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Emerging Health Care Leadership

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A Shortage of Medical Doctors
With the shortage of medical doctors increasing dramatically, more and more people are using chiropractors for their health care leadership. According to the AAMC, the American Academy of Medical Consultants, there is a shortage of medical doctors by 50,000 in the U.S. alone. Between now and 2025 that shortage is expected to grow to 125,000.

These statistics are experienced in the real world as more people are forced to go to Doc in the Box medical establishments where they don’t know the doctor and have not been able to establish a relationship with a provider who knows their body or who knows their family. This has led to many a frustrating experience and is one reason for the shift.

The Public is Demanding Holistic, Drug-Free Health Care
The shift to chiropractors is not just due to the medical doctor shortage however, it is due to a shift in the public’s demand for a holistic, drug-free health care approach. Traditional medical care is strictly for use when you are in the middle of a severe crisis. This can be from an accident, injury, or being diagnosed with an illness or disease. This Crisis Care is important. It is necessary. And at the same time, individuals and families are looking for ways to stay healthy and drug free to avoid and prevent a crisis from occurring, while many others are looking to optimize their health.

Chiropractic care, especially within The 100 Year Lifestyle model, contributes to restoring your health in times of crisis, and it can also help you make the Critical Transition from Crisis Care to Lifestyle Care so that your health becomes your top priority. Health care consumers are realizing, through the rising costs of crisis care and the suffering of their aging parents and grandparents, that ignoring health until it breaks down is the recipe for deteriorating health, sickness and a pain-filled life. This consciousness has bankrupted so many families over the past few decades that the shift to Lifestyle Care is approaching critical mass.

The Nursing Home Generation
Assisted living centers and nursing homes are popping up everywhere as people are living longer whether they like it or not. This Nursing Home Generation is giving us the advance notice that we will probably live longer than we ever thought. The philosophy of this generation was “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and they defined broke as severe pain or life threatening illness. There was no proactive approach to staying healthy; just a reactive approach to dealing with pain and sickness.

A Vitalistic Health Care Model
The vitalistic philosophy that we are talking about provides you with a new approach to your health care. We are not inanimate objects. We are vitalistic beings. Your body, which is composed of approximately 80 quadrillion cells, will work in harmony to keep you healthy, adapt you to your environment, digest your food and even heal you when you are sick as long as it is kept healthy and functioning without interference.

In a vitalistic model, when you are out of balance you are “broke.”

Through the principles and practices of The 100 Year Lifestyle, which includes chiropractic Lifestyle Care, you and your loved ones will enjoy a healthier, more active life. Find out if your body is functioning up to its potential. Make an appointment today.

Health Care Leadership Adjustment

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We Are In Desperate Need of Health Care Leadership
Our world is in desperate need of health care leadership. Costs are rising into the multiples of trillions while the quality of the care is questionable at best. In my research for The 100 Year Lifestyle Second Edition, I was blown away by the research and how the numbers have changed in just the 6 years since the first edition was published.

You would think with all of the cost increases that have occurred we would see improvement. We have not. Life Expectancy in the United States has worsened moving from 37th place in 2006 to 51st in 2012 compared to other countries. Infant mortality has dropped to 45th compared to other industrialized nations. Where is all this money going? There are growing concerns that the Affordable Health Care Act will actually drive the costs up even more while the quality of the care continues to decline.

The Current Health Care System Needs An Adjustment
Our health care system needs an adjustment. The core problem is one of philosophy. Our current system is Crisis Care only. “Health Care” education is primarily done by drug companies whose ultimate goal is to sell their drugs to consumers. The side effects are scary and you can learn about them from any drug ad you watch on television, hear on the radio or see in a magazine.

A Philosophy Adjustment Will Optimize Your Health
Manipulating body chemistry is not health care. You and your family should consider taking a new philosophical approach to your well-being. Here is a simple philosophy to begin living right away to optimize your health for a lifetime:

1. Innate Intelligence
You have within you an Innate Intelligence. Present from the moment you were conceived, this Intelligence guides the processes in your body that turn food into cells, eliminates waste products, coordinates muscle contraction and communicates with or without your conscious thought to every cell, tissue and organ of your body via your nerve system. As long as there is no interference to this system, you have the capability to heal, feel great, be healthy and function well for a lifetime. Nurture this Intelligence for the development of your human potential and you will set personal records in all areas of your life.

2. Interference
Unfortunately, there can be interference to the communication and expression of this Intelligence within your body. This interference causes dis-ease, weakness, and imbalances within your nerve system that can cause all types of immediate health problems. Or, this interference can lie dormant and asymptomatic for decades, leading to severe health conditions, chronic pain, deterioration and disease down the road.

Nerve interference in the spine is called a vertebral subluxation. Lifestyle interference is a result of poor health habits such as overeating, poor nutrition, excessive drinking, taking prescription or non-prescription drugs, or sitting too much. Environmental interference is caused by toxicity from air, food, water, or chemicals, as well as accidents or natural disasters. All three types of interference can cause pressure in your spine and nerve system and affect your health on every level.

3. Adjustments
Remove the interference from your body through adjustments to your environment, lifestyle, spine and nerve system so that your body can heal itself and function at optimum health and peak performance levels for a lifetime.

The Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis

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Prescription drug abuse is out of control. Every day we hear stories in the news about celebrities, adults, and kids who have experienced the consequences of prescription drug abuse and have either died, been injured, or had to be admitted into some form of rehabilitation center.

It is hard to believe that those little pills can grab such a powerful hold on your mind and body and spin your life out of control. A recent report by the Executive Office of the President of The United States entitled “Epidemic: Responding to America’s Drug Abuse Crisis” revealed that prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest growing drug problem. Nearly one third of people age 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in 2009 began using a prescription drug non-medically.

In Canada, 54% of participants in a study reported misusing their prescription drugs at least once. 52% diverted the use of their drugs to a non-prescribed usage and 42% of the participants deliberately used their prescription with alcohol or another drug.

Drug ads on television, and in every other type of media, do not help the situation. Through beautiful scenery and highly paid actors, the commercials promise relief while disguising the side effects. Have you ever noticed how many drug ads come on during the popular time slots? One after the other we get hammered by them. Listen carefully to the side effects and do extensive homework before you ever put yourself in a position to get hooked. The highly addictive nature of some of these chemicals can own you for a lifetime once they get in you.

Seeing someone who is abusing prescription drugs, or any drug for that matter, is scary. The withdrawal symptoms can turn the calmest person into the image of a wild dog searching for food. A drug filled lifestyle can be dangerous. The side effects are many and are not communicated thoroughly. As time goes on, people often add a second, third, and sometimes many more drugs to their daily routine to offset the side effects of the one that they started with. Nursing homes are filled with individuals who, over the years, increased the number of prescription drugs that they use and abuse on a daily basis. 45% of Medicare beneficiaries are on more than 5 drugs.

If all these drugs were good for us and contributed to greater health and longevity you would think that the statistics would show it. But this is not the case. The World Fact Book ranks the United States 49th in life expectancy and Canada as Number 9.

If you think that you or someone you love is in the middle of a prescription drug crisis then you are probably right and you should trust your instincts. Consult with your doctor and get on a plan to change from a drug-oriented lifestyle to a drug free one. You can do it. Chiropractic offices everywhere are filled with individuals who have taken charge of their health and made this critical transition.

While the purpose of chiropractic care is not to take you off a drug it is very common that when people begin to get adjustments on a regular basis they find their need and dependency on both prescription and non-prescription medication goes down dramatically or disappears altogether. No wonder more and more individuals and families are taking the drug- free approach to healthcare that chiropractic delivers. Now it is your turn.

Lost Coverage. Found Health

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Millions of people in the United States are losing their insurance coverage. With all the confusion about insurance, the focus and concern for many Americans and people everywhere is, “Will I have insurance coverage in case I get sick or injured?” While the concern over coverage is important, this question ignores the basic fact that having coverage for sickness and being healthy are two completely different issues.

Do we want to have this “insurance” to cover us? Sure. But good coverage does not replace poor choices. The best insurance of all is to eat healthy quality food, keep yourself fit and at your ideal weight, reduce stress, have a positive attitude, and keep your structure, spine and nervous system healthy.

Just because you are “covered” doesn’t mean you are healthy. In fact, if you have “coverage” and make poor health choices, you are much more likely to wind up sick, injured and suffering unnecessarily.

Don’t misunderstand – good coverage is a very good thing. Unfortunately, too many people are living unhealthy lifestyles and are headed down the sickness path. It’s time to change paths.

We are the first generation in history that is getting the advance notice that whether we like it or not, want to or not, we will probably live longer than we ever thought. According to the British Medical Journal, 50percent of the babies born since the year 2000 are expected to live to 100. The important question is what will your quality of life be like along the way?

The US ranks 51st in life expectancy compared to other industrialized nations and 44th in infant mortality. 60percent of the population is overweight and over 30percent are obese. Medical errors cause over 100,000 people to die each year unnecessarily, and we are watching the numbers of people with preventable illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and autoimmune problems climb.

For a small number of those who suffer from a genetic problem, medical intervention can help save lives. Trauma from injuries and accidents may also be handled well by our current system, saving lives. But the vast majority of people that are seen by doctors have problems that can be directly correlated to unhealthy lifestyles; therefore, most likely preventable.

Too many people suffer through the last decades of their life because of poor choices along the way. Whether they have good coverage or not, every single one of those people who are suffering would choose being healthy and not needing the coverage over getting sick.

The 100 Year Lifestyle is about staying healthy throughout your entire lifetime. It’s about healthy choices including good nutrition and exercise, along with health care choices that are proactive including keeping your spine and nervous system well-adjusted with chiropractic Lifestyle Care.

Having insurance for the crisis care can be very valuable but not as valuable as the day to day choices you make to stay healthy.

Chiropractors are leading the way in communities around the world, teaching people how to live healthy and thrive rather than just survive. You owe it to yourself to discover your true value and potential and you hold the key to that potential in the decisions you make day to day. We will stand with you to help you on this journey.

Contributed by Dr. Dennis Buckley and Dr. Eric Plasker

Learning From Symptoms

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There’s a lot we can learn from symptoms. If you have been suffering from symptoms for any length of time, I’m sure you are tired of the learning process. However, the more you learn about them, the better you are able to make choices that get your body functioning at a higher level of health.

Lesson 1: Symptoms don’t always mean your body is broken. If you have ever had food poisoning for example, you know that the symptoms are extremely unpleasant and can cause incredible discomfort. When your body is working properly, it responds by violently eliminating the toxins as quickly as possible through the symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. This is an example of symptoms that occur in a person whose body is working properly.

Fever is another example. The ideal temperature that bacteria enjoy is 98.6 degrees, which we all know is the normal body temperature. However, when we are under a lot of stress, over exposed to toxins in the environment or bacteria, the body will cause the symptom of raising its temperature to fight off the infection. This is another sign that the body is working the way it is supposed to.

Lesson 2: Symptoms can notify you of an area of your body that’s been injured. Injuries can occur in an area of the body that can cause you to feel it differently than normal. Pain in your back, neck, arm or leg can indicate that you have been injured. If the injury is not related to an underlying condition, like a cut or a bruise, the body’s self-healing, Innate Intelligence goes to work and within a few days or weeks, the symptoms usually disappear.

Lesson 3: Symptoms can notify you of an underlying condition, but not always. Waiting for symptoms to present before taking care of yourself is not a good idea. Underlying conditions can range in severity and variety, and absolutely must be addressed whether there are symptoms present or not.

Lesson 4: Treating symptoms with drugs can make you feel better while worsening the underlying cause. This is often true with people who take pain medication on an ongoing basis without addressing the cause of the pain. It’s also true for people who take ulcer medicine to alleviate their stomach pain while not addressing the ulcer’s cause. Athletes who take shots so they can feel better for the game run the risk of doing more severe damage to their body. People who get adjustments often feel better quickly, which may be great for today but the underlying subluxation still needs to be addressed.

Lesson 5: True health care is not about treating symptoms. Webster’s defines health as “the condition of an organism with respect to the performance of its vital functions.” To be truly healthy, your focus should be primarily on how your body is functioning rather than just how it feels. When you understand this approach, the health of your nervous system becomes your top priority.

The purpose of your nervous system is to control and coordinate the function of every cell, tissue and organ of your body, and adapt you to your environment.

Chiropractic examinations are essential to a healthy nervous system. They can reveal underlying problems in your spine that can lead to all types of health problems. Additionally, having good posture, getting plenty of rest, eating nourishing foods and exercising can also keep your nervous system healthy.

Don’t wait until you feel symptoms to get checked. Make Chiropractic Lifestyle Care a part of your “Lessons Learned” and enjoy a great quality of life to 80, 90, 100 years and beyond.

How Much Pain Can You Tolerate?

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“How much pain can you tolerate?” is a very interesting question. Some people have a high pain threshold and are very “macho” in their approach as they act like they can handle anything. On the other hand, many others have a mild to moderate threshold and search for a cover up to eliminate their unpleasant feelings. Based on the astronomical statistics of pain medication use, our level of tolerance has gone way down.

In the United States the total cost of health care related to pain is approximately $600 billion and the cost to employers dealing with employees who have reduced work productivity due to pain is in the neighborhood of $100 billion per year. An Auburn University study showed that 67 percent of children suffered muscle soreness, 51 percent back pain, 24 percent numbness and 15 percent shoulder pain. Studies from John Hopkins Children Center and many other places have shown that backpacks cause back and shoulder pain and poor posture in children. Between 1997 and 2005, the medical expenses for individuals with spine problems grew from $4,695.00 to $6,096.00 per person.

According to CBC News, 54 percent of Canadian seniors report that chronic pain is interfering with most of their activities. The National Population Health Survey found that seniors who saw their pain increase over a two-year period were more likely to be unhappy or have a negative impression of their personal health at the end of that period. In younger Canadians between the ages of 12 and 44, 10 percent are already experiencing pain that is affecting their life and limiting their activities.

Too many people look to manage their pain by numbing their feelings with non-prescription or prescription drugs. Certainly in extreme cases this may be helpful as any compassionate person would agree; however, managing pain with medication as part of a lifestyle rather than getting to the cause can lessen your body’s natural pain tolerance and cause horrible side effects including nausea, sleep disruption, lack of mental clarity, lack of energy, depression and potential damage to key organs such as the liver, kidney and heart. Overuse can create unintended addictions to pain medication that can lead to even more challenges and difficulties in your life.

Chiropractic care is a much better option for both acute and chronic pain sufferers. First of all, a chiropractic examination can locate areas in the spine that are out of balance and are putting pressure on nerves which can contribute to nearly every type of pain condition.

Crisis Care, the type of care that is delivered when someone is in pain or suffering from a health problem, is delivered with frequent visits close together to begin realigning the spine, reducing inflammation and pressure from the nervous system, which usually provides relief and stability within a few weeks or months.

The next phase of care, called the Critical Transition, is critical because it provides consistent care with less frequent visits stretched out over a longer period of time regardless of how people feel so the spine, nervous system and body can begin to regenerate. It is this phase of the care that is necessary to support an active, healthy, long life that is either free from chronic pain or certainly makes pain much more manageable.

Unfortunately too many people ignore this Critical Transition because they feel better and they go back to the destructive habits that caused their deterioration in the first place. This behavior, including numbing their pain with drugs, can only lead to more deterioration and pain even though you experience relief from the pills. Continuing your chiropractic care through the Critical Transition breaks this cycle and gives your body the chance to adapt and truly heal for the long haul.

Isn’t it time that you decide to not tolerate a pain and medication based lifestyle and the deteriorating future that it promotes? Take care of your spine and nervous system so that your body can heal itself and enjoy the quality of life you deserve.