Newsletter - February 2011
What has made chiropractic so popular? Why do tens of millions of people visit their neighborhood Doctor of Chiropractic? And the numbers are growing!
It's because Doctors of Chiropractic can locate and correct subluxations, small distortions in your spine and structural system that can cause tremendous health damage if not corrected.
Tired of being sick and tired? Welcome to the world of chiropractic ~ discover how natural health can be.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.
– Loren Eiseley, The Immense Journey, 1957
Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.
– Albert Einstein
This issue's table of contents
- Blood pressure and heart rate affected by your neck!
- We're full of germs
- Did you know?
- Cholesterol and sex
- Swine flu epidemic in England
- Spinal fusion surgery – an expensive failure
- Researching chiropractic
- Words of wisdom
- Humor
- References
Blood pressure and heart rate affected by your neck!
Chiropractors were right all along. Researchers at the University of Leeds, UK, have found a direct connection between neck muscles and a part of the brainstem – called the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) – which plays a crucial role in regulating heart rate and blood pressure.
The finding could explain why blood pressure and heart rate sometimes change when people have been in accidents, especially when there's a whiplash injury and the neck muscles are affected. There are many tiny muscles between the neck vertebrae (spinal bones) that can be affected in an injury.
Additionally it has been hypothesized that hours spent hunched over a computer may raise blood pressure for similar reasons. (1)
It seems that researchers are still catching up to the insights of Doctors of Chiropractic who for over a hundred years have reported that the integrity of the spinal column can have a profound effect on a person's health.
The University of Leeds research is a step in the right direction but what will they do with this information to help their patients? Will they continue to give people dangerous blood pressure medication or pacemakers and stents when what is really needed is chiropractic care? Will they decide to cut or anesthetize the neck muscles or perhaps apply electrical stimulation to affect blood pressure and heart rate?
Chiropractors have observed that more than blood pressure and heart rate can be affected: whiplash and other accidents (including sports injuries) have long been linked to many different health problems (of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, shoulders, hands and thyroid) and even the flow of blood and cerebral spinal fluid to the brain that results in personality changes. Long-term damage to the head and neck has also been correlated with Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease), Parkinson's disease and MS.
It is for these reasons that chiropractors have long advised that anyone who has ever been in an accident, no matter how long ago and no matter how slight or severe, needs a chiropractic checkup to see if they have any subluxations in their neck or other parts of their body. And Doctors of Chiropractic should be in every emergency room in every hospital in the world – it could make the difference between a life of health and a life of illness!
We're full of germs
They float in the air we breathe, in our food and water, on our skin and in our bodies. We're full of lots of little life forms we call by all kinds of names such as bacteria, ameba, paramecium, algae, protozoa and others. Some can live in the extreme frozen north, others can survive in boiling water – some need sunlight, some live in darkness.
There are so many of them that scientists will probably never discover and catalog them all.
A common term for these little creatures is germ. People hear the word germ and think of disease. But the fact is they almost never make us sick. Infection is the exception, not the rule. “Germs” normally live with us in harmony, and as long as our immune system is doing its job, even the meanest, scariest germs can't bother us.
Germs even help us stay healthy – they are important for our intestines and for nutrition – that's why antibiotics can be so dangerous. Antibiotics kill bacteria and throw off our intestinal bacterial balance leading to fungal infections and other conditions.
In a recent study it was found that most people carry the meningococcal bacteria in their throat intermittently during their lives without ever developing the disease. Prior to the study, it was not known why some people in the population develop meningococcal meningitis and septicemia while others appear to be naturally immune to the bacteria. (2)
What does this have to do with chiropractic?
Chiropractic is holistic – it sees us as part of the whole. We are meant to live in this germ-filled world in health. Chiropractic care helps keep your immune system healthy by keeping your nervous system free of subluxation stress.
Want to ensure your immune system is functioning at its optimum? Bring in the family for a chiropractic checkup. It's very important during cold and flu season. And if you do come down with a cold or the flu, a chiropractic adjustment can help you fight it off quicker.
Did you know…?
X-rays of the Mona Lisa show that there are three completely different versions of the same subject, also painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, under the final portrait.
Cholesterol and sex
STATINS – THE ANTI-VIAGRA
A terrible thing happened again last night – nothing. – Phyllis Diller
I'm at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I've just had a mirror put over my kitchen table.
– Rodney Dangerfield
Impotence may engender a lot of jokes but it's really not funny. A lot of impotence today is self-inflicted from low-cholesterol drugs.
Many people today are sexual invalids and they've got statin (cholesterol-lowering) drugs such as Lipitor™, Zocor™, Crestor™, Simvastatin™ and others to blame for it.
Statins are the most financially successful class of drugs on the market. Because of advertising and bad science millions of people are trying to lower their cholesterol thinking that that will prevent a heart attack. There's no proof that this is so.
Low cholesterol doesn't mean no heart problems
Research shows that nearly 75% of people who die of a heart attack have normal or low cholesterol. (3)
What about lipids? Framingham Heart Study researchers themselves reported that “80 percent of heart attack patients had similar lipid levels [i.e., fat levels in the blood] to those who did not have heart attacks.” (4)
Cholesterol is not dangerous; it's essential for life. Without an abundant supply in our bodies we could not live. Cholesterol is the precursor for all the steroid hormones such as androgen, estrogen and progesterone that determine our sexuality and control reproduction. Cholesterol is the sole source for hormones that regulate blood sugar levels and mineral metabolism.
Because cholesterol is used in so many ways, artificially lowering it with statins is causing unexpected consequences such as impotence, loss of libido and erectile dysfunction.
Loss of libido
In one study 74 cases of impotence associated with statin drug use were reported. In 85% of these cases libido returned when men stopped taking the statin drug. However when six of the men started taking the drug again their impotence returned. (5)
Another study reported on five men with coronary artery disease who developed impotence within one week of starting a statin drug. Within one week of stopping the drug their sexual function was restored. Two patients started back on the drug and impotence recurred. (6)
In another study, men trying to lower their cholesterol were found to no longer have normal sexual performance and healthy sexual desire. (7)
Statin drugs don't only mess up your sex life. Other reports have linked low cholesterol levels to increased risk of cancer and infections, severe deep-muscle pain, depression and increased death from all causes including accidents and suicide as well as other conditions.
What you really need
Please stop trying to lower your cholesterol folks! It'll make you sick. Why are people still taking these drugs? Because fear sells! MDs and drug companies are scaring people into avoiding really healthy foods such as butter, cream, suet, lard, chicken fat, Béarnaise, whipped cream, soufflés and omelettes, full-bodied cheeses, juicy steaks and sausages, herring and other fats (coconut oil, olive oil) so more and more people are fat-deficient. (Please make sure your fats are from grass-fed, free range animals and wild caught fish if at all possible).
Fats are good for you? Yes, good fats are essential for physical and mental health, including sexual health. Low-fat diets are associated with depression, hormone imbalances, psychological problems, fatigue, osteoporosis, violence and suicide in addition to ED. (8)
Will fat make you fat? Just the opposite. Eat loads of good fats, just avoid refined sugars and non-foods (such as soda, white bread and breakfast cereals).
In one study researchers found: “Those eating the most cholesterol, saturated fat and the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active.” (9)
Avoid non-foods
People have been scared into using non-foods such as margarine and vegetable oil spreads and unhealthy foods such as corn, canola and other vegetable oils. Does that seem counterintuitive? Well, it's not what so-called government nutrition experts tell us but the fact is that there was much, much less heart disease when Americans ate more animal fats.
Remember, most of the cholesterol in our body does not come from the foods we eat – it is manufactured in our liver. Why would our liver make such a dangerous drug? Because it's not dangerous at all – it's good for us. As Dwight Lundell, MD, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, says:
Physicians are no longer giving needed thought to what really causes heart disease or how to prevent it. Instead, they have become convinced that cholesterol-lowering drugs are the answer despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. (10)
For healthy hearts and blood vessels eat natural foods, organic, healthy fats and avoid refined foods, artificial sweeteners and all kinds of toxins. Go to www.westonaprice.org and www.ppnf.org for more information on this from real nutrition experts.
Swine flu epidemic in England
(even though 70% were vaccinated last year)The U.S. Centers for Disease Control does not check on how well the flu vaccine works. It never asks the question, “Did the people who got vaccinated get sick?” or
“Was there more or less flu in people that did not get the vaccine?” These data are readily collectible but the CDC doesn't gather them. When collected in past epidemics these types of data have always shown that vaccines are not effective. (11)
Spinal fusion surgery – an expensive failure
“It's amazing how much evidence there is that fusions don't work, yet surgeons do them anyway,” said Sohail Mirza, MD, a spine surgeon… “The only one who isn't benefitting from the equation is the patient.”
For decades chiropractors have warned people against back surgery. It has an incredibly high failure fate. One of the worst things is that the surgery can result in more pain so the patient has to have more surgery – and is never pain free again.
Please, if you know anyone who is contemplating spinal/disc surgery, have him/her call for an appointment. Studies show chiropractic is safer, much less costly and is a natural way to spinal health. (12)
Researching chiropractic
For over a century, chiropractic care has helped young and old maintain and regain health. Although erroneously thought of as a back or neck pain treatment, chiropractic is really a holistic natural healthcare system that can help all people, no matter what illness they have, since everyone needs a healthy spine, structural system and nervous system.
Constipation, neck pain, GI pain. A mother brought her 6-year-old daughter in for chiropractic care. The girl suffered from constipation, neck pain and gastrointestinal pain. After care, mother and patient reported bowel movements improving from once every 4-5 days to bowel movements every day along with resolution of gastrointestinal and neck pain.
The chiropractor addressed the child's subluxations, applying chiropractic adjustments. (13)
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and chiropractic. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects as many as 11.4% of children. More parents are looking for non-drug approaches to help their children. Can chiropractic help?
In one study, four male children were evaluated before and after chiropractic care. All the children showed improvement in ADHD symptoms (i.e., hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness, as well as behavioral, social or emotional difficulties) under chiropractic care. (14)
Words of wisdom
Whenever it is in any way possible, every boy and girl should choose as his life work some occupation which he should like to do anyhow, even if he did not need the money. – William Lyon Phelps
A wise man hears one word and understands two.
– Yiddish proverb
Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it. – Kathe Whitehorn
Humor
Help! I'm being held prisoner by my heredity and environment! – Dennis Allen
I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did. – another thing never said by Yogi Berra
Children's Science Exam
Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.
Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.
Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.
Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.
Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental
Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery. (The kid gets an A+ for this answer!)
Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A: Premature death.
Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? ( e.g., abdomen)
A: The body is consisted into three parts -- the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels A, E, I, O, and U.
Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie. (Pray tell, what is a big lie?)
Q: What does 'varicose' mean? (I do love this one...)
A: Nearby.
Q: Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarian Section.'
A: The Caesarian Section is a district in Rome.
Q: What does the word 'benign' mean?'
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.
Bye!!!
So what did you think of this month's newsletter? If you liked it – please forward it to your friends. Who knows – they might like to come visit us too (we're sure they need it).
Feel free to write or stop by and give us your feedback. Are there any subjects you'd like to hear about?
Feedback is always important to us. And, of course, if you'd like hard copies of this newsletter stop by the office and we'll give you some for your friends and relatives. If they have email, have them write to us and we'll add them to our subscriber list.
References
- Edwards IJ, Dallas, ML, Poole SL. The neurochemically diverse intermedius nucleus of the medulla as a source of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input to the nucleus tractus solitarii. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2007;27(31):8324-8333.
- Davila S, Wright V, Khor CC et al. Genome-wide association study identifies variants in the CFH region associated with host susceptibility to meningococcal disease. Nature Genetics. 2010;42:772-776. Published online 08 August 2010.
- Sachdeva A, Cannon CP, Deedwania PC, Labresh KA, Smith SC Jr, Dai D, Hernandez A, Fonarow GC. Lipid levels in patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease: an analysis of 136,905 hospitalizations in Get With The Guidelines. Am Heart Journal. 2009;157(1):111-117.e2.
- Gordon T, Castelli WP, Hjortland MC et al. High density lipoprotein as a positive factor against coronary heart disease. The Framingham Study, American Journal of Medicine. 1997;62(5):707-714.
- Carvajal A, Macias D, Sáinz M, Ortega S, Martín Arias LH, Velasco A, Bagheri H, Lapeyre-Mestre M, Montastruc JL. HMG CoA reductase inhibitors and impotence: two case series from the Spanish and French drug monitoring systems. Drug Saf. 2006;29(2):143-149.
- Jackson G. Simvastatin and impotence. British Medical Journal. 1997;315:31.
- Rizvi K, Rizvi K, Hampson JP, Harvey JN. Do lipid lowering drugs cause erectile dysfunction? A systematic review. Family Practice. 2002;9(1):95-98.
- Wells AS, Read NW et al.Alterations in mood after changing to a low-fat diet. British Medical Journal. 1998;79(1):23-30.
- Castelli W. Concerning the possibility of a nut…. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1992;152(7):1371-1372.
- Lundell D. Utter madness! 75% of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol! http://allinfohere.co.cc/2010/08/utter-madness-75-of-all-heart-attack-victims-have-normal-cholesterol/
- http://blacklistednews.com/Swine-flu-pandemic-outbreak-sweeping-through-Britain-even-though-70-percent-were-vaccinated-last-year-/12047/0/6/6/Y/M.html
- Waldman P, Armstrong D. Doctors getting rich with fusion surgery debunked by studies. Bloomberg.com, December 30, 2010. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-30/highest-paid-u-s-doctors-get-rich-with-fusion-surgery-debunked-by-studies.html
- Horkey M. Resolution of chronic constipation and neck pain following chiropractic care in a 6-year-old female. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2010;2:51-55.
- Alcantara J, Davis J. The chiropractic care of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a retrospective case series. Explore (NY). 2010;6(3):173-182.