Hookworms, a cheap and effective way to treat auto immune disease - Now we are talking

I recently came across an article about a man named Jasper Lawrence who has discovered a curative way to treat allergies, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or other autoimmune diseases. by using hook worms read the whole article at http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/hookworms-a-cheap-treatment-for-autoimmune-diseases/19486156/.


Apparently, hook worms occur in the ground naturally, especially when poor sanitation exists.  They do not naturally occur in the United States because of our improved sanitation so he traveled abroad to inoculate himself because of severe allergies.  He believed that hook worms naturally caused the immune system to be less reactionary, thereby controlling symptoms that are due to auto immune conditions.  He also has shown that drug companies make products that do this but cost markedly more than hook worm inoculation and the hook worms are markedly safer.  Apparently, as we evolved, we required hook worms in our system for our bodies to have a balanced immune system.  Since our obsession with cleanliness and sanitation had gone to the extreme, we no longer contracted hook worms and therefore, we have seen an up tick of many autoimmune diseases processes which would have been kept in check with hook worms.


He has come under fire with the FDA but says the inoculation via skin contact with the live larvae who eventually live in our intestines are safe in low numbers and should be considered as a cost effective and natural/safe alternative to drug therapies.

Drug companies would have no incentive to develop such a treatment which could really cost at lease 90 percent less than the drug alternative.  Personally, I believe that many problems we have in todays society have to do with similar processes that used to be in contact with us. Laetrile is one example of something we used to intake through seeds and pits which is no longer in our diets and evidence suggests it keeps cancer in check.  Cancer rates in our society are skyrocketing and drug companies and hospitals like sloan kettering have no interest in low cost prevention/ alternatives because they are not good for their business model.  Perhaps, we would be better off if truly non profit disease research would exist (it doesn't, even with the american cancer society) because we would find ways to keep people healthier and at lower cost, with better care.  Technology is a double edged sword, and when private industry keeps the price high via patents and administration, of expensive technologies which have to pay themselves off, make a profit and pay their investors, perhaps we need to look outside the box of what we know to get the best answers.


What do you think.  I value your opinion.

Chronic Pain and the Medical Merry Go Round. The problem with over specialization

Today I saw a patient I have not seen in years.  She was in terrible pain and could no longer work due to it.  Her primary doctor had sent her to a number of specialists who drugged, poked, prodded, injected and pushed her off to other specialists, without actually helping her.  Her arthritic knees and legs continued to worsen and be more painful and not at any time did they ever mention the idea of seeing her chiropractor again.

I was quite upset by what I saw because many of the increases we see each year from our health insurance carriers is because of never ending procedures and aimless care.  I was able to help her today and she walked out of the office more easily and in less pain.  The problem is that I am seeing this with increasing frequency.  As your chiropractor, I see myself as part of a persons health care team, however, in many ways I am also primary care for the musculoskeletal system.  I look at people, not just their symptoms.  In this womans case, they looked at symptoms, and somehow forgot that everything is connected.  I suspect this is because of our broken healthcare paradigm, which is proliferated at is source, the educational institutions that teach broken care full of big words, with little understanding behind them.

I firmly believe we need to make primary care to be more important that specialization, and we need to teach doctors about body systems.  By looking at the knees, hips, arms and other painful areas, and ignoring their inter relationships, we are harming people and at worst, ripping off the public.  The public deserves better.

If you know of someone who is experiencing this type of situation, and they have not looked outside the traditional medical system, perhaps they need to place their trust elsewhere.  Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.  I would be happy to help this person and steer them in the right direction.

The best doctors treat people, rather than the symptoms they'd shown up with.

What do you think?  I value your opinions.

Why Do Medical Doctors Hate Chiropractors

This article was forwarded to us from one of our patients.  It was published by Bottom Line Personal and was part of their email feed. You can subscribe to this newsletter by emailing dailyhealthnews@edhn.bottomlinesecrets.com


Is Chiropractic Care a Visionary Form of Health-Care Reform?


If you’ve ever complained of a terrifically sore neck or lingering back pain, I’ll bet someone suggested that you see a chiropractor. I visit my chiropractor when my recurrent neck pain flares up (as in, when I spend too many hours in front of my computer for too many days in a row), and I know lots of other people who see chiropractors, too. Now research is affirming the efficacy of chiropractic care for a number of conditions, and this trend may be further stoked by changes brought about by health-care reform.
For many complaints, including such varied and seemingly unrelated ones as headaches and digestive distress as well as back and neck problems, chiropractic care can often provide safe, effective and fast-working treatment -- and (unusual for natural therapies) most insurance plans cover it. However, many mainstream medical doctors aren’t fans. Their reasons aren’t always clear but seem to lie somewhere on the spectrum between being worried that chiropractic care is not safe and feeling threatened that good chiropractors may take away many of their patients.
The Time is Right
In a glass-is-half-full kind of way, today’s troubled health-care environment actually presents an opportunity for chiropractors to gain some long overdue respect -- at least that’s a hope that’s currently afloat in the chiropractic community, I heard from Robert A. Hayden, DC, PhD, spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association. A critical-care nurse for 20 years before becoming a chiropractor himself, Dr. Hayden explained that the nation’s ongoing and pressing concern about health-care costs and treatment efficacy is a good backdrop against which to understand the many ways chiropractic care can help patients.
Why are doctors skeptical? Dr. Hayden told me that one of his regular patients is an orthopedic surgeon -- but another orthopedist in his community won’t accept patient referrals from Dr. Hayden, and a nearby hospital won’t perform MRI scans for his patients. He believes this lack of acceptance is fueled by the very fact that chiropractic does not involve drugs and can be an effective alternative to hospitalization and surgery, which makes it attractive to both patients and the bean counters of health-care costs. The fact that Medicare now covers some chiropractic services enhances its credibility but also adds weight to worries that this natural, less invasive and less expensive alternative will divert health-care dollars away from medical doctors and hospitals.
What Will It Take?
Key to the growing acceptance of chiropractic care is evidence-based research demonstrating that it is safe, clinically effective and cost-efficient. In the latest such effort, funded by Mercer Health and Benefits in San Francisco, Dr. Niteesh Choudry and colleagues reviewed existing literature on the efficacy of chiropractic. Their conclusion is that it works as well as or better than conventional modalities, including exercise programs, drug regimens and surgical intervention, for treating many forms of low back and neck pain, two of the most common medical complaints. Numerous other studies also support the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for spine and neck issues in particular. For instance, a 2002 study of patients with nonspecific neck pain found that pain was reduced and function improved for 68.3% after seven weeks of chiropractic care, while the success rate for those in the care of general practitioners was only 36%. The patients of chiropractors missed work less frequently and needed less pain medication.
Can It Cause Stroke?
One very specific concern voiced by many medical doctors is that chiropractic neck manipulation has the potential to cause stroke, or -- if done improperly -- even death. The basis for this is a fairly rare and often undiagnosed condition in which the vertebral arteries in the neck are weakened, possibly by high levels of homocysteine. The fear is that in a vulnerable patient, twisting or stretching those arteries during a chiropractic manipulation could cause them to rupture.
To investigate whether this is a real danger, researchers at the University of Calgary (Alberta, Canada) studied vertebral arteries from several recently deceased people and found that it would take nine times the force of a typical chiropractic adjustment to damage these arteries and mobilize plaque. In fact, according to Dr. Hayden, normal head and neck movement present a greater risk than chiropractic manipulation for the kind of weak arteries that are of concern. By that measure, it’s risky to have your hair washed in one of those beauty parlor sinks where you have to lean way back (there’s even a name for this one, "the beauty parlor stroke"), play sports or even to turn your head to complete a turn while driving.
The condition that puts people at risk for this problem is very rare, Dr. Hayden said, noting that the statistics don’t support the level of concern being expressed. He pointed out that chiropractic is so low-risk that practitioners’ malpractice insurance costs only about one-tenth what an MD has to pay -- around $1,300, on average, compared with $10,000 to $20,000 for general physicians.
The Trend Is Good...

Meanwhile though, patients are voting with their feet -- so maybe doctors should try to learn more about chiropractic care rather than stand in the way of progress. The number of chiropractic patients in this country doubled in the two decades from 1982 to 2002, and an estimated 10% of Americans have seen a chiropractor in the past year.
As for me, well, when my neck hurts, I visit my chiropractor... and I feel better. If you’re interested in exploring this form of alternative medical care, you can go to http://www.acatoday.org/search/memsearch.cfm to find an experienced, licensed practitioner in your area.

Source(s):
Robert A. Hayden, DC, PhD, founder and director of Iris City Chiropractic Center, PC, Griffin, Georgia, and spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association.


You can subscribe to this newsletter by emailing dailyhealthnews@edhn.bottomlinesecrets.com

Personal Gene Tests? Good or bad idea?

Do you think we should be able to purchase a personal gene test over the counter to find out if we have genes for high blood pressure, Alzheimers disease, high cholesterol, cancer and a host of other potential diseases that may or may not occur?  Not long ago, genes were patentable until the patent office was challenged on the patenting of genes such as BRAC 1 and 2 known for breast and ovarian cancers.  People spent close to 3000 dollars to do this test that should cost less but due to the patent, there was a monopoly.  I guess the monopoly is broken but if we now can do it yourself gene testing, does it show things we can do things about, things we cant and can our privacy be breached by life insurers who make this part of their screen along with the typical blood tests that are done?  I am also concerned because it may make certain people do things they may never consider doing including self mutilation in the name of prevention (women have had breasts and ovaries removed with the discovery of BRAC 1 and 2 for example) even if the problem has never appeared.

People are not always rational and giving them information like this can cause them to worry about problems they may have even though they may never develop the problem. A television series called Flash Forward entertains this idea by having a global blackout where everyone either sees their future or does not.  Those who did not are assumed to have died and others see things happen they could never imagine.  As the date approaches or passes, they of course learn the future is pliable and can change or be modified.  The same idea goes to genetic testing where the gene says this is likely to happen but may of course not if we change the way we live in some cases or things may never happen; we really do not truly know.  To act on something we believe is likely but do not know is taking a risk that can either pay off handsomely or create a problem that never existed after all (kind of reminds me of our current health care interventions and the mess they have created) On the other hand, some genes such as obesity can be attacked early in life by lifestyle changes and knowing allows us to be proactive.  Many other gene variants are known however, we have no way of fixing them.  Some research has been done with the idea of using viruses to deliver repaired genetic code to the cells, thus altering our future.

I guess gene testing is a start.  I would recommend that anyone who decides to do it should have it repeated.  Imagine if you did the test, believed everything in it only to find out your test was confused with another persons test and you had your breasts removed preventatively with your ovaries.  Part of the argument against the death penalty is that we killed innocent people who were sentenced by a jury, only to find out after that they never did it with genetic testing.

What are your thoughts? I value your comments.

Antacids a cause of bone fractures and infections, Vitamin D and Osteoporosis and more

I was reading in the Star Ledger about certain acid reducing medications  and their relationship to ones health (http://azstarnet.com/news/science/health-med-fit/article_247ef04b-9813-5d77-bbc8-fbeb497a226f.html).  For quite some time, if we have acid reflux, or heart burn or any other stomach complaint, antacid meds such as nexium have been given to relieve the complaint.  Commonly, most regular doctors are quite comfortable with the idea that if we have acid reflux or any other type of symptom representing overproduction of acid which have been thought in the past to cause ulcers and other gastro intestinal distress, these substances buffered the acid and reduced the amount we produced.  The symptoms may have been relieved, however, was it really the right thing to do?  As we age, we normally produce less acid.  This makes it more difficult to digest food, break down minerals such as calcium before it enters the intestines and even allows for increased likelihood of having infections in the stomach such as H Pylori which was treated with, you guessed it, nexium.  Years later, we have studies showing people with reduced calcium in their bones and more gastro intestinal infections as they get older.  This is what I call learning the hard way.  There are of course other treatments such as having a teaspoon of vinegar which has been known to calm the stomach.  Vinegar?  Sure vinegar because it has acetic acid and that helps digest food in older people.  As I have said, we need a paradigm shift, away from symptoms and more toward understanding what we are treating.  How can we treat something we do not understand and call it the science of health care?

The other article was on Vitamin D and osteoporosis (http://www.omaha.com/article/20100511/LIVING01/100519970).  For quite some time, vitamin D has been included in milk which has calcium because it helps assimilate calcium into the body.  Milk producers proudly state their milk has vitamin D added.  Vitamin D also is produced in the body naturally however, many seniors have skin sensitivity due to medications and some have fair skin which is a concern because of melanoma.  Because of this, many seniors stay out of direct sunlight which can cause a deficit of vitamin D.  The article suggests that many hip fractures and other fractures in the elderly may be avoided with vitamin D supplementation.  I agree.  I also believe it is more preventative than dexa scanners and using the results to talk people into taking drugs like boneva.

In healthcare, we are all consumers and in our office, educated consumers (as the Syms commercial says) is our best customer.  What do you think?

Surgery for Flat Feet - Good Idea?.... Not

I was reading an article in the NY Times about actor Gbenga Akinnagbe who decided to have surgery to correct flat feet (read the entire article at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/health/04case.html?ref=health).  Out of desperation, he decided to undergo a surgical procedure to correct a severe problem in his feet to relieve knee and back pain.  Apparently he had tried foot orthotics and other therapies with no real improvement and decided to do this instead. He had his left foot done first and is waiting to do his right one next.

After being in health care for 23 years, I have seen many people resort to many crazy things such as this with varying results.  Almost daily, I am visited by frustrated athletes and regular folks who are in chronic pain in their joints and their doctors just don't understand. Orthotics are casted poorly and are ineffective, they are aggravated rather than helped by therapies and few people they visit understand why they are hurting, even though they pedal cures that "may helP.W"  Recently, I was visited by a woman who hurt her back initially a few months ago, was then told to have an MRI to rule out a disc problem, was then told she had uterine fibroids and needed a hysterectomy and then when she began having knee pain, the orthopedic told her to have knee surgery first.   This patient is a classic case who is drawn into the system and told to do painful and disfiguring things to herself in the name of health.  I sat with her for 20 minutes and explained her symptoms made sense, to get a second opinion on the hysterectomy and to avoid the orthopedic doctor for her knee.  I just completed her third visit today and she will be planting flowers tomorrow for mothers day instead if being miserable and in pain.  She is literally reclaiming her life from the medical experts after a couple of visits and now understands why she was in pain. She cancelled her hysterectomy as well, opting for something more sensible . Informed consumers of health care are not our systems best customers since they will opt out of a bad situation once they finally understand it.


I bring this up because mismanagement of the musculoskeletal system is rampant in our health care system and people who lose hope or are scared are its best customers.  Is it any wonder health care costs are out of control?  


Regarding the actor in the article, I have never had to resort to recommending a surgery for anyone who has e severe foot overpronation which by the way is an inherited trait.  Some of our severe overpronators run marathons.  I believe this gentleman has likely never visited the right doctor who understands his problem and can intelligently treat it conservatively.  Foot overpronation and the pain it can produce is nicely controlled with foot orthotics, myofascial release and repatterning or movement and the myofascial surrouding the core and the lower kinetic chain.  Chiropractic adjustments to the spine and the extremities will help improve movement and reduce pain further while improving outcomes non surgically.  In the case of clubbed feet, surgery is necessary and this is typically corrected in early childhood.  In the case of this gentleman, it is too bad we never met.  The solution is easier than he was lead to believe and much less painful and disabling too.


What do you think?  I value your opinion.