New in 2011

I have not posted since Thanksgiving of last year… We have been busy, busy BUSY!

New Website: First, if you are still finding this blog through the WordPress URL, visit our new flash site at www.millerfamilycare.com. I’m very proud of it.  If you want the latest in eight different areas of health and healing you can subscribe to our monthly newsletters on the topics of your choice.

Office Upgrade: If you have not been to the office in a while, come by and see the refurbishment – the carpet has been ripped up, the concreted stained, the wall colors changing. A new desk is on the way.  The colors are earth tones; the products used ulta-low VOC (emissions). The fumes were so limited we could paint while patients were still being seen!

New Equipment: We are proud to be the first installation of a Zerona body sculpting cold laser (www.myzerona.com) in an area of the office we are calling the Koru Spa.  The FDA laser causes fat cells to leak out fat without invasive surgery or side -effects.

Recent training has our office qualified for “spot” treatment of problem areas.  Patients that have tried Zerona have been skeptical at first but very pleased with the results.  Call our office for more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation: 626 930 1355

And… the Chiropractic care is still here front and center.  That part stays the same!

After Thanksgiving – get started early on 2011

Sluggish after the holidays? Want to do something different now? You can!

MOVE: walk, ride, gym etc… daily!

DETOX:

• cut out white sugar, rice and flour
• Increase vegetables
• Decrease fats
• decrease alcohol
• push water
• try our Nu-Lean cleanse. Alkalize your metabolism.

SHARE: Volunteer, donate, apologize (even if you think you are not wrong).

THANKFULNESS should be all year, just one day a yeaer.  Try starting your day that way.

HEALTH: Choose life and healthy choices – the other is not a sustainable option.  Encourage others to get healthy with you.

 

“I’m Mad as Hell and Won’t Take it Anymore!!”

The quote is from the 1976 movie, Network. But is should be about how patients feel about our health care system.

Latest news: In Vitro fertilization, which patients tell me costs $30,000+ per attempt is 8% effective. 8%? How much hope can you give a couple with those odds?

Tylenol is considered a staple of the family’s arsenal for their children, safe for most.  Read below – it’s not (especially for teens).  And its in many products including cold medicines, cough syrups and other pain and fever relief products.

Latest news: A huge study published in England conducted on 330,000 teens in 50 countries gives the increased risks with Tylenol (acetominophen) usage. MODERATE usage is considered ONCE PER YEAR, HEAVY is ONCE PER MONTH.  (Do you know anyone using more than once per month?)

For “heavy” use the risks for teens increase as follows:

• 151% increased risk of asthma
• 118% increased risk of allergies
• 87% increase risk of eczema

MORAL: Don’t trust our health care system.  Its taken decades to find out that Tylenol is not safe even in low doses, especially for teens. What else are we doing that has awful side effects over the long-term?  Think before putting ANY chemicals in your body.

Research Supports Chiropractic – Auto accidents, coordination and strength

The British version of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, recently reported the findings of a 30 year study on whiplash. That’s right 30 years!

• 15% of the patients had significant impairment or symptoms after 30 years!
• 40% will retain nuisance symptoms
• Most have maximum improvement after 2 years, BUT 9% continue to deteriorate 30 years later.
• whiplash patients with a disability often develop a psychological profile.

This is the reason for a thorough evaluation after any kind of car accident of serious fall and  to not cut treatment short after a whiplash event.

But wait, there’s more.  The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported in 2006:

• A 2006 study showed a person working with a mouse could click 9.2% faster between two points after an adjustment.
• Another 2006 study reported a 10% increase in muscle strength after Chiropractic care.

Athletes, take note!

Med-evac Helicopter Crashes – wrong priorities

Is it a big problem? The FAA is clamping down on the emergency helicopters because they keep crashing as reported in USA Today So far 17 people have been killed in 2010.  Seventeen is a serious number for the families of the seventeen but a national crisis I would say – “not!”

A MUCH bigger problem! Many sources have quoted Dr. Lucien Leape’s estimation 3,000,000 deaths per year from medical mistakes.  The oft quoted phrase is something like  ”the equivalent of three jumbo jets crashing every two days and killing everyone on board”.  Now that is a problem!

But a silent one. Who is raising hell about the three million people killed annually (and possibly more) by our health care system?  Like flocks of lemmings, most people take drugs, have surgeries, suffer and die early.

Chiropractors speaking out against the system are considered rebellious, but their patients live longer and with better quality of life.  If your family or friend was on the “jumbo jet” as a mistake perhaps you would speak out too.

How do you know? Drug companies are allowed to provide dangerous products as long as they have passed the tests by the FDA, an organization that reported on itself and said in its own study it cannot supervise its areas of responsibility! Every month we hear of medication being pulled or a warning label increased – there is no FAA investigation mounted for that!  Recent drug news:

• Higher kidney stone risk for women on estrogen.
• Diabetic medication Meridia has been pulled because of heart attack risk (global sales were $80 million)
• Antidepressants are linked to birth defects: Paxil, Celexa, Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac & Zoloft

There is no shortcut. Lifestyle changes are known to be the best way to get well and stay well.  Not easy, not fun – eating right, exercising, de-stressing and staying well-adjusted.

Does the FDA have a drug problem? No duh!

Time Magazine has an article this week about the FDA approving the diabetes drug Avandia in 1999 despite the awareness of cardiovascular side effects.  Jump ahead to 2010 and despite study after study by the FDA and others Avandia is just being reconsidered to be taken off the market.  According to their own estimates 47,000 people have suffered stroke, heart attack or death from Avandia.

47000?  Yes ! Doesn’t that sound like the kind of numbers used in a genocide in an African country? Or victims of a flood. Or vehicle recall? NOT injuries done by FDA approved drugs??  Surely noone would PAY for a product, let alone be authorized to USE something in our modern society that could injure, maim or kill 47000 people.  IS THIS NOT A PROBLEM???

These statistics are AUTHORIZED and PAID FOR in the name of better health.  As sales climbed above $2 billion per year for drug conglomerate Glaxo Smith Kline, Avandia was making big profits while injuring people.

Now there are suits and settlements but the drug companies remain the most consistently profitable companies in the world.  The costs of litigation are reported in the  Time article (GSK is short for Glaxo Smith Kline):

Now GSK  has other financial concerns. In March the company put aside $3.5 billion for “legal and other disputes.” In May it paid $60 million to settle 700 Avandia civil cases; in July it reportedly offered to pay $460 million to settle civil cases claiming the drug caused heart attacks.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2010028-3,00.html#ixzz0x5tkor6D

But they have averaged over $1 billion in sales annually since before 2000 and the product is still on the market.  Seems like they can afford the legal expenses.  Note to self: 47000!!

This the classic story of “sell it anyways” and “deal with the lawsuits when they come”.  Yes, they got caught but like other other drugs (remember Vioxx? Celebrex? and others) THE FDA KNEW FROM THE GITGO.

There are countless stories of what is wrong with the FDA. Their own self-study, which I have written about describes problems from top to bottom, the worst in my opinion being that the FDA docs have their hand in the pockets of the drug companies. A recent article about the reflux drugs: http://topnews.co.uk/25357-fda-cautions-fracture-peril-acid-reflux-drugs causing fractures.

People need to get that ALL drugs have side-effects, that the effects may be lethal, and the drug companies do NOT want you to know or take them too seriously.  Not until they have made their profits… then its OK. And one more thing – IT MAY TAKE YEARS TO SHOW!  Examples abound:

• remember Thalidomide (for morning sickness) and children with shortened limbs?
• remember di-ethylstilbestrol (also for morning sickness) that did not affect the mother taken it. Her FEMALE offspring had incomplete uterus formation and had to be sewed up to have a baby.
• remember that margarine was said to be OK for about 20 years… a corn product made by Monsato, Dow and other conglomerates that are corn overproducers because of government subsidies.  They invented margarine to use more corn, told us it was safe… until we learned the truth alot later.
• here’s a list on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_withdrawn_drugs

The bottom line – THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES when it comes to health.  You can change the physiology of the body… for a while. Maybe even years with medicine, but eventually it has to be processed by the body, filtered by the kidneys and… bites you in the figurative rear end.  THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES, some that take decades to show.

It is much harder to take responsibility, to commit to wellness, to make better choices each day, than to use a “quick fix”.  Our office is devoted to those committed to the tough road, the healthy road, the natural road to optimal health and healing.

25 Year Anniversary – reflections on patient suffering

CELEBRATION: July 19 was my 25th year anniversary of licensure – the little slip of paper that gives me to permission to practice is mounted on the wall. I celebrated by having a festive day, decorated office, food and fun with patients and friends.  I also gave away a comprehensive evaluation to friends, family and interested parties – each one up to $372 worth of services including X-rays.

SURPRISES: It did not surprise me that more than 25 patients took me up on the offer to have a thorough Chiropractic evaluation, including the expensive part, x-rays. Several things did suprise me:

1. What the patients were enduring – the pain, suffering and loss of function across a broad range of age groups.
2. What they had tried for relief – and for how long.  Some were told “not bad enough yet for surgery” or given a name “growing pains” or “fibromyalgia” or “old age”.
3. How many had given up hope – and chosen to accept, drugs and worsening of their condition over time.
4. How many were on multiple medications with varied side-effects
5. How many did not realize their spine and nerve system could play a part… often worse than the original condition itself.

MOTIVATION:   As the evaluations were done and I studied the x-rays most patients has a component in their spine and nerve system that had not been addressed,  or even considered!

They appreciated our process and asked if family or friends could be evaluated.  The additional patients were as bad or worse off!  Which was  very motivating to me – to encourage patients to spread the word, to encourage me to suggest people try Chiropractic, just TRY and see if it might help.

SURPRISING RESULTS: Some very infirmed patients took over a week to notice a difference. Most noticed changes within the office on the very first visit.  Muscles were less tense, or less tender.  One said “my head feels lighter”. Another said “I did not limp that afternoon – my hip has no pain”. Most could not believe how fast some relief was obtained.  And enthusiastically tried to refer in others.  It was very exciting  for me to be able help whole families at a time – sadly all injured in various ways with their own health challenges that developed over many years.

How to Lose Weight – 50lbs and Counting Part I

I’m just about at 50lbs weight lost  and counting.   Patients are asking “How did you do that?” Simple question, yes – complex answer.

The first step was deciding.  I’ll spend this blog on the complex process of deciding, of committing to losing weight, a lot of weight, maybe even over 100lbs of weight, so much weight that I would rather not measure how much weight I actually had to lose. Some things started the process of deciding.

• My teen kids asked me to get in shape to do more with them.  They were serious and concerned.
• I noticed huffing and puffing doing even minor activities.
• My knees ached with weather changes, a sign of inflammation. Patients who had lost a lot of weight had the problem go away.
• I preferred sitting to doing – that did not use to be my nature.
• I always avoided pictures because I seemed to look fatter in them than in my own mirror (which I avoided too).

But I had not decided.

Facing my pants: Then my pants became impossible. Buttons popped.  I did not want to buy 46 waist pants but I had to.  They don’t have those on the rack in most stores.

That helped me decide.  I had to order from a catalogue.

Facing the scale: So I said to myself  ”well – let’s see how big a chore you have to take on.” I had not been weighing because the scale was mean to me.  Silly little brain game we play.  Those of us carrying extra weight put it on more easy than we lose it so we hate the scale.  I avoided it like the plague.

I knew I was in the high 200lb range.

Shock: I lie - It was over 300! 26 pounds crept up on me.  That number told me I was at more risk than I thought.  And began a thought process that whatever I was doing WAS NOT WORKING.  And something had to change and for a long time – for life.

I knew I needed to decide to get serious.

Facing friends, family: The voices from my aunt, friends, family especially my children haunted me.  They wanted me around. I wanted to be around for grandchildren and the next phases of life.

Facing patients: My size had always been something I joked about.

• I had always been chubby I told others.  Since I was 5.
• I liked food. I like to eat, I liked to cheat.  I made a joke about it.
• I was not responsible – I put on 10lbs doing WeightWatchers several years ago. I cheated. I did not measure. I did not write down. I did not do whatever I was instructed to do to be successful.
• I could always find excuses.

Several patients expressed concern.  A rule in practice is that if one patient complains, 10 want to say the same thing.  I was not “walking the walk” of health.

Facing myself: In avoiding the truth, that the good feeling of food is short lived, I put on more weight.  At 316lbs I had the big wake-up call.  Fat people were over 300lbs.  Sick people, sick patients were that weight.  I  reflected on what I saw in practice and I was living the same thing.  The same aches, the same lethargy… the same risks but denying it.

I watched Ruby on TV and saw the struggle with much greater weight loss and that facing oneself was as big or bigger part of the process.

Deciding: One day I decided.  I felt fat. I looked fat.  The 46 inch pants were getting tight. The XXL shirts were getting tight.  Buttons were popping.  I DECIDED.

Re-committing: Like a smoker that successfully quits I knew that every waking minute I had to be focused.  I had to decide and re-decide, to recommit every day.  To help myself I did the opposite of whatever I had been doing:

• I used WeightWatchers online to track my food and activity.  I never did that before.
• If I cheated, I made myself a rule that a) I would not cheat again the next day and b) that I had only the points allowed on the Weightwatcher system i.e. celery for dinner if it had to be.
• I surrounded myself with healthy stuff – junk was gone, ice-cream gone -things that were quick, easy and BAD for me were gone.  There was fruits, vegetables, almonds, non-fat yoghurt and cottage cheese all around.  And water, iced tea… all within arms reach at home and at the office.
• I knew there would be challenges, plateaus and disappointment.  I reminded myself to plod on, to trudge through it and keep working at it and above all NOT STOP once decided.

Prior Failings: Most of us who have lost weight, lost some and put it back on. It worked that way for me.  This time I’ve kept changing and mixing things up to keep my focus.   I change activity and programs to .  On one of the next blogs I’ll discuss the mental games I’ve played for my personality.

You can do it too: None of what I’ve been through will work for everyone else, but if it can help someone else, I’d be happy it might help.  First you have to decide.

Medicine vs. Chiropractic – which is more affordable?

I have a poster in my office provide by Patient Media Chiropractic educational materials that compares the two health care methods… and is a good basis for a cost comparison.  Chiropractic vs. Medicine.

We all want cost-effective, affordable health care so determining where to spend our hard-earned dollars on health care is an important decision.

#2 on the poster says “Corrects cause” vs. “Treats Symptoms”.  It would seem if you can find the cause of the something rather than covering it up it would be more cost-effective.

#3 says “Offers Health Care” vs “Renders Sickness Care”.  Again, it would seem that being proactive, would be more cost-effective.  We maintain our cars that way, we get our teeth and other vital systems checked that way.  But as yet so few have their spine and nervous system checked, the system that CONTROLS EVERYTHING!

#4 says “Makes Adjustments” vs. “Prescribe Drugs.”  We know drugs, especially new ones, are expensive.  And have side effects (see #6).  Adjustments work with the body to unlock the health potential.

#5 says “Sees the whole person.”  The holistic approach does not look at only one symptom but all aspects of the person for any condition or possible future condition.  As a result, lifestyle changes, diet, stress reduction and exercise can play as important… and very cost-effectively!  Patients often complain that medical specialists are not talking to each other – and create divergent care methods.

#6 says “Helps resist germs” i.e. the immune system in Chiropractic vs “Threatened by germs” in Medicine.  This is a big one. We have a whole industry trying to make our surfaces germ free, to make our bodies germ-free with antibiotics and vaccinations… and it’s not working. The germs are becoming resistant.  Antibiotics are becoming more expensive and less effective.  MRSA (resistant germs) is a vicious condition that can be life threatening.  And how much does being sick cost the work force, let alone the personal misery.  Resisting germs is much more cost-effective.

#7 says “Produces positive effects” vs. “Side effects.”  Aren’t the positive effects what we want to pay for?  Aren’t the positive effects what we want to be affordable?

The side effects not only are uncomfortable or painful but often require more treatment.  Doctor caused diseases, iatrogenic disease from side effects and errors, are the THIRD leading cause of death in the U.S. according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

If that is not serious enough, #8 says that medicine “removes organs” referring to surgery.  Perhaps to save a life, yes, but how affordable, how cost-effective is a health care system that removes parts of the body?

#10 is “safe vs. risky”  Chiropractic has more than 100 years of a proven safety record.  There are no side-effects, complications or reactions – it works with the body… always.

I submit that Chiropractic is the affordable alternative to our medical health care system.

Summer, Melanoma and your Immune System

Summer and Melanoma: Warm weather is coming and while we are cautioned to use sun block, to cover up in the stronger sun of the day, the ominous news is that the fastest growing cancer rate is in melanoma. And there is no effective treatment.   Sadly it accounts for only 5% of the skin cancers according to the American Cancer Society but causes most of the deaths.

I’m particularly passionate about the disease because it killed my father… and Father’s Day just passed.

Granted he was at high risk having  lived in New Zealand with a hole in the ozone layer, a sailor getting burned before we knew the danger of sun, and we did not cover up so there was years of injury on his fair skin.

But what about the rest of us that are becoming increasing statistics? Apparently sun is one factor, genetic predisposition is another.  I don’t think anyone would argue having a healthy immune system would help.

Immune System: And that’s where Chiropractic comes in.  Of all the things you know you can do for your immune system (nutrition, mental attitude, exercise etc. ) Chiropractic care is the quiet secret.

Most of my patients don’t get as sick, don’t get as sick as often, or rarely get sick at all while under Chiropractic care. They come in to the office at first often for musculoskeletal complaints but they forget to tell me they used to get sick “all the time” or “every winter” etc.

The Power is on: If Chiropractic adjustments are like a “power” switch, then having them all “on” is the best way to keep the immune system working optimally.   You can’t tell when the switches are off, or when your immune system is compromised – thus lifetime care is the best way I know how.

Now before readers get into a snit that they have to “keep going” to Chiropractor – they have to keep going to a dentist.  And bad teeth rarely killed anyone like a bad immune or other system.  And… that’s what I do and my family does and my 25 year plus patients do.

Being well together sure beats the alternative!