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Does Your Blood Pressure Medication Increase Your Risk of Cancer? Chiropractic Reduces Blood Pressure without Side Effects.

June 14, 2010 | Filed under: Dr Cohen,Drugs,Heart Health

HiDoc-on-white

A new study,  published in the journal The Lancet Oncology, analyzes the results of a host of studies of popular blood pressure medicines and found that these “drugs in the class known as angiotensin-receptor blockers showed patients were 1.2 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a new cancer over four years than others who did not take the drugs.”(1)

“…Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a commentary the findings were ‘disturbing and provocative, raising crucial drug safety questions for practitioners and the regulatory community,’” reports Reuters.

This does not surprise me. Many times every month we hear that Drug A causes horrible side effects and may have to be removed from the market. Despite this pattern, the cycle repeats itself because people ask the wrong follow-up question. Instead of asking how to get off the drugs, we ask what drug will be developed or what competitor’s drug will fill the void. So then Drug B is marketed as the new and improved Drug A, only to cause a separate series of side effects – shoot, who knows – maybe enough to finally remove that drug from the market.

The sad thing is that society is going to keep repeating the mistake.

Not to get preachy, but when will people realize that DRUGS, all drugs, affect the biochemistry of the body and therefore change a process within the body? By definition, any chemical alteration will have side effects. When we address the symptom of a problem without treating the cause, we will create additional, new, unnecessary problems.

Here is what I, as a patient, would ask: why is my blood pressure high? What can I do to lower my blood pressure? If there is no option other than a pill (which, by the way, is not the case), what will happen if we suddenly lower my blood pressure with a magic pill?

Apparently, the answer is that I increase my risk of cancer.

Wouldn’t you want to know that? Wouldn’t you think twice about the pill if you knew that?

There are other options for addressing high blood pressure: deep breathing, exercise…and…

Chiropractic has been shown to decrease blood pressure within one visit and have lasting effects without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.And it certainly does not increase your risk of cancer.

Why is the media not talking more about this? Could it be that the billions of dollars the pharmaceutical companies pour into television, magazines and newspaper ads might influence the quality of the reporting of non-pharmacological treatments?

So, since the drug options for lowering blood pressure cause cancer and chiropractic lowers blood pressure without the cancer side effects…does that mean chiropractic can reduce your risk of cancer???

Football Legend Jerry Rice Advocates Chiropractic Care in New Video

June 13, 2010 | Filed under: Sports,Video

In the unedited version of the video, future NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice says, “My first experience with chiropractic care was right before the 49ers were to play the Bengals in Super Bowl 23. A couple of our players were injured and a chiropractor turned things around. I quickly became a believer and ever since I have had the benefit of chiropractic care.”

Elsewhere, he has said, “Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game.”

He has teamed up with the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress to promote the field. He says, “I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor were among the most important.” He goes on to give chiropractic props for his dance moves as well as his formidable football career. “Chiropractic gave me the edge to succeed, not only on the gridiron, but also on the dance floor.”

Dr. Andrew Cohen, San Francisco Chiropractor, gives a special congrats to the new Hall of Famer! Jerry, when you’re in town, come on in to ProActive Chiropractic.

You don’t have to be a professional dance or athlete to get the results Mr. Rice received  –  Schedule an appointment today with Dr. Cohen who is conveniently located in downtown San Francisco.

“U r a conference animal!!! Hope u enjoy.”

June 11, 2010 | Filed under: Dr Cohen,General Interest

This weekend, a friend of mine invited me, my wife and our puppy on a hike. When I told her I was out of town at a seminar, she called me a “conference animal,” because I often decline invitations because of a conference.

It’s true.

One of the disadvantages of being an Applied Kinesiologist and Chiropractor is that I get used to immediate positive feedback.

You have to understand: 90% of the time, my patients feel a significant improvement during their first treatment.

On the rare occasion that I don’t get that “WOW! I feel so much better!” at the end of the visit, I am unhappy, disappointed and frustrated. What do I not know? What could I learn so I don’t have to feel this way?  It’s the 10% that gets me thinking and forces me to keep learning.

This desire to help everyone in one visit makes me spend, on average, two weekends a month in seminars and post-doc training and to get 10x more continuing education than the state of California requires.  Although it means I miss out on great hikes with my wife, my friends and my puppy, it’s good news for you!

How to Save 900 American Babies and Billions of Healthcare Dollars

June 8, 2010 | Filed under: General Interest,Kids,Pregnancy

If 90% of U.S. women breastfed for the first six months of their babies’ lives, we would save 900 infant lives annually and billions – yes, billions, with a “b” – in healthcare dollars, according to a study in the May issue of Pediatrics.  These advantages do not even include the significant benefits to mothers’ health or the money saved on formula.  If breastfeeding is a possibility, it’s the way to go.

Can Pesticides Cause ADHD?

June 6, 2010 | Filed under: General Interest,Kids

This is a great article. I especially recommend the steps they list for you to make immediate changes in your lifestyle, including buying organic whenever possible.

ABC News Reports:

Study Says Pesticide May Contribute to ADHD, But More Research Needed

By ANDREA CANNING and JENNIFER PEREIRA

May 17, 2010—

A study published today in the Journal of Pediatrics says that one type of pesticide commonly used on fruits and vegetables may be contributing to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.

Researchers took urine from over 1,000 participants ages 8 to 15 and analyzed it for pesticides. 119 of the children had symptoms of ADHD. Those with the highest concentration of pesticides were more likely to have the disorder, according to the study.

“It’s consistent with other studies that have looked at organophosphate pesticides and have found that exposure of children to organophosphates in early life can cause brain injury. This study builds on those other studies,” said Dr. Philip Landrigan, chairman of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Children with ADHD suffer from inattentiveness, hyperactivity and difficulty controlling behavior, according to the National Institutes of Health, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million children suffer from ADHD.

For more on ADHD, its symptoms and treatment CLICK HERE.

While some doctors are taking this study seriously, they say additional research is still needed to confirm a connection to pesticides. Still, the study’s researchers claim even tiny amounts of pesticides may affect brain chemistry in children.

The researchers claim the chemicals can have harmful effects on development, including behavioral problems and the ability to think and communicate.

“This study only provides a snapshot of one point in time of the association between pesticides and ADHD,” Landrigan said. “The next step is we need to do a prospective study, a study that measures pesticide exposure very early in life … then follow the children over five, six, seven years and see if the early exposure actually causes the disease.”

Experts also warn any number of other factors could cause ADHD.

“There is no need here to panic. What we’re talking about here is giving people info that will empower them to be educated consumers,” Landrigan said.

Statement From CropLife America

In response to this story CropLife America, a national association that represents pesticide manufacturers, issued a statement to ABC News that said ADHD is a serious disorder and CropLife America “fully supports continuous study to help better understand its cause.”

“However, our review of the published journal story in Pediatrics, which makes summary of the study, leads us to believe much more research is needed to ascertain if there is a direct link between exposure to organophosphate pesticides and the development of ADHD in children,” CropLife America said.

“All crop protection products are extensively reviewed by regulatory agencies before approval for market use. Many scientific factors are examined by government pesticide regulators, based on extensive laboratory testing, all of which are intended to guarantee safety for the environment and people, including children. The class of crop protection compounds that is the subject of this study has been approved and registered by the US EPA and when used according to the label, the EPA has determined it to be safe,” CropLife America said.

Ways to Limit Children’s Exposure to Pesticides

For parents who want to limit their children’s exposure to pesticides, here are a few tips:

Some experts recommend buying organic whenever possible.

Limit or eliminate the amount of pesticides in the home, such as bug spray.

Limit or eliminate the amount of pesticides and chemicals you use on your lawn and buy natural products whenever possible.

Buy fruits you can peel or fruit that has a hard exterior, such as an apple, that you can wash.

Experts say the fruits which tend to have the highest level of pesticides are strawberries, raspberries and peaches. These fruits have soft skin and the pesticides can get in the fruit and it becomes hard to wash them out.

Helping Children with Attention Deficit Disorder

June 4, 2010 | Filed under: General Interest,Kids

Helping Children with Attention Deficit Disorder

“In the past decade, prescriptions for Ritalin, a stimulant medication commonly used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), increased five-fold, with 90 percent of all prescriptions worldwide consumed in the United States. As many parents grow leery of the traditional medical approach to ADHD, doctors of chiropractic are offering promising results with non-drug treatments that focus on postural muscles, nutrition and lifestyle changes that affect brain activity.

Some children may simply have difficulty learning certain subjects, but the current system—in a sense—prompts school officials to encourage their parents to have the children diagnosed with ADHD, says Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. “The higher the number of disabled kids in the school, the more funding the school can apply for,” says Dr. Bautch.

Some teachers might also have difficulty with students who have a different style of learning, according to Dr. Bautch. If the child is a visual learner—and the teacher is not—perhaps the child is not being taught in a way he or she can learn. Before diagnosing the child with ADHD, Dr. Bautch recommends doctors talk to the child and the parents: “Is the child too active? Bored? Has dyslexia or a different learning pattern? It can be a behavior problem, problems at home, or frustrations with the teacher’s style,” explains Dr. Bautch. “If we went to a conference where the speakers taught in a way we can’t learn, we would be frustrated and would misbehave—we’d get up and leave or chat to the person sitting next to us.”

The traditional medical model, however, seems to follow the cookie-cutter principle. The diagnosis of ADHD is based on a questionnaire. But this is not enough, says Dr. Robert Melillo, a chiropractic neurologist. “True ADHD patients have other signs — tics, tremors, balance or postural problems, or unusual sensitivity to touch, movement, sights, or sounds.” Unfortunately, although medications can keep ADHD under control, they don’t cure it. Eighty percent of patients have ADHD features in adolescence, and up to 65 percent maintain them in adulthood.

Doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic neurologists offer a non-drug and non-invasive treatment alternative for ADHD patients that targets the underlying problems, not just symptoms. “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,” says Dr. Melillo.

Chiropractic neurologists are trained to identify the underfunctioning part of the brain and find treatments to correct the problem, to help that hemisphere grow. “On every patient, we perform a brain function exam,” says Dr. Frederick Carrick, president of the ACA Council on Neurology. “We test visual and auditory reflexes through, for example, flashing light in the eye, or asking patients to listen to music in one or the other ear.”

When the problem is identified, patients are placed on a treatment program—and most of the therapies can be done at home. “Patients are asked to smell certain things several times a day … or wear special glasses,” says Dr. Mark S. Smith, a chiropractic neurologist. “We also focus on their individual problems. Some children, for example, have difficulty with planning, organization, and coordination—so they benefit from timing therapies. They learn to clap or tap to the metronome, perform spinning and balancing exercises.”

Although currently no studies comparing chiropractic neurological and medical treatment for ADHD are available, chiropractic neurologists are compiling the data. “We test children before they start the treatment and then every three months,” says Dr. Melillo. “Within the first three months, the children get a two-grade-level increase on average—which is pretty dramatic. With children on medications, the improvement in academic performance is short term and lasts only as long as they take the medication. Our programs change the brain function and the improvement doesn’t go away.”

While chiropractic neurologists have found success in treating ADHD and learning disabilities by providing the necessary brain stimulation, they also recommend nutrition and lifestyle changes that may help correct or prevent biochemical imbalances that cause ADHD. Parents are encouraged to:

  • Remove as many food dyes, sugar, preservatives, and additives from the diet as possible.
  • Focus on natural, mostly organic foods with as few pesticides or herbicides as possible.
  • Determine if there is an allergy—usually starting with dairy and gluten and try elimination diets.
  • Stop using pesticide sprays in the house.
  • Avoid taking medications, nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs in pregnancy that may harm the fetus.
  • Find ways to relax during pregnancy. Stress on the job may affect the unborn baby’s health, as well.
  • Breastfeed. The first months and years of a child’s life are critical to physical and psychological development. Breastfeeding mothers’ diets are important as well.

Chiropractic Care Can Help…
If you or your loved one is diagnosed with ADHD or has the symptoms, ask your doctor of chiropractic if he or she has experience treating patients with the condition. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to identify neurological problems and find individual non-invasive treatment modalities. They can also assess your nutritional status and help you find the diet that will help you manage your condition.”
-Taken from ACA Consumer Health Tips

A new peer-reviewed study published this month, June 2010,  studied ADHD patients under chiropractic care and further supports the suggestion to add chiropractic.

Using the Friedman test to compare observations repeated on the same subjects, our findings found improvement in ADHD symptoms (ie, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness, as well as behavioral, social, or emotional difficulties) and provide supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic in the treatment of children with ADHD.

This provides supporting evidence on the benefits of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy.

Chiropractic is #2 of The Best Ways to Support Our Troops, According to Retired General

| Filed under: General Interest,Video

Click below to watch the video.

Gen. Halstead’s Chiropractic Shout Out

Gen. Halstead was also able to share her personal experience dealing with fibromyalgia and how chiropractic care helped her return to a pain-free life.

“Part of getting well was a strong introduction to the chiropractic community, which I think would have really helped me if I could have received the treatment while I was on active duty,” Gen. Halstead noted.

During the radio interview, Gen. Halstead also detailed her visit to the Connecticut Veteran Affairs (VA) Hospital where she had a chance meeting with a young soldier who was suffering with a herniated disc. After two years of physical therapy, the solider was referred to chiropractic care and much like Gen. Halstead, was on the road to recovery. The soldier, who was receiving a chiropractic adjustment, spoke with Gen. Halstead about the benefits chiropractic care would have on active duty military.

“Just think if we came in off our patrols each night and we could get adjusted the way I just got adjusted, what a sense of relief and healing,” Gen. Halstead recalled the soldier saying.

Gen. Halstead was thrilled to participate in both interviews, taking the opportunity to not only remember and recognize the fallen soldiers and families for their service, but to educate everyday citizens on the importance of keeping our military ready for battle.

“I hope my message instilled a sense of responsibility in everyone to properly resource and support our military men and women,” concluded Gen. Halstead.