Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Playing Field

I haven't had much to say lately about things so I took a break from writing the BLOG. Some of you have expressed that it is hard to enter this BLOGSPOT and I really have no idea as to why? I seem to get on very easily without requirements of any kind. So lets go forward!

We have a new health care LAW. Effective almost immediately for some and of course most of us we will have to wait. The political machine must do it's work to make sure that this law is feasible.

As it pertains to chiropractic there is some good news. ERISA has placed chiropractic on the same playing field as the medical community. This is a first! What does that mean? Chiropractors should be reimbursed the same as medical doctors for the same procedure performed. Example, if Dr. M.D. performed a neck adjustment (thank goodness they don't) and charged $100.00 and receives $80.00 so shall the chiropractor. In the past (and it hasn't changed yet)the same scenario would be that the chiropractor could only charge $45.00 and receive $32.00 while the M.D. still gets $80.00.

Leveling the playing field, its about time! That is all I have to say about that.
Watch for more.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Health Care Crisis! Who Has the Answer?

This past weekend I attended a wonderful seminar that may be an answer to part (if not all) of the health care crisis. You may wonder, if the seminar had such an answer why isn't the President there?

Before I go any further let's take a look at the health care that is provided(and we accept)and how it really is not health care but "sick" care. 1.We wait until it hurts. 2. We only look at the site of pain. 3. We quit care when the pain is gone. I believe that sums it up! That is our health care system in a nut shell. Now we know why we are the highest in the cost of health care amongst the industrialized nations. Other nations follow our lead while others make prevention a necessity. I remember the story of a Chinese doctor whose pay was decided upon the health of his community.If the people were sick he didn't get paid. As long as they were healthy he was paid. Interesting!

My job (passion) is to help as many people as possible without the use of drugs or surgery. I do know that most people would prefer to live life without the need for drugs or surgery. So the answer to our health care crisis is chiropractic Dr. Gilbert? No and Yes!

Chiropractors are the only health care providers that deal directly with the nervous system which is the main controller of all of the systems of the body. This past weekend the seminar was on Structural Management.The body if aligned properly will affect most if not all of the systems of the body. Improvement on the hormonal, digestive,lymphatic, muscle, skeletal, reproductive and the nervous system itself will all be affected if the body is properly aligned.

If it comes down to dollars and cents (and it always does) my choice is prevention. It is far cheaper to keep our bodies in a preventive mode than a reactive mode. Think about how much it costs for even minor surgeries let alone major ones. Back surgeries may cost as much as $40,000.00. Wow! That would be at todays prices equal to 888 adjustments or 74 years of care at 1 x per month.

Remember the answer above to the Health Care crisis I gave was no and yes? Chiropractors now have the ammunition to change people's lives with the information that we have available to us. If chiropractors continue to do what they have always done only temporary changes will be made for their patients. With Structural management and proper life-style changes the world will be far healthier. Chiropractic alone (performed as it always has) will not be able to change people's lives completely without life-style changes. Vice-versa life-style changes alone will change people's lives but not completely without chiropractic Structural Management! Stay Tuned!

Monday, February 22, 2010

What is the Difference?

When I entered chiropractic college in 1974 I was the only one in my class who had never been to a chiropractor.Most of my fellow students were either relatives of chiropractors or chiropractic patients. All felt a personal "calling" with an internal desire to help mankind.

For me, the term "doctor" in front of my name was the precipitous to "become someone who could be somebody". (Marlon Brando, "On the Waterfront") Well despite my personal needs I "fell hook, line and sinker" for the philosophy of chiropractic. From that point on I didn't care if doctor or fish was in front of my name! I knew internally that chiropractic was for me and for EVERYONE else.

So what was the big difference? I learned that "the power that made the body is the same power that heals the body"! WOW! So you might say,"it took you 4 years to realize that"? "Yep"! But what was really the clincher was that chiropractors are the only ones who knew this (at least so I thought). So what does that mean for you?

Chiropractors look for subluxations along the spine that cause interference of the nervous system (you know the system that controls all bodily function). No other profession does so. And those "interferences" stops or slows down that "power" that heals the body. Does everyone need to see the chiropractor? Only if they want their body to heal properly, even with the assistance of drugs or surgeries.

If you haven't been checked for subluxations or if you know of others who need to be checked (remember only the chiropractor checks for subluxations)now is the time. The longer we wait the worse we can be!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

What Does It Matter?

Since Cathy had cancer 22 years ago my interest in nutrition and supplementation became a matter of very high interest. The oncologist was of no help at the time when it came to nutrition and lifestyle changes. So Cathy and I were left on our own to decipher, weed-out, interpret information that was hard to find and even harder to understand.

At first the best way to make sure the cancer does not return (we thought) was to become "Vegans'. You know people that won't eat foods that have a face on it. Animal products! Yes, we went 10 years as Vegans and I can assure you it was a good decision in some aspects. Let me explain!

As I said we had to decipher the information and we had no one to really turn to, no internet, no encyclopedia, no nothing. We did look at what the American Cancer Society people had to say and we also looked at what the typical dietician had to offer. We found that they really did not feel that diet was a major role player in the cause of cancer, but it was of "some concern" to them. They did realize that the more fruits and vegetables one eats the "healthier" you would be as compared to one who ate only meat and potatoes.

The same problem still prevails (not for me, as much as it did) but maybe for you! What about the food we eat or the supplements we take? What is right for me and what is right for you? Are you dependent upon the commercials on t.v. for your information or maybe a clerk at one of the stores you purchase your supplements from? Who do you trust?

Cathy and I found the book"Fit for Life" 20 years ago and it literally changed our lives when it came to food and how to eat it. We remained "Vegans" as I said for 10 years and became limited experts on food preparation and what I call "food stacking". We would eat our fruits separately from other foods because they digested so much quicker. We ate foods that would not tax the body for great amout of times for digestion so the saved energy would go to healing instead of processing.

Remember the recent blog I wrote, "Teamwork"? I am here to help you on your path to health. We can't rely on t.v. commercials nor can we rely on store clerks that do not have the background to help you make a proper decision when it comes to "healthcare". My experience from research, hit and miss programs, schooling and teaching can give you a step up towards good health. All you need to do is ask.

We will go further into this on my next "Blog". By the way, Cathy is a 22 year "Cancer Survivor" due to lifestlye changes that she did those many years ago. For me (her cancer saved my life), I am the one who is "blessed" because she is still with me and we are enjoying LIFE together!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Injury or Breakdown?

Last year while attending the philharmonic in Evansville I had excruciating pain in my left foot. The pain was so bad I had to leave the theatre and try to "walk it off". Well the pain did subside the next day to somewhat of a more than mild discomfort (but always there) even to this day 15 months later.

The pain is on the top of my foot above the main arch. So with every step the pain becomes evident when the foot is in a normal gait. Even after sitting awhile I limp for about ten steps or so. The body will accomodate itself and "rob Peter to save Paul", and at times the pain will radiate into the calf and ache for hours.


So why am I telling you all this? Well for years 30 or more to be exact (kind of) I have been running, biking, swimming or lifting weights to keep in shape. I remember at age 30 I decided that I did not want to be like the 40 year olds I was observing. So I started to run and run I did! I would dress for the run and out the door I would go. No stretching before or after, just go and come back as fast as I could. Needless to say after so many years of this something had to eventually breakdown.


That evening at the theatre while the pain was so severe I was thinking that I didn't have any recent injury, no falls or accidents, no tripping or slipping, no stones that I may have stepped on, nothing! Typically we all look to some event to lay blame on but not this time. The blame is TIME itself and not taking the time to stretch before and after. This was not an injury but was a breakdown that could have been prevented.


Dr. Rader is the podiatrist that I see for foot and leg problems. He was very thorough in his examination with x-rays, circulation examination (Dopler) and blood testing. I am now wearing orthotics (which are already making a positive difference) and not running, walking is okay! He too sees problems which could be prevented if we would only take the time to do so.


I am not running and paying the price for the lack of exercise. If I treated my back the same way I treated my feet I would be in terrible shape. Prevention for the most part slows down "breakdowns" and sometimes stops these breakdowns in their tracks. But if an injury would happen recovery would be far quicker if prevention was part of our health regimen. Need I say more?

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

"The Germ that Causes Cancer"

I am sure that the title of this blog caught your eye. It is a title of a book by Doug A. Kaufmann. Doug and I are about the same age and we were in the service about the same time. He is a Viet Nam war Veteran who went into research when he was discharged from the Army. He "hosts" a show on the Dish network called "Know the Cause". I highly recommend this show if its available to you or you can go to his web-site by the same name.

The information that Doug gives on a daily basis is researched based and independent based. There are no companies filling Doug's wallet for him to skew his findings. Having said that I must admit that my eyes were opened even more about cancer research. You may recall that Cathy (my wife) had breast cancer some 20 years ago. She went through chemo-therapy and had a masectomy. Unfortunately for Cathy she also had silicone poisoning due to leakage of the implant that was recommended after her masectomy.

Needless to say the treatment she received back in 1989 is no different than the treatment of today. Chemo, surgery then drugs of some kind. Granted our doctors want their patients to be healthy. My experience with the medical profession locally has been and still is one of respect and willingness to work with one another. Yet, their hands are tied when it comes to new or established treatments that do not fit within the A.M.A.'s guidelines. My point? When guys like Doug Kaufmann come along the A.M.A. and drug companies will not recognize years of research for reasons that seem to be, well you can finish that sentence.

Doug's book "The Germ that Causes Cancer" (he has written others as well, along the same lines), is a short but concise read on how fungus and cancer have so many similarities. On page 7 there are 5 "bullets" that are a conclusion of his life's work up to that point. 1. Both cancer and certain fungi can metabolize (produce) nutients in the absence of oxygen. 2. Both cancer cells and fungi must have SUGAR in order to survive. 3. Both produce lactic acid(some is bad, some is good). 4. Both respond to antifungal medications--at least some cancers have "amazingly" gone into remission or have reduced in size when antifungal medicine was used to treat a co-existing fungal infection. 5. Both will die in the absence of SUGAR-----------------WOW!!!!

So? Doug recommends (I concur) that we need to look at our diet first and foremost for answers. The Standard American Diet (SAD) has and always will be the "fly in the ointment". I stayed on Doug's recommended diet for 1 year, what a difference a Diet makes, and then went back to the SAD, what a difference a Diet make (BLAH, that is how I feel on the SAD diet). I assure you his recommended diet will not only you make you feel better but you will be better. One other note concerning diet. Margaret Meade a noted anthropologist said "it is far easier to change a man's religion than his diet".

Please take the time to look at Doug's website www.knowthecause.com you will be highly enlightened at all of the information.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Teamwork

I just erased a "blog" that was entirely too long. I'll keep this short and sweet. Teamwork, that is the "buzz word" for this Blog. It takes teamwork to get the job done as the Colts have done not only this season but in seasons past. It takes teamwork for our families to get things done around the house, get kids to school, deal with financial obligations etc. It also takes teamwork to be heathy and well.

Individually we have a big job to do for health. Eat and think right, exercise and rest properly. Research is available for us on the internet to at least lead us in the right direction if we are somewhat clouded on a health issue. But for the most part teamwork includes the "professional" who has seen the health issues that we are concerned about hundreds and even thousands of times.

Hopefully, you can include chiropractic as part of that "team". We need the medical doctor, eye doctor, dentist and the many specialists if called upon. Yet none of them (other than myself) consider the spine significant enough to be examined regularly. Granted, if I were a barber I would expect everyone to get a haircut, so I am very biased towards spinal care.

The education for a chiropractor is a minimum of 3 years of undergraduate studies then 4 years at one of the 18 chiropractic colleges. Yet the best education is experience and that is where "teamwork" blossoms. We work together to come up with the best scenario for you path back to or towards health and wellness then we have a plan to maintain health and wellness much like the dentist does.

Don't wait for the pain to show up. Pain is the "last symptom to show and the first to go" and a good rule of thumb is, if the pain has not gone away within a 2 week time frame then it will most suredly not go away. Get regular check-ups! It is much cheaper preventing the problem than fixing it.

I think this Blog is longer than the one I erased?

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Do I still need to brush my teeth?

I regularly go to the dentist twice per year. Having my teeth checked and cleaned keeps me away from the other part of my dentist's office where he uses needles and other utensils that make me nervous and want to run for my life. It's great when I leave and my appointment is not for another 6 months which means "look mom no cavities".

The dental profession has done a wonderful job of prevention. Along with the ADA and some great commercials on T.V. most of us rarely have cavities, their education system works! So why am I talking about my teeth and not my back? The answer is, education for spinal hygiene is limited or even none at all.

Our annual physicals rarely include inspection of the spinal area. If we have a complaint significant enough they will do a cursory exam and then prescribe medications of some type. This is not a complaint towards the medical profession. They do a wonderful job looking for things that are life threatening and I am very glad they do.

Yet, as we live longer our mobility is challenged significantly. We end up using walkers, canes and wheelchairs. Most of this could be prevented if we had an education system in place to help prevent these musculoskeletal impairments. So, what's my point?

Regular spinal check-ups along with musculoskeletal examinations should be part of the package for better health. You have your eyes, teeth, heart and blood-pressure checked regularly why not the spine? A spine without pain does not mean all is well, much like a tooth without pain is well (cavities are usually painless).

A spinal examination is inexpensive and far cheaper than some procedures performed on a spine that has not received regular spinal maintenance. I still brush my teeth daily so I won't need procedures that are expensive and usually painful and I do the same for my spine.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

I have a cold am I really sick?

Being sick maybe a "good" sign for being healthy. I know that sounds odd but to me for the body to eliminate toxins is a healthy thing. You see having a cold or having the flu is a away for your body to eliminate "bugs" that could actually make you sick. I really don't want my body to keep those bugs even for a short period of time. So when my body goes into the "defense" mode I am very happy even though I don't feel good.

As a matter of fact I do not take medications to stop the symptoms of a cold or flu. The medications suppress the symptoms but the body must deal with the medication. Often times,the cold or flu will seemingly stop when taking the medications but will arise again once the body has eliminated the medications. Remember the medications can always be taken, give your body a chance to heal naturally.

The body is the "healer" within. If I scratch myself and put a band-aid on I know its not the band-aid that heals it's the body! Yet, I must do everything I can to take care of my body that takes care of me. Eat right, exercise, think right and receive regular chiropractic adjustments.
I will go into that on another blog. For now, if you get sick it maybe that you are healthier than you think.