Earlier this month, the world was saddened by the death
of legendary comedian, Robin Williams.
The cruel irony in his passing was that he literally brightened the
lives of millions of people, but he could not find enough light in his own life
to keep living. As has been reported,
Williams committed suicide.
Mollie (our office manager and in-office health coach) is
quite the film buff; as am I. When
someone of the Robin Williams ilk dies, she and I have a conversation about
it. Our chat veered toward the topic of
depression, which Williams had been battling, on and off, for many years,
dating back to the death of one of his best friends, fellow comedian John
Belushi. As Mollie said, “Robin Williams
made a life out of showing us our humanity, and their deaths are no different.” So, let’s use this as an opportunity to take
a broader view on topics such as depression and suicide.
“Depression is a complex thing, having environmental,
social, emotional, spiritual and chemical causes,” Mollie emailed me as we
furthered our discussion beyond Triad Upper Cervical Clinic’s walls. Suicide is, too. We often see these complex issues oversimplified
through words like “selfishness” and “cowardice.” Is this a black and white topic? Or does it, as throughout life, feature many
shades of gray? Strength is a virtue
that we celebrate, but not everyone has it to the extent necessary to will
themselves out of the darker periods in their lives. To imply that Williams was “selfish” or a “coward”
because he could no longer muster the fortitude to keep fighting could well be
viewed as too much of an assumption and fail to contextualize the reality of
his situation (and others like him).
We all like to think that we’re immune to these
problems. Yet, we are also a society
that puts such a premium on being strong that we often, simultaneously, teach
each other to hide signs of weakness subconsciously. Read as a familiar theme? How many of these newsletters over the years
have been geared toward recognizing and getting the underlying causes of signs
identified instead of masking/hiding them?
One of the fundamental human traits is self-preservation. It is a lengthy, tumultuous process to reach
a point where a human-being goes against its very nature and kills itself. Using Mollie’s quote on the causes of
depression, the process might look something like this (and this is merely an
example): Robin was born to pretty sharp parents, who afforded him
opportunities that are idealized on TV but present their own unique set of
pressures (absentee mother and father who don’t give as much attention, in his
case) and may have led to him “acting out” later in life when he became
addicted to alcohol and cocaine. He beat
up his body and mind pretty harshly with his habits, enduring chemical
substance abuse until his friend, Belushi, died of an overdose. The emotional toll was pronounced for
Williams. One of his classmates at
Juliard, Christopher Reeve, then had an accident that left him a paraplegic,
further shaking Williams to his core.
Constantly in the public eye, Williams struggled with the trappings of
stardom all the while. Add to all of that
two failed marriages and being a celebrity dad and you’ve got a potent recipe
for major emotional problems, which eventually manifested as severe depression. In all likelihood, he was medicated, further
disrupting his already chemically imbalanced brain (the years of abuse) and
ailing body (evidenced by his heart surgery in 2009).
Does that narrative paint the picture of anything less
than an intricate human-being with problems that in some way, shape, or form we
all can relate to? Take out the
celebrity part and, odds are, you know someone exactly like him. I can surely appreciate the point of view
that devalues a person who does not value the gift of life, but I think it is a
viewpoint that uses black and white brush strokes instead of the multi-colored pallet
that makes up an individual person.
Williams was certainly colorful. One
of my colleagues commented on social media that, “In my opinion, suicide isn't
‘selfish’ to the person committing it. It's more of a demonstration of
weakness. When someone is depressed, it is imperative to have a strong support
system around them, so they, in turn, feel strong. Tough love doesn't work with
someone who is depressed. They need to feel like they're worth something to
someone, in order to avoid that weakness creeping in.”
Mental health issues are not well understood. The manner in which they’re dealt with? Even less understood. I encounter people that wear like a badge of
honor their prescriptions for depression and anxiety that alter their body
chemistry, but feel it’s a social faux pas to seek counseling. Which one is the band-aid and which was one
helps solve the problem? Yet, drugs are
the popular route with greater acceptance in our society. Reports are that Robin Williams was medicated,
prompting his fellow Hollywood stars to speak out about their past use of
popular anti-depressants and the suicidal thoughts that they triggered. Messing around with brain and body chemistry
is a dangerous game. There’s actually
nothing wrong with counseling…at all. It
is an essential cog in the wheel in making sure that you have your mental
faculties in order amidst the chaotic nature of modern society’s overexposure
to just about everything. A good
attitude is one of the pillars of health.
Counseling is often needed to achieve it. Support is often needed to maintain it. “Please, if you know someone who has a mental
illness, give them a hug and explain to them why the mean so much to you,” my
colleague concluded. “Make them feel like they are worth something, because in
their mind - they aren't. You may save a life and initiate the first step out
of depression.”
From the Upper Cervical perspective, body chemistry and
the general neurologic governing of the emotional (limbic) system is regulated
by the brainstem. Here was Mollie’s
final thought on the matter: “Upper Cervical Care can help. Keeping the
brain-body connection operating at its best can help those who battle depression.
It is not a replacement for other modalities, especially counseling and
soul-work, but it can help those modalities be more effective.”
Feel free to discuss.
And RIP Robin Williams.
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Lead HPV Researcher Warns Public, Provides Opportunity
Disclaimer - The information in
this newsletter should not be interpreted as medical advice for any
condition. Dr. McIntyre is a licensed healthcare professional, but this
column is intended only to make you aware and to make you think.
Last October, I wrote an article detailing the dangers of and the lack of efficacy for the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine, concluding that “70% of the cases of HPV resolve themselves in one year without treatment. Most viruses will be eradicated if you give your body a chance to do its job. The immune system is built to stop foreign invaders, making it of paramount importance that your immune system is doing its job at its best. The brainstem regulates the immune system, but is one of the most common adversely affected structures in the body when traumas occur (accidents, slips, falls, sports injuries, etc.). Upper Cervical Care ensures that the brainstem can ideally regulate immune response, giving you faster and more efficient reactions to foreign invaders like HPV and other viruses.”
It has been said that the average 17 year old has heard over 20,000 hours worth of drug commercials. The pharmaceutical industry constantly bombards the market with its message, so much so that the realities both for what it does and does not offer often get distorted or lost. Conversely, the cautionary tales from those that have been harmed by pharmaceutical interventions or the red flags waved by those of us in the healing arts that are critical of the medical paradigm are so few when compared to the mainstream ads you see and hear all the time for drugs. So, I think it’s important to reiterate some of the information out there about things like the HPV vaccine. You may not hear or read about what people like Dr. Diane Harper have to say on the matter anywhere else.
Dr. Harper, a renowned medical physician best known for her work in developing the HPV vaccine, has recently made some interesting comments. Despite dedicating a substantial portion of her career to HPV vaccines, she has assessed and reviewed the many adverse events resulting from the vaccines and decided to tell the truth about it. “The benefit to public health is nothing,” Harper says about HPV vaccines. “There is no reduction in cervical cancers; they are just postponed.” That’s a powerful statement from arguably the world’s top authority on the subject. HPV vaccines are designed specifically to prevent cervical cancer. If they are not even remotely accomplishing their goal, then that’s not just faulty drugs but a blasphemous marketing tactic. It would mean that a multi-billion dollar industry has been created for no actual benefit to patients. This is not the first time. Any long-time reader of this newsletter has been made aware of the many drugs that make false proclamations.
Sadly, the public reaction when medical professionals like Harper speak out against vaccines and other drugs is often to try and discredit the naysayer instead of take seriously their claims. It’s fascinating, really. In so many other businesses, the similar circumstance of an industry leader speaking out against a problem identified in his/her area of expertise would be met much differently than it often is in healthcare. Earlier this week, German car giant, BMW, recalled 1.6 million cars over the concern of faulty air bags. The cars in question were made between 8-16 years ago, so it barely affects the current market. Still, they are taking action. "As a precaution, we just feel now that the right thing to do is just to bring them all in and replace the passenger-side air bag," a BMW spokesman said. If we change the subject to vaccine dangers, however, it’s neither a stimulant for further research nor the wake-up call that it should be. Unfortunately, those in support of the vaccines/drugs all too frequently go on the attack as they crawl into a defensive shell. Ignorance is the enemy of progress. Burying our heads in the sand when someone says something that goes against the common thought process, particularly in matters related to health, is very dangerous. Basically, the facts from the research say that HPV vaccines are more dangerous than that which they intend to prevent. The serious adverse reaction rate, according to Harper, is as high as the cervical cancer death rate. Others, as mentioned in the article that I wrote last year, are stating that the adverse reactions are even worse.
Of course, the CDC says that HPV vaccines are safe. Such resources are often the ones denouncing Harper’s claims. Personally, I’m a bit leery of what I read from the CDC. There’s a lot of contradictory information floating around their website. If you search for HPV vaccines on CDC, you’ll see a note about a large number of them being recalled, but not to worry because “no concerning adverse reactions have been seen with those vaccinated by the lot.” You’ll see similar caveats on many of the posts that are made about drug/vaccine recalls. The number one reason to recall drugs (and reason numbers two, three, four, five, and six for that matter) is that they cause adverse reactions. So, what gives? Most in favor of drugs and vaccines tend to greatly understate the frequency of adverse reactions, at best, and deliberately act as if they never happen, at worst. I think it’s important to remember that, when it comes to the development of anything chemical (as drugs/vaccines are), the burden of proof is on the scientists. It’s not the patient’s responsibility to prove why they should NOT receive a vaccine like Gardasil (for HPV); it’s the doctor/scientist/researcher’s responsibility to prove to the patient why they should. Scientists/developers/
I understand defending something that you believe in. If you’re passionate about anything, then you should be able to relate to defiantly taking a stance. However, there’s this thing that we spend so much time talking about called communication and both lines should be open. Opportunities are so very frequently missed to use valid points, such as the ones that Harper brings up, to openly discuss both privately and publicly the risks and benefits of vaccines and other drugs.
Thinking good things for you,
-Dr. Chad
Last October, I wrote an article detailing the dangers of and the lack of efficacy for the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine, concluding that “70% of the cases of HPV resolve themselves in one year without treatment. Most viruses will be eradicated if you give your body a chance to do its job. The immune system is built to stop foreign invaders, making it of paramount importance that your immune system is doing its job at its best. The brainstem regulates the immune system, but is one of the most common adversely affected structures in the body when traumas occur (accidents, slips, falls, sports injuries, etc.). Upper Cervical Care ensures that the brainstem can ideally regulate immune response, giving you faster and more efficient reactions to foreign invaders like HPV and other viruses.”
It has been said that the average 17 year old has heard over 20,000 hours worth of drug commercials. The pharmaceutical industry constantly bombards the market with its message, so much so that the realities both for what it does and does not offer often get distorted or lost. Conversely, the cautionary tales from those that have been harmed by pharmaceutical interventions or the red flags waved by those of us in the healing arts that are critical of the medical paradigm are so few when compared to the mainstream ads you see and hear all the time for drugs. So, I think it’s important to reiterate some of the information out there about things like the HPV vaccine. You may not hear or read about what people like Dr. Diane Harper have to say on the matter anywhere else.
Dr. Harper, a renowned medical physician best known for her work in developing the HPV vaccine, has recently made some interesting comments. Despite dedicating a substantial portion of her career to HPV vaccines, she has assessed and reviewed the many adverse events resulting from the vaccines and decided to tell the truth about it. “The benefit to public health is nothing,” Harper says about HPV vaccines. “There is no reduction in cervical cancers; they are just postponed.” That’s a powerful statement from arguably the world’s top authority on the subject. HPV vaccines are designed specifically to prevent cervical cancer. If they are not even remotely accomplishing their goal, then that’s not just faulty drugs but a blasphemous marketing tactic. It would mean that a multi-billion dollar industry has been created for no actual benefit to patients. This is not the first time. Any long-time reader of this newsletter has been made aware of the many drugs that make false proclamations.
Sadly, the public reaction when medical professionals like Harper speak out against vaccines and other drugs is often to try and discredit the naysayer instead of take seriously their claims. It’s fascinating, really. In so many other businesses, the similar circumstance of an industry leader speaking out against a problem identified in his/her area of expertise would be met much differently than it often is in healthcare. Earlier this week, German car giant, BMW, recalled 1.6 million cars over the concern of faulty air bags. The cars in question were made between 8-16 years ago, so it barely affects the current market. Still, they are taking action. "As a precaution, we just feel now that the right thing to do is just to bring them all in and replace the passenger-side air bag," a BMW spokesman said. If we change the subject to vaccine dangers, however, it’s neither a stimulant for further research nor the wake-up call that it should be. Unfortunately, those in support of the vaccines/drugs all too frequently go on the attack as they crawl into a defensive shell. Ignorance is the enemy of progress. Burying our heads in the sand when someone says something that goes against the common thought process, particularly in matters related to health, is very dangerous. Basically, the facts from the research say that HPV vaccines are more dangerous than that which they intend to prevent. The serious adverse reaction rate, according to Harper, is as high as the cervical cancer death rate. Others, as mentioned in the article that I wrote last year, are stating that the adverse reactions are even worse.
Of course, the CDC says that HPV vaccines are safe. Such resources are often the ones denouncing Harper’s claims. Personally, I’m a bit leery of what I read from the CDC. There’s a lot of contradictory information floating around their website. If you search for HPV vaccines on CDC, you’ll see a note about a large number of them being recalled, but not to worry because “no concerning adverse reactions have been seen with those vaccinated by the lot.” You’ll see similar caveats on many of the posts that are made about drug/vaccine recalls. The number one reason to recall drugs (and reason numbers two, three, four, five, and six for that matter) is that they cause adverse reactions. So, what gives? Most in favor of drugs and vaccines tend to greatly understate the frequency of adverse reactions, at best, and deliberately act as if they never happen, at worst. I think it’s important to remember that, when it comes to the development of anything chemical (as drugs/vaccines are), the burden of proof is on the scientists. It’s not the patient’s responsibility to prove why they should NOT receive a vaccine like Gardasil (for HPV); it’s the doctor/scientist/researcher’s responsibility to prove to the patient why they should. Scientists/developers/
I understand defending something that you believe in. If you’re passionate about anything, then you should be able to relate to defiantly taking a stance. However, there’s this thing that we spend so much time talking about called communication and both lines should be open. Opportunities are so very frequently missed to use valid points, such as the ones that Harper brings up, to openly discuss both privately and publicly the risks and benefits of vaccines and other drugs.
Thinking good things for you,
-Dr. Chad
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Turning Tragedy Into Change
Last week there was another school shooting in the United
States, home to more school shootings (by far) than any other country in the
world. Too often nowadays, tragedy leads
not to action, but fearful avoidance. There
have been 74 school shootings in the last 18 months, fifteen of which were of
the variety that make national headlines – the ones you would know about. 15 over 18 months is one every five weeks. The time has passed for talking about it and
the time has come to do something. Many
reasons exist for why these incidents have become more prevalent in the last
twenty years than ever before. Not to
discount any of the other reasons that these occurrences have increased, but the
primary intention of this column is to call into question the manner in which
our society has chosen to deal with mental instability in children and offer
solutions.
No matter the effect, there is always a cause. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, close to 50% of all teenagers have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. They also posit that 20% of teenagers have or will suffer from a “severe” mental health disorder. There is quite a bit of controversy as to whether or not the cause leading to such effects is based on faulty diagnosing procedures (over diagnosis being the by-product) or real problems. All the while, the use of medication to regulate behavior has spiked in the last decade, tripling the number of kids who are taking drugs. The percentage of children in the United States currently on behavioral prescriptions is now around 10%. Every pharmaceutical drug has side effects. We need to be a lot more careful about making drugs the first option and transition them back to their place as the last resort. “What’s not known about the long-term effects [of drugs prescribed for mental health disorders] is very troubling,” Christopher Bellonci, M.D., assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, said. “The younger you go, the more you can affect the developing brain.”
If kids are angry, depressed, lacking in focus, or otherwise, the protocols for how to handle them has seen a sharp de-emphasis on the factors that can help these kids and their parents truly understand and overcome their less than desirable conduct and are further emphasizing putting them on prescription drugs. It’s a consequence of the same dated mindset of treating disease by methods that produce opposite effects of symptoms designed to satiate our rabid societal desire for instant gratification. The American Psychological Association has concluded, based on their research, “that all too often, Americans are taking medications that may not work or may be inappropriate for their mental health problems.” Though it is not working, it continues to be a problem. Back in 2009, the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported “that in 2006 more money was spent on treating mental disorders in children aged 0 to 17 than for any other medical condition, with a total of $8.9 billion. By comparison, the cost of treating trauma-related disorders, including fractures, sprains, burns, and other physical injuries, was only $6.1 billion.” That’s a lot of money and not a lot of results. People recognize that these pharmacological methods are ineffective and even dangerous, but little is being done about it. Step one to doing something about it is spreading awareness that it’s a fundamental flaw in the system to over diagnose and under value the essential reasons why behavioral issues develop.
It would be helpful to have a general understanding of how brain activity is conducted. The human body works via electrical circuitry similar to what you have in your house. That circuitry is called the central nervous system. The brainstem plays a regulatory role in the electrical activity throughout your body, including that of your brain. There are basic processes that depend on the integrity of the central nervous system to allow for such normal functions as hearing or seeing something and being able to establish a rationale, cognitive thought in reaction to it – in other words, the inner workings that control behavioral response. Rationale thoughts and behaviors – hard to call them “normal” when everyone is so different – require certain biochemical and neurologic procedures to be in place. Upper Cervical Care is the process of detecting and removing such functional, neurologically based problems by ensuring that the brainstem is working the way it is designed to. It should be a part of the revised protocol to help identify the root for mental health issues, as should the other things described below.
As so little in our world is black and white, I believe that multiple factors have contributed to mental health problems being more prevalent than ever. I agree that way too many kids are diagnosed with “disorders” when, in reality, they’re just being kids. Sometimes, the mistakes children make are little more than their learning process for how to grow up and adapt in a world that’s increasingly different. Yet, when it is an actual problem and not a few bad choices, there are nutritional factors to consider, as our foods have largely been stripped of their nutritional value in an effort to make eating more convenient and fast. It is also a cultural shift, which has led to teachers being handcuffed in their ability to educate and entitled kids who don’t believe that they have anything to learn. Then, the media is so negative and the TV shows so melodramatic that it is a wonder if children even know anymore that the world has a lot to offer them if they offer something to it. Add to that the spotlight that kids are put under from early ages through social media and online influences and the generally regarded fact that kids no longer have a strong sense of personal responsibility.
Failure to consider these fundamental factors and assuming that the best option is to essentially numb bad behaviors and thoughts is a dangerous game – literally. “Some 90 percent of school shootings over more than a decade have been linked to a widely prescribed type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs,” according to British psychiatrist Dr. David Healy. Some sources say it’s actually 100%. Enough is enough; it’s time for a change. I sincerely hope that we will all soon come to the conclusion that these tragedies should stimulate a serious revamping of how we collectively view mental health.
Thinking good things for you,
Dr. Chad
No matter the effect, there is always a cause. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, close to 50% of all teenagers have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. They also posit that 20% of teenagers have or will suffer from a “severe” mental health disorder. There is quite a bit of controversy as to whether or not the cause leading to such effects is based on faulty diagnosing procedures (over diagnosis being the by-product) or real problems. All the while, the use of medication to regulate behavior has spiked in the last decade, tripling the number of kids who are taking drugs. The percentage of children in the United States currently on behavioral prescriptions is now around 10%. Every pharmaceutical drug has side effects. We need to be a lot more careful about making drugs the first option and transition them back to their place as the last resort. “What’s not known about the long-term effects [of drugs prescribed for mental health disorders] is very troubling,” Christopher Bellonci, M.D., assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, said. “The younger you go, the more you can affect the developing brain.”
If kids are angry, depressed, lacking in focus, or otherwise, the protocols for how to handle them has seen a sharp de-emphasis on the factors that can help these kids and their parents truly understand and overcome their less than desirable conduct and are further emphasizing putting them on prescription drugs. It’s a consequence of the same dated mindset of treating disease by methods that produce opposite effects of symptoms designed to satiate our rabid societal desire for instant gratification. The American Psychological Association has concluded, based on their research, “that all too often, Americans are taking medications that may not work or may be inappropriate for their mental health problems.” Though it is not working, it continues to be a problem. Back in 2009, the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported “that in 2006 more money was spent on treating mental disorders in children aged 0 to 17 than for any other medical condition, with a total of $8.9 billion. By comparison, the cost of treating trauma-related disorders, including fractures, sprains, burns, and other physical injuries, was only $6.1 billion.” That’s a lot of money and not a lot of results. People recognize that these pharmacological methods are ineffective and even dangerous, but little is being done about it. Step one to doing something about it is spreading awareness that it’s a fundamental flaw in the system to over diagnose and under value the essential reasons why behavioral issues develop.
It would be helpful to have a general understanding of how brain activity is conducted. The human body works via electrical circuitry similar to what you have in your house. That circuitry is called the central nervous system. The brainstem plays a regulatory role in the electrical activity throughout your body, including that of your brain. There are basic processes that depend on the integrity of the central nervous system to allow for such normal functions as hearing or seeing something and being able to establish a rationale, cognitive thought in reaction to it – in other words, the inner workings that control behavioral response. Rationale thoughts and behaviors – hard to call them “normal” when everyone is so different – require certain biochemical and neurologic procedures to be in place. Upper Cervical Care is the process of detecting and removing such functional, neurologically based problems by ensuring that the brainstem is working the way it is designed to. It should be a part of the revised protocol to help identify the root for mental health issues, as should the other things described below.
As so little in our world is black and white, I believe that multiple factors have contributed to mental health problems being more prevalent than ever. I agree that way too many kids are diagnosed with “disorders” when, in reality, they’re just being kids. Sometimes, the mistakes children make are little more than their learning process for how to grow up and adapt in a world that’s increasingly different. Yet, when it is an actual problem and not a few bad choices, there are nutritional factors to consider, as our foods have largely been stripped of their nutritional value in an effort to make eating more convenient and fast. It is also a cultural shift, which has led to teachers being handcuffed in their ability to educate and entitled kids who don’t believe that they have anything to learn. Then, the media is so negative and the TV shows so melodramatic that it is a wonder if children even know anymore that the world has a lot to offer them if they offer something to it. Add to that the spotlight that kids are put under from early ages through social media and online influences and the generally regarded fact that kids no longer have a strong sense of personal responsibility.
Failure to consider these fundamental factors and assuming that the best option is to essentially numb bad behaviors and thoughts is a dangerous game – literally. “Some 90 percent of school shootings over more than a decade have been linked to a widely prescribed type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs,” according to British psychiatrist Dr. David Healy. Some sources say it’s actually 100%. Enough is enough; it’s time for a change. I sincerely hope that we will all soon come to the conclusion that these tragedies should stimulate a serious revamping of how we collectively view mental health.
Thinking good things for you,
Dr. Chad
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Groundhog Day - A Vicious Cycle
You wake up in the
morning, groggy and feeling as though the previous seven hours spent sleeping
never really happened. Clearly, you
slept. The clock read “11:03 P.M.” right
before you zonked out and you opened your eyes to “6:59 A.M.” It doesn’t feel like it, though. You push yourself out of bed and immediately
notice that you’re leaning to one side.
Looking down at your feet, your eyes focus in as if staring at your
knees, ankles, and toes might somehow reestablish a sense of normalcy during
this all-too-common occurrence of seeming off balance. Half stumbling and half walking, you maneuver
yourself to the bathroom and flip on the light.
Once upon a time, this would have been when you sat down to eliminate
the waste processed through your digestive tract from yesterday, but it has
been a long time since that was the case.
Despite that gurgling sound in the pit of your stomach that suggests
that a few moments on the porcelain God would be just what the doctor ordered,
you’ve been through this routine enough to realize that nothing will happen if
you do and that there are other things that have taken precedent in the morning
routine.
Two hours later, you are on your way to see what the day brings. There’s that uncomfortable moment when you get into the car, your joints crackling as if you just sat down on bubble wrap. The same thing happens when you get out of the car a bit later. It always happens when you get in the car. Speaking of the car, remember when you could turn your head so easily to check the blind spot over your right shoulder? That online search for how “German engineers suggest using car mirrors” was quite helpful, you may recall. In the future, you find out that using your mirrors in the manner recommended by BMW is actually a good thing, but it would have been nice to choose to do it that way rather than have to out of necessity. Oh well. Once the morning sluggishness finally wears off thanks to that third cup of coffee – or was it an energy drink today? Memory isn’t what it used to be – you start your list of daily tasks. You have to carefully concentrate on one thing at a time to avoid your mind traveling in a million different directions. Did you put the clothes in the dryer? That thing from the national board is due this week, right? The dryer wasn’t left on, was it? You never like leaving it on while you’re gone (just in case). The meeting at 11:30. Did you prepare? You’ve got ample prep time, so you should be fine. Whew, it’s been a long day already and it’s not even lunch time.
Lunch brings with it a set of challenges all its own. You heart desires the Southwest chicken sandwich, but you know that eating something with a kick to it will make the afternoon a chore. After all, it’s hard to get any work done when you’re constantly taking breaks. You get that sort of nausea with it, too. So, it’ll be the salad and soup again for the millionth time – “Just make sure that there’s no garlic in it” you call to the waiter, all the while thinking in the back of your mind how annoying it is to have to be so picky when you like so many things. It’d be nice to have a “cheater day” and vary up the diet a bit. The 11:30 presentation took a lot out of you and a dull ache has settled in the back of your head. You barely notice it; it’s par for the course, at this point. As the day continues, the ache spreads. The more that you are on your feet, the greater the difficulty that you experience. You don’t work out anymore – it hurts you too much to do so – but at the end of every day, you feel like you just worked out for the first time in two years. As abnormal as it is, it has become normal for you, but - unbeknownst to you – it makes you very difficult to be around. By dinner time, the day has worn you out and your patience has been reduced to nil. Those close to you just assume that “it’s who you are, now” since the doctors said everything was normal. You long since quit trying to find out why you feel and act the way that you do. You guess that it’s just what getting older is like.
You’ve become a human doing instead of a human being. You exist more so than live. Like the movie Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray awakes to the same February morning repeatedly, life has become an endless loop of days you’re just getting through.
I’ve met so many people in my career that would relate to the above. I know that I sure relate to it. That was me. Upper Cervical Care gave me my life back and it took years of self reflection to find out when I actually lost it, ultimately realizing that it was gradual and cumulative. By the time that I learned about Upper Cervical, I had developed a quiet assumption that I was never going to get better and had begun going through the motions of living. Your level of health simply doesn’t always reflect what it says on some lab test. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to have the bar raised for what I should expect from my life. I sincerely hope that you are allowing us to help you raise that bar for your life. Too many of us think that scenarios similar to the above are OK. They’re not. We should all want more and go get more from life…and that begins with your health.
The Power of Upper Cervical documentary presentation – Tuesday, June 17th at 6:30PM
“You people will know…soon” states Dr. Drew Hall in the final line of Storyville Studios acclaimed documentary, The Power of Upper Cervical. The fact of the matter is that most people don’t know about Upper Cervical Care. This documentary is an excellent way for the uninformed to become informed. Across the board, our collective health is suffering because we simply don’t understand the basics for what it takes to be healthy. Like one of the patients in the movie says, “I didn’t know. I didn’t know any different.” This film will teach you and your loved ones the “difference” that Upper Cervical Care can make. Please join us! Seating is limited, so please RSVP via email or by calling the office.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Thinking good things for all of you,
Dr. Chad
Two hours later, you are on your way to see what the day brings. There’s that uncomfortable moment when you get into the car, your joints crackling as if you just sat down on bubble wrap. The same thing happens when you get out of the car a bit later. It always happens when you get in the car. Speaking of the car, remember when you could turn your head so easily to check the blind spot over your right shoulder? That online search for how “German engineers suggest using car mirrors” was quite helpful, you may recall. In the future, you find out that using your mirrors in the manner recommended by BMW is actually a good thing, but it would have been nice to choose to do it that way rather than have to out of necessity. Oh well. Once the morning sluggishness finally wears off thanks to that third cup of coffee – or was it an energy drink today? Memory isn’t what it used to be – you start your list of daily tasks. You have to carefully concentrate on one thing at a time to avoid your mind traveling in a million different directions. Did you put the clothes in the dryer? That thing from the national board is due this week, right? The dryer wasn’t left on, was it? You never like leaving it on while you’re gone (just in case). The meeting at 11:30. Did you prepare? You’ve got ample prep time, so you should be fine. Whew, it’s been a long day already and it’s not even lunch time.
Lunch brings with it a set of challenges all its own. You heart desires the Southwest chicken sandwich, but you know that eating something with a kick to it will make the afternoon a chore. After all, it’s hard to get any work done when you’re constantly taking breaks. You get that sort of nausea with it, too. So, it’ll be the salad and soup again for the millionth time – “Just make sure that there’s no garlic in it” you call to the waiter, all the while thinking in the back of your mind how annoying it is to have to be so picky when you like so many things. It’d be nice to have a “cheater day” and vary up the diet a bit. The 11:30 presentation took a lot out of you and a dull ache has settled in the back of your head. You barely notice it; it’s par for the course, at this point. As the day continues, the ache spreads. The more that you are on your feet, the greater the difficulty that you experience. You don’t work out anymore – it hurts you too much to do so – but at the end of every day, you feel like you just worked out for the first time in two years. As abnormal as it is, it has become normal for you, but - unbeknownst to you – it makes you very difficult to be around. By dinner time, the day has worn you out and your patience has been reduced to nil. Those close to you just assume that “it’s who you are, now” since the doctors said everything was normal. You long since quit trying to find out why you feel and act the way that you do. You guess that it’s just what getting older is like.
You’ve become a human doing instead of a human being. You exist more so than live. Like the movie Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray awakes to the same February morning repeatedly, life has become an endless loop of days you’re just getting through.
I’ve met so many people in my career that would relate to the above. I know that I sure relate to it. That was me. Upper Cervical Care gave me my life back and it took years of self reflection to find out when I actually lost it, ultimately realizing that it was gradual and cumulative. By the time that I learned about Upper Cervical, I had developed a quiet assumption that I was never going to get better and had begun going through the motions of living. Your level of health simply doesn’t always reflect what it says on some lab test. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to have the bar raised for what I should expect from my life. I sincerely hope that you are allowing us to help you raise that bar for your life. Too many of us think that scenarios similar to the above are OK. They’re not. We should all want more and go get more from life…and that begins with your health.
The Power of Upper Cervical documentary presentation – Tuesday, June 17th at 6:30PM
“You people will know…soon” states Dr. Drew Hall in the final line of Storyville Studios acclaimed documentary, The Power of Upper Cervical. The fact of the matter is that most people don’t know about Upper Cervical Care. This documentary is an excellent way for the uninformed to become informed. Across the board, our collective health is suffering because we simply don’t understand the basics for what it takes to be healthy. Like one of the patients in the movie says, “I didn’t know. I didn’t know any different.” This film will teach you and your loved ones the “difference” that Upper Cervical Care can make. Please join us! Seating is limited, so please RSVP via email or by calling the office.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Thinking good things for all of you,
Dr. Chad
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Why is There Not More Research on Upper Cervical Care?
Many patients have previously asked - and many others
have likely thought about it – “Why isn’t there more research out there about
Upper Cervical Care?”
The answer to that question was, perhaps, best exemplified in a recent email that updated me about the progress of a study, which I donated money to about three months ago.
A little bit of background information before I continue: for the last several years, there has been a lot of research conducted in tandem between Upper Cervical Practitioners and Medical Doctors in Italy where Upper Cervical Care was given the wings of several Italian hospitals. This is not unprecedented, as these types of joint tasks have occurred here in the United States, but suffice to say that a lot more research has been going on over in Italy where the system is better built to help patients find the root causes of their respective health problems. Here in the States, there is a lot more bias toward the term “chiropractic,” creating a barrier between the paradigms which can often be difficult to overcome. In Italy, this is less of a problem, in part because the Italian version of the AMA, as I understand it, does not view Upper Cervical Care and Chiropractic as the same entity. Though groundbreaking discoveries are achieved in the USA when the two professions are able to collaborate -- such as in the University of Chicago Medical Center study that determined Upper Cervical Care is more effective than two blood pressure lowering medications! -- it has proven easier for more research to occur, with less hassle, overseas than in the US.
So, over in Italy about five years ago, the UC DCs and MDs combined to study whether the brainstem subluxation (misalignment of one of the top two vertebrae in the spine, to the point that the brainstem which rests within those bones is compromised) is one of the causes of Multiple Sclerosis, by using functional MRI to better assess the area. Other forms of imaging have long-since established the neurological consequences of a foundational shift where the head and the neck meet, but the scientific community prefers the functional MRI. That being stated, the brainstem subluxation was found to be a common link amongst M.S. patients in the Italian study. Furthermore, it was found that not only was there a correlation, but that there a causative relationship; in fact, the brainstem subluxation was determined to be one of the four primary causes of M.S. Powerful information, and game-changing for the scientific community. For an Upper Cervical Practitioner, this study merely confirmed what we already knew, but as this information becomes scientifically solidified, it will begin to reach the public; and when it reaches the public, the manner in which M.S. and related conditions are handled is going to change… a much needed change.
The problem is that research – and this goes back to the question asked in the beginning – requires a lot of money. The M.S. study in Italy ran out of it. I happened upon this unfortunate fact on Facebook, of all places. One of my colleagues posted a link asking for help in raising the remaining funds necessary to complete the study. I made a donation. Several months and tens of thousands of dollars later (from mostly UC docs and patient advocates), there still is not enough money to finish it. Medical schools in the United States receive research grants provided by huge corporations with a vested interest in the results. At least one pain medication earned well over a billion dollars in 2013. As compared to the research described above, there is an endless funnel of money pouring into the studies on how to “treat” disease and infirmity, but a study that seeks the cause of such disease and infirmity gets stonewalled by too few dollars and cents.
Research in the Upper Cervical world does get done, but because we, the practitioners, essentially have to fund it on our own, it takes a lot longer. Greater resources would lead to faster speed of completion, which would mean faster publication of results, which would make it faster and easier for the public to acquire access to that knowledge which the research concludes. I once had a patient who asked me to verify the comments that I had made about another autoimmune disease. I said, “I believe that if we can find out why your immune system is attacking your body, then we can do more than treat your diagnosis – we can put you in position to truly overcome.” This patient abruptly quit receiving Upper Cervical care, because we could not provide him with the double blind, randomly controlled trials to back up such a statement. No amount of philosophical discussion about the Law of Life that governs what we do as Upper Cervical Practitioners could knock down the mental barricade constructed by years of medical theories validated by research (but then, often, disproved by further research). It took me 5 months to find the research for him; it now sits on my office’s educational wall. Unfortunately, that patient left one month prior.
Upper Cervical has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade. The relationship established with the Italian MDs has been a great one. They literally said, “Upper Cervical Care makes all the sense in the world. It is logical and reasonable. We want to help you prove it scientifically.” Good things are in the works, ladies and gentlemen. For now, though, we, as doctors and patients, as well as the research community, simply have to be patient. Money grows on trees if you want to spend hours in a lab trying to “cure” cancer, but it’s hard to find the location of those trees if your aim is to prove what causes it.
Thinking good things for you,
-Dr. Chad
PS - If, in reading this article, you find yourself inclined to learn more about Upper Cervical research and/or how you can contribute to it, visit http://www.ucrf.org/
The answer to that question was, perhaps, best exemplified in a recent email that updated me about the progress of a study, which I donated money to about three months ago.
A little bit of background information before I continue: for the last several years, there has been a lot of research conducted in tandem between Upper Cervical Practitioners and Medical Doctors in Italy where Upper Cervical Care was given the wings of several Italian hospitals. This is not unprecedented, as these types of joint tasks have occurred here in the United States, but suffice to say that a lot more research has been going on over in Italy where the system is better built to help patients find the root causes of their respective health problems. Here in the States, there is a lot more bias toward the term “chiropractic,” creating a barrier between the paradigms which can often be difficult to overcome. In Italy, this is less of a problem, in part because the Italian version of the AMA, as I understand it, does not view Upper Cervical Care and Chiropractic as the same entity. Though groundbreaking discoveries are achieved in the USA when the two professions are able to collaborate -- such as in the University of Chicago Medical Center study that determined Upper Cervical Care is more effective than two blood pressure lowering medications! -- it has proven easier for more research to occur, with less hassle, overseas than in the US.
So, over in Italy about five years ago, the UC DCs and MDs combined to study whether the brainstem subluxation (misalignment of one of the top two vertebrae in the spine, to the point that the brainstem which rests within those bones is compromised) is one of the causes of Multiple Sclerosis, by using functional MRI to better assess the area. Other forms of imaging have long-since established the neurological consequences of a foundational shift where the head and the neck meet, but the scientific community prefers the functional MRI. That being stated, the brainstem subluxation was found to be a common link amongst M.S. patients in the Italian study. Furthermore, it was found that not only was there a correlation, but that there a causative relationship; in fact, the brainstem subluxation was determined to be one of the four primary causes of M.S. Powerful information, and game-changing for the scientific community. For an Upper Cervical Practitioner, this study merely confirmed what we already knew, but as this information becomes scientifically solidified, it will begin to reach the public; and when it reaches the public, the manner in which M.S. and related conditions are handled is going to change… a much needed change.
The problem is that research – and this goes back to the question asked in the beginning – requires a lot of money. The M.S. study in Italy ran out of it. I happened upon this unfortunate fact on Facebook, of all places. One of my colleagues posted a link asking for help in raising the remaining funds necessary to complete the study. I made a donation. Several months and tens of thousands of dollars later (from mostly UC docs and patient advocates), there still is not enough money to finish it. Medical schools in the United States receive research grants provided by huge corporations with a vested interest in the results. At least one pain medication earned well over a billion dollars in 2013. As compared to the research described above, there is an endless funnel of money pouring into the studies on how to “treat” disease and infirmity, but a study that seeks the cause of such disease and infirmity gets stonewalled by too few dollars and cents.
Research in the Upper Cervical world does get done, but because we, the practitioners, essentially have to fund it on our own, it takes a lot longer. Greater resources would lead to faster speed of completion, which would mean faster publication of results, which would make it faster and easier for the public to acquire access to that knowledge which the research concludes. I once had a patient who asked me to verify the comments that I had made about another autoimmune disease. I said, “I believe that if we can find out why your immune system is attacking your body, then we can do more than treat your diagnosis – we can put you in position to truly overcome.” This patient abruptly quit receiving Upper Cervical care, because we could not provide him with the double blind, randomly controlled trials to back up such a statement. No amount of philosophical discussion about the Law of Life that governs what we do as Upper Cervical Practitioners could knock down the mental barricade constructed by years of medical theories validated by research (but then, often, disproved by further research). It took me 5 months to find the research for him; it now sits on my office’s educational wall. Unfortunately, that patient left one month prior.
Upper Cervical has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade. The relationship established with the Italian MDs has been a great one. They literally said, “Upper Cervical Care makes all the sense in the world. It is logical and reasonable. We want to help you prove it scientifically.” Good things are in the works, ladies and gentlemen. For now, though, we, as doctors and patients, as well as the research community, simply have to be patient. Money grows on trees if you want to spend hours in a lab trying to “cure” cancer, but it’s hard to find the location of those trees if your aim is to prove what causes it.
Thinking good things for you,
-Dr. Chad
PS - If, in reading this article, you find yourself inclined to learn more about Upper Cervical research and/or how you can contribute to it, visit http://www.ucrf.org/
Friday, May 2, 2014
Choices Today That Affect Tomorrow
Recently, a patient asked me, “With all the advances in
technology and years spent studying certain body parts, don’t you think they’d
have figured out by now how to do something about (X, Y, and Z
conditions/diseases)?” My response was
fueled by an article that I had read the day before – the published results of
a 75 year study conducted through Harvard University. I replied, “I think that we can pour a ton of
resources into better understanding these various conditions, but until the
research stops being all about finding ways to treat these problems once they
have already developed, we’re unlikely to find the cures. The future of health science – when all the
major advances will come – will begin the moment that our society recognizes
the futility in trying treat disease when nearly every disease is preventable. Once we focus on preventing sickness and
disease, the research is going to make people look back at the currently modern
era of USA healthcare and roll their eyes.”
It goes back to age old adage about “an apple a day will
keep the doctor away.” If you make smart
choices today, then you’re going to benefit from them tomorrow. Part of the curse of the instant
gratification mindset toward modern medicine is that it often does not eye the
future. Short-term gains using that
model rarely result in long-term successes.
The aforementioned Harvard study has compiled three quarters of a
century’s worth of data to prove it.
Back in 1938, a team of researchers gathered several hundred
undergraduate students and enlisted them for a lifelong project designed to
answer that which all of us are concerned about: what makes people happy? I found it unsurprising that many of the
suggested keys to life were grounded in good health – nor was I surprised to
find that good health was largely shaped, according to the research, by the
choices that were made early in life. Hereditary
factors were not disregarded, just as we at the office do not disregard them,
but the conclusions drawn are quite firm in their observations that the family
tree had far less to do with health in the long-term than did more controllable
factors. When smart choices were made in
adulthood, for instance, there was a far better outcome in overall health in
the elderly years.
This would seem like common sense if we thought about it
more often. Choose to eat organic and
drink the recommended consumption of water per day in your 30s or 40s and the
odds are statistically and significantly stronger that you’re going to not just
outlive your peers that do not maintain those habits, but that you will also
maintain a far greater quality of life. It
is time that we all collectively begin to make the connection between lousy
food and a lack of health the way that we do cigarettes or alcohol. Just as overconsumption of alcohol, which is
quite common, and the use of nicotine products are associated with health
conditions such as liver disease, lung cancer, depression, and other neuroses,
the same can be said of processed foods.
At the end of the day, debate the specific dangers all you want, but the
common denominator amongst them is chemicals.
If you put chemicals into your body – and especially if you bombard your
body with chemicals like those that drink multiple sodas per day – then you’re
setting yourself up for failure. If the
quality of the foods that you eat is not up to par and then you, additionally,
do not adequately keep yourself hydrated with water (preferably filtered via
reverse osmosis), you are basically sending an open invitation to become (or
remain) sickly. Water filters the toxins
out of our bodies. In regards to lousy
foods, it helps take the chemical waste to the kidneys to the bladder to be
eliminated from the body. Soda,
Gatorade, coffee, and tea do not as effectively produce this vitally important
result.
One of the common myths about eating organic food or
drinking high quality water is that it costs more. Ditto for the idea that doing things to
improve your health that are not covered by your medical insurance cost you
more. In the long run, that is not
true. Maybe – and it’s a big maybe,
honestly (a big part of the myth) – they might cost more on the front end, but
these are the things that take your body from a toxic, broken down invitation
for sickness and disease and make you a healthier version of yourself protected
against the onset of the 14,900 diagnoses that can be billed by your
providers. Ultimately, that SAVES you
money. It’s far more cost effective to
maintain a car rather than wait for it to break down. The same goes for your body. It just makes sense to put constructive
things into your body. If you’re not
doing that right now, then start doing that right now. There’s no time like the present – your future
depends on it.
Other common sense additions to your healthcare quest are
structural balance, normal function, and a good attitude. Bodies that aren’t balanced break down
instead of wear down. Organs that fail
to receive proper communication from the brain work abnormally instead of
normally. Bad attitudes equate to more
stress and all the muck that comes with it.
So, start forming better habits across the board. You only get one body.
Thinking good things for you,
-Dr. Chad
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Intervention vs. Non-Interference
(Dr. Chad Note –
This month’s newsletter was inspired by a message delivered by Dr. Robert
Brooks in “The Power of Upper Cervical” documentary)
Have you ever been in a situation where you saw someone
that you loved spiraling out of control?
Maybe it was one of your children when their grades started slipping or
your spouse when he/she seemed to be frequently coming home from work acting as
if it that day had been the worst in a series of horrible days in
succession. Maybe it was your college
roommate going out every night and getting into a habit of addiction. Do you recall when it was that you deemed it
necessary to intervene?
It was a slippery slope, was it not? Intervening in someone’s life should be a
process of careful, calculated decisions.
You have to know when the right time to do it is. At the wrong time, the “OK, look at what
you’re doing to yourself” talk where you simultaneously offer your help might
actually make matters worse. Often, we
choose a role of non-interference instead.
Non-interference ranges from stepping back and hoping that the person
will recognize the area of his/her life that needs changing or subtly hinting
in such a way that gets them thinking about it.
Intervention is a last resort.
Non-interference the preferred, first option.
In modern healthcare, “when and when not to intervene” is
a rare discussion. More often than not,
patients are categorized into a series of diagnoses for their various ailments
and an intervention is offered. While
there is care taken to not misdiagnose, the evidence suggests that very little
mind is paid to determining whether or not an intervention is necessary. Go to the doctor with a chief complaint of
pain, for instance, and you will likely receive one of many potential
prescriptions for analgesics (painkillers), with often just the most serious/catastrophic
reasons for pain ruled out in the “fact finding” process that leads to your
trip to the pharmacy. As a result,
Americans consume 80% of the drugs produced worldwide. In the vast majority of cases, health
problems can be resolved through methods that adhere to the same principles of
“non-interference” described in the life scenarios above. If you have pain because your hips are out of
balance, it is a signal alerting you to the fact that something needs to change
(i.e. getting your hips rebalanced). A
foundational shift where the head and the neck converge around the brainstem
causes a structural adaptation in the hips.
Identifying the fundamental discrepancy in physical health and making
the specific correction necessary to return the body back to normal is more a
case of, as Dr. Robert Brooks states in “The Power of Upper Cervical”
documentary, “finding what’s wrong in my life and getting that out of my life”
(non-interference).
As my colleague, Dr. Tom Forest, states in the same documentary,
“I wouldn’t go the dentist (for an invasive procedure) without Novocain.” That would be an obvious example of when an
intervention is necessary. Failure to
numb the mouth when a cavity is being filled would extremely painful and not
worth the emotional turmoil, one could argue.
Most health related problems, though, are simple deficiencies in one or
multiple areas that can be overcome through a non-interference-based
approach. Diagnosed with high blood
pressure? Your heart is working too
hard, so find out what is causing it to work harder than necessary and remove
it. Intervening with a blood pressure
lowering drug merely slows down the heart; it does not change the fact that
your brainstem (which regulates your heart) may be pressured by the same
foundational misalignment that caused your hips to be out of balance, creating
for disruption of the signals down to your heart that govern your heart’s
ability to function normally; nor does it change the fact that you might be too
sedentary and/or eating poorly to cause you to gain weight and prompt your
heart to have to pump more blood through your body.
Too much intervention and not enough non-interference has
been the primary culprit in the United States ranking 40th out of 40
amongst industrialized countries in the world in health statistics. It is time to revisit the manner in which we
make choices. Far more scrutiny need be
used. As is frequently the case in life
situations, intervention before the time has truly come to intervene can be a
major setback in progressing toward the ultimate objective – and, it comes to
health, the objective is to be well. As
of now, we’re being told to intervene at every sign of discord in the human
body. With deaths, hospitalizations, and
the like from adverse reactions / side effects of medications and surgical
errors at an all-time high, it is time to scrap the current model and build a
new one from the ground up that deemphasizes medical interventions and stresses
the importance of non-interference (getting things out of your life that stand
in the way of health).
Thinking good things for you,
-Dr. Chad
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