To my readers, I realize that my 'wellness' blog has become something of an outlet for my personal diatribe. For that I apologize. On the other hand what I hope to impart is the raw, unadulterated struggle of the chiropractic profession as a whole, as well as an individual practitioner.
The profession of chiropractic from the very outset has been set firmly 'against' pharmaceutical based care. Being the last profession standing that is totally not in the pocket of Big Pharma, we as a profession have faced more than our share of political and legal struggles, each time coming out on top, in spite of public perception.
The long and short of it is when the facts are presented, particularly in a court room setting, chiropractic wins hands down, consistently. However, in the court of public opinion we are mired in rumor, fear mongering and a plethora of unceasing innuendo. Note that there are seldom if any 'facts' being used by mass media to describe chiropractic. Normally you hear the opinion of a group who seek to keep chiropractic's influence on 'you', to an absolute minimum, usually by scaring you with stories of epic destruction, exaggeration and lying through their teeth in the form of a negative opinion. FYI 'Opinions' are protected by the First Amendment so they can share their opinion all day long. But if they fabricate a lie and present it as 'fact' they are subject to libel and defamation law suits, hence chiropractics winning streak in court.
Ask yourself this. If Chiropractic was truly as dangerous as we have been rumored to be, why are we still here? Think about that. If any of the rumors about chiropractic were remotely true, even in one instance the profession would have self terminated decades ago. After 118 years we are still here and the hammer keeps falling and we keep surviving.
Osteopathy, the classic version, ceased to exist in 1957 when the AMA 'accepted' them as equal and absorbed them. The Osteopath became a second class Md, nothing more than a common pill pusher. In fact Osteopathy 'manipulation' became an elective and wasn't taught in schools until the early 1990s when it was discovered that setting C1 cleared out ear infections in children. My grandfather knew that in 1925 but because he was a 'quack' it was dismissed as nonsense. However, the very same finding 70 years later, was 'discovered' by an Osteopath? Interesting.
In the coming years, health care in this great nation will change. Either by necessity or by demand but will change to a patient centered care model and away from the pharmaceutical based model. You the patient will be the primary catalyst for that change. Your voice, the recipient of this nations upside down excuse for health care, is what is currently driving the changes in health care today. People are generally tired of being medicated to death; sadly for many this is a literal truth.
The pharmaceutical model is exactly what 'they' have attempted to portray the chiropractor as and that is 'dangerous'. Though very powerful and flush with cash the very nature of their business model is what will bring them to a crashing halt. It's and axiom of metaphysics and morality. Absolute power is met with absolute resistance. This holds true with dictatorships and corporate conglomerates, either the world brings them down or they do it themselves. Invariably 'they' the abusers of humanity self destruct.
Chiropractic, by maintaining its autonomy and independence from 'Big Pharma', has withstood a decades long barrage of lies coming out bruised and bleeding but otherwise intact. Dedication to you the patient is the chiropractors power. Your well being is our strength. The hug of a grateful child is our joy. These are the reasons chiropractic has survived the onslaught of decades, our dedication to you our patients, the public we have yet to see and hope to see.
It is my honor and duty as a Doctor of Chiropractic to Give, to Love and to Serve you. It is my passion for this profession that drives me to say what must be said. Who in history ever changed it by being silent? At no time has social change of any sort come without upheaval, dissent and a monumental battle for the truth. In all such struggles truth wins in the long run. How long change takes depends on how long you, the patient, are willing to wait. What do you want out of your health care? Are you willing to let someone else choose it for you?
To Give, To Love, To Serve...you.
Dr. Bend
Friday, August 30, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
PIA syndrome.
Not long ago a middle aged gentleman came into my office. He was one of those well to do, clearly pleased with himself types. An arrogant soul who thought he knew more than he truly did, particularly about chiropractic.
Anyway, he presented to my office with a 'pain' in the upper right quadrant of his abdomen right at the junction where the ribs meet the abdomen. Had it not been for the smirk that he just couldn't hide or the fact that the pain seemed to move from one side to the other whenever I'd begin examining him, I would have thought maybe, that he had gas, or a duodenal sphincter spasm or possibly even an irritated gall bladder.
However, after the third shift in the pain location I began to realize he was suffering from PIA syndrome. It is a condition in which arrogance overrides ignorance allowing the person to become a gigantic Pain In the Ass. It is a condition I have diagnosed certain personalities with prior to my dismissing them from care.
These people come into a chiropractors office with the intent of making things difficult for the doctor by not having anything wrong with them. What seems to be the common mindset for these souls is that they each have a 'pain' somewhere they want the chiropractor to find the cause of. It is usually as far away from the spine as they can manage and if the chiropractor falls into their trap they find themselves being embarrassed by these individuals who then make a public proclamation that the chiropractor couldn't fix their problem.
Thankfully my father gave me a heads up to such personalities and was aware of the tactics used by those suffering from PIA syndrome. When they presented to my office for 'care', or whatever it is they wanted, I was able to address the problem by showing them the door. As a result I've had very few of these unfortunate souls present to my office. I have yet to discover why such people do what they do. Clearly ignorance feeds the syndrome, but what do such people hope to accomplish?
It is clear that these individuals have a desire to prove chiropractic doesn't work, to their own satisfaction. Trouble is they are often so far off the mark in terms of understanding the purpose of chiropractic that they come in complaining of a pain they've clearly had to invent in order to prove their point. What point is their to making a false complaint other than to cause trouble? Why would a person want to cause trouble for a licensed, practicing chiropractor? Clearly ignorance is one reason but another would be a profound and enduring lack of respect.
This is caused by their contemporaries who spread rumors and tell stories of how terrible the chiropractor is. Then to prove they are right they come into the chiropractic office with a fake problem to justify their ignorance by feeding their arrogance.
Sadly their is no cure for this other than knowledge and understanding. Something these souls are not interested in seeking because they believe they already know 'everything' there is to know. The best method of addressing this syndrome is by removing these toxic minded people from your practice and from your personal life. I noted that when I see these people on the street they are usually alone. Perhaps, they are seeking validation. Sadly, validating someone with PIA syndrome is a self defeating proposition.
Just smile and pray for them.
Dr. Bend
Anyway, he presented to my office with a 'pain' in the upper right quadrant of his abdomen right at the junction where the ribs meet the abdomen. Had it not been for the smirk that he just couldn't hide or the fact that the pain seemed to move from one side to the other whenever I'd begin examining him, I would have thought maybe, that he had gas, or a duodenal sphincter spasm or possibly even an irritated gall bladder.
However, after the third shift in the pain location I began to realize he was suffering from PIA syndrome. It is a condition in which arrogance overrides ignorance allowing the person to become a gigantic Pain In the Ass. It is a condition I have diagnosed certain personalities with prior to my dismissing them from care.
These people come into a chiropractors office with the intent of making things difficult for the doctor by not having anything wrong with them. What seems to be the common mindset for these souls is that they each have a 'pain' somewhere they want the chiropractor to find the cause of. It is usually as far away from the spine as they can manage and if the chiropractor falls into their trap they find themselves being embarrassed by these individuals who then make a public proclamation that the chiropractor couldn't fix their problem.
Thankfully my father gave me a heads up to such personalities and was aware of the tactics used by those suffering from PIA syndrome. When they presented to my office for 'care', or whatever it is they wanted, I was able to address the problem by showing them the door. As a result I've had very few of these unfortunate souls present to my office. I have yet to discover why such people do what they do. Clearly ignorance feeds the syndrome, but what do such people hope to accomplish?
It is clear that these individuals have a desire to prove chiropractic doesn't work, to their own satisfaction. Trouble is they are often so far off the mark in terms of understanding the purpose of chiropractic that they come in complaining of a pain they've clearly had to invent in order to prove their point. What point is their to making a false complaint other than to cause trouble? Why would a person want to cause trouble for a licensed, practicing chiropractor? Clearly ignorance is one reason but another would be a profound and enduring lack of respect.
This is caused by their contemporaries who spread rumors and tell stories of how terrible the chiropractor is. Then to prove they are right they come into the chiropractic office with a fake problem to justify their ignorance by feeding their arrogance.
Sadly their is no cure for this other than knowledge and understanding. Something these souls are not interested in seeking because they believe they already know 'everything' there is to know. The best method of addressing this syndrome is by removing these toxic minded people from your practice and from your personal life. I noted that when I see these people on the street they are usually alone. Perhaps, they are seeking validation. Sadly, validating someone with PIA syndrome is a self defeating proposition.
Just smile and pray for them.
Dr. Bend
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Why is the safest health care in the world the most feared?
This morning while having my coffee, I began pondering the why and wherefores of 'life'. What I locked onto this morning was chiropractic, go figure. Of all the health care systems in place today, chiropractic his the safest and most cost effective health care system with the highest patient satisfaction rating in the world. Yet people are terrified about the prospect of going to a chiropractor. That is until they finally, out of desperation and resignation decide to go because everything else has failed. Even then it takes them months and even years to come in to see the chiropractor because some fool has told them something awful about us.
When they finally do come in they are usually shaking in fear expecting to be carted off in a body bag. You think I'm joking? These people are often surprised I'm not wearing a buffalo head dress, have a bone in my nose with a leopard skin loin clothe and the 'magic' stick of 'God only knows'. In truth my wife will not allow me out of the house wearing my loin cloth for some reason muttering things like 'fashionable' and 'oh dear God' shaking her head in despair.
So what is it that these people are told and from whom and where do they hear it? I was giving a lecture some years back and a 'person of ignorance' spewed forth this 'comment' "I heard a chiropractor caused quadriplegia in a guy back east". He was sitting in the back of the room with a smug grin waiting for me to choke. In all honesty it was difficult for me to not pick up a chair and smash it across his teeth. However, I maintained and asked him to provide me with a name and location of this source. He then choked and said he had only heard it from someone he knew back east. So it is with all such stories, somebody heard something from someone who saw it happen on television...20 years ago.
My grandmother, back in 1928, was told as a nursing student of the horrible injuries caused by chiropractors. Such were the stories that she 'hated' and feared chiropractors so much that when her father told he had 30 days to live and decided to go see a chiropractor, was convinced he was suicidal. My grandmother believed that her father would be killed by seeing the chiropractor. What did they say to make her think that?
She tried desperately to convince him not to see that 'heathen quack' because she believed he would certainly die if he did. In spite of the drama and desperate pleas of my grandmother he went. She went with him to defend him against the chiropractor. When he didn't die from the 'adjustment', she was relieved. However, she was horrified when he was told he'd have to come back.
In less that a month of regular chiropractic visits he was well enough to go back to work. In fact he canceled his own funeral and not only out lived his diagnosis by 30 years, and out lived the Md who'd given him 30 days to live by nearly 20.
My grandmother eventually swallowed her pride and went to see this weirdo who had helped her father. First she wanted to apologize for calling him a quack. Then she wanted to see what it was he did to her father. His explanation was difficult to accept because it was too simple and made too much sense. What confused her was the professional demeanor of the 'evil, vile and despicable chiropractor. It was while sitting in his office that she realized that the stories she had been told were lies meant to scare people away from something that clearly worked better than drugs and surgery.
My grandmother became a chiropractor because a chiropractor saved her fathers life. She turned away from medicine realizing that if they had to lie and spread ugly rumors to convince people to scare patients away from the competition, there was something very wrong with their model of care. So it is today, still, after all these years. Yet, the Chiropractor is still here black eye and all.
After 118 years of existence in the health care market chiropractors are still here. We have a 95% pt satisfaction rating world wide. We have an accumulated death rate of less than 0.01% covering the entire 118 year span of our existence. We have the lowest malpractice premiums of all health care systems. In spite of these facts people keep hearing awful, nasty and scary stories about how terrible the chiropractor is and how they should stay away from that evil, vile and despicable voodoo artist.
Such stories are meant to scare you away from seeking care that works better and is safer than anything offered in the medicine cabinet. In short you have been lied to, repeatedly. Think about it. If what 'you' have heard about the chiropractor were true, why is chiropractic still here? Why do chiropractors still get results 'others' can't explain?
Are you angry yet? You should be.
Dr. Richard Bend.
When they finally do come in they are usually shaking in fear expecting to be carted off in a body bag. You think I'm joking? These people are often surprised I'm not wearing a buffalo head dress, have a bone in my nose with a leopard skin loin clothe and the 'magic' stick of 'God only knows'. In truth my wife will not allow me out of the house wearing my loin cloth for some reason muttering things like 'fashionable' and 'oh dear God' shaking her head in despair.
So what is it that these people are told and from whom and where do they hear it? I was giving a lecture some years back and a 'person of ignorance' spewed forth this 'comment' "I heard a chiropractor caused quadriplegia in a guy back east". He was sitting in the back of the room with a smug grin waiting for me to choke. In all honesty it was difficult for me to not pick up a chair and smash it across his teeth. However, I maintained and asked him to provide me with a name and location of this source. He then choked and said he had only heard it from someone he knew back east. So it is with all such stories, somebody heard something from someone who saw it happen on television...20 years ago.
My grandmother, back in 1928, was told as a nursing student of the horrible injuries caused by chiropractors. Such were the stories that she 'hated' and feared chiropractors so much that when her father told he had 30 days to live and decided to go see a chiropractor, was convinced he was suicidal. My grandmother believed that her father would be killed by seeing the chiropractor. What did they say to make her think that?
She tried desperately to convince him not to see that 'heathen quack' because she believed he would certainly die if he did. In spite of the drama and desperate pleas of my grandmother he went. She went with him to defend him against the chiropractor. When he didn't die from the 'adjustment', she was relieved. However, she was horrified when he was told he'd have to come back.
In less that a month of regular chiropractic visits he was well enough to go back to work. In fact he canceled his own funeral and not only out lived his diagnosis by 30 years, and out lived the Md who'd given him 30 days to live by nearly 20.
My grandmother eventually swallowed her pride and went to see this weirdo who had helped her father. First she wanted to apologize for calling him a quack. Then she wanted to see what it was he did to her father. His explanation was difficult to accept because it was too simple and made too much sense. What confused her was the professional demeanor of the 'evil, vile and despicable chiropractor. It was while sitting in his office that she realized that the stories she had been told were lies meant to scare people away from something that clearly worked better than drugs and surgery.
My grandmother became a chiropractor because a chiropractor saved her fathers life. She turned away from medicine realizing that if they had to lie and spread ugly rumors to convince people to scare patients away from the competition, there was something very wrong with their model of care. So it is today, still, after all these years. Yet, the Chiropractor is still here black eye and all.
After 118 years of existence in the health care market chiropractors are still here. We have a 95% pt satisfaction rating world wide. We have an accumulated death rate of less than 0.01% covering the entire 118 year span of our existence. We have the lowest malpractice premiums of all health care systems. In spite of these facts people keep hearing awful, nasty and scary stories about how terrible the chiropractor is and how they should stay away from that evil, vile and despicable voodoo artist.
Such stories are meant to scare you away from seeking care that works better and is safer than anything offered in the medicine cabinet. In short you have been lied to, repeatedly. Think about it. If what 'you' have heard about the chiropractor were true, why is chiropractic still here? Why do chiropractors still get results 'others' can't explain?
Are you angry yet? You should be.
Dr. Richard Bend.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Walmart and health care insurance
Everybody knows about Walmart. I don't know anyone who hasn't gone there to get something they needed on the cheap. Where else can you get shoes, beer and dog food in one store? Ok, maybe Walmart hasn't got the exclusive on one stop shopping, but it is the most well known brand so far.
Then again Walmart provides us with 'made in china' cheap items that will eventually end up in a land fill somewhere. At least with Walmart you get something for the money spent. Can anyone say that about their insurance carrier? You pay them and they cover as little of your health care as they can manage, or they'll just drop you from coverage if you get too sick.
Of course Obamacare is being called 'socialism' by the media and the talking heads on our television, because 'we' don't want socialism. Who is the 'we' in this equation? Insurances happen to not want any change to our system of health care because 'they' are making so much money they see little need to change. Having an abundance of cash tends to do that to some people.
However, the world is tiring of the corporate mentality that is wrecking our national and world economy for the sake of the bottom line. Our health are model is run strictly on this corporate model. As long as a CEOs compensation package is healthy the manner in which it is funded is of little or no concern to those getting the funds. Which is why Obama care is being so heavily opposed. It is meant to curb this corporate profit taking and abuse of your health care.
It has been clear for a while now that our health care system has needed an overhaul. Our economy is a direct result of the extreme cost of health care today. If something isn't done our economy will get even worse. Honestly I'm not in the mood to see our economy tank just so that a corporate entity can make record profits while producing as little as possible.
The definition of fraud is taking money without producing the product or service being paid for. Ok, so that isn't the Webster version but that is the basic idea of fraud, getting paid for doing or producing nothing. Which is what our health care insurances have been doing under the guise of managed care since the Nixon administration. Of course we know that Nixon was honest with a strong sense of morality. Pardon me while I vomit.
With Nixons help via the creation of 'Managed Care' we now have institutionalized fraud in which corporations can legally extort funds from you the consumer and provide you with nothing or as little as they can manage. In the end you end up paying for your health care out of pocket or at least the bulk of it because they decided your care wasn't medically necessary or that your doctor wasn't on their list or was kicked off because he wasn't following their rules or they lost his paper work, or he didn't bill them correctly or the moon was blue on the day your care took place so you weren't covered for the period of the blue moon and more recently your credit score was too low so you are no loner covered with our firm...sorry.
Sadly some of you reading this think I am joking. At least with Walmart you get what you pay for cheap though it may be but with insurance you're lucky if they cover anything.
I want you to read this and call your insurance company today and find out exactly what you are covered for. Make them explain it to you. If they tell you that you are covered for 'everything' press the issue and make them tell you what you will be expected to pay if and when you go see your doctor or your chiropractor, then have your doctor call them and compare notes. Hopefully you won't be surprised, but it is likely you will be and not in the good way.
Dr. B
Then again Walmart provides us with 'made in china' cheap items that will eventually end up in a land fill somewhere. At least with Walmart you get something for the money spent. Can anyone say that about their insurance carrier? You pay them and they cover as little of your health care as they can manage, or they'll just drop you from coverage if you get too sick.
Of course Obamacare is being called 'socialism' by the media and the talking heads on our television, because 'we' don't want socialism. Who is the 'we' in this equation? Insurances happen to not want any change to our system of health care because 'they' are making so much money they see little need to change. Having an abundance of cash tends to do that to some people.
However, the world is tiring of the corporate mentality that is wrecking our national and world economy for the sake of the bottom line. Our health are model is run strictly on this corporate model. As long as a CEOs compensation package is healthy the manner in which it is funded is of little or no concern to those getting the funds. Which is why Obama care is being so heavily opposed. It is meant to curb this corporate profit taking and abuse of your health care.
It has been clear for a while now that our health care system has needed an overhaul. Our economy is a direct result of the extreme cost of health care today. If something isn't done our economy will get even worse. Honestly I'm not in the mood to see our economy tank just so that a corporate entity can make record profits while producing as little as possible.
The definition of fraud is taking money without producing the product or service being paid for. Ok, so that isn't the Webster version but that is the basic idea of fraud, getting paid for doing or producing nothing. Which is what our health care insurances have been doing under the guise of managed care since the Nixon administration. Of course we know that Nixon was honest with a strong sense of morality. Pardon me while I vomit.
With Nixons help via the creation of 'Managed Care' we now have institutionalized fraud in which corporations can legally extort funds from you the consumer and provide you with nothing or as little as they can manage. In the end you end up paying for your health care out of pocket or at least the bulk of it because they decided your care wasn't medically necessary or that your doctor wasn't on their list or was kicked off because he wasn't following their rules or they lost his paper work, or he didn't bill them correctly or the moon was blue on the day your care took place so you weren't covered for the period of the blue moon and more recently your credit score was too low so you are no loner covered with our firm...sorry.
Sadly some of you reading this think I am joking. At least with Walmart you get what you pay for cheap though it may be but with insurance you're lucky if they cover anything.
I want you to read this and call your insurance company today and find out exactly what you are covered for. Make them explain it to you. If they tell you that you are covered for 'everything' press the issue and make them tell you what you will be expected to pay if and when you go see your doctor or your chiropractor, then have your doctor call them and compare notes. Hopefully you won't be surprised, but it is likely you will be and not in the good way.
Dr. B
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