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.
Dr. Stephanie Seneff made a bold prediction last year,
claiming that the number of children with the clinical signs for autism will
not just continue to rise, but will skyrocket to astronomically high levels in
the next decade. Seneff, a widely published author in the research world, was
alarmingly confident in her assessment, the tone of her words chilling. Her reasoning stemmed from the “remarkably
consistent correlation” found between the rising use of the weed killer, Roundup,
on food crops and the rising rates of autism.
When a leading researcher at MIT says, “At today’s rate,
by 2025, one in two children will be autistic,” you take notice.
Seneff’s work echoes the long held belief that autism is more
a chemically and/or neurologically-based condition and less a condition of
directly genetic origin (so deeply ingrained within the genetic code, like eye
color, that we should stop looking elsewhere for causes). Her focus is on strengthening the chemical
argument, specifically citing the main active ingredient in Roundup called
glyphosate and its heavy use since 1990, coinciding with the strongest spike in
cases of autism occurring during the same span.
Seneff notes in her presentation that symptoms of autism are strikingly
similar to symptoms of glyphosate toxicity.
Thirty plus years ago, autism was diagnosed once in 5,000 kids. Today, it’s one in 68 by the most
conservative estimates and as high as one in 20 by others. Either number is staggering and is in need of
some logical explanation. Seneff’s findings
are, at the very least, logical.
This topic is incredibly frustrating. Scientists have not found a direct
relationship between Roundup use and autism diagnoses. Seneff counters that “most studies are too
short to show Roundup’s oft-studied effects as a cumulative toxin, one that
builds up both in the environment and in our bodies over time.” Something is causing the increased incidence
of autism and it may be time that we acknowledge that the scientific process
should not trump what makes sense. Much
like the vaccine debate, the science is not conclusive, which is often
misconstrued and mistranslated to suggest that there’s no link. Inconclusive means that it can neither be
scientifically proven nor scientifically
denied. However, it can be logically
deduced.
In Europe, they pay very close attention to such chemical
hazards as glyphosate because it can destroy healthy bacteria in our digestive
systems allowing disease to grow inside our bodies and can also interfere with
our nervous systems. According to
Seneff, glyphosate is found in the breast milk of American mothers at levels
that are a 760 to 1600 times higher than allowable limits in European drinking
water. Testing has also shown
that Americans have 10 times the glyphosate accumulation in their urine
than Europeans. Logically, if you
introduce a chemical with negative capabilities galore into food and water,
then it’s reasonable to assume its potential, toxic side effects. Every chemical has toxic side effects. No exceptions. To scientifically deny the harm is to deny
logic. Glyphosate is an herbicide, after all. By its very meaning, it is toxic.
Far too often, those in favor of holding these chemically
based compounds (of all sorts of varieties) and the companies that produce them
accountable for their ill-health effects are put on their heels, forced to
prove that the compounds are dangerous.
It should be the other way around.
If you’re going to spray a chemical on our food then, dear chemical
compound company, it is YOU that must prove to US
that it IS NOT dangerous. Are we
to sit back for another decade and do nothing as the rates of so many diseases
reset their record levels while, logically, there seem to be rather plausible
causes but, scientifically, such reason is refuted through arguably flawed
methods?
A logical argument could also be made that the number of
increases has spiked so greatly because of changes in the diagnostic
criteria. Generally, I have long been a
supporter of this camp, as I feel strongly that we overdiagnose in our society
across the board in modern medicine’s constant quest to label each symptom
set. Yet, I’ve seen autism and its
sister syndrome, Asperger’s (a higher-functioning form), in our clinical
setting. I believe that, in this case,
the condition is on our radar more than ever before mostly because its
prevalence has so dramatically increased.
And we have to find out why.
The Upper Cervical Perspective: I’ve been studying
autism since before I graduated from school.
Autism was given its name from the Greek word “autos,” meaning “self,”
as in consumed with their world. It
presents as a neurologic disorder, hence the language and information
processing issues. I believe it to be a
combination of multiple causes, the two most likely being chemical insults (triggering
the neurologic deficits) and developmental inhibition, either in utero or after
birth. To address the chemical insults,
parents must be better informed about the things that they put into their
children’s bodies (and their own, during pregnancy) and we, collectively, must
hold chemical companies accountable.
“Neither confirm nor deny” is not a good enough answer.
As for the developmental issue, there are two primary
areas that need to be addressed: pregnancy and infancy. A few years ago, much of the attention in
research began focusing on the manner in which the brain develops, in utero. Expecting mothers need to be aware of
this. We’re expecting again in May and
our progressive thinking birthing team has stated it clearly: eat well and stay
well adjusted. Indeed, ensuring that your
body functions well ensures that the baby can develop normally. Then, once the baby is born, it’s important
to ensure that the child’s delicate structural-neurological balance is not
thrown off, as it can impede important developmental processes.
To conclude, the aim for many of these articles is to put
the information in your hands and stimulate you to think more about it. The battle within the scientific community,
as you can see, rages on. Meanwhile, the
autism rate just increased again. So, be
well and think freely.
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Monday, December 29, 2014
A Message to the Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
Two weeks ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop (drinking organic green
tea), when I overheard a couple of college students talking about
biochemistry, and then physiology. I assumed that they were studying
for careers in the healing arts. Later, the buzzword “chiropractic”
came up and, being just a few feet away, I could not help but
eavesdrop. What I heard was disappointing. It was the same old
gobbledygook started by the American Medical Association (not stirring
things up; just a fact) that permeated throughout the public in the old
days. Despite an anti-trust lawsuit won by the chiropractic profession
25 years ago to stop the libelous, slanderous perpetuation of negativity
by the AMA, you can still see the lines drawn in the sand between
medicine and chiropractic today.
I suppose it makes sense, to a degree. The two paradigms are, after all, based on fundamentally different philosophies. It’s just a shame that, in order for one to be right, the other has to be wrong. Earlier in my career, in trying to find a balance between sharing the unfortunate truths about the allopathic/medical model of healthcare and condemning it, I veered far too strongly toward admonishment. I hope that time has mellowed my approach and is reflective in the education that I provide both verbally and through the written word. After hearing the students bash my profession as “unscientific,” I made it a point to walk by their table before I left, introduce myself, and hand them my card and a scrap piece of paper with some suggested reading. Such little gestures can be powerful agents of change to the uninitiated.
However, to those of us that have been initiated and that have been trying to help our families, friends, and peers to make changes, we have a responsibility to increase our efforts. I recall, a year ago, when Mollie and I were watching my former protégé turned colleague, Dr. Josh D’Allasandro, give us a dry run of the New Patient Orientation Class that he would go onto use when he opened his office in February 2014. At the end, after he had explained the offer that he would make to people learning about Upper Cervical Care for the first time, he said something that I’ve said a hundred times before in our office: “…if you don’t want to make an appointment, then that’s OKAY.” I highlighted the last two words because something struck me that night, which prompted me to ask myself, “Is it really OK?”
Of course, I remain adamant to the idealization that making decisions about your health should not be driven by fear. I don’t want somebody to become a patient at Triad Upper Cervical Clinic because they’re afraid of what will happen if they don’t. That’s a lousy foundation upon which to build a doctor-patient relationship. All the same, Upper Cervical Care is not a luxury; it’s an essential. Remember my story? I wouldn’t be who I am today without Upper Cervical Care. It was the missing piece of the puzzle to me getting my life back. It has played the same role for so many of you. So, again, I posit and slightly rephrase the previous question: “Is it really OK for us to stand idly by and watch people suffer for another moment longer than they should, solutionless and without guidance?”
Throughout the year, I’ve written in many a newsletter about how we need to modify black and white thought processes about health-related matters. Let’s do that one more time for 2014. There is a gray area, here, that I believe we’ve been neglecting. In regards to Upper Cervical Care, we either spread the word or keep it a secret; we tell someone a thousand times with as many rejections or just once and leave it be (if we say anything at all). Why don’t we, moving forward, push a little harder when the person we’re telling is in dire straits? It would be wonderful if everyone were completely ready for something different before walking a non-medical path, but sometimes, the best way to get the truth out there is just to clearly and definitively state it without reservation of how someone else might feel about it or react to it. Those students at the coffee shop? They need to be spoon fed new information. The chronically ill recipient of half a dozen diagnoses on several medications per day? Maybe it’s time we not so easily concede, constantly giving them the ball instead.
I met a woman at our Dinner w/ Doc recently that clearly needed help in the present and not several months or years into the future (she might not have that long at this rate). She said, “I’m not ready, yet,” when we prompted her to come get evaluated. I asked, “With all due respect and with genuine concern, why aren’t you ready yet?” She didn’t have an answer. But the ball is in her court. I decided to no longer be “OK” with everyone who wanted to wait until the perfect time (if any time) to explore their vast array of “other” options in healthcare beyond medicine. Our system is, arguably, broken beyond repair. To sit back and watch people go down with a sinking ship? I’ve reached a point in my life and career where that’s no longer “OK” with me.
Many of my patients will vouch that “Dr. Chad listens.” I am always listening. I’m hyperaware. Just as I hear the students try to piece together their understanding of complicated body chemistry and spew false rhetoric about chiropractic, I hear such statements as “I’ll give Upper Cervical Care a try” or “my friends just don’t get it” or “I just want to think about it for a little while” or “getting adjusted won’t help you get over that cold.” I thoroughly observe. I see the kids that visit the office with their parents and don’t follow through with getting them checked, the reluctance to stop bombarding their children with medications despite the statistics that we offer, and the hesitancy to fully embrace a different model of healthcare.
I want each and every one of you that personally remains skeptical to read this message clearly – and pass it along to the skeptics that you encounter: if you give your body the chance to be well, then I promise that you will regain your health. It may take time, but you’ll get there. Remember that the biggest difference between Upper Cervical Care and the other holistic approaches is that we aren’t aiming to treat the body; we are helping the body heal. People don’t get truly well by being treated; they do so by healing. As we exit 2014 and enter 2015, I am personally enhancing my goal to practice as I preach, to lead by example, and to make lasting change in this community.
Are you ready?
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
I suppose it makes sense, to a degree. The two paradigms are, after all, based on fundamentally different philosophies. It’s just a shame that, in order for one to be right, the other has to be wrong. Earlier in my career, in trying to find a balance between sharing the unfortunate truths about the allopathic/medical model of healthcare and condemning it, I veered far too strongly toward admonishment. I hope that time has mellowed my approach and is reflective in the education that I provide both verbally and through the written word. After hearing the students bash my profession as “unscientific,” I made it a point to walk by their table before I left, introduce myself, and hand them my card and a scrap piece of paper with some suggested reading. Such little gestures can be powerful agents of change to the uninitiated.
However, to those of us that have been initiated and that have been trying to help our families, friends, and peers to make changes, we have a responsibility to increase our efforts. I recall, a year ago, when Mollie and I were watching my former protégé turned colleague, Dr. Josh D’Allasandro, give us a dry run of the New Patient Orientation Class that he would go onto use when he opened his office in February 2014. At the end, after he had explained the offer that he would make to people learning about Upper Cervical Care for the first time, he said something that I’ve said a hundred times before in our office: “…if you don’t want to make an appointment, then that’s OKAY.” I highlighted the last two words because something struck me that night, which prompted me to ask myself, “Is it really OK?”
Of course, I remain adamant to the idealization that making decisions about your health should not be driven by fear. I don’t want somebody to become a patient at Triad Upper Cervical Clinic because they’re afraid of what will happen if they don’t. That’s a lousy foundation upon which to build a doctor-patient relationship. All the same, Upper Cervical Care is not a luxury; it’s an essential. Remember my story? I wouldn’t be who I am today without Upper Cervical Care. It was the missing piece of the puzzle to me getting my life back. It has played the same role for so many of you. So, again, I posit and slightly rephrase the previous question: “Is it really OK for us to stand idly by and watch people suffer for another moment longer than they should, solutionless and without guidance?”
Throughout the year, I’ve written in many a newsletter about how we need to modify black and white thought processes about health-related matters. Let’s do that one more time for 2014. There is a gray area, here, that I believe we’ve been neglecting. In regards to Upper Cervical Care, we either spread the word or keep it a secret; we tell someone a thousand times with as many rejections or just once and leave it be (if we say anything at all). Why don’t we, moving forward, push a little harder when the person we’re telling is in dire straits? It would be wonderful if everyone were completely ready for something different before walking a non-medical path, but sometimes, the best way to get the truth out there is just to clearly and definitively state it without reservation of how someone else might feel about it or react to it. Those students at the coffee shop? They need to be spoon fed new information. The chronically ill recipient of half a dozen diagnoses on several medications per day? Maybe it’s time we not so easily concede, constantly giving them the ball instead.
I met a woman at our Dinner w/ Doc recently that clearly needed help in the present and not several months or years into the future (she might not have that long at this rate). She said, “I’m not ready, yet,” when we prompted her to come get evaluated. I asked, “With all due respect and with genuine concern, why aren’t you ready yet?” She didn’t have an answer. But the ball is in her court. I decided to no longer be “OK” with everyone who wanted to wait until the perfect time (if any time) to explore their vast array of “other” options in healthcare beyond medicine. Our system is, arguably, broken beyond repair. To sit back and watch people go down with a sinking ship? I’ve reached a point in my life and career where that’s no longer “OK” with me.
Many of my patients will vouch that “Dr. Chad listens.” I am always listening. I’m hyperaware. Just as I hear the students try to piece together their understanding of complicated body chemistry and spew false rhetoric about chiropractic, I hear such statements as “I’ll give Upper Cervical Care a try” or “my friends just don’t get it” or “I just want to think about it for a little while” or “getting adjusted won’t help you get over that cold.” I thoroughly observe. I see the kids that visit the office with their parents and don’t follow through with getting them checked, the reluctance to stop bombarding their children with medications despite the statistics that we offer, and the hesitancy to fully embrace a different model of healthcare.
I want each and every one of you that personally remains skeptical to read this message clearly – and pass it along to the skeptics that you encounter: if you give your body the chance to be well, then I promise that you will regain your health. It may take time, but you’ll get there. Remember that the biggest difference between Upper Cervical Care and the other holistic approaches is that we aren’t aiming to treat the body; we are helping the body heal. People don’t get truly well by being treated; they do so by healing. As we exit 2014 and enter 2015, I am personally enhancing my goal to practice as I preach, to lead by example, and to make lasting change in this community.
Are you ready?
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
How Does Healing Work?
Mollie and I wrote an article together for the November edition of
the Natural Triad Magazine. As not all of you are in a position to read
it, we thought we would reprint it here for you as this month's
e-newsletter, as its message is powerful. Thinking good things for all
of you!
How Does Healing Work?
By M. Chad McIntyre, D.C., and Mollie Gordon, HHC
Do you know how your body heals? Do you know what you
need to heal and be healthy? Much of traditional medicine is symptom-based, and
our society has gotten caught in a "Take a Pill" mentality. But what
about the body? What about the healing process? What about our active role in
our own healing?
There are five primary areas of healing:
• Normal function
• Structural integrity
• Positive attitude
• Nutrition
• Exercise
Normal
function
The body knows how to heal. For example, when your
skin is cut, the body naturally performs functions to clot the blood and repair
the tissues. If normal functions are disrupted or are not working properly, though,
the healing process will be delayed or weakened. What can cause a disruption?
Most commonly, it occurs when the brainstem is impeded or compromised. Since
the brainstem is the control center for the nervous system, which controls each
organ system, any interference disrupts bodily processes. Healing and remaining
in good health are largely dependent upon your brainstem properly regulating basic
functions from digestion to heart rate to immunity.
So what can someone do if they suspect that they are
not healing normally or optimally maintaining their health? Visit an upper cervical practitioner for
analysis of the brainstem. Upper Cervical Care specializes in this specific
area of the body, safely identifying and removing potential interference with
gentle corrections. Through supported health practices, the body can repair
itself and health can be improved.
Structural
integrity
A body that is lacking in structural balance is a
body under constant strain. The body is so smart that if the structural
integrity is compromised through trauma (car accidents, falls, childhood
injuries, etc.), it will compensate. The body’s foundation, located where the
head and neck meet, must be level to maintain equilibrium. If the head is not
level due to a structural imbalance, the body will naturally adjust. For
example, a shoulder will raise, a hip will drop, and a leg will appear to be
longer than the other. If left unchecked and uncorrected, other parts of the
body will also work to compensate for the basic structural imbalance, forcing
the body into a constant state of repair instead of performing daily, routine
maintenance. This will ultimately result in structural breakdown and coinciding
symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling, etc.
So what can someone do if their structural integrity
is compromised? Visit an upper cervical
practitioner or massage therapist to regain and
maintain structural integrity.
Positive
Attitude
Do you know of anyone who is negative all the time
yet still has an abundance of good things happening to them? A positive mental
attitude has long been considered a key to being a successful, contributing
member of society, but it has also been found to have a profound impact on
healing. People who strongly believe that they will get well despite the
occurrence of a dire circumstance recover faster than their pessimistic
counterparts. Developing a genuinely positive attitude, not just deflecting all
negative thoughts, allows us to move through life with less stress and more
constructive energy. As it is known that stress is the #1 cause of disease, one
of the best ways to decrease stress is to improve how we deal with it in the
first place. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.
Mental, emotional, and energetic road blocks can decrease your ability to heal.
So how can you improve your attitude, even when
surrounded by negativity? Cultivate positive relationships, including with
yourself. Develop a hobby. Read and watch positive media. Participate in workshops,
seminars, or health coaching programs that help you identify your roadblocks
and provide tangible solutions to overcoming them. Health coaching can really
help you transform longstanding health issues and support your healing process.
Nutrition
Do you know how quickly your body regenerates parts
of your body? Your stomach lining regenerates every 6-8 minutes; your liver
cells regenerate every 4-6 weeks; every 4 months, you have fresh blood; every
12 months, your bones regenerate to a certain extent. In a nutshell, you are
not who you were last year. Each organ, muscle, and tissue in the body is in a
perpetual state of regeneration and healing through the production of new
cells. We make new cells through what we consume. Would you prefer that your
body make new cells for your heart, lungs, intestines, and reproductive organs
with fast food or with quality, nutrient-packed food? The more chemicals that
are in the food you eat, the more difficult it is for your body to properly
process and use that food. You really are what you eat.
So how can you improve your nutrition? Make dietary
changes, learn new recipes, work with a registered dietician or a holistic
health coach. There are a lot of options in the marketplace, so keep looking
until you find what works for you. And if you need help, be sure to seek out a professional
who can help translate all that data into information you can use.
Exercise
Your body is meant to be active and mobile. There are
several hundred muscles in the human body, and they are meant for movement. To
remain sedentary for much of the day is to go against the very nature of the
human frame. A person with a job that involves mostly sitting must find ways to
get their body moving each day. Continued health and healing cannot be achieved
without some degree of physical activity. There are so many ways that you can
get exercise these days, so be sure to choose some and keep moving. Take
advantage of the options that exist. Motion is vital to structural health and
healing.
So how can you improve your body's movement? Walk
around the block and extra time, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or
join the gym. If you need more guidance, work with a personal trainer, purchase
a quality exercise DVD, or take yoga classes with instructors that will help
you learn. There are lots of options, so keep looking until you find what works
for you.
A body that functions properly can take the
constructive foods put into it and create an abundance of normal cells. A workout can be immeasurably more effective
if the body is structurally balanced. A
positive attitude helps us manage stress.
By taking an honest inventory of these five primary areas of healing,
you can identify how you can take an active role in your healing process. Then,
you can expect health. Be well!!!
Friday, October 17, 2014
Tackling the Topic of Safety and Football
Dr. Alex Powers is a neurosurgeon who works for Wake
Forest University. He's also an avid
football fan. His research and his
passion for the sport are often at odds because Powers is one of the leading
physicians exploring the topic of brain trauma as it relates to his favorite
sport. Labor Day weekend 2014 was a
classic example of his plight. He was in
the lab, examining the charts of high school football players the week prior
and then flew out with his two sons - both youth players - for a family vacation
on the west coast to see the Oregon Ducks play on Saturday and the Seattle
Seahawks on Sunday.
I can appreciate that. As many of you know, I am a huge football fan. Saturdays during the fall are dedicated to the game. My daughter, just two years old, already proudly states on a daily basis, “GO IRISH!” (in reference to my long-time favorite team, Notre Dame). I even have a yearly tradition of attending college games. All the while, I’ve read a lot of the research about head injuries and their long-term implications on football players. Much like Powers, I just have to flip the switch on game days. At times, it feels similar to knowing all of the ill-effects of smoking and still advocating the use of cigarettes. It’s a contradiction that leaves me feeling uneasy.
According to Dr. Powers’ data, a single season of high school football does potentially irreversible damage to the brain in proportion to the severity and number of hits taken. Basically, he concludes that the brain changes shape and the white matter, which allows for the intercommunication between parts of the brain, is what is specifically damaged. His stance has created widespread panic. Shawn Springs, a former Pro Bowl NFL player and the co-founder of a company that designs football helmets with greater safety measures, has told Powers that his research is going "to scare everyone to death...and kill football." Doctors and researchers have told Powers, “You have to kill the game. There's no way, as a physician, that you can condone the data."
All of us that have any interest in the game – parents, coaches, players, doctors, researchers, etc. – are being forced to evaluate our position and form an updated opinion based on the data that has become available. "I was totally naive about it,” Dr. Powers said. “I thought people would see the data and say, ‘This is awesome. No one has ever looked at it this way.’” The fact of the matter is that people should be looking at the data like never before. We have to.
From the Upper Cervical perspective, any repetitive trauma to the head and neck is bad. The body was built to be well-protected against trauma, but not repetitive trauma. My problem with the sport has more to do with the impact that the hits, the tackles, and the falls have on the upper neck, particularly the top bone in the neck because it’s not designed so much for stability as it is for mobility. Being held in place only by muscle puts the top bone at a fundamental disadvantage to withstanding the impact of traumas. Without the stability of an interlocking joint or bony lock, the top bone is very vulnerable to misalignment. Remember that the brainstem – the part of your body responsible for regulating your organs, muscles, and tissues (even intercommunication between the brain) – rests in the ring of that bone. The head and neck protect your life line. Helmets can’t protect that vital head-neck junction.
Dr. Powers is hoping to make the game safer by directing his studies toward the high school level, thus creating a safer game in college and the pros as a by-product. I plan on reaching out to Dr. Powers and trying to add a new wrinkle to his research. What if we ensured that the kids enduring the trauma were strong enough to withstand it without the adverse effects? A body that is balanced/structurally sound from an early age would be more capable of absorbing the same traumas than an out-of-balance counterpart. I suggest we keep in-check the structural integrity and balance of these young athletes and see if that changes the outcomes. As of now, given the sheer number of traumas that occur between birth and the fifth year of life, plus the other traumas that occur at school ages, we don’t know for sure that the kids in the study aren’t already weaker. We ought to know.
Frankly, this is a scary topic. There is not a time in your life when your body is more vulnerable to the effects of trauma than during youth, yet that is the time that kids start playing football. We have to look beyond the obvious, here. The effects of trauma from football include more than just hospital visits, broken bones, dislocations, and concussions. This entire discussion is based not on black and white injuries, but on the shades of gray effects that often do not become noticeable until much later – headaches, pain, degeneration/arthritis, memory loss, lack of focus/concentration on the surface layer; and, bearing in mind what the brain and brainstem do for your body, the connection to heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
As much as I love football, if you asked me – as a parent – “Would I be OK with my child playing,” my answer would probably be “No.” Imagine building a home on a tiny island in the middle of the most common area in the world to be affected by hurricanes. Even if you constructed the sturdiest little house on the planet, why would you voluntarily build it in a place where you knew – for a fact – that it was going to be subject to high winds and flying debris for four months per year? Why would I let my kid do the equivalent? I’m not sure I could overcome that thought.
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
I can appreciate that. As many of you know, I am a huge football fan. Saturdays during the fall are dedicated to the game. My daughter, just two years old, already proudly states on a daily basis, “GO IRISH!” (in reference to my long-time favorite team, Notre Dame). I even have a yearly tradition of attending college games. All the while, I’ve read a lot of the research about head injuries and their long-term implications on football players. Much like Powers, I just have to flip the switch on game days. At times, it feels similar to knowing all of the ill-effects of smoking and still advocating the use of cigarettes. It’s a contradiction that leaves me feeling uneasy.
According to Dr. Powers’ data, a single season of high school football does potentially irreversible damage to the brain in proportion to the severity and number of hits taken. Basically, he concludes that the brain changes shape and the white matter, which allows for the intercommunication between parts of the brain, is what is specifically damaged. His stance has created widespread panic. Shawn Springs, a former Pro Bowl NFL player and the co-founder of a company that designs football helmets with greater safety measures, has told Powers that his research is going "to scare everyone to death...and kill football." Doctors and researchers have told Powers, “You have to kill the game. There's no way, as a physician, that you can condone the data."
All of us that have any interest in the game – parents, coaches, players, doctors, researchers, etc. – are being forced to evaluate our position and form an updated opinion based on the data that has become available. "I was totally naive about it,” Dr. Powers said. “I thought people would see the data and say, ‘This is awesome. No one has ever looked at it this way.’” The fact of the matter is that people should be looking at the data like never before. We have to.
From the Upper Cervical perspective, any repetitive trauma to the head and neck is bad. The body was built to be well-protected against trauma, but not repetitive trauma. My problem with the sport has more to do with the impact that the hits, the tackles, and the falls have on the upper neck, particularly the top bone in the neck because it’s not designed so much for stability as it is for mobility. Being held in place only by muscle puts the top bone at a fundamental disadvantage to withstanding the impact of traumas. Without the stability of an interlocking joint or bony lock, the top bone is very vulnerable to misalignment. Remember that the brainstem – the part of your body responsible for regulating your organs, muscles, and tissues (even intercommunication between the brain) – rests in the ring of that bone. The head and neck protect your life line. Helmets can’t protect that vital head-neck junction.
Dr. Powers is hoping to make the game safer by directing his studies toward the high school level, thus creating a safer game in college and the pros as a by-product. I plan on reaching out to Dr. Powers and trying to add a new wrinkle to his research. What if we ensured that the kids enduring the trauma were strong enough to withstand it without the adverse effects? A body that is balanced/structurally sound from an early age would be more capable of absorbing the same traumas than an out-of-balance counterpart. I suggest we keep in-check the structural integrity and balance of these young athletes and see if that changes the outcomes. As of now, given the sheer number of traumas that occur between birth and the fifth year of life, plus the other traumas that occur at school ages, we don’t know for sure that the kids in the study aren’t already weaker. We ought to know.
Frankly, this is a scary topic. There is not a time in your life when your body is more vulnerable to the effects of trauma than during youth, yet that is the time that kids start playing football. We have to look beyond the obvious, here. The effects of trauma from football include more than just hospital visits, broken bones, dislocations, and concussions. This entire discussion is based not on black and white injuries, but on the shades of gray effects that often do not become noticeable until much later – headaches, pain, degeneration/arthritis, memory loss, lack of focus/concentration on the surface layer; and, bearing in mind what the brain and brainstem do for your body, the connection to heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
As much as I love football, if you asked me – as a parent – “Would I be OK with my child playing,” my answer would probably be “No.” Imagine building a home on a tiny island in the middle of the most common area in the world to be affected by hurricanes. Even if you constructed the sturdiest little house on the planet, why would you voluntarily build it in a place where you knew – for a fact – that it was going to be subject to high winds and flying debris for four months per year? Why would I let my kid do the equivalent? I’m not sure I could overcome that thought.
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
Monday, September 22, 2014
The "One Day at a Time" Lifestyle
“The best thing
about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” -- Abraham Lincoln
A recent trip to Philadelphia yielded a conversation during which my friend told me, “I hate it when people say, ‘Just take it a day at a time.’ Who can do that?!” I responded, “As someone who lives that way, I can promise you that it’s doable. Some people are just wired that way. For those of us who aren’t, it takes work, but it’s worth it; it makes my life much better.”
Living life “a day at a time” is a foreign film without subtitles to some of us. I remember the days before I began living life one day at a time and they were not pretty. I lived in a perpetual cycle of fear and worry. I’ve shared with most of you the physical part of my journey. Another part of my healing process involved changing my mindset, not just in regards to my health but to my entire life, too. Figuratively, I was driving down the road at 100 MPH at night, constantly more concerned about that which lay beyond the range of my headlights instead of the 200 feet in front of me. If I wasn’t concerning myself with the future, I was hyper analyzing the past. Only, I was not doing it to take away important lessons from my mistakes and was, instead, getting stuck in a rotten pattern of self judgment and doubt.
It was during my early days being under Upper Cervical Care that I started becoming more aware of my mindset (being in a brain fog kept me unaware of many things). Surrounding myself with people that lived by the “one day at a time” mantra was eye-opening. I had basically been trained to anticipate the worst and hope for the best. Seeing these happy, purposeful, dynamite personalities living their lives to the fullest allowed me to recognize the futility in spending so much time caught up in the past – which is over – and the future – which I cannot control. There’s no future in living in the past. “The past cannot be changed. You can learn from the past but you can’t alter it,” Bryan Golden, author of Dare to Live Without Limits, wrote in a 2009 article on this topic. “The past is a seminar you have taken. Make note of what worked and what didn’t. You don’t want to repeat the same mistakes. You do want to replicate successes. Worry is a complete waste of time and energy. You will never achieve anything by worrying. To make matters worse, any time spent worrying takes away from the time you have available for dealing with today. “
It’s quite a burden, carrying the past on your back with your mind simultaneously weighed down by the future. “Exhausting” is one word I’ve seen used to describe that lifestyle by a fellow liver of life just a day at a time. To live anything more than a day at a time is to approach life, energetically, like a sprint. It takes enough energy just to get done what you need to right now. Add to that the energy required to dwell over what already happened and brood over what could… you only have so much energy. Life is a marathon. Distance runners have to learn how to pace themselves to make certain that they have enough stamina for an entire race. Counselors use that analogy when helping addicts overcome their vices. Many of us get addicted, if you will, to – as my mom often says – the woulda, coulda, shoulda. It doesn’t begin that way, no more than a chemical addiction does, but it can end up that way. And as they say to addicts, “When you allow yourself to be consumed with anger and worry [or judgment and doubt, etc.] or become embroiled in non-stop stress that you’ve accepted as a way of life, your strength is sapped, depleting you of the energy and motivation to continue.”
The biggest thing that kickstarted my transformation to a new way of thinking was my mentor’s favorite saying: “What you think about, you bring about.” So, living life a day at a time is merely an exercise in being aware of what you do want and not wasting time or energy on what you don’t. Intention is very important in this lifestyle. If you make clear what you want, then you plan and think toward your goal. It prompts you to maintain a high standard for yourself, but it’s also not about being perfect. It’s about present time consciousness and the acceptance of the fact that learning never stops – it’s just part of the journey. Every day, I wake up with a quick self note about the things that I want. Every night before I go to bed, I restate that purpose. Everything in between is about staying in the moment, my intentions already set.
We speak often in the office about health being a goal that requires certain fundamentals, amongst them a good attitude. Who can realistically overcome problems (health or otherwise) if they’re full of negative thoughts about days, week, months, or years ago or ahead? Living life a day at a time lays the groundwork for a less stressful existence. Today is over once it’s over. Tomorrow is a new day. You take the good things from yesterday forward, acknowledge the previous day’s less awesome moments for learning purposes, and embark on the next step in the journey. The only thing that you have control over is your actions, anyway, so there’s little sense in prognosticating. From personal experience, I can vouch for this being a very enjoyable way to live. The great stuff is greater and the lousy stuff isn’t nearly as a lousy.
“One day at a time- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.” -- Ida Scott Taylor
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
A recent trip to Philadelphia yielded a conversation during which my friend told me, “I hate it when people say, ‘Just take it a day at a time.’ Who can do that?!” I responded, “As someone who lives that way, I can promise you that it’s doable. Some people are just wired that way. For those of us who aren’t, it takes work, but it’s worth it; it makes my life much better.”
Living life “a day at a time” is a foreign film without subtitles to some of us. I remember the days before I began living life one day at a time and they were not pretty. I lived in a perpetual cycle of fear and worry. I’ve shared with most of you the physical part of my journey. Another part of my healing process involved changing my mindset, not just in regards to my health but to my entire life, too. Figuratively, I was driving down the road at 100 MPH at night, constantly more concerned about that which lay beyond the range of my headlights instead of the 200 feet in front of me. If I wasn’t concerning myself with the future, I was hyper analyzing the past. Only, I was not doing it to take away important lessons from my mistakes and was, instead, getting stuck in a rotten pattern of self judgment and doubt.
It was during my early days being under Upper Cervical Care that I started becoming more aware of my mindset (being in a brain fog kept me unaware of many things). Surrounding myself with people that lived by the “one day at a time” mantra was eye-opening. I had basically been trained to anticipate the worst and hope for the best. Seeing these happy, purposeful, dynamite personalities living their lives to the fullest allowed me to recognize the futility in spending so much time caught up in the past – which is over – and the future – which I cannot control. There’s no future in living in the past. “The past cannot be changed. You can learn from the past but you can’t alter it,” Bryan Golden, author of Dare to Live Without Limits, wrote in a 2009 article on this topic. “The past is a seminar you have taken. Make note of what worked and what didn’t. You don’t want to repeat the same mistakes. You do want to replicate successes. Worry is a complete waste of time and energy. You will never achieve anything by worrying. To make matters worse, any time spent worrying takes away from the time you have available for dealing with today. “
It’s quite a burden, carrying the past on your back with your mind simultaneously weighed down by the future. “Exhausting” is one word I’ve seen used to describe that lifestyle by a fellow liver of life just a day at a time. To live anything more than a day at a time is to approach life, energetically, like a sprint. It takes enough energy just to get done what you need to right now. Add to that the energy required to dwell over what already happened and brood over what could… you only have so much energy. Life is a marathon. Distance runners have to learn how to pace themselves to make certain that they have enough stamina for an entire race. Counselors use that analogy when helping addicts overcome their vices. Many of us get addicted, if you will, to – as my mom often says – the woulda, coulda, shoulda. It doesn’t begin that way, no more than a chemical addiction does, but it can end up that way. And as they say to addicts, “When you allow yourself to be consumed with anger and worry [or judgment and doubt, etc.] or become embroiled in non-stop stress that you’ve accepted as a way of life, your strength is sapped, depleting you of the energy and motivation to continue.”
The biggest thing that kickstarted my transformation to a new way of thinking was my mentor’s favorite saying: “What you think about, you bring about.” So, living life a day at a time is merely an exercise in being aware of what you do want and not wasting time or energy on what you don’t. Intention is very important in this lifestyle. If you make clear what you want, then you plan and think toward your goal. It prompts you to maintain a high standard for yourself, but it’s also not about being perfect. It’s about present time consciousness and the acceptance of the fact that learning never stops – it’s just part of the journey. Every day, I wake up with a quick self note about the things that I want. Every night before I go to bed, I restate that purpose. Everything in between is about staying in the moment, my intentions already set.
We speak often in the office about health being a goal that requires certain fundamentals, amongst them a good attitude. Who can realistically overcome problems (health or otherwise) if they’re full of negative thoughts about days, week, months, or years ago or ahead? Living life a day at a time lays the groundwork for a less stressful existence. Today is over once it’s over. Tomorrow is a new day. You take the good things from yesterday forward, acknowledge the previous day’s less awesome moments for learning purposes, and embark on the next step in the journey. The only thing that you have control over is your actions, anyway, so there’s little sense in prognosticating. From personal experience, I can vouch for this being a very enjoyable way to live. The great stuff is greater and the lousy stuff isn’t nearly as a lousy.
“One day at a time- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.” -- Ida Scott Taylor
Thinking good things for you, as always,
Dr. Chad
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Robin Williams and Depression
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
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)