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Pain!

We are here on this earth to enjoy ourselves and that includes enjoying our body. And, yes, that can mean an injury now and then. This is a reminder: small injuries (that means if it doesn’t take you to the ER) should be treated with ice. I’ve been in 20 car accidents and believe me, ice is my friend. Ice is best 20 minutes at a time. What a relief to my neck if it starts hurting! Put ice on for 20 minutes and then off for at least 20 minutes. I like a cloth pack that I keep in the freezer and pull out upon demand because I can twist it into the shape of my neck. And yes, heat can work too, but you will never go wrong with ice. Sometimes you will go wrong with heat meaning you will get more inflammation and therefore more pain. I like to use ice first. When the pain has been helped with the ice, then you can follow with heat for 20 minutes. Always stop and start with ice! So, enjoy your body!

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Safety First!

As doctors, we take the Hippocratic Oath that says we will first do no harm. Safety is important in all aspects of life. Did you know that there is no proof that genetically modified foods are safe for us to eat? There has been little study of effects from GMO’s on people.   However, there is greater and greater concern because of the results of the animal testing. A genetically modified food is where foreign genetic material is incorporated into the seeds of crops. Foreign material in the body requires the body’s immune system to rev up for war. Doesn’t that sounds like an autoimmune disease?  When we think man can do things better than God, is that being grandiose?

When we put anything in the body that is not meant to be there, we are likely asking for trouble.  The most common way that food is genetically modified is through herbicides or pesticides.  They will put some foreign material in the seed that will keep round up from killing the plant or pests from eating the plant.  That foreign material goes into our body too and has a reaction.  Not everyone has bad gut problems, but I see many more gut problems than the first few years out of chiropractic school.  Let’s see what happens several generations down the line.  Would you like to bet that people will get sicker or healthier eating GMO’s?

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Sun as Medicine!

 

As the saying goes, say it often enough and people will believe it. Today, the wonder of the internet brings us instant information, so please, don’t necessarily take my word for anything. Or anyone else’s word either. Look it up yourself. With that said, we have more skin cancer now than we ever had before the invention of sun block. Isn’t that amazing? The makers of sun block forgot to tell us that the rays blocked by their products are not the rays that cause cancer. Did God create the sun for us to enjoy? Of course, any good thing can be overdone and being very fair myself, if I go to the lake, I’ll use sunscreen. Normally, I think of the sun as my medicine (after all the sun block we have used, people are very deficient in vitamin D) but I don’t tarry in it too long at a time.

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Healthcare Prices?

Reading an article full of facts about health care can be eye opening.  The report may be from 2013, but the US spent $750 billion more for health care than other developed countries.  Why?  The price of one Lipitor in the US is the same as three Lipitor in Argentina.  One Plavix in the US is the same price as four Plavix in Spain.  One Nexium in the US is the same price as eight in France.  Sigh…  And other countries like Japan, Australia, and Spain have higher life expectancies for their population than the US does and they spend less per person than the US does.  The article gave prices for certain procedures and the US was always the most expensive.  I personally know someone who had open-heart surgery in Thailand and paid $26,000 for it. His cardiologist was ranked the best in the world. How much do you think that surgery would cost in the US?

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To Label or Not to Label? That Is the Question!

The Dark Act was defeated in Congress.  It was referred to as the Dark Act because it wanted to “make dark” to the citizens of the US what is in your food.  It was defeated!  YEAH!!  Do you want to know what is in your food?  If they think GMO’s are so good for you, why wouldn’t they want to label everything that had them and we would finally see the truth and demand GMO’s.  If we put a shirt on our body, we get to know where it was made and what kind of cloth it is, but we don’t get the same information about what we put in our body?  Just to let you know, they aren’t through with us yet.  They have done a test vote to see if the congressmen would like to bring the Dark Act back up for discussion.  SIGH!  The people have spoken, but our congressmen don’t seem to care.  In Colorado, Congressman Bennett and Gardner both voted to have new discussions.  Why?  Well, let’s just say that they get much money from the agricultural industry.  In fact, it was reported that Congressmen that voted to have discussions about it received a total of $58,991,192 from the agricultural industry.  That averaged out to $867,518 per Congressmen.  Those who voted against bringing talks back were given a total of $10,175,439 in aggregate with $350,877 being the average.  Both Congressmen from Colorado voted for more talks.  Call your Congressman and tell them to allow us to know what is in our food.  And Congressman Bennett has received $473,397 from the agricultural industry while Congressman Gardner received  $946,349.  That could influence anyone.  These facts were taken from the Organic Consumers Association.  Let your voice be heard!!

 

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Words of Wisdom!

My patient looked up at me and said, “I followed the wise words spoken by Dr. Elva Edwards.”  I had to ask, “What did I say?”  He recalled a day in my office some years ago when he told me he didn’t have health insurance.  I suggested getting insurance would be a good idea.  But, he protested, “He doesn’t like medicine and they don’t have anything to offer him.”  I said, “Use them for what they are good for.”  We have to admit, medicine is very good at doing what they do well.  But the complaint I receive the most is:   “They just want to give me medicine,”  My response is, “That is what they do.”  My patients often expect more and are disappointed.  Medicine doesn’t typically offer more natural therapies.  But we don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Use them for what they are good for!!  My patient is glad he did get insurance as a few health problems have emerged.  In my opinion, every specialty has a place at the table of health care.  If they didn’t help us in the way we wanted to be helped, we probably went to the wrong kind of provider.

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All about the toes!

Our toes are so important for balance as well as for walking.  The toes can take a beating with ballet, soccer and other sports, even hiking.   As we get older, toes get bunions, crooked toes, rigid toes, toes that are too long or not long enough.  I have a good size bunion on my right foot.  One day my sister said, “When are you going to get that thing fixed?”  I said, “Hopefully never,” because my bunion doesn’t hurt.  I would never have surgery unless I was in extreme pain.  Just because it is ugly, isn’t enough reason for me to approve of the knife!   If you have a toe problem, there are many more aids today that when I was a child.  Next time you are in Walgreens, stop by the foot and toe section and see all the wraps and tapes and products to make you more comfortable.  Our toes are very small but play a large role in balance and coordination.

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Mother’s and Father’s

 

Mother’s Day passed and Father’s Day is upon us. No two people are more important to us in our development than our parents, whether they are good parents or not. These holidays are for celebrating the best the parents had to offer us. Whether our experience was positive or negative, we have learned many lessons from them. This is a great time, if you are a parent, to make a few goals for the coming year. Do you know how much your child, no matter what age, would appreciate a few comments from you regarding what you love and appreciate about them? As we know, it is sometimes hard to take suggestions from parents, but it isn’t hard at all to hear how much they love us or what they appreciate about us. So whether it is, “you have such style in your dress,” or “I love the way you parent your child,” or “you have such a kind heart,” or “I really admire your business savvy,” or a million other remarks. Leave your child with the positive memories of your admiration! Just call me Ann Landers!!

 

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Cholesterol Facts!

Recently I was listening to a podcast by Bruce Lipton, PhD who wrote the Biology of Belief. He talked about numerous subjects and found his way to cholesterol. As he was giving statistics, I remembered I had heard these statistics several years ago from a chiropractor I study from, Dr. Dan Murphy. The essential take home statistics are as follows:

  • cholesterol doesn’t cause atherosclerosis
  • anti-histamines stop cholesterol build up
  • cholesterol build up is a reaction to stress
  • statins rake in 29 billion dollars a year from the pharmaceutical industry in the US alone
  • for every 300 people who take a statin, one will have a positive effect.
  • Out of the 300, 45-80 will suffer consequences and side effects that will negatively affect their health
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How We Spend Our Money

Unfortunately, it does cost more money to eat healthy. The fast food and processed food industries of the world make certain of that. However, we all make our choices. For me, I’d rather pay more eating real food like fresh vegetables and fruits as opposed to processed food. And, I’d rather eat organic fruits and vegetables if I have the choice. If you think they are expensive, have you seen the costs of drugs or medicine lately?  And I’m not just talking about the cost in money.  According to John Hopkins, over 250,000 people a year are killed by our conventional medical system. That boggles the mind as it is almost 700 people a day!  Let’s take control of our own health so we won’t find ourself needing much medical care.    Good food plus proper supplementation works for many of us.  Come join us!  Now where did I put that organic apple?