" He cried..."this cannot be!!! The cost of repair is too much for me!!!" So the evil adjuster sent a note to the hospital..and said "Amputate, amputate...it is cheaper..how dare you presume I will pay more than I must?!!"
Horrified the patient thought is life was over. "How can I work without my leg?" he cried bitterly to his wife. Then the fairy princess of Chicago..the fair Lady Oprah heard of this mans plight...and decried to the world the tragic decision of the mans PPO. Upon this the world cried fowl...from the lowliest peasant to the highest kings...Fowl!! Fowl!! the world cried as one.
The doctor, fair man that he was, agreed to do the surgery...regardless of the PPOs horrendous decision to take his leg for no other reason than cost. "How about his quality of life?!!" he shouted.
Alas...deaf were the ears of the Adjuster....who chuckled..and said..."I shan't pay a dime...let him..pay for his leg if me must..I did not cause the accident....it was not my fault I say..it is not my fault he got injured why must I pay?"
Along came a noble and thoughtful attorney "I'll take this case!!" he cried. "I will not suffer such outrage!!"
And the noble attorney fought..and fought....for the rights of this man. The evil adjuster...fought well...but had not the spirit of righteousness in his heart...and soon lost the will to fight and so was vanquished...sorely.
The noble attorney took the battle to the adjuster and made him pay for the surgery, then made him pay for the emotional damage is greed had caused...then also took a nice tidy fee for his trouble, which the evil adjuster paid.
The Evil adjuster...wrote the check...and lamented....."Oh Woe...is me... how could this happen to me? How will I profit anon...How can I go on?" His lament was heard...by another evil PPO adjuster who bought his company and paid him well...and the first evil adjuster moved to Cancun. The new evil adjuster...was better able to perpetrate evil upon his newly acquired victims...and profited nicely by pretending to care but finding new, creative ways not to pay....which he continues to this very day....
The good man kept his leg and lived a good life..no thanks to the PPO...the attorney retired....and the evil adjuster went insane...drinking tropical, fruity adult beverages..lamenting his inability to make a profit harming the innocent....It is said that he died...screaming a curse.."NO, NO..I will not pay...I will not...I will not ever pay...I say!!!!" And so the curse of HMO and PPOs were cast upon the wind in his final breath. So that his evil is now ever present..and the same curse is repeated day in and day out 'NO, NO I will not pay, I will not, I will not ever pay...I say!!!" by adjusters the world over.
The End.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Physiology of stress
In this volatile economic climate and the world apparently losing its mind, our politicians behaving like a bunch of school children (naughty school children), it is difficult 'not' to be just a little stressed. It is no secret that stress kills. This is a well known and documented fact. However, has anyone ever explained in detail just what does happen when you find yourself stressed out for days and weeks or even years at a time?
First we have to explain the psychology or the trigger mechanism of the physical response. Consciously we know who or what has caused our stress. It could be a person we know or a series of events that make our lives rather more difficult than we'd like it to be. Its how our body reacts to this stress and how we manage it that makes stress so dangerous. What happens in a moment of stress?
First you get an adrenaline shot right to the blood stream. This causes your fat stores to release fat into the blood and alters it so that it is ready for quick energy. Your digestive system shuts down and shunts all the blood used for digestion to your extremities in preparation for your fight or flight from danger.
In nature this stress usually lasts a few minutes but most of us are in full blown fight and flight for the better part of 8 hours. Not Good. The fat in our blood hasn't been used up and it can't stay in your system otherwise you clog up your arteries have a heart attack and die. So the fat has to be put somewhere. Since the fat has been altered from its original state it can't just be put back where it was. Belly fat is often the result of this kind of stress. This kind of fat is call 'heart attack fat' because it gets into the blood stream easily...too easily which can be dangerous if you aren't fit in the cardiovascular area.
Coping with stress tools.
1. Deep, slow breathing. Take one deep breath in through the nose. Hold it for five full seconds and slowly breath out through pursed lips forcing the air out with your diaphragm. Repeat this 40 times. The moment of stress will be reduced with this simple exercise. More oxygen in your blood.
2. Exercise!!! Get off the couch, put the television remote away and take a nice leisurely walk around the block, the park or just down the street. Get outside!!! Breath air...clear your head of 'stuff'.
3. Get a good nights sleep every night. Catching up on the weekends does nothing but make you sore, sorry.
4. See your chiropractor often to keep your body running smooth so that your efforts above are as effective as possible.
5. smile at your antagonist...it will drive them crazy.
Dr. B
First we have to explain the psychology or the trigger mechanism of the physical response. Consciously we know who or what has caused our stress. It could be a person we know or a series of events that make our lives rather more difficult than we'd like it to be. Its how our body reacts to this stress and how we manage it that makes stress so dangerous. What happens in a moment of stress?
First you get an adrenaline shot right to the blood stream. This causes your fat stores to release fat into the blood and alters it so that it is ready for quick energy. Your digestive system shuts down and shunts all the blood used for digestion to your extremities in preparation for your fight or flight from danger.
In nature this stress usually lasts a few minutes but most of us are in full blown fight and flight for the better part of 8 hours. Not Good. The fat in our blood hasn't been used up and it can't stay in your system otherwise you clog up your arteries have a heart attack and die. So the fat has to be put somewhere. Since the fat has been altered from its original state it can't just be put back where it was. Belly fat is often the result of this kind of stress. This kind of fat is call 'heart attack fat' because it gets into the blood stream easily...too easily which can be dangerous if you aren't fit in the cardiovascular area.
Coping with stress tools.
1. Deep, slow breathing. Take one deep breath in through the nose. Hold it for five full seconds and slowly breath out through pursed lips forcing the air out with your diaphragm. Repeat this 40 times. The moment of stress will be reduced with this simple exercise. More oxygen in your blood.
2. Exercise!!! Get off the couch, put the television remote away and take a nice leisurely walk around the block, the park or just down the street. Get outside!!! Breath air...clear your head of 'stuff'.
3. Get a good nights sleep every night. Catching up on the weekends does nothing but make you sore, sorry.
4. See your chiropractor often to keep your body running smooth so that your efforts above are as effective as possible.
5. smile at your antagonist...it will drive them crazy.
Dr. B
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The Cholesterol Myth...marketing once again.
First there is ZERO connection between cholesterol and heart disease. ZERO!!! That means that there is no connection between high cholesterol and Plaque build up in your arteries. That's right there is no connection. As recently as 25 years ago having a cholesterol of 300 was normal. However that changed when a drug was discovered that would lower your cholesterol. Once that was done they had to find a way to 'market' the new drug...and a fictional connection between heart disease and high cholesterol was invented.
People with higher cholesterol tend to age much more slowly in terms of appearance and overall tissue health than a person with a neo-normal cholesterol. There is also a new set of diseases that go along with the use of cholesterol lowering medication. Rhabdomyolysis is a disease caused by not having enough cholesterol in your system, it also leads to heart disease. That's right not having enough cholesterol in your system causes heart disease. Not only does the lack of cholesterol cause heart disease the drug itself has 'heart disease' as a potential side effect.
Our cell walls are made of cholesterol and as we break down our cells when we workout, for instance we need cholesterol to help rebuild the muscle tissue. If there isn't enough cholesterol in our system then we won't have enough material necessary to build muscle and it breaks down more and more. Our heart beats from sun up to sun down every day and requires regeneration of its cells in order to maintain functional integrity throughout our lives. Tissue regeneration requires cholesterol to maintain that functional integrity.
People who have low cholesterol seem to whither and age rather rapidly. People with healthy naturally occurring cholesterol age normally...and do not degenerate as rapidly. Also, why is it that a body builder would have 'high' cholesterol? Could it be that their muscle mass might require a much higher amount of cholesterol to maintain that muscle mass?
Again...marketing shows its ugly face. I hope this makes sense and causes you to think more actively about your health care. If I told you only that which was socially acceptable or accepted by the masses as normal would I be doing you a service or a disservice? By telling you things that may run contrary to your Mds opinion I am causing you to think..I hope. Accepted wisdom has to be challenged if we are to evolve into a better more functionally intelligent species...rather than a bunch of mindless sheep willing to follow the corporate line because they say something is acceptable in a commercial.
Cholesterol medication is another example of a corporate sales pitch that disregards the longer term effects for short term gains in a profit margin.
Dr. B
People with higher cholesterol tend to age much more slowly in terms of appearance and overall tissue health than a person with a neo-normal cholesterol. There is also a new set of diseases that go along with the use of cholesterol lowering medication. Rhabdomyolysis is a disease caused by not having enough cholesterol in your system, it also leads to heart disease. That's right not having enough cholesterol in your system causes heart disease. Not only does the lack of cholesterol cause heart disease the drug itself has 'heart disease' as a potential side effect.
Our cell walls are made of cholesterol and as we break down our cells when we workout, for instance we need cholesterol to help rebuild the muscle tissue. If there isn't enough cholesterol in our system then we won't have enough material necessary to build muscle and it breaks down more and more. Our heart beats from sun up to sun down every day and requires regeneration of its cells in order to maintain functional integrity throughout our lives. Tissue regeneration requires cholesterol to maintain that functional integrity.
People who have low cholesterol seem to whither and age rather rapidly. People with healthy naturally occurring cholesterol age normally...and do not degenerate as rapidly. Also, why is it that a body builder would have 'high' cholesterol? Could it be that their muscle mass might require a much higher amount of cholesterol to maintain that muscle mass?
Again...marketing shows its ugly face. I hope this makes sense and causes you to think more actively about your health care. If I told you only that which was socially acceptable or accepted by the masses as normal would I be doing you a service or a disservice? By telling you things that may run contrary to your Mds opinion I am causing you to think..I hope. Accepted wisdom has to be challenged if we are to evolve into a better more functionally intelligent species...rather than a bunch of mindless sheep willing to follow the corporate line because they say something is acceptable in a commercial.
Cholesterol medication is another example of a corporate sales pitch that disregards the longer term effects for short term gains in a profit margin.
Dr. B
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Science and the scientific method.
This word 'Scientific' has been thrown at the chiropractic profession like a stone. Chiropractic is not Scientific! Before I expound upon my view on this topic I think it is appropriate to clarify just what science is or more accurately what a 'scientific study' is.
In order to have truly 'scientific' method you must first have a theory to prove. Once you have a theory we need a laboratory setting in which to go about proving our theory correct, thus making it scientific law. In the lab we set up the experiment to prove our theory by removing variables from the equation by controlling the conditions of the experiment. Having set the conditions we now conduct the experiment, multiple times. In order for our theory to be proven we must repeat the experiment at least three times and have the same outcome each time 'consecutively'. So in order to convert a scientific theory into scientific law we must have a repeatable, predictable out come 'every time'.
So in order to have a truly scientific study we must first be able to control the variables 100% of the time. Now we've all heard the pharmaceutical commercials state that this product or that product 'has been scientifically proven to do this or that. More recently they've taken to saying 'Clinically Proven'. So lets pick that apart. As mentioned above a scientific study has to control the variables, right? Ok, so how do we duplicate the biochemical individuality of a single human being, where billions upon billions of chemical reactions take place each time we take a breath, eat or think?
Think?!! When we generate a thought our biochemistry changes because thinking requires a plethora of chemical reactions to generate a neurological impulse which is transmitted to either an idea or a motor function which in turn utilizes another set of chemical reactions simply to move your hand to scratch an itch or pet your dog. Generally actions we take for granted yet require millions of tiny instantaneous chemical reactions to take place in milliseconds.
So if we cannot duplicate human physiology how can a pharmaceutical company 'scientifically' prove their drug works? This is done by setting the parameters of the study to fit their intended goal. So if I wanted to prove that my drug cures cancer or cures depression I have to prove it by duplicating that outcome.
An extreme example: I am a brand new pharmaceutical company trying to sell a new drug that will cure cancer, diabetes and depression 100% of the time, guaranteed. In order to prove my drug works the way I say it does I have to get a panel of study subjects each suffering with this same combination of ailments. I then split them into two groups and give one group 'potassium cyanide' and the other group a sugar pill.
Findings: Every subject who took 'potassium cyanide' is no longer suffering from any of the diseases they entered the study with. I have repeated the intended outcome. Potassium Cyanide cured all the diseases! However, the side effect of using potassium cyanide is 'instantaneous death'. Study group two had no ill effects from their sugar pills save one subject who went into diabetic coma.
"But they're all dead!! How can you say this drug is a success?"
"I never said it was safe, the goal was to prove effectiveness against the disease and they are clearly not suffering from any diseases are they?"
"They're dead!!!"
"Hey don't bother me with details, I can't help the fact that they had a fatal reaction to the drug."
Ok, so it isn't likely that anyone could get away with something that insane. Yet my example isn't so far off the mark of how a drug gets approved for market. It only has to be shown to do something along the lines of what the manufacturer claims it will do. "I believe that the study subjects won't all die...Maybe".
If you listen to the pharmaceutical commercials carefully you will hear the list of side effects that are often worse than what you are taking the drug for. But it was scientifically or clinically proven to work against whatever it is they are trying to fix, the side effects are immaterial.
So when someone says chiropractic is not scientific understand from which corner they are coming and understand that physiology cannot be duplicated in a laboratory setting therefore no health care profession can be truly scientific as a result. Only drugs are so studied, which ties into my previous blogs about health care being more about marketing than actual scientific study.
Dr. B
In order to have truly 'scientific' method you must first have a theory to prove. Once you have a theory we need a laboratory setting in which to go about proving our theory correct, thus making it scientific law. In the lab we set up the experiment to prove our theory by removing variables from the equation by controlling the conditions of the experiment. Having set the conditions we now conduct the experiment, multiple times. In order for our theory to be proven we must repeat the experiment at least three times and have the same outcome each time 'consecutively'. So in order to convert a scientific theory into scientific law we must have a repeatable, predictable out come 'every time'.
So in order to have a truly scientific study we must first be able to control the variables 100% of the time. Now we've all heard the pharmaceutical commercials state that this product or that product 'has been scientifically proven to do this or that. More recently they've taken to saying 'Clinically Proven'. So lets pick that apart. As mentioned above a scientific study has to control the variables, right? Ok, so how do we duplicate the biochemical individuality of a single human being, where billions upon billions of chemical reactions take place each time we take a breath, eat or think?
Think?!! When we generate a thought our biochemistry changes because thinking requires a plethora of chemical reactions to generate a neurological impulse which is transmitted to either an idea or a motor function which in turn utilizes another set of chemical reactions simply to move your hand to scratch an itch or pet your dog. Generally actions we take for granted yet require millions of tiny instantaneous chemical reactions to take place in milliseconds.
So if we cannot duplicate human physiology how can a pharmaceutical company 'scientifically' prove their drug works? This is done by setting the parameters of the study to fit their intended goal. So if I wanted to prove that my drug cures cancer or cures depression I have to prove it by duplicating that outcome.
An extreme example: I am a brand new pharmaceutical company trying to sell a new drug that will cure cancer, diabetes and depression 100% of the time, guaranteed. In order to prove my drug works the way I say it does I have to get a panel of study subjects each suffering with this same combination of ailments. I then split them into two groups and give one group 'potassium cyanide' and the other group a sugar pill.
Findings: Every subject who took 'potassium cyanide' is no longer suffering from any of the diseases they entered the study with. I have repeated the intended outcome. Potassium Cyanide cured all the diseases! However, the side effect of using potassium cyanide is 'instantaneous death'. Study group two had no ill effects from their sugar pills save one subject who went into diabetic coma.
"But they're all dead!! How can you say this drug is a success?"
"I never said it was safe, the goal was to prove effectiveness against the disease and they are clearly not suffering from any diseases are they?"
"They're dead!!!"
"Hey don't bother me with details, I can't help the fact that they had a fatal reaction to the drug."
Ok, so it isn't likely that anyone could get away with something that insane. Yet my example isn't so far off the mark of how a drug gets approved for market. It only has to be shown to do something along the lines of what the manufacturer claims it will do. "I believe that the study subjects won't all die...Maybe".
If you listen to the pharmaceutical commercials carefully you will hear the list of side effects that are often worse than what you are taking the drug for. But it was scientifically or clinically proven to work against whatever it is they are trying to fix, the side effects are immaterial.
So when someone says chiropractic is not scientific understand from which corner they are coming and understand that physiology cannot be duplicated in a laboratory setting therefore no health care profession can be truly scientific as a result. Only drugs are so studied, which ties into my previous blogs about health care being more about marketing than actual scientific study.
Dr. B
Friday, September 9, 2011
Contagion
As I was typing my last blog I heard on the radio an advertisement for a new movie Contagion. It sort of reminded me of the ER episode where there was a small pox out break and the hospital was quarantined. Of course there was the requisite 'drama' and extreme over acting that is meant to draw the audience into the story and tug at the heart strings. If memory serves me right, it was within 'weeks' of that episode that we started getting reports in the news of a possible 'small pox' outbreak. Which was followed by the CDC announcing that there was a vaccine available.
Of course President Bush was the first one to get the vaccine. However, most of the health care workers who were supposed to administer this vaccine to the public REFUSED to be vaccinated. They were concerned with the fact that the vaccine was a live virus vaccine and live viruses mutate. Once that juicy tidbit leaked out the public thought twice before rushing to get their Small Pox vaccine and the 'threat' as reported died quietly on the news desk, of course there was NO outbreak.
So I would like each of you reading my blog to pay attention to the news in the next few weeks following the release of Contagion. I would hazard a bet that a 'new' and deadly form of Small Pox or some other dastardly 'contagion' will have been discovered. It will be hyped with drama, stern, worried expressions and the heart felt recommendation that you get your vaccination as soon as possible.
I am asking each of you to think logically and remember how many other epidemics or pandemics have failed to materialize in the past decade regardless of the hype that precipitated them. It will be interesting to see if my prediction comes to fruition. Wouldn't that be something?
Dr. B
Of course President Bush was the first one to get the vaccine. However, most of the health care workers who were supposed to administer this vaccine to the public REFUSED to be vaccinated. They were concerned with the fact that the vaccine was a live virus vaccine and live viruses mutate. Once that juicy tidbit leaked out the public thought twice before rushing to get their Small Pox vaccine and the 'threat' as reported died quietly on the news desk, of course there was NO outbreak.
So I would like each of you reading my blog to pay attention to the news in the next few weeks following the release of Contagion. I would hazard a bet that a 'new' and deadly form of Small Pox or some other dastardly 'contagion' will have been discovered. It will be hyped with drama, stern, worried expressions and the heart felt recommendation that you get your vaccination as soon as possible.
I am asking each of you to think logically and remember how many other epidemics or pandemics have failed to materialize in the past decade regardless of the hype that precipitated them. It will be interesting to see if my prediction comes to fruition. Wouldn't that be something?
Dr. B
Thursday, September 8, 2011
An illicit health care affair.
In my daily practice I hear many stories of how my patients 'other' doctors express 'concern' that they are seeing a chiropractor. Thankfully in recent years this has become less common but continues to happen often enough to be a pain. Early on it was not uncommon for me to hear that a patients Md had threatened to drop them if they didn't stop seeing that (expletive) chiropractor. Unfortunately, some followed their Mds advice until the problem they'd come in for came back. Only this time they didn't mention it to their Md.
Sadly by taking charge of their own health care these patients felt obligated to keep it from their Md for fear of his/her reaction. In any health care profession it is important that the patient feel free to tell their doctor everything so that they can do everything in their power to help the patient. In the case cited above who is the loser in the equation? Clearly the Md has lost a measure of trust because the patient is not sharing 'everything' with them. The patient also loses out because now they have the unnecessary strain of having to be careful of what they say when they go and see their Md. The chiropractor also loses as they are relegated to the status of an illicit affair, to be seen on the side and only in secret. I'm the 'other' doctor.
As comical as that may sound it is more true than you may realize. Not long ago I had a patient who happened to be the wife of an Md. She had a problem he had not been able to address effectively. Frustrated she decided to see a chiropractor. When she arrived she was wearing a scarf that covered her hair and face. She had even parked her car on the next block walked around the block and approached my office from the rear and hurried into my front door afraid be seen entering my office.
After we worked her up and took x-rays she pulled me aside and asked that I not sent a bill to her home because she didn't want her husband to know she was seeing a chiropractor. She even asked if she could leave out the back door. As care progressed she began coming in through the back door and on days I wasn't supposed to be open. In effect I was seeing her on the side in what amounted to an illicit affair...a health care affair.
Even though it makes for a funny story the fact that it is a true story is sad if not tragic.
NO doctor whether they are an Md or a Chiropractor has the right to force such a decision on you. You have a right to see whomever you decide to...you have the right to see both an Md and a chiropractor...if you choose to. Any doctor who does not respect your right to choose for yourself the type of care that works for you...does not require or deserve your patronage. There are plenty of other doctor out there who need your business and will respect your choices as a patient. In the end YOU are in charge of you. Nobody else can make a decision for you. Including me.
You deserve respect
Sadly by taking charge of their own health care these patients felt obligated to keep it from their Md for fear of his/her reaction. In any health care profession it is important that the patient feel free to tell their doctor everything so that they can do everything in their power to help the patient. In the case cited above who is the loser in the equation? Clearly the Md has lost a measure of trust because the patient is not sharing 'everything' with them. The patient also loses out because now they have the unnecessary strain of having to be careful of what they say when they go and see their Md. The chiropractor also loses as they are relegated to the status of an illicit affair, to be seen on the side and only in secret. I'm the 'other' doctor.
As comical as that may sound it is more true than you may realize. Not long ago I had a patient who happened to be the wife of an Md. She had a problem he had not been able to address effectively. Frustrated she decided to see a chiropractor. When she arrived she was wearing a scarf that covered her hair and face. She had even parked her car on the next block walked around the block and approached my office from the rear and hurried into my front door afraid be seen entering my office.
After we worked her up and took x-rays she pulled me aside and asked that I not sent a bill to her home because she didn't want her husband to know she was seeing a chiropractor. She even asked if she could leave out the back door. As care progressed she began coming in through the back door and on days I wasn't supposed to be open. In effect I was seeing her on the side in what amounted to an illicit affair...a health care affair.
Even though it makes for a funny story the fact that it is a true story is sad if not tragic.
NO doctor whether they are an Md or a Chiropractor has the right to force such a decision on you. You have a right to see whomever you decide to...you have the right to see both an Md and a chiropractor...if you choose to. Any doctor who does not respect your right to choose for yourself the type of care that works for you...does not require or deserve your patronage. There are plenty of other doctor out there who need your business and will respect your choices as a patient. In the end YOU are in charge of you. Nobody else can make a decision for you. Including me.
You deserve respect
Friday, September 2, 2011
A canned opinion.
Several years ago Dr. Dean Adell 'warned' consumers about going to chiropractors who used the term Subluxation. His advice was that if any chiropractor had the word Subluxation on the wall of their offices or used that term at all 'you' were supposed to leave. Dr. Adell is an Opthamologist who has shared his negative opinion of chiropractors with nauseating regularity and even more nauseating ignorance.
He, like many other syndicated radio and television personalities, has been paid to use their doctor status as a gun for hire. It all ties into our health care system being more of a marketing tool than an actual health care system. His opinion of chiropractic has never been positive and it is doubtful he has ever really looked into it other than to read the script he is handed. Dr. Gott is another one whose opinion is more about self inflated egotism than it is about knowledge and understanding. If you look at his information it repeats itself over and over and over. I don't think Dr. Gott has had an original thought in the past 25 years, it is equally doubtful that Dr. Adell has been more than a bought and paid for mouth piece since he first sold his soul to sponsors.
Sadly these two examples of hired opinions are nothing new. It has been this way for well over a century now. In fact most of Dr. Gotts and Dr Adells opinions were shared with the public when my grandfather first opened his office in Illinois in 1925. So when you really think about it they are simply repeating old opinions that their peers and predecessors had 80 years go. They can't even come up with new arguments...they have to repeat the old ones over and over and over. Sad.
He, like many other syndicated radio and television personalities, has been paid to use their doctor status as a gun for hire. It all ties into our health care system being more of a marketing tool than an actual health care system. His opinion of chiropractic has never been positive and it is doubtful he has ever really looked into it other than to read the script he is handed. Dr. Gott is another one whose opinion is more about self inflated egotism than it is about knowledge and understanding. If you look at his information it repeats itself over and over and over. I don't think Dr. Gott has had an original thought in the past 25 years, it is equally doubtful that Dr. Adell has been more than a bought and paid for mouth piece since he first sold his soul to sponsors.
Sadly these two examples of hired opinions are nothing new. It has been this way for well over a century now. In fact most of Dr. Gotts and Dr Adells opinions were shared with the public when my grandfather first opened his office in Illinois in 1925. So when you really think about it they are simply repeating old opinions that their peers and predecessors had 80 years go. They can't even come up with new arguments...they have to repeat the old ones over and over and over. Sad.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Health care or Marketing II
In a previous blog I discussed the idea that our health care system is more about marketing than it is about health care. What I gave you was an example of how our system currently works i.e. the news media creates an OMG story that suggests that there is an impending catastrophe. This is followed by news of a new drug or vaccine that was 'rushed' into production to save us all from the ravages of this new threat to life as we know it.
It is the same sales pitch an insurance salesman might use to sell you life insurance, health insurance or flood insurance. In short what he/she or they will do is create a sense of urgency, an emotional need to address the plethora of horrible scenarios that will eventually befall you 'if' you don't have insurance. There are salesmen out there who could sell you tickets to your own funeral but only if you aren't wise to them. A salesman hates an informed consumer. So lets get informed.
It is important to know exactly how our health care system came to be so 'sales' oriented. In the late 1800s there were virtually no regulations on the sale of goods in our nation. This included the sale of cocaine, opium and morphine. You could get cocaine over the counter in various forms from 'snuff', toothache powder and Coca Cola, which was then made per serving, by a pharmacist. 'Coke ads a sparkle to your day'. I should say so. Opium came in the form of Laudinum and was also available over the counter as was morphine.
1885 saw the first efforts of legislation against the sale of these items. The pharmaceutical lobby, yes they existed then to, was extremely powerful for the same reason they are today, wealth...extreme wealth.
At the turn of the 20th century the pharmaceutical companies were billion dollar companies, yes billion with a B. That's a lot of money today and was insane wealth then. From 1885 to 1910 the pharm industry staved of legislative regulation until addiction to these items became epidemic and couldn't be ignored. Cocaine addiction was so prolific that even fictitious characters of the time were depicted as cocaine addicts. Sherlock Holmes being the most recognizable of the era. So how does this translate into today's health care for profit system?
Once it was clear that the sales of cocaine and opium were going to be regulated as prescription only items the pharm industry took steps to address this eventuality. Their first course of action was to create fraudulent diploma mills that were to be used to create an army of 'faux' doctors who could then prescribe their product line. It was so bad that two presidents of the American Medical Association were among these 'faux' doctors.
This action was merely a stop gap measure that was meant to buy time to take over the medical profession who was at that time in the middle an identity crisis and whose most significant advancements were rapid amputations and hand washing. Hand washing was actually scorned by the medical leadership of the time as an unnecessary waist of time. Sad but true.
The pharmaceutical industry took over five major medical colleges and renovated them and changed up the core curriculum to include drug therapy. Once cocaine and opium were made totally illegal they had a range of new drugs based on variations of these drugs to market which in effect expanded their market and consequently their profits. The Pharm has been in control of the practice of medicine since.
The pharmaceutical industry could not have survived the changes had they not partnered up with the medical profession. It is safe to say that medicine would have been a very different looking profession had the Pharm not been such a strong influence on its practice. Since this first example of corporate influence into health care we've seen it expand to include the insurance industry which convoluted into HMOs and PPOs which have proven to be the bane of functional health care. However, they have proven exceptionally profitable for those who operate them.
As a result of all this corporate influence, our system of health care ranks 37th in the world, costs twice as much as any other industrialized nation, and is more scientific about its marketing research than actual health related research.
You have the power to make it change. Do not buy an insurance policy that doesn't guarantee in writing that they will not drop you at their convenience or if you fall ill suddenly or get injured. It is time 'we' make them work for us...make them accountable..if they can't make a profit doing what 'you' have paid them to do. then they are in the wrong business. You have the power to change them. Its your money they are taking to provide a service for you. You aren't paying them to bonus themselves and then shaft you, are you? Your premiums pay their salaries. If enough of their clients stop paying premiums...they just might get the message.
Dr. B
It is the same sales pitch an insurance salesman might use to sell you life insurance, health insurance or flood insurance. In short what he/she or they will do is create a sense of urgency, an emotional need to address the plethora of horrible scenarios that will eventually befall you 'if' you don't have insurance. There are salesmen out there who could sell you tickets to your own funeral but only if you aren't wise to them. A salesman hates an informed consumer. So lets get informed.
It is important to know exactly how our health care system came to be so 'sales' oriented. In the late 1800s there were virtually no regulations on the sale of goods in our nation. This included the sale of cocaine, opium and morphine. You could get cocaine over the counter in various forms from 'snuff', toothache powder and Coca Cola, which was then made per serving, by a pharmacist. 'Coke ads a sparkle to your day'. I should say so. Opium came in the form of Laudinum and was also available over the counter as was morphine.
1885 saw the first efforts of legislation against the sale of these items. The pharmaceutical lobby, yes they existed then to, was extremely powerful for the same reason they are today, wealth...extreme wealth.
At the turn of the 20th century the pharmaceutical companies were billion dollar companies, yes billion with a B. That's a lot of money today and was insane wealth then. From 1885 to 1910 the pharm industry staved of legislative regulation until addiction to these items became epidemic and couldn't be ignored. Cocaine addiction was so prolific that even fictitious characters of the time were depicted as cocaine addicts. Sherlock Holmes being the most recognizable of the era. So how does this translate into today's health care for profit system?
Once it was clear that the sales of cocaine and opium were going to be regulated as prescription only items the pharm industry took steps to address this eventuality. Their first course of action was to create fraudulent diploma mills that were to be used to create an army of 'faux' doctors who could then prescribe their product line. It was so bad that two presidents of the American Medical Association were among these 'faux' doctors.
This action was merely a stop gap measure that was meant to buy time to take over the medical profession who was at that time in the middle an identity crisis and whose most significant advancements were rapid amputations and hand washing. Hand washing was actually scorned by the medical leadership of the time as an unnecessary waist of time. Sad but true.
The pharmaceutical industry took over five major medical colleges and renovated them and changed up the core curriculum to include drug therapy. Once cocaine and opium were made totally illegal they had a range of new drugs based on variations of these drugs to market which in effect expanded their market and consequently their profits. The Pharm has been in control of the practice of medicine since.
The pharmaceutical industry could not have survived the changes had they not partnered up with the medical profession. It is safe to say that medicine would have been a very different looking profession had the Pharm not been such a strong influence on its practice. Since this first example of corporate influence into health care we've seen it expand to include the insurance industry which convoluted into HMOs and PPOs which have proven to be the bane of functional health care. However, they have proven exceptionally profitable for those who operate them.
As a result of all this corporate influence, our system of health care ranks 37th in the world, costs twice as much as any other industrialized nation, and is more scientific about its marketing research than actual health related research.
You have the power to make it change. Do not buy an insurance policy that doesn't guarantee in writing that they will not drop you at their convenience or if you fall ill suddenly or get injured. It is time 'we' make them work for us...make them accountable..if they can't make a profit doing what 'you' have paid them to do. then they are in the wrong business. You have the power to change them. Its your money they are taking to provide a service for you. You aren't paying them to bonus themselves and then shaft you, are you? Your premiums pay their salaries. If enough of their clients stop paying premiums...they just might get the message.
Dr. B
Monday, August 29, 2011
Health care or Marketing
Is it me or do radio hosts, particularly those on nationally syndicated radio, always seem to have the same advice about health care? The script they seem to follow tends to be a prepackaged message that follows this basic format, "Reports out of Mexico, China and/or Canada suggest a new deadly virus has been discovered." At this we are all supposed to collectively gasp in fear. "Small children and the elderly seem to be most at risk with reports of numerous deaths among the elderly and one infant child" Again we gasp in fear and dismay at news of this tragic and foreign catastrophe. "The CDC suggests that it is likely already here but no reports have been confirmed', dramatic pause, 'YET'" Now the marketing pitch..."Luckily a vaccine has been prepared and is being distributed throughout the nation in response to this threat" So now we all sigh in collective relief that we have been 'saved' before the danger has even arrived...so long as we get the vaccine, of a newly discovered virus that hasn't even been reported on our shores..and yet we have a stock pile of vaccine to counter this new threat? How exactly did that happen?
In the last ten years we've had the SARS, Avian and Swine flu pandemics. Pandemics that somehow never materialized on our shores...or anywhere else for that matter. All we got was a news story with images of people in China, Mexico or wherever else this virus originated, wearing masks and scurrying about their daily lives in a mild panic. Isn't it curious that a virus can be newly discovered and yet we have a stock pile of vaccine specifically formulated against that 'one' deadly new strain before it is ever reported on our shores? Curious, very curious.
Over the past century our health care system has been more of a study in marketing than it has been an actual health care system. How many new syndromes pop up every year? How many new drugs happen to be available to treat this new syndrome? Watch television tonight and count the number of pharmaceutical commercials you see, count the repeats as well. Often they repeat back to back especially on prime time.
Give it one hour and count the amount of drug ads you see. Health care isn't health care is marketing.
In the last ten years we've had the SARS, Avian and Swine flu pandemics. Pandemics that somehow never materialized on our shores...or anywhere else for that matter. All we got was a news story with images of people in China, Mexico or wherever else this virus originated, wearing masks and scurrying about their daily lives in a mild panic. Isn't it curious that a virus can be newly discovered and yet we have a stock pile of vaccine specifically formulated against that 'one' deadly new strain before it is ever reported on our shores? Curious, very curious.
Over the past century our health care system has been more of a study in marketing than it has been an actual health care system. How many new syndromes pop up every year? How many new drugs happen to be available to treat this new syndrome? Watch television tonight and count the number of pharmaceutical commercials you see, count the repeats as well. Often they repeat back to back especially on prime time.
Give it one hour and count the amount of drug ads you see. Health care isn't health care is marketing.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Chiropractic and Hippocrates.
In 1895 the study of Chiropractic was born. Chiropractic is a combination of two Greek words 'Kiro' and Praktik which when translated means 'Done by Hand', to honor Hippocrates the father of all doctors. Hippocrates had 2500 years earlier discovered the link between the body and the brain and called it the nervous system. Through observation and crude manipulations performed on this subjects he discovered that by removing what he called 'Lesions' from the spinal column illnesses cleared up much more quickly. Those who came to him feeling well felt better and stayed well and were sick much less often than his subjects that came only when something was wrong. Hippocrates is quoted: "Look well to the Spine for the Cause of Disease"
Since Hippocrates many cultures have employed 'bone setters' as healers. Galen was a Roman Physician who had studied Hippocrates works and took the studies of the spine and the nervous system further still. He was dubbed 'Prince of Physicians' by a Roman Senator who had been injured in battle, leaving his arm numb and useless. By the time Galen attended to him his arm had been curled up next to his body for several months. Galen upon examining him and using the diagram created by Hippocrates adjusted the thoracic and cervical vertebrae that innervated the arm. With a loud 'crack' the Senators neck was adjusted by Galen and in minutes the arm uncurled and the senator was able to use it.
History is replete with such stories. Captain Cook who discovered the Sandwich Islands, known today as the Hawaiian islands was stricken with arthritis and was using a cane when he first landed on the Island of Hawaii. The king noticed and called his 'bone setters'. They consisted of a group of large Polynesian women. As he later noted he was 'set upon' by these women and his body wracked an all manner of noise and cracking emanated from his body. After 30 minutes of this he stood and was pain free and able to walk without his cane. He smiled and asked for more.
Since 1895 Chiropractic has been seeing to the 'wellness' of our patients by reducing what Hippocrates called 'lesions'. Chiropractors call them 'Subluxations' or partial dislocations of the Spinal segments which causes nervous system interference. It is this simple concept that has enabled Chiropractic to gain ground and become the largest non-medical health care system on the planet. Use chiropractic as a tool to keep yourself well by visiting your chiropractor regularly. Prevention, prevention, prevention.
Dr. B
Since Hippocrates many cultures have employed 'bone setters' as healers. Galen was a Roman Physician who had studied Hippocrates works and took the studies of the spine and the nervous system further still. He was dubbed 'Prince of Physicians' by a Roman Senator who had been injured in battle, leaving his arm numb and useless. By the time Galen attended to him his arm had been curled up next to his body for several months. Galen upon examining him and using the diagram created by Hippocrates adjusted the thoracic and cervical vertebrae that innervated the arm. With a loud 'crack' the Senators neck was adjusted by Galen and in minutes the arm uncurled and the senator was able to use it.
History is replete with such stories. Captain Cook who discovered the Sandwich Islands, known today as the Hawaiian islands was stricken with arthritis and was using a cane when he first landed on the Island of Hawaii. The king noticed and called his 'bone setters'. They consisted of a group of large Polynesian women. As he later noted he was 'set upon' by these women and his body wracked an all manner of noise and cracking emanated from his body. After 30 minutes of this he stood and was pain free and able to walk without his cane. He smiled and asked for more.
Since 1895 Chiropractic has been seeing to the 'wellness' of our patients by reducing what Hippocrates called 'lesions'. Chiropractors call them 'Subluxations' or partial dislocations of the Spinal segments which causes nervous system interference. It is this simple concept that has enabled Chiropractic to gain ground and become the largest non-medical health care system on the planet. Use chiropractic as a tool to keep yourself well by visiting your chiropractor regularly. Prevention, prevention, prevention.
Dr. B
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wellness means paying attention to your body.
Your body will let you know what it needs if you simply pay attention to it. When you are hungry that is an indication that you are low on fuel and its time to fill up again. Thirst is a signal that you need to take in some water...not soda or vodka or some other 'thing' that has water in it. And for heavens sake do not use 'diet soda' as a substitute for water...please. The chemistry in diet soda becomes formaldehyde or embalming fluid. YUK!!
When your body is sleepy it does not mean that you need a double shot of espresso in your 'mint, mocha chip latte'. It means that you need to go to bed. It would help if you had a regular bed time and got a good 8 hours of sleep daily. Daily means daily...not catching up on the weekends.
The consequences of neglecting your bodies attempts at self regulation are serious. Fail to eat and your body will consume itself and eventually collapse. Forget to drink water and you will first get a nasty headache...and if you continue to not drink water...you will collapse. If you do not sleep enough..or use artificial stimulants to stay awake..your body will eventually fatigue and collapse. These are a few examples of how you need to pay attention to your bodies function. It is your responsibility to prevent total body collapse by simply paying attention to what your body is telling you. Pay attention.
When your body is sleepy it does not mean that you need a double shot of espresso in your 'mint, mocha chip latte'. It means that you need to go to bed. It would help if you had a regular bed time and got a good 8 hours of sleep daily. Daily means daily...not catching up on the weekends.
The consequences of neglecting your bodies attempts at self regulation are serious. Fail to eat and your body will consume itself and eventually collapse. Forget to drink water and you will first get a nasty headache...and if you continue to not drink water...you will collapse. If you do not sleep enough..or use artificial stimulants to stay awake..your body will eventually fatigue and collapse. These are a few examples of how you need to pay attention to your bodies function. It is your responsibility to prevent total body collapse by simply paying attention to what your body is telling you. Pay attention.
Monday, August 8, 2011
What is wellness?
Wellness is defined as a state of physical and mental well being. This definition is rather vague considering that each of us may have a different idea of what constitutes physical and mental well being. For instance Steven Hawking, a wheel chair bound physicist, may have a very different idea of what constitutes 'wellness' than Brett Favre, a semi-retired NFL quarterback, does. The point being the we 'each' may have a very different opinion of what wellness means for us. Health care should be approached as an individual care plan to include prevention of disease and not just the treatment of disease.
What constitutes 'wellness' for you?
What constitutes 'wellness' for you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)