WITH A WILL OF IRON AND INTENSE STUDY CHIROPRACTOR OVERCOMES OSTEOPOROSIS

This August, the eyes of the world will turn to Beijing, China, where we will be treated to marvelous performances from the crème de la crème of the athletically trained world. We will marvel at their skill, be reminded frequently of their sacrifices and be totally impressed with their high level of conditioning.

Yet it is just this fashion of training regimen that lead to some severe health difficulties for one past Olympic-quality athlete. His name is Keith McCormick and he is a chiropractor, a member of the 1976 Olympic team and most recently a competitor in the 2005 Iron Man competition in Hawaii. In retrospect, it is his continued ability to be able to compete in Iron Man events that is most remarkable.

The reason is that 53-year-old Dr. McCormick suffers from osteoporosis. A number of years ago this worldclass athlete became aware of his condition. “I was an Iron Man competitor, Olympic athlete, a young male with no risk factors – not your typical osteoporosis patient. I was 45 and had the skeleton of a 100-year-old woman.”

A typical road to follow for anyone with this type of a diagnosis would be to take a drug for the problem. However, this avenue did not sit well with a man trained as a chiropractor with a much higher wellness approach to healing. “Anything I do, I go all out,” he said. “I’m not going to rely on someone else. They just wanted to give me medicine. I wanted to find out why this happened and fix it the right way.” Basically, he followed the age-old advice of “physician health thyself” and decided to do something positive about his condition.

What Dr. McCormick found through his extensive research that went on for some 2 years is that he was overtraining. For a 1982 Iron Man competition he averaged 35 hours per week of working out, which included 450 miles per week on his bicycle. It turned out that this was just too much work for his skeletal system to handle.

The result of his study was a new training schedule and just as importantly, a new diet. Armed with his new knowledge, he ate better and cut down on his workout time. “I rested more, and I had an impeccable diet – no sweets, lots of fruits and vegetables and nothing too high in protein which can lead to calcium loss. My whole way of attacking dietary nutrition was an aspect I paid more attention to. I realized it’s important that if I train I need to fill my cup afterward.”

This portrait of Dr. McCormick’s success in looking at his health situation and doing something about it is a scenario that all can benefit from – world class athlete or not. Whether you want to find out more for yourself or simply consult a chiropractor to put you onto a healthy lifestyle, the choice is yours. In the meantime, enjoy the Olympics, marvel at the athletic ability on display and see if you can pick up a few tips that might enhance your own health and well-being.

Source: Chiropractic Research. “Iron Man Chiropractor Beats Osteoporosis.” January 2006. http://www.chiropracticresearch.org

 

CHIROPRACTORS ARE ORGANIZING TO

PROVIDE FREE SERVICES TO VETS

A growing number of chiropractors in the United States are answering a call to provide their services for free to returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The idea for free services was initiated in April by a chiropractor in Houston, Texas, and promoted by the International Chiropractors Association (ICA). Very quickly, 70 chiropractors from around the U.S. volunteered their services to be part of the program and the list continues to grow.

Basically, participating chiropractors are volunteering their expertise to help returning veterans for free for a period of one year following their tour of duty. While a limited number of Chiropractic services are provided through the US Department of Defense, volunteers are able to provide immediate treatments. This brings quick relief to individuals who are either being rotated back to the U.S for stateside deployment or returning to civilian life.

Houston chiropractor, Richard J. Kelly is the initiator of what is becoming a nationwide effort to help returning members of our armed services. “Our military, our returning veterans, whether visibly wounded or free of outward symptoms, are coming home changed and need our help as chiropractors,” said Dr. Kelly. He began by offering his services to returning service people in his own practice. He found his work to be very positively received by the veterans as well as gratifying for him to provide.

One of the most common concerns expressed by returning veterans is lower back pain. This would be quite expected considering that ground force members in Iraq frequently carry over 100 pounds of equipment. One helicopter pilot who has done 2 tours of duty in Iraq had this to say about his symptoms. “I definitely have a lot of back pain, lower back especially, and neck pain was the biggest one I noticed.”

While any chiropractor can participate, the ICA is actively promoting the concept of free veterans care to its 8,000-some members. “We want to help volunteer doctors reach out to the returning veteran population in a spirit of service in the most clinically sound, ethically based and timely manner,” said Robert N. Pohtos who is the executive director of the ICA.

The services of a chiropractor often reach beyond the repair of physical injury to help a person restore their lives. What person needs this type of treatment and deserves it more than a veteran returning from the field of battle or who has faced the tribulations of war?

Source: The International Chiropractors Association, “Chiropractic Care for Returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Now Available through Growing Volunteer

DC Network.” http://www.chiropractic.org/files/returning_vets_052708.pdf and Kid Chiropractic. “Chiropractors offer Free Care to Returning US Veterans.” www.kidchiropractic.com.

TRAVELING ENTERTAINERS, DANCERS TURN TO CHIROPRACTIC FOR TOP PERFORMANCE

Did you ever wonder how dancers and traveling entertainers are able to perform at a high physical level show after show? Don’t they suffer from things like sore knees, muscle pulls and sore backs? Toss in lots of late nights, brutal travel schedules and constant physical exertion and you have the formula for all sorts of health concerns.

Enter Chiropractic. One traveling children’s entertainment group from Australia known as 

“Nearly all of the 14 dancers on tour with The Wiggles  were suffering from shin splints, sore knees and hamstring problems from their grueling tour schedule,” said Anthony Field, a founder and original member of the group. This was before they came into contact with Dr. Stoxen. The Wiggles  are famous throughout Australia and are well-known in the United States as a highly interactive and energetic group of performers. They are known for their musical and dance productions, as well as a number of playful characters used to entertain and provide an educational message to children.

“The Wiggles have about 80 people on tour, only 15 of whom are performers. Any one of them could be experiencing health problems that need attention,” said Dr. Stoxen, who is known as a chiropractor to the stars. He is regularly on call to treat any number of performers or athletes who come through his home area of Chicago.

Field went on to talk about the reasons why members of 

Now, Dr. Stoxen is one of a number of chiropractors across the United States who has worked with

Sources: The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. “On the Road with ‘The Wiggles’ and Other Celebrities.” Press Release. October 2007 http://www.f4cp.com/press_releases/index.htm and

Dynamic Chiropractic. “A Day in the Life of a Celebrity Chiropractor, Part I.” February 2008.The Wiggles. These performers have a great appreciation for Chiropractic and how the services of a chiropractor can help to keep them healthy and performing at the top of their ability.The Wiggles cast were coming down with injuries. “Many of their pains were due to lack of proper injury prevention exercises and poor dance performance footwear,” he said. Dr. Stoxen showed us exercises and the right footwear. Once the foot was right, the rest of our bodies were okay.”The Wiggles  has fully embraced Chiropractic as part of their routine. Members of the crew have been using Chiropractic going all the way back to 2004 when they enlisted the services of James Stoxen, DC.

LATEST ESTIMATE FOR MEDICAL ERRORS SETS

The latest medical error cost figures have just been released. Incredibly, the cost of potentially preventable surgical errors in the United States is now recorded at almost $1.5 billion annually. This astounding total comes from estimated figures released in July by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). It represents the additional costs for medical services that are passed along to employers and their healthcare providers.

 

Two categories of additional care required accounted for the major recipient of extra care dollars.

COSTS AT THE $1.5 BILLION MARK

Researchers found the insurers’ average payment for acute respiratory failure totaled $28,218, which added 52 percent more to medical costs. Next were post-operative infections, which required $19,480 additional dollars for a total of 48 percent higher costs.

 

Metabolic problems such as kidney failure or uncontrolled blood sugar contributed $11,797 in added dollars for a 32 percent increase.

 

The research work was conducted by the AHRQ’s William E. Encinosa and Fred J. Hellinger, both PhDs. Results of their study were published in the journal 

 

Also mentioned in this study was the fact that 1 out of every 10 patients who died within 90 days of their surgery did so because of preventable error. Of these, one-third occurred after discharge from the hospital. These figures came from a nationwide sample of 161,000 employer-insured patients age 18 to 64 that had surgery in 2001 and 2002.

Medicare has announced that as of October 2008, it will discontinue certain payments to hospitals for preventable medical error. It will be interesting to see how placing the financial burden on hospitals for post-error handling affects the number of surgical errors in this country.

 

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “New AHRQ Study Finds Surgical Errors Cost Nearly $1.5 Billion Annually.” July 2008. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2008/surgerrpr.htm

Next came the additional care and handling associated with blood clots, vascular problems and pulmonary difficulties. This total came to $7,838 at 25 percent more. Open wounds associated with errors added $1,426 or 6 percent more.Health Services Research

When medical errors occurred, nursing costs rose as well by $12,196 for a 33 percent cost increase.

 

DOCTORS WHO ARE DEAD CONTINUE TO BILL

Dead doctors may have received upwards of $100 million in fraudulent Medicare payments for the first 7 years of this decade. If this type of criminal billing continues at its current rate, it could chew up as much as 15 to 20 percent of the entire Medicare budget for 2008.

Senator Norm Coleman (R MN), a ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is conducting investigations into these fraudulent billing practices and recently presented his alarming findings at a Senate hearing entitled “Medicare Vulnerabilities: Payments for Claims Tied to Deceased Doctors.” The hearing was set to examine Medicare payments for durable medical equipment (DME) where claims had doctor identification numbers assigned to physicians who had been dead for at least one year prior to the date on the billing.

“In short, the subcommittee’s investigation uncovered some appalling facts,” Senator Coleman said. “The subcommittee found that between 2000 and 2007, Medicare paid for hundreds of thousands of DME claims in which the prescribing doctor had died years earlier. The estimated payments for those claims could be up to $100 million.” Here are some classic cases of abuse pointed out by the Senator:

 

MEDICARE FOR MILLIONS ANNUALLY

A Florida doctor died in 1999. Since then, his identification has been used by 3 different organizations to file fraudulent claims. The committee identified at least $350,000 in claims, with estimates of up to $500,000.

Another doctor passed away in 2001, and his ID number was used in over 3,800 claims totaling more than $354,000.

Still another doctor was listed in some 2,000 claims at over $478,000. Most alarming, according to the Senator, is that this issue of Medicare fraud was previously addressed with the Department of Health and Human Services in 2001. At that time, the paying agency – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) – agreed to work to fix the problem of paying dead doctors by April 2002. Apparently that has not occurred as 63 percent of the improper $100 million in payments were made after that date.

The subcommittee investigation shows that thousands of doctors who passed away in the 1990s are still active. Senator Coleman wants the system fixed and is calling on the CMS to get this done. He points out that the figure of $34 million made in improper payments in 2004 and 2005 would roughly total the size of the entire State of Minnesota general budget, all wasted on improper payments. As the Senator says, these are loopholes in the system that simply must be fixed and fixed now.

 

 

 

Source: Senator Norm Coleman of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “Senator Coleman’s Opening Statement at PSI Medicaid Dead Doctors Hearing.” July 2009. http://coleman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=08fe1b37-d0a0-d47b-160c-bcdfebf373ef

 

 

 

HOSPITALS “FLUNK” IN THEIR EXAMINATION

OF COLON CANCER SURGERY PATIENTS

A new study from Northwestern University shows that hospital errors are rampant when it comes to making sure that colon surgery patients are cancer free. Most hospitals come up short when checking the prescribed number of lymph nodes to make certain there is no further spread of the disease.

Lymph nodes are checked following surgery to determine if the cancer might have spread beyond the treated area. During the past decade, oncology organizations have strongly recommended that at least 12 nodes should be checked. This helps in the process of determining if the cancer might still be present, allows for further diagnoses regarding the stage of the disease and provides evidence that contributes to future patient treatment decisions.

The study to determine if a correct diagnosis was occurring was conducted by the Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and the American College of Surgeons. Nearly 1,300 U.S. institutions were studied to see if hospitals were complying with the 12 node check recommendation.

Of these 1,300 surgical service providers, more than 60 percent failed to comply with the recommendation to examine 12 lymph nodes. This error is particularly alarming as colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. These results are now published in the

Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

“It’s disappointing that despite so much emphasis on this particular issue, so many hospitals still aren’t checking enough lymph nodes to ensure they diagnose the accurate state of cancer,” said Karl Bilimoirs, MD, the lead author and surgery resident at the Feinberg School. “Knowing the accurate stage of your disease affects your survival and treatment. That’s critical.”

An encouraging statistic from the study was that the lymph node checks have improved during the past decade. In 1996-97, only 15 percent of hospitals were doing the prescribed check. By 2004-2005, that number had risen to 38 percent. While this is an improvement, it still leaves about 65 percent of hospitals found to be not in compliance with the correct diagnosis techniques.

“Every surgeon has a story about a colon cancer patient where the pathology report showed only a few lymph nodes checked and no cancer was found,” said Dr. Bilimoria. “The surgeon asks the pathologist to check six or eight more nodes and one of those turns out to be positive for cancer. That completely changes the treatment plan.”

Armed with this information, a colon cancer patient can make certain that his or her hospital has not erred on the side of too few nodes checked. The patient should ask the surgeon if at least 12 have been checked and can ask for access to the full report of testing procedures to ensure hospital compliance. With 65 percent of all hospitals erring on the side of too few checks, this is vital information to know and use by a patient taking responsibility for a full recovery.

Source: Northwestern University. “Majority of Hospitals “Flunk” Colon Cancer.” September 2008.

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2008/09/bilimoriacancer.html

 

 

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AVANDIA

® WARNINGS STEPPED UP!

Two Wake Forest University doctors and professors have stepped to the forefront in expressing a heightened concern for the dangers of Avandia and similarly classed medications used to control type-2 diabetes. They warned against a significant increase in cardiovascular problems that can result from a continued use of this drug.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings against Avandia, but the two doctors think that the medical community needs to be even more aware of the problems presented by the Avandia class of drugs and really take this information to heart. In 2007, the FDA first issued a safety alert about Avandia and then later in the year required “black box warnings” for Avandia and similar drugs.

The doctors who sounded the latest alarm are Curt D. Furberg, M.D., PhD, professor of public health, and Sonal Singh, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “We strongly recommend restrictions in the use of thiazolidinediones (the class of drugs) and question the rationale for leaving rosiglitazone on the market,” they said. Avandia is a rosiglitazone drug. The thiazolidinedione drugs were originally approved based on their ability to reduce blood sugar.

The concerns expressed by the doctors stem from the findings of three separate studies: ACCORD, ADVANCE and the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Study. In ACCORD, those patients who received intensive treatment to control their blood sugar had more cardiovascular disease and higher death rates than persons given more standard treatment. In ADVANCE the control of blood sugars showed no effect or benefit from the drugs over standard treatment. In the VA study, the reduction of blood sugar levels produced low levels of consciousness or unconsciousness and was also found to predict future cardiovascular events. “The unfavorable findings from the three trials have not been fully realized by the medical community,” the doctors said.

Part of the risk in taking these drugs may stem from the fact that a reported 22 percent of diabetics already suffer from some form of heart disease. It is further noted that in elderly patients, over half will develop some form of congestive heart failure over a 10-year period. According to Drs. Singh and Furberg’s research they reported in an article 

 The following drugs in the thiazolidinediones class of anti-diabetic drugs that currently must display a “black box warning” are: Avandia (rosiglitazone), Actos (pioglitazone), Avandaryl (rosiglitazone and glimepride), Avandamet (rosiglitazone and metformin) and Duetact (pioglitazone and glimepride).

“Safer, cheaper and more effective treatment alternatives are available that do not carry these negative cardiovascular risks in patients with diabetes,” said Dr. Singh.

 

http://www1.wfubmc.edu/News/NewsARticle.htm?ArticleID=2432 and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Manufacturers of Some Diabetes Drugs to

Strengthen Warning on Heart Failure Risk.” August 2007. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01683.html and “FDA Issues Safety Alert on Avandia.”

May 2007. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01636.html

 

 

Diabetes Carein 2007, “Thiazolidinediones doubled the risk of congestive heart failure in patients with type-2 diabetes. The increased heart failure appears to be a class effect.”Source: Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “Class of Diabetes Drugs Carries Significant Cardiovascular Risks.” August 2008.

 

 

 

WOMEN WHO TAKE LIPITOR

® MAY SEE NO HEALTHY RESULTS

Women spend billions of dollars each year on Lipitor and other statin drugs that lower cholesterol. Now a new study of all the research data associated with this drug raises serious questions as to whether or not  all of this cash is buying any healthy benefits.

Sales of Lipitor account for over $12 billion in annual revenues worldwide. It is widely prescribed by doctors for both men and women as a way to lower cholesterol levels in the body. People who take it believe they are able to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke. Pharmacuetical giant, Pfizer Inc., markets Lipitor as being beneficial for those adults with a risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers at Cornell University recently assembled and evaluated all of the scientific data and test results available on Lipitor. It may come as a surprise to a lot of people that they were able to find no statistically significant supporting scientific evidence to show that women who take Lipitor were getting any protection from cardiovascular problems. The results of the study were published in the September issue of the university’s 

 

Journal of Empirical Legal Studies.

“Our findings indicate that each year reasonably healthy women spend billions of dollars on drugs in the hope of preventing heart attacks, but that scientific evidence supporting their hope does not exist,” the study’s authors said.

Pfizer widely advertises Lipitor as a means to reduce the probability of heart attack for people who have a mixture of risk factors for heart attack, such as age, high blood pressure, low HDL levels (high-density lipoprotein, the good cholesterol), family history or smoking. It appears from the research that study findings of benefits for the male population have simply been extrapolated to include women as well. Of course, Pfizer makes no mention of this in its advertising or product labeling regarding use by women.

It is most interesting to note that none of the studies that included women with a mixture of risk factors provided any statistically significant support for prescribing Lipitor or other statins to protect against cardiovascular disease, researchers said. Pfizer’s claims of clinical proof that Lipitor reduces the risk of heart disease in women appear to be unfounded and aimed more at marketing billions of dollars worth of the product than providing any real help.

This research gives credence to looking at methods beyond drugs to achieve cholesterol reduction and overall heart health. A combination of a healthy diet with reduced intake of meats and dairy products, in conjunction with exercise, has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. A wellness consultation with a natural healthcare professional would be a good place to start to arrive at a diet and exercise program which promotes healthy living for both women and men.

Science Daily.

 

“Top-selling Cholesterol Drug Does Little for Women, Study Suggests.”

 

CHIROPRACTIC OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO A

PHYSICALLY DECLINING NATION

As a nation, the United States is heading toward a sedentary, obese and very unhealthy condition. Individual sickness, unhealthy eating, pharmaceutical drug intake and personal disability are all on the rise. Lost time at work and even the costs for premature death add up to billions of dollars annually.

The question of where to turn for a healthier lifestyle, one which is based on sound practices, together with the elimination of pain and reduced sickness eludes many, many people. Yet, the solution is staring Americans right in the face daily. The answer lies in Chiropractic.

A chiropractor, by training and experience, offers a great deal more to the public than merely skeletal system adjustments and increased function of the nervous system of the body. This alone is a tremendous service, but it is only part of a chiropractor’s many skills which could help to put an entire nation back on the track to better health and fitness.

There was a time in the United States, not long ago, that the call went out from President John F. Kennedy to increase the fitness level of America. This occurred in the early 1960s when the President’s Council on Physical Fitness helped to set standards for both the youth and the adults of America to achieve a better state of well-being. Strides were nicely being made in this direction, but that was over 40 years ago, and now the nation has lapsed back into a state of physical apathy and decline.

Chiropractors, by training, know a great deal about physical fitness, in addition to a lifestyle enhanced by wellness and a more healthful living that is free of drugs. A personal visit to a chiropractor may not put an entire nation back on the track to better health, but it would help one person, you, and that is a great start!

Here are just a few of the benefits of getting more fit under the guidance of a chiropractor: A chiropractor will act as a personal counselor on health and wellness. An overall exercise program that fits a person’s lifestyle and interest will be discovered and encouraged. By the way, overall fitness is known to increase a person’s well-being and do wonders for a person’s back, which is often the source of pain for many people. Finally, improving fitness can help to impact a person’s life and society as well through reduced healthcare costs, visits to physicians, dependency on pharmaceutical drugs and even lost time from work.

There is a study that points to how this individual effort on a small scale could impact and entire area. It is reported that if one sedentary person out of 20 in the state of Michigan were to get on a regular exercise program, the filter down cost savings in the state would total over $575 million annually.

How do you turn the fitness of a nation around you ask? The answer is one person at a time. The solution starts with a low-cost Chiropractic consultation. It’s a visit that could add years to your life, increase your productivity, make living more fun and help out the physical fitness level of a declining nation – all at the same time.

Source: Dynamic Chiropractic. “The High Cost of Inactivity.” August 2008. http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=53375

 

 

 

ATHLETES IN MANY SPORTING VENUES FIND

CHIROPRACTIC ENHANCES PERFORMANCE

As more and more athletes are realizing the benefits of Chiropractic in heightening their levels of performance, more and more chiropractors are getting involved with athletes in a variety of sporting activities.

Certainly the biggest athletic stage that involved chiropractors in 2008 was the Olympic Games recently completed in Beijing. Four U.S. based chiropractors played a major role in the 62-person health and fitness contingent that helped the US achieve the most Olympic medals of any country competing in the games.

Chiropractic care is particularly important to athletes on the world stage where fractions of a second determine the difference between a place on the medal stand and going home empty-handed. Also vital is the Chiropractic approach to drug-free care in a world where every Olympic athlete is subject to drug testing. “Chiropractic takes a non-invasive, drug-free approach to healthcare, a position that is now highly regarded among Olympic athletes and their trainers,” said Ted Forcum, DC, of Tigard, Oregon. “Chiropractic care is particularly valuable for pain management and offers athletes highly effective solutions for achieving optimal performance without the use of prescription drugs.” Chiropractors Amor Adams of Oakland, Ernie Ferrel of Santa Barbara, and Michael Reed of Colorado Springs made up the Olympic Chiropractic team.

At another venue, a group of chiropractors have been involved in helping a highly competitive team of disabled veterans compete to the maximum level in such grueling events as triathlons, marathons and 10K runs. Team Semper Fi, a triathlon team made up of disabled war veterans, recently completed in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Series where they performed alongside able-bodied athletes. The events included swimming from Alcatraz Island to the city of San Francisco, biking 18 miles and finishing off with an 8 mile run.

One brave competitor, Eric Frazier, whose spine was paralyzed in combat and now propels his bicycle with his hands and arms said, “After any race, my upper body is in pain because I do it all with my hands and arms. Following Chiropractic care, I find that I perform better.” Another athlete, Dan Lasko, who lost his left leg below his knee in Afghanistan. said, “When it comes to triathlons, Chiropractic has helped out tremendously. I see my chiropractor before the event and a few days later. It just makes me a better athlete overall.”

Bill Morgan, DC, is the staff chiropractor for the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and is also the leader in providing care to the veteran’s group of athletes. “I salute the brave fighters who have overcome so much to compete in these athletic events,” said Dr. Morgan. “I can think of no greater honor than to provide care for those injured while in the service of their country.”

Sources: The World Chiropractic Alliance. “Chiropractors Play Important Role in Olympics.” September 2008.

http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2008/sep/j.htm and The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. Press Release. “Chiropractic Care Helping Heroes Realize

Their Potential in Triathlon Series.” September 2008. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080904/20080904005998.html?.v=1