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
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