Leap Year – Take a Leap of Faith!

It happens only ONCE every four years and only ONCE every 1461 days.  It Leap Day!  There’s plenty of technical reasons for Lear Year, so here’s a link to help you find out everything you ever wanted to know about Leap Year, and more!

But what I want to do is to encourage you to take a leap of faith and do something you’ve either been wanting to do, meaning to do, hoping to do or praying could be done!  You’ve heard the saying, “You only get one chance at life”.  Well, it’s true.

We never know what tomorrow will bring.  But, we also know that faith only works when we do.  I want to encourage you to make something happen in your life and take some action!  Here’s a few ideas:

• Call that person you’ve been meaning to for so long
• Ask the question that’s been on your mind for so long
• Try that restaurant you’ve wanted to
• Apply for that job you want
• Let him/her know how much you care
• Think about how much potential you have
• Get adjusted
• Be bold for a change
• Be passive for a change
• Listen for a change
• Let go and let God for a change
• Take a look in the mirror and smile at the person smiling back.  Know that when you smile at the World, it will smile back at you.

Have a great day.  Make EVERY day “Take a Leap Day”!

FDA lists drug safety warning changes

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a list of drugs which required changes in the safety warnings and precautions in NOVEMBER. Remember, the best way to avoid (or reduce) the dangers of drug use is to build health naturally. Here’s the list followed by a link to the specific warnings:

In November 2007, the following drugs had modifications to the BOXED WARNING, CONTRAINDICATIONS, and/or WARNINGS sections:

Abilify (aripiprazole) Tablets, Abilify Discmelt (aripiprazole) Orally Disintegrating Tablets, Abilify (aripiprazole) Oral Solution, Abilify (aripiprazole) Injection For Intramuscular Use Only

Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) For Injection

Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate) Tablets

Epogen (epoetin alfa) For Injection

Myfortic (mycophenolic acid) Delayed-Release Tablets

Optison (Perflutren Protein-Type A Microspheres Injectable Suspension, USP)

Sarafem (fluoxetine hydrochloride tablets)

Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) Tablets

Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) Delayed-Release Capsules

Kaletra (Iopinavir/ritonavir) Tablets and Solution

Lac-Hydrin (ammonium lactate) Lotion, 12%

Zometa (zoledronic acid) Injection – Concentrate for Intravenous Infusion

Arava (leflunomide) Tablets

Avalide (irbesartan-hydrochlorothiazide) Tablets

Celebrex (celecoxib capsules)

Eligard (leuprolide acetate for injectable suspension)

Invanz (ertapenem for injection)

Motrin IB (200 mg ibuprofen) Tablets

Nexavar (sorafenib) Tablets

Sprycel (dasatinib) Tablet For Oral Use

Toradol (ketorolac tromethamine tablets)

Vectibix (panitumumab) For Intravenous Use Only

The Detailed View Page identifies safety labeling sections and subsections revised along with a bref summary of new or modified safety information to the BOXED WARNING, CONTRAINDICATIONS, and/or WARNINGS sections:

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/nov07.htm

Health insurance and retroactive cancellations

Apparently, a health insurance industry group is trying to address the problem of insurers canceling policies that have already been issued.  For the full text of this Wall Street Journal article, just foll the link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120408088594795743.html

The Optimist Creed: Words to live by

The Optimist Creed was first published by Christian Larson in 1912 and adopted (in a shortened version) by Optimist International in 1922.

The Optimist Creed and the  Serenity Prayer have offered encourage to many (myself included) in times of need, sorrow and stress.  I hope it encourages you and that you’ll copy it and read it often, even out loud.  Here you go.

The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself…

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

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Government Concedes Vaccine-Autism Case in Federal Court – Now What?

After years of insisting there is no evidence to link vaccines with the onset of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the US government has quietly conceded a vaccine-autism case in the Court of Federal Claims.

For the full text of the article, follow this link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html

My Ideal Chiropractic Practice

Sometimes, it’s good to sit down and specify exactly what it is you want.  And, it’s also good to let the world know what you want, as well.  So, I’m doing just that.

My ideal chiropractic practice is one where I see 300-500 people every week.  Some of those come as infrequently as once a month and some as often as once a week.  A few of them might be there because they are seeking relief of some physical ailment.  But, most come because they have resolved a problem by getting adjusted and simply because they feel so good and want to keep it that way.  Many of the folks that come are athletes that want to perform better in their chosen sport.

Because most of the folks that come no longer suffer from symptoms, insurance is not a factor.  They pay a monthly fee (similar to a health club) or pay a reasonable cash fee per visit.  There’s little paperwork and virtually no hassle.  Everybody knows that our goal is simply locate and correct a significant source of stress on their nervous system and that physical therapy is not necessary to do that.  Their visits are short and allows them to get on with their day.

Not only do Practice Members come on a regular basis, they bring their friends and family so they can enjoy the benefits of simple, yet powerful, chiropractic care.  No one has to be coaxed, cajoled or coerced into care.  They’re there by their own choosing and enjoy weaning themselves off a health care system that is based on fear, sickness and death avoidance.  My Practice members are fully alive and fully engaged in their lives.  I know about their families and their lives and they ask about mine.  We’re as much friends as we are doctor and patient.

In short, my ideal practice is full of happy, healthy people who regularly refer their friends and family.  Reasonable cash payments provide plenty of income for me and my family without having to deal with burdensome paperwork and third party reimbursement.   The practice is based on the principles of Dynamic Essential:  Giving, loving and serving out of abundance.

If you know someone who wants to be a part of this kind of healing experience, please send them my way.

Profit Over Patient: Ethics and the Business of Healthcare

I have a love-hate relationship with the healthcare profession.  On the one hand, it’s gratifying beyond words to be able to help people improve their health and their lives.  On the other hand, the business of healthcare may be doing more harm than good, in some cases.

In my own practice as a chiropractor, I often hear someone say,”This is awesome!  I never thought I could feel this good again”.  Unfortunately, I often hear those same people say something like, “Why haven’t I heard about this before now?” or “Why did I have to suffer so long when this has always been available?” or worse yet, “I don’t guess my doctor was telling me the truth about what you do.”

But, not all the bad I hear is about medicine or medical doctors.  Sometimes it’s something like “I went to one of you guys once.  And, I know the adjustments helped.  But, the guy ran up a huge bill and then quit seeing me when the insurance payments stopped” or “I just don’t think I can afford it right now.  My insurance doesn’t cover it.”

I’m an advocate of allowing the free market to resolve the problems with health care.  However, the free market is not allowed to express itself fully in the business of health care in America. Here are some specific problems I have with the business of healthcare and some different ways of dealing with them:

• The Money Grub – There’s a practice called “exhaustion of benefits” in the healthcare business that spans every specialty.  The provider asks for your insurance card to verify benefits.  Not surprisingly, their recommendations for care tend to coincide with what your insurance carrier says they’ll pay.  Possible solution: Verify your own benefits and get your provider’s recommendation BEFORE verifying coverage OR see what their recommendations are if you paid cash at the time you received the service.
• Fear-mongering – This is where you’re told “You MUST have this procedure or take this drug or you’ll die!”  This is using pure power on the doctor’s part and the patient’s ignorance to almost force them to do what the doctor tells them.  Possible solution: Patient’s deserve to be told the truth in rational, unemotional terms what their specific problem is and what the doctor’s recommendations are.
• (Not so) Full disclosure – There’s a tendency in health care to tell folks to “Sign these forms so we can get started”.  You have a right to know exactly what the doctor has found, what his/her recommendations are, what the risks of those recommendations are and what alternatives to this procedure or drug that exist WITHOUT injecting any bias the doctor may have.  Possible solution: Doctor’s should take time to get to know their patients.  Ask probing questions and give honest answers.  Be honest about their lack of knowledge when it exists, especially about less aggressive alternatives.
• Too  anxious to be too invasive – Sometimes as doctors, there’s the urge to DO SOMETHING now!  The haste to act now, can make things worse than if nothing were done, at all.  Possible solution: One of the safest and most valuable tools in the doctor’s bag of tricks is something we call “watchful waiting”, where you give your body time to resolve a potential problem on its own without aggressive treatment.
• OOPS! – Sometimes, health care providers make mistakes.  Unfortunately, too many times the problem is covered to prevent lawsuits or unwanted exposure.  Possible solution: I heard someone say once, “Sunlight is the best antibiotic”.  It’s best to simply tell the truth.  The cover-up will always cause more problems than the problem being covered up.
• Just too expensive – Because of third party reimbursement, health care in America has simply gotten too expensive.  Possible solution: Providers should be allowed to compete on a variety of different levels, including price, form of payment, type of service provided, etc.

Because the economics of healthcare are distorted by Government controls and intervention, as well as third party reimbursement, the free market is not allowed to properly regulate the business.  As a result, doctors, hospitals and drug makers have an extra duty to “do no harm” to those who must rely on their relative power in the marketplace.  The Internet now makes information too easily available to continue the imbalance of power between patient and provider.

I urge healthcare providers to always do the right thing.  Make sure your patients are fully informed and involved in their care.  Give them exceptional value.  Empower them to make better choices.  As for patients and the public at large, take charge of your health and your life.  Inform yourself of your alternatives.  Ask questions.  And continue asking until you’re satisfied that you’ve gotten the right information and ALL the information you need to make fully informed choices regarding your own health.  After all, it IS your responsibility.

Is MORE insurance REALLY the answer?

During this political season, there’s a great deal of talk about the healthcare crisis in America. One of the area of concern seems to be the “47 million” Americans without health insurance. It seems like the political response these days is to make sure every American has health insurance EVEN if the Government has to penalize you for NOT having it.

Is forcing people to buy insurance they may not want (or need) really the answer? I don’t think so. Why should a young person who is healthy and who does the things to stay healthy be compelled to buy insurance when he/she might have other priorities? And, isn’t it THEIR right to decide how to spend or invest their own money?

As a health care provider, I really have to ask the question, “What (if any) is the link between insurance and health, anyway?” From what I see from this side of things, many Americans only go to a doctor BECAUSE they have insurance OR a health crisis. And is it just me, but when was the last time an insurance company paid for things that keep you healthy?

When was the last time you heard of a “health insurance” policy that paid for your health club membership, weight loss or nutrition classes, smoking cessation programs or even a licensed wellness practitioner? Yet, most insurance companies will pay for disease care AFTER you’ve already lost your health. Where the heck is the logic?

If it were REALLY “Health” insurance, wouldn’t it pay to keep you OUT of the hospital? As much as we tout ours as the “World’s Best Healthcare System”, isn’t it ironic that by most measures ours is one of the worst in the industrialized world? Maybe it’s time we started focusing on HEALTH in America and NOT so much on disease detection and management. Detection and management of disease is far different than wellness OR prevention.

Finally, do you REALLY trust your health to the same people who run Social Security, Medicare or the Katrina relief effort. This is NOT an indictment of any Presidential administration. It’s an indictment on the effectiveness of our Government to run your personal life. If the Government can’t do the things IT thinks it should, how do you think it will manage YOUR health?

Remember, it’s YOUR health and YOUR life! Don’t wait for Uncle Sam to save you. Do what it takes to stay healthy: eat better, exercise more, sleep restfully, watch your thoughts, poison yourself less and find a good wellness chiropractor.

Your Health Records on Google?

Ever wonder what happens to your medical records?  That’s alright.  Most people never give it a thought.  They don’t know about the Medical Information Bureau, an information clearinghouse similar to credit reporting agencies.  Information in your insurance dosier can be used to qualify (or disqualify) you for insurance coverage or employment at some time in the future.  With the Federal Trade Commission reporting that credit bureau information is wrong 40% of the time, how could that affect you in a critical job search or insurance application?

Now we  see that Google is considering storing health records in its massive database.   While I’m a Google fan, this is distressing information to anyone serious about privacy rights.  You know, it’s amazing what you can find on Google.  But what’s even more amazing is just how much information Google has available on each of us.  Imagine the marketing power that gives a company like Google.

One of the reasons that I’ve converted to a cash practice is that I’m concerned about your privacy.  My relationship to the people who come to me is a matter of confidentiality between them and me.  It should not be available for developing a database that can be used for hyper-focused marketers.

If I could encourage you to do one thing it would be to check out www.privacyrights.org and be aware of what’s happening with your personal credit and health data.

Here’s the link to the story “Google to store patient’s health records”.

If you’re interested in a chiropractor who protects your privacy, check out my web site.

Health Clubs

Over the last year I’ve lost about 50 pounds. It’s been done by combining a reasonable eating plan and regular exercise. The eating plan is Michael Thurmond’s 6 Week Body Makeover. Simple and straight forward. The exercise program has been a combination of resistance workouts and cardiovascular work.

I’ve always enjoyed working out. Over the years, I’ve tried at home workout devices or health club memberships. By far, I enjoy working out at the health club a lot more than at home. Some folks just don’t like going to the gym. They give lots of different reasons, like “It’s just a meat market. People only go there to pick up or get picked up” or “It’s intimidating with all those hard bodies strutting around in their Spandex outfits” or “I don’t want someone to see me in the shape I’m in”.

Well, in some ways they’d be right. Some people DO go to the gym to meet people. There definitely can be a social aspect to working out in an open setting. But, let me ask you. Isn’t the gym a much better place to meet someone than a bar? Wouldn’t you rather date someone who doesn’t smoke and is spending their spare time building health? Oh yeah, I used to be one of those folks who didn’t want folks see me at the gym while I was in such bad shape. Funny thing, I bump into people I know all the time outside the gym. At least if they see me in the gym, I’m doing something about it. And as far as those hard bodies go, one of the greatest motivators for me has been being able to spot folks who have my body type and the build I want to have and then watch how they work out.

Now, I know if you’re married your purpose in working out is NOT to meet someone to date. Or at least, I hope it’s not. But, it is a different way to meet other adults or make friends around a healthy activity. I really think a gym membership is a great thing for married folks. It’s a place you can go for even just a little while to get away and do something good for yourself. It’s hard being with the kids all day or at the office all day and not have time to yourself.

One of the great benefits of the health club is the choice of equipment, classes and activities available to you. At the gym where I work out, they even have basketball and racquetball courts and even a lap pool. In other words, you’re not limited to the expensive (or cheap) equipment you bought that’s probably now being used to hang your clothes on.

I’m trying to think of some drawbacks to belonging to a health club because I know someone’s looking for an excuse not to find and join one. OK. Here’s one. They’re too big and too crowded. That’s a valid objection. But, I’ve found that it works bet for me to go BEFORE I go to work and before the big crowds hit the gym. Here’s another. They’re just sales machines and their salespeople are pushy as heck. That’s true, too, in some cases. But, I’ve found that if you’ll look around and educate yourself on the different programs offered by different clubs in your area, you can effectively deal with pushy salespeople. And if they’re too pushy COMPLAIN to the management. OK. Here’s just one more. It’s too expensive! Well, that might be stretching it a bit. I workout at LA Fitness for only $35. I think Gold’s Gym, Crunch, etc. have similar programs. There’s a new club in the Atlanta area, called Just Fitness, that charges about half that. And, there’s always the YMCA and other non-profit health facilities, as well.

If health and fitness is something you want in your life, find a health club. Join it. Use it. You’ll be amazed at how good you can look and feel with a little consistent effort. And guess what. You just might meet some nice, healthy people while you do it.