Truly Complementary

I often hear about medicine and chiropractic not working together.  I don’t ever see it, I just hear about it.  Lately I have been wondering why should there be any animosity.  Why don’t more hospitals hire chiropractors, why would chiropractors refuse to work with medical doctors.

There are always the extremists in any discussion like this, those with horrible information and bias beyond belief.  The conspiracy theorists if you will.  Ignoring those fringe wackos, no one disputes that there are benefits to chiropractic, or to medicine, or to physical therapy and psychiatry, or even to acupuncture, and natural medicine.  There is of course a need for balance in all things, but there are proven benefits to all of these methods.  So why don’t they work together more often?

I recently read a story of a chiropractor who understands that healthcare is about caring for the patients health.  He and another chiropractor decided to go to medical school. (As a prideful side note they graduated number 1 and 2 in their class)  He did not go to abandon his chiropractic practice.  He went to expand the benefits that he could provide to his patients.  He recognized the limitations of chiropractic and of medicine.  He now combines treatments and sees great results.

I don’t want to prescribe medication.  I love doing what I do, and would like to focus on it, but I would like to work closer with doctors and providers of all sorts.  I am beginning a mission to meet as many other providers as possible.  I want to know what they do and what they have to offer my patients.  I know my limitations as a chiropractor and I’d like to become the best referrer I can be, I want to know who to send people to, and I can’t do that without getting to know them, so if you’re a provider in the Utah county area, or if you have some information for me or are like minded please leave a reply give me a website, point me to know who will be truly complementary to my care.

Are You…In Good Hands

Now, insurance it’s self isn’t evil.  It’s a great idea at it’s core, spread the risk so that you aren’t wiped out by disaster.  Even at bad companies there are good people trying to do what is right or just earn a living, but as consumers it is our duty to vote with our wallet.  It is up to all of us to get companies to change by showing them we will not support bad practice.  Unfortunately many people are not informed when they cast their vote.  It is in that vein that I present this information.  The next time you go to vote on insurance companies you will be able to do so armed with information.

I present to you the ten worst insurance companies in the USA as determined by the American Association for Justice:

TEN WORST INSURANCE COMPANIES

1. Allstate

2. Unum

3. AIG

4. State Farm

5. Conseco

6. WellPoint

7. Farmers

8. UnitedHealth

9. Torchmark

10. Liberty Mutual

This list is a part of a document they have produced and put out (Find the full document here).  They took their time and did their research, after all they are lawyers.

“To identify the worst insurance companies for consumers, researchers at the American Association for Justice (AAJ) undertook a comprehensive investigation of thousands of court documents, SEC and FBI records, state insurance department investigations and complaints, news accounts from across the country, and the testimony and depositions of former insurance agents and adjusters. Our final list includes companies across a range of different insurance fields, including homeowners and auto insurers, health insurers, life insurers, and disability insurers.”

As a chiropractor I deal with insurance on a regular basis and have written on this topic before.  The more people we can educate the better systems will be demanded.  Pass it on and help change insurance, not through the federal government, but through the power of the people.

How Chiropractic can Help ADD/ADHD

The video posted suggested that chiropractic may help people with ADD/ADHD, but it doesn’t say how.  In fact it only mentions it in passing after explaining some of the dangers of the drugs used to treat such conditions.  So here is a collection of some of the research.  A single study by Mississippi State University found that specific chiropractic treatment improved results in the majority of ADD/ADHD sufferers.  You can find that study here.  Of course more research is needed, but so far medication has only been shown to keep ADHD controlled, not cure it.  Chiropractic care has shown actual improvement without the risks of medication.

How does chiropractic treatment accomplish the improvement. Dr. Robert Melillo, a chiropractic neurologist said, “Motor activity—especially development of the postural muscles—is the baseline function of brain activity. Anything affecting postural muscles will influence brain development. Musculoskeletal imbalance will create imbalance of brain activity, and one part of the brain will develop faster than the other, and that’s what’s happening in ADHD patients.”  He also pointed out that “True ADHD patients have other signs — tics, tremors, balance or postural problems, or unusual sensitivity to touch, movement, sights, or sounds.”

Doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic neurologists don’t treat ADHD they treat dysfunction in the spine and body.  The brain is stimulated by this stimulation of weakened function through adjustments.  The body is aided in healing it’s self decreasing the imbalances.  So instead of filling the gap with drugs the body may become dependent on, the brain is able to develop where it was otherwise weak through stimulation caused by chiropractic adjustments.

While chiropractic may provide a good treatment for many suffering from these conditions mechanical stimulation is not the only answer and dietary or life changes should also be included in treatment.  Processed food containing food dyes, sugar, preservatives, additives, and pesticides or other chemicals should be avoided.  Elimination diets can be used to determine if there is a particular food that provokes negative responses in that person.  Food has a chemical effect on our bodies just like medication does.  Other life changes such as exercise and identifying learning patterns will also be beneficial.

Chiropractic for ADHD?

This video got me thinking that I ought to share some research with you.  But first the video.

more about "Chiropractic for ADHD 2?", posted with vodpod

This video should not scare people out of using medication, as there are always risks with any treatment, and the risk that they are talking about is very low. (I know, that information doesn’t comfort a parent when their child is the 1 in a million.) I posted this video for an entirely different reason and that was in the last probably 30 seconds of the video when they mention specifically that chiropractic and dietary treatments have been found to be valid as treatment in place of or in addition to traditional medical treatment of ADHD.

I’ve seen some research, and I’ll try to find it to post it for you in the next few days.

Wasatch Back – Ragnar Relay

Well it was far to busy to document as it happened, but I’d like to give a review of why I was out of the office this last weekend.  For those of you who are unaware Ragnar is a group that organizes marathon-like relays all across the country.  In Utah the race is called the Wasatch Back it is a relay race of 188 miles run by over 650 teams with 12 runners per team.  The runners took their turns running from Logan all the way to Park City over a 36 hour period.  With their teammates meeting them along the way to offer support.

Chiropractors from the UCPA were on hand at the 2 largest exchanges to treat runners.  I treated with them the first day, and treated headaches, torticollis, injuries everywhere in the spine, as well as hip knee ankle and foot issues.

The number one issue I treated was Iliotibial Band Syndrome and other similar lateral knee issues followed closely by Plantar Fasciitis.  The best treatment for these of course is to reduce your running frequency and intensity and avoid downhill runs.  You try telling that to a bunch of runners (crazy enough to run this relay in the first place) during the middle of it.

Chiropractors at Ragnar Relay

I was forced to come up with stabilizing treatments and therapies that would just keep them from entirely destroying their knees until they finished the race and could get proper care.  It was fun.

I rode along with half of my team stopping to offer support and treatment at each exchange point.  Later that day I met up with other UCPA doctors at a main exchange point where we treated over 100 runners, many of which had never had chiropractic care.

That night we got about 2 hours of sleep on a highschool gym floor.  I just slept on my

Van 1 Half of Team make it Rain

adjusting table.  The next day with very little sleep and no recent training I ended up running a 5km leg with one of the team for moral support.  Consequently I was too tired to treat with the UCPA doctors at the next major exchange, but they were able to handle it without me.  I don’t have the details of what or how many they treated yet.  They had a great time though.

All in all it was great  team Make it Rain finished the course in 31 hours and 15 min and were all happy for a hot shower and warm soft bed.  Way to go team!

Treating at the side of the road