Tag: Prescription drugs

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Getting To The Cause

symptoms vs cause

An image of a lowly iceberg. It looks so simple to simply steer around and bypass it on the way to smoother seas. But if our past was a good teacher, then we know that by only paying attention to the surface, we can miss a dangerous obstacle in the depths.

As long as we continue to exist in a healthcare system that only seeks to reduce symptoms, then we will continue to get the same results as those who only saw the tip of the iceberg.

Presently, however, physicians lack the training (and financial incentives) to help people learn how to eat healthy, exercise, stop smoking, avoid environmental toxins, or address the effects of structural abnormalities in the spine. So they continue to do what they know how to do: prescribe medication and perform surgery.

Our bodies are equipped with an incredible array of signals to let us know that something is wrong. Sometimes it comes in the form of a pain in the back, draining fatigue, or headaches. The purpose of these signals is to tell us that something is wrong, but it’s up to us to look within to identify the cause. Structural shifts of the spine that lead to neurological communication errors are often the underlying cause of some of the challenges that are preventing you from being your best.

Unless we look towards the body’s Innate healing capacity, and why it’s not operating at 100% full function, then we are missing the boat on the health challenges of millions of people. And there’s no amount of drugs, natural medicine, surgery, or insurance money that can save that ship from sinking.

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I Don’t Believe in Chiropractic

believe in chiropractic

“I don’t believe in Chiropractic.” This is something that all chiropractors hear from time to time when out in public or in the office. I always get a kick out of it because after all – I am alive and real AND I am a Chiropractor – so do they not believe I exist? Okay, maybe people don’t question the existence of chiropractors. However, there are many people out there that question the notion that chiropractic is a viable health care tool. That’s fair enough. Let’s take a closer look, though.

Most of this comes from not understanding what chiropractic is. Chiropractic is a “clinical science based on the fundamental laws of biology, anatomy, and physiology” therefore; belief, religion, and/or faith don’t factor logically into the equation. Fortunately – you don’t have to believe in chiropractic – it works regardless of your belief system. In our office we see a lot of pediatric patients – and guess what? They don’t believe in chiropractic. In fact, some (newborns, infants) have no idea what it is – but they still get better, and their health problems still resolve.

The first question I ask when I hear “I don’t believe in chiropractic” is – do you believe you have a spine? That’s an easy one. So, now if we understand that there is a normal range for your spine’s structure, is it reasonable to say that IF your spine is outside of normal, this can lead to dysfunction and eventually pain?

Better yet, if there was a profession that detects and corrects a spine when it is outside the normal range without the use of medications, long therapy or even surgery – would that be a good thing? Well, then you do believe in Chiropractic, especially my type of chiropractic that detects and corrects abnormal structural problems of the spine.

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True Health Insurance

Are you one serious illness away from bankruptcy? Many are.

Those of us with “health” insurance policies think we’re protected from the burden of huge medical bills. You may be surprised to learn that’s just not true. In a Harvard University study of almost 2,000 Americans in bankruptcy court, half said that illness or medical bills drove them to bankruptcy. Every 30 seconds in the United States, someone files for bankruptcy because of a serious health problem. Surprisingly, more than 75 percent of those filing for bankruptcy had insurance, losing their coverage during the course of their illness. Thus, they face the double disaster of illness and bankruptcy.

“If you’re sick enough, long enough, you’re likely to be financially ruined,” cautioned Dr. David Himmelstein the lead author of the Harvard study.

Bankruptcy is increasingly accompanying serious health problems. In fact, people who go under from medical debt are mostly middle-class or working-class people who own their own homes. The solution? Don’t get sick, of course. But how?

Keep in mind, health is our normal, natural state. Many people neglect their health, paying attention to it only when their symptoms become unmanageable. By then, problems can become severe, often becoming irreversible. That is why I sometimes sound like a broken record, constantly suggesting preventive and wellness visits, instead of coming in only when pain is present.

This is not simply my opinion. As we’ve discussed before – Chiropractic saves you money in the long term. A 7 year study conducted by an independent physician association found that patients’ regular utilization of chiropractic care reduced the need for: hospitilization by 60%, hospital days by 59%,pharmaceutical usage by 85%, outpatient surgeries & procedures by 62%, and overall global health care costs by 50%.

Visiting our office when you’re feeling great, may sound a little strange to your health insurance provider. It may even sound strange to you. But preventive measures may actually provide more “insurance” than your insurance.

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Check the Neck

What does the research say about Chiropractic care and neck pain? Lets find out:

“Neck pain is often caused by mechanical disorders associated with gradual changes due to aging, or strain of the neck or arms. Pain can be localized to the cervical spine or may radiate down an arm.”

– D. Borenstein, MD & American College of Rheumatology (2006)

“A seven-year study found (chiropractic) neck adjustments to be a better choice for managing most common neck pain than many current practices. Also included in the short-list of options for relief were massage, exercise, education and neck mobilization.”

– The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders, Spine. (2008)

“Chiropractic care is better at reducing pain than taking medications like aspirin, ibuprofen or narcotics. Even a year later, there were differences between the chiropractic adjustments and medication groups.”

– Gert Bronfort, MD & The Annals of Internal Medicine (2012)

You see, if the body’s frame is in alignment, then the nervous system – the brain, spinal cord and the millions of nerves extending throughout the body – can function at its best. This postural balance leads to better body-weight distribution which improves the position of internal organs and helps protect those structures that stabilize the spine. This leads to you having more energy to think, function, heal and maintain yourself. Oh, and it will help your neck pain.

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Ear Infections: A Natural Approach

Otitis media (more commonly known as an ear infection) is a generic name for several conditions that can affect the middle ear, including inflammation of the middle ear, ranging from acute to chronic and with or without symptoms.

Acute otitis media (AOM) is characterized by symptoms of pain and fever. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is typified by the presence of fluid in the middle ear without signs or symptoms of infection. Ear infections account for over 35% of all pediatrician visits in the United States. Antibiotics are not always effective and may even lead to a recurrence of ear infections. Continue reading “Ear Infections: A Natural Approach”