America is good AND great!

I was talking with a friend the other day about the state of the economy, gas prices, international competition, the dollar and a few other things.  Hisdespair was apparent.

But honestly, I am NOT discouraged.  America has been though much worse.  Certainly, the dollar sucks right now.  BUT, with all the other currencies so high compared to the dollar, it will make our goods a cheaper alternative to what many other countries are buying.  I also believe the spot price of oil is irrationally high.  Certainly, OPEC is enjoying this.  BUT when reality strikes, I think you’ll see the price of oil plummet causing panic among oil speculators.

The trade imbalance will (as it always has) correct itself.  Remember when the Japanese were buying up everything back in the ’80s?  That came to a screeching halt.  Same will happen with China and India.

The fact that Obama is going to get elected and the current crop of phony Republicans is about to get their clocks cleaned, will clear the way for a fresh new approach to the country’s problems.

I see a silver lining around the looming recession, war, etc.  The World is emulating America from China and India to France and all of Europe.  Our star is rising despite Bush, McCain and Obama.

Better days are on their way!

Dr. T!m

So, you REALLY want Government sponsored health care?

A new report from the FDA suggests that recent problems with heparin have proven to be even worse than originally thought.  The report concludes that deaths linked to all versions of heparin–including a tainted version of the drug sold by Baxter–have tripled. There now are 62 reports of patients dying who were infused with heparin from January 1, 2007 through the end of this past March who had a one or more allergic reactions. A prior FDA report had only listed 19 deaths. At present, the FDA isn’t sure what caused the spike in adverse reactions. Right now, they’re suggesting that this is more of matter of delays in reports from companies and a growth in reports from consumers reading about Baxter’s problems.

The FDA’s job is to PROTECT consumers from this kind of travesty!  Yet, it appears that the Government’s real job is to get drugs to the market as soon as possible and then cover its backside when things go wrong.  Unfortunately, the consumer loses!  If you can’t trust the FDA to prevent stuff like this from happening, how can you be confident of ANY FDA approved drug for whatever ailment for which you might be treated?

Stay healthy!  Avoid drugs when you can.

Avandia: Another case of betrayed trust

According to the US Food & Drug Administration, GlaxoSmithKline didn’t turn over post-marketing data about Avandia to the agency, a lack of disclosure that looks pretty sinister given subsequent reports linking Avandia to increased risk of heart attack.  Many drug companies fail to report post-approval data to the FDA once they begin selling a drug, since the rules for such reporting are at best somewhat loose.  But in Glaxo’s case, the failure to report arguably could have harmed consumers, given the risks exposed by last year’s article in the New England Journal of Medicine. The agency now is demanding that the company turn over all data on Avandia, pronto, or risk regulatory action.

Why do I even mention drugs?  As a chiropractor, I don’t put people on drugs and I don’t take them off drugs.  So, why bother?  Because, the whole concept of “better living through chemistry” is killing Americans in droves.  There’s a better way!  Staying healthy and relying on the design of the body to BE healthy is a much better way to live.  The “science” so many Americans have come to rely upon to keep them healthy has become little more than a shell game to deceive the public, create false demand and extract as much money from consumers and their insurance companies in as little time as possible.  That’s why this chiropractor talks about drugs.

Singulair-suicide link?

When will this madness stop?!  Now the FDA is investigating a possible link between Merck’s asthma drug Singular and suicidal tendencies. 

Do we really know what causes asthma?  If we don’t, how can we possibly approve a drug BEFORE the potential side efects can be known?    And, why do we (our Government) keep putting drugs on the market that can be more dangerous than the problem they’re supposed to treat?  Too many questions.  Too few answers.

For years people have had great success reducing their asthma symptoms with chiropractic care.  If you need a referral to a good family chiropractor, please let me know.

Here’s the link to the story.

Good Morning America - Neck adjustments may help high blood pressure

I wrote about this a few weeks ago.  But, apparently a new study by the University of Chicago shows the benefits of specific chiropractic adjustments of the upper neck can have dramatic effects on blood pressure patients.

If you know someone suffering from chronic high blood pressure and wanting to try a different approach, please share this information with them.  I’m also glad to make a referral to good chiropractors near you, as well.

Follow the link for the full text of the article.

Study: Very few child drug trials get outside oversight

A new study suggests that drug trials involving children get shockingly little oversight from outside safety monitoring groups. The study, which reviewed 739 international trials mounted between 1996 and 2002, concluded that only one of every 50 such drug trials were overseen by outside safety groups. Of those that did use monitoring groups, six were stopped because of signs of toxicity. Also, adverse side effects were reported in 37 percent of all trials, and about one in ten produced moderate to severe–and sometimes life-threatening–side effects.
Why such a lapse in oversight? Experts note that drug trials for children are, themselves, a relatively new thing. In the past, children have been given the same medicines as adults without there having been any separate trials, despite the differing metabolisms.

NOTE: This should scare the heck out of you.  According to this study, only 1 out of 50 drug trials involving kids is monitored by anyone other than the drug company doing the tests!  AND, there were adverse events (meaning BAD side effects) in over 1/3 of those trials.

There IS a better way to raise children to be healthy WITHOUT dangerous drugs.  I take care of kids at no additional cost when the parent is a member of my practice.  I believe in truly DRUG-FREE families.

Increase seen in drug-resistant germs

I found this story on Modern Healthcare Online.  The overuse and abuse of antibiotics in this country is having unforeseen and potentially disastrous effects.  Already, strains of drug resistant staph infections are widespread in hospitals.  We run the very real risk of CREATING our own superbug resistant to everything and anything we have to throw at it.

Isn’t it better to build health naturally so that when (or if) you may need antibiotics they might actually be able to help?

Here’s the article.

Story posted: March 18, 2008 - 4:15 pm EDT

The number of germs resistant to antibiotics is growing, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

The institute, which will have an article in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, found one in five of the 94,360 patients who developed an invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, infection in 2005 died. In addition, 20% of tuberculosis cases worldwide are drug-resistant, with 10% “extensively” drug-resistant, and in 2002 14% of certain bloodstream infections were resistant to antibiotics, up from 4% in 1993, the institute said in its report.

The national institute spends more than $800 million per year on antimicrobial clinical research, through which it hopes to understand the causes of drug resistance and develop specific diagnostic tests for infections that are likely to become resistant. — by Jean DerGurahian

Why I work on Good Friday

I work on Good Friday.  As long as I’ve been self-employed, I have.  I’m also a practicing Christian.  An unashamed Evangelical one, too.  So you may ask “Why in the world would you work on Good Friday and not observe its significance?” But, I DO observe the significance of Good Friday BY working on that day.

I try not to wear my Christianity on my sleeve.  Not trying to be self-righteous here.  But, I know plenty of folks who show off their religiosity like crazy in public and make up for it  when no one is looking.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m far from perfect and would not want anyone to use me as an example of the “perfect Christian”.  But, I do try to live my faith in an active way.

A friend asked me some time ago how, despite having gone through some extremely tough times, how I could still have joy and peace of mind.  He mentioned that he doubted he could do the same without some help.  It was awesome being able to relate to him how I did not and could not have done as well as I had alone, as well.

When I was young, the future did not look so bright.  Growing up in an abusive home with with little hope but to get out someday, I was somewhat cynical about God and Jesus.  Sure, I KNEW who they were and what they were all about.  But, I didn’t buy into the whole “being saved” or “born again” thing.  It just seemed a little hokey and distant.  My life really sucked.  I had even gotten my parents to agree to allow me to enlist in the Marines when I turned 17 so that I could go to Vietnam and kill or be killed.  Needless to say, something was wrong.  it was like I was just disconnected from anything like happiness, joy or peace of mind.

Being from the South, it was not unusual to be invited to church with a friend or family member.  On one such occasion, the preacher talked about the sadness that many people feel because they simply feel they don’t belong or simply because they feel “lost”.  Lost.  Not as in sin.  Because most folks believe they’re pretty good people and don’t need to be “saved”.  But, lost in the sense that nothing works and you’re just disconnected from something.  That was when he talked about the prodigal son and how even being a one of his father’s servants was better than sleeping and eating with pigs.  So, on seeing the son coming home, the father threw a feast for his son.  The preacher said, “Come home.  Just as you are, come home”.

Since that moment, I have known a connectedness that is impossible to relate adequately in words.  But, it’s significance isn’t lost on me OR folks with whom I come in contact on a regular basis.

All my life, I have gotten great satisfaction from helping others, specifically helping them feel better.  Sometimes, in a physical sense.  And sometimes, emotionally.  Many of the folks I help as a chiropractor suffer because deep inside they suffer from emotional stress and trauma.  It may be anger, fear, worry or doubt.  Nevertheless, their emotions affect their health.  And while most of them do come to alleviate physical suffering, many come back because something about my practice makes them feel at ease.

So, this brings me to Good Friday.   Good Friday represents the day Jesus was crucified.  On that day, all the wrong that I (and all of Mankind) had done was paid for.  As brutal as human sacrifice may sound, we all know that doing wrong eventually carries a price.  And, that price was paid for on Good Friday.  When I think of Good Friday, I am able to bury the past and literally turn toward the life I really want to live, full of joy and peace of mind.  While I still must deal with the World, I do it on my terms and never alone.

So, I work on Good Friday.  I work just in case that one person who needs some physical or emotional healing comes in and asks, “Why are you so happy?”  I work so others might see God’s Grace shine through my joy and happiness.  I work on Good Friday, because I never have to be alone again and I want others to feel that joy, too.

Happy Easter!

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Chiropractic

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder, affecting some 58 million Americans.  Yet it’s also one that many people aren’t comfortable talking about because the signs and symptoms may be embarrassing. Some signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are:

• Abdominal cramping
• Bloating and gas
• Diarrhea, constipation or both

Many people have only mild signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes the problems can be disabling, however. In some cases, you might have severe signs and symptoms that don’t respond well to medical treatment.

For most people, IBS is a chronic condition, although there will likely be times when the signs and symptoms are worse and times when they improve or even disappear completely.

No one knows exactly what causes irritable bowel syndrome.  Some researchers believe it’s is caused by changes in the nerves that control sensation or muscle contractions in the bowel.  Others believe the central nervous system may affect the colon. And because women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with IBS, researchers believe that hormonal changes might also play a role.

Irritable Bowel symptoms can be triggered by a range of things from gas or pressure on your intestines to certain foods, medications or emotions.   Many people have an intolerance for dairy products.  If you suffer from IBS, you’ll know shortly after eating or drinking dairy products.  Another trigger is stress.  Most people with IBS find that their signs and symptoms are worse or more frequent during stressful events, such as a change in their daily routine or family arguments.

Because it’s not clear what causes irritable bowel syndrome, medical treatment tends to focus on the relief of symptoms.   Some of the treatments include anti-diarhheal drugs, anticholinergic (these drugs suppress the nervous system) drugs and even anti-depressants.  Bear in mind, all of these drugs have side effects, some even fatal.

The most effective means of prevention of IBS symptoms has been stress reduction and management.  Some forms of achieving stress reduction is psychological counseling, biofeedback, exercise, yoga, massage, meditation, deep breathing exercises and even hypnosis.

One of the most telling realizations about Irritable Bowel Syndrome is that no one knows what causes it, yet it is usually made worse with stress and better when stress is reduced.  As with seizures and high blood pressure, specific chiropractic adjustments (that affect the parasympathetic nervous system) have helped many individuals suffering from IBS, even ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

If you’re suffering from these chronic (and sometimes debilitating) condition, wouldn’t it be worth giving chiropractic a try?  No drugs, no side effects.  If you’d like to give chiropractic a try to help restore some balance in your life and health, let me know.  If I’m not in your area, I’ll be glad to help you find a good chiropractor near you.

Healing Faith

The most powerful drug known to Mankind can’t be found in some exotic plant in the Rain Forest. Nor, is it a miracle of modern science. Nor, is it so expensive that only the rich can afford it.

In fact, the most powerful drug ever known is the sugar pill, the placebo. The efficacy, or effectiveness, of any drug is compared against the effects of the placebo. Only when it is shown that the new drug is better than nothing more than sugar (and a suggestion) is it approved for use on the consuming public. And, the great thing about the placebo is that it has NO side effects! And, it FREE!

Surely, it’s not the sugar in the pill that makes the placebo so powerful. Of course not. The power of the placebo is something already inside the patient. As much as “scientists” hate to admit it, the ingredient that makes the sugar pill so powerful is faith. Faith that the pill will actually work! Faith that healing is STILL available.

Several studies (”scientific” double blind studies) in recent years have shown that a doctor praying for his/her patients actually helps the patient heal faster and better than when no one prayed for the patient, at all. Other studies have shown that patients with a loving family and/or a strong spiritual life heal quicker and better, as well.

What is it about faith (or the “placebo effect”) that is so powerful? Is it simply hope? Or is there more? I believe it’s much more than mere hope. Hope implies that you’re not sure of a certain outcome, but willing to give it a try. OR, “I’ve tried everything else, so I might as well give this a try”. You might have some level of confidence in the science or technology behind a doctor’s recommendation. But, that’s about it.

Faith is much more. Faith is KNOWING that you will get the best outcome possible. So, you move forward with confidence that all the factors have aligned in your favor. When you ACT with faith and unwavering confidence, you improve your odds greatly.

BUT, there’s an essential element of faith that’s required to mobilize it in your healing, ACTION. It has been said that “Faith without action is dead”. I guess that says it all. By taking action toward your healing (or ANY objective for that matter) you exhibit your faith. When you take action, you’re actually telling your body to mobilize all its parts and mechanisms to do the job for which it was designed. You literally get out of the way and allow the mechanism to work.

This is not spiritual hocus pocus. Your body was designed for self-healing and self-repair. It KNOWS to rush blood to an injury. It KNOWS how and when to use the inflammatory response to begin the healing process. It KNOWS the right amount of what hormones and chemicals to dispense for ANY given situation. Unfortunately we often impede (or delay) our own healing many times with outside interventions.

Here’s the point. You were designed to be healthy, to heal and to be whole. Not using your faith is like trying to wash your car without using water or not taking your sponge out of its wrapper. You just make things harder for yourself.

So, how do you use your faith ACTIVELY? Pray for your healing. And when you pray, DON’T BEG! Ask, knowing that it already done. In other words, give thanks for the healing that you’ve already received just not yet revealed. Healing is a process. It takes time! Give it time! Then start doing the things you would do IF you were healed. Again, behave as you would were you already healed. Study health and healing. Understand the symptoms of healing. That’s right. There are symptoms that reveal that healing is taking place. Unfortunately, many of those symptoms are treated as signs of pathology. ow sad that the very signs of healing can be interpreted as just the opposite. Finally, rejoice. Celebrate in advance of the physical evidence of your healing. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel simply by accepting your gift of healing.

In closing, I want to urge you to use your faith actively in all aspects of your life. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish merely by believing YOU CAN! You were designed to do and be greater than you’ve ever been allowed to believe you could be. I honestly believe that you were designed to imagine possibilities. And IF you can imagine it, you can have it. BUT, you MUST believe. And as has been said “Your faith has made you whole”.

May you prosper and be in good health!