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#160 Curcumin and C-Reactive Protein

5/9/2016

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 Inflammation is a necessary part of healing, but you can have too much and it can go on for too long.  And when that happens people get sick and people die.  Science has proven that inflammation causes pain, arterial disease, heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis, and many other deadly and chronic diseases.  There is a simple blood test to measure your inflammation.  It’s called C-Reactive Protein (CRP).  Lower is better.  For example, studies show that people with CRP under 0.5 mg/L rarely have heart attacks.  I would judge that knowing your CRP level and working on reducing it may be in general the most important marker of your future health.  However, medical doctors don’t often routinely perform this test (although Dr. Oz too agrees that it may be the most important blood test you can have) because there is no drug for them to give you to treat high inflammation levels, other than aspirin (which has many side effects).  The best way to reducing inflammation is to change your lifestyle, and how many medical doctors spend real time discussing how to do that? 
 
            We have long known that a chemical called CURCUMIN, which is in the herb turmeric, has strong anti-inflammatory properties.  Now we have scientific evidence that curcumin does indeed significantly reduce blood levels of CRP.  This is very big news because to have a natural way to reduce your CRP with no real side effects that is easy, affordable and accessible to all is game changing.  To be specific the study was published just this past December in the journal Clinical Nutrition.  The main conclusion is that test subjects’ CRP levels were reduced by an average of 2.20MG/L.  This is a robust reduction in CRP levels, not some trivial thing. 
 
            When taking curcumin there are a few simple rules:
 
Make sure it is standardized (processed) to contain 95% curcumin.  Ground up turmeric or turmeric powder or just using the herb will not supply you with adequate quantities of curcumin, which is the specific chemical that has the anti-inflammatory properties. It must contain pepper extract, or bio-perine, or piperine (they are all the same thing).  This increases the absorbability of curcumin which is otherwise extremely poorly absorbed by the gut. Proper dosing is 1,000 mg of curcumin for maintenance, 1,500 mg/day if you have high CRP or significant pain from inflammation.     
To sweeten the pot, curcumin is not only a strong anti-inflammatory supplement, but its chemical structure offers sizable anti-oxidant qualities.  And the same study was reported to show that it can help lower fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels.
 
The brand I use and recommend is Sports Research C3 Complex Turmeric Curcumin 120 liquid softgels, available at www.amazon.com for about $30 + tax.  For those not on-line, we sell it for $38.  

For further reading here is a link to Clinical Nutrition's research article marked December 2015:   http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561415000023

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#159 OPIOID DEATHS Or Pick A Door

5/9/2016

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This is far from the first time I have discussed the issue of opioid addiction and death.  But now the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has piped in, reinforcing my message, which is that drugs need to be the last resort, not the first.  Examples of opioid pain medications are OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Percodan, Demerol, morphine, methadone, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and last but not least, heroin.    Here are some of the CDC fun facts in the article I read:
 
-47,000 people died from Opioid use in 2014.  That’s over 5 people dying every hour in the U.S.  This compares to 32,000 dying in car crashes over the same period.
-1,900,000 people abused or were addicted to opioids in 2013.
-1 out of every 32 patients who are given the highest doses of opioids will be dead within 2-1/2 years.
-11.2% of the adult American population is in chronic pain.
-CDC director, Thomas Frieden, M.D. says, “The prescription overdose epidemic is doctor-driven.”
 
You see, when your medical doctor goes to work in the morning and opens his toolbox he extracts two things, a prescription pad and a scalpel.  While this may not be exactly accurate you get the point.  Now the CDC is telling medical doctors that they are killing people by employing the only tools that they have to do their job.  That hardly seems fair.  They go on to tell their members that they need to add new tools to their toolbox, such as exercise counseling, talk therapy, and the acceptance that sometimes being in pain is better than the risk of the drugs they have access to.  It is a great quandary for my brothers and sisters in white as they try to adapt to this new world where DRUGS ARE SIMPLY NOT THE ANSWER.  And on those occasions where they might be the only answer, they are still a bad answer. 
 
Enter Chiropractic.  Many of you have told me of friends or family members of yours that “don’t believe in chiropractic.”  I’m not really sure what belief has to do with science, but let’s look at this from another direction.  Let’s say you have severe chronic back or neck pain and you are standing in a waiting room with 3 doors to choose from.  The first door leads to a chiropractor who you “don’t believe in”, who is dispensing chiropractic adjustments and life-style suggestions.  On this door is a sign that reads SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED, 90+% POSITIVE RESULTS, VERY LOW RISK.  The second door leads to a medical doctor who you “do believe in” who is dispensing opioid pain killers.    On the door is a poster that reads SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED, 47,000 DEAD PER YEAR, 1 IN 32 CHANCE OF BEING DEAD IN 2-1/2 YEARS.  The third door is the exit to just live with it.    
 
Pick a door.  

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#158 RESPONSIBLE

5/9/2016

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Given the fact that the spine is the #1 cause of disability on the planet, and given that spinal related pain will afflict 80-90% of all humans, and given that more health care dollars are spent on spine related pain than any other single health care issue, it is very important for me to remind you that:
 
I am responsible for the health of my spine.
 
You are responsible for the health of your spine.
 
I am responsible to teach you how to care for your spine.
 
You are responsible to learn what I teach you…and teach your children.
 
I am responsible to give you the best chiropractic adjustments I can.
 
You are responsible to be here for your appointments.
 
I am responsible to teach you the exercises that you need to do.
 
You are responsible to do them.
 
I am responsible to provide an environment of caring, love and attention.
 
You are responsible for caring enough about yourself to care for yourself, because if you don’t, who will?
 
And finally, I believe that I am responsible to set an example, to do everything myself that I tell you to do; to get my adjustments weekly, to do my disc pump exercises daily, to have my massage regularly, to drink 64 oz. of water daily, to manage my weight within my 5 # zone, to take my supplements daily, to walk/hike at a brisk pace 150 minutes/week, to get enough sleep.
 
My goal is to always be in greater health next year than I am right now.  So far, since I adopted this goal in 2000, I have been mostly successful, mostly. 
 
I hope you will join me in sharing this goal.     

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#157 FOUR QUARTERS

5/9/2016

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Forrest Gump made famous the saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re gonna get.”  While that may be true, it is a bit fatalistic to the optimist in me.  Perhaps that’s why I’m not much of a See’s candy fan.  You do never know what you are going to get, but unlike life, you can simply spit out the chocolate with that yucky filling and pick another one.  You don’t get to spit out life’s dealings.  You have to face them, yucky center and all.  Perhaps it might be more apt to say, “Life is like a football game.”
 
            It’s composed of 4 quarters, each one about 20 years in length.  During the 1st quarter you are full of energy, darting this way and that, testing out the opposition, learning your strengths and weaknesses.  Maybe management (your genes) gave you a great team to play with.  Or maybe you’re a Charger (sorry Charger fans).  In the 2nd quarter you’ve hit your stride.  You know what your strengths and weaknesses are.  You’re trying to amass points to go into the second half.  You’re showing the rookies how it’s done.  At half-time you take stock, buy a fast car, get a procedure, or, sadly, think that getting back into the first half can be done by dumping your 2nd half spouse and connecting with one still in his or her second quarter.  By the 3rd quarter your defense is starting to break down.  Your offense’s running game is flagging.  Your game seems to proceed in feet, rather than yards.  You are relying more upon experience and strategy than brute force talent.  And by the 4th quarter you are trying to hold onto your slim lead, looking forward to the end of the game, retirement, and a quiet future watching ESPN news.  This is proof that football is life…and this from a guy that didn’t watch the Super BowlJ
 
            So…what quarter are you in?  I’m in my 3rd.  I doubt there are any 1st quarter readers here.  They are so new to the game they don’t even know there is an end.  You 2nd quarter readers think you can ride your youth into the 2nd half.  And 4th quarter readers are reading this and thinking, “Yeah, he’s right.  Listen to him. I should have.”  The goal isn’t to get to the end of the game and win or lose.  Winning and losing is an illusion.  The goal is to go to OVERTIME, and have a good time doing it. 
 
            To get to OT and enjoy your time in OT requires you have a plan, you execute your plan, reassess your plan from time to time, and make changes as necessary.  The plan is rather simple.  You don’t get to choose the team that God gave you, those are your genes.  But you do get to pick your offensive and defensive plays, to a certain extent.  The way you get to OT is you do one thing that is good for your health and do it consistently.  Once you are doing that one thing then do another, and then another, and then another.  Always think what one thing can I add/refine in my life, to my offense or defense, to enhance my performance in the coming quarters.  And then do it. 
 
            If you have read any of my articles, you have heard me beat this drum before, over and over.  “Yeah, I’ve heard this before.”  But are you doing it?  I am vastly healthier toward the end of my 3rd quarter than I was at the end of my second.  I hope you are playing for OT.  If you want to know more about what I’m talking about just ask.   

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#156 THE ICE BERG

5/9/2016

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DID YOU KNOW…
 
SHORT TERM CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS relieve pain and…
 
…that’s about all.  This is a good thing of course, but the tip of the ice berg.
 
DID YOU KNOW…
 
MEDIUM TERM CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS can correct spinal subluxation (malfunction) to 75% or more leading to…
 
            …less pain for a longer period of time and…
           
…slowing or stopping of spinal disc and joint dehydration and degeneration and…
           
…that’s about all.  These are great things, but still just a larger bit of the ice berg. 
 
DID YOU KNOW…
 
LONG TERM CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS will allow for more complete spinal joint and nerve system healing leading to…
           
            …decreased total body inflammation.  Remember that inflammation causes diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and so many others, and…
 
            …increased blood thiole levels.  Thiole is your body’s major anti-oxidant.  Research has shown that 2 years of regular chiropractic adjustments increases thiole levels above that of sick people and well control subjects.  Thiole helps to prevent early aging and genetic mutation from free radicals.  Mutation can lead to cancer, and…  
 
            …reduced nerve stress.  Nerve stress leads to damaged organ function by chronic hypoxia (loss of blood/oxygen supply).  This can lead to breakdown of that organ = disease, and…
 
            …that is the whole ice berg.
 
SO…
 
CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS ARE…
           
            …anti pain, anti-degeneration, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and anti-nerve stress. 
 
How much health do you want?  The tip, or the whole ice berg?
​

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    Dr. Rick

    After writing an article per week for a year, I just kept going.  These are most of my collection.  They are written with my existing patients in mind, so some stuff may seem odd or unusual, but would make perfect sense to those who know chiropractic and who know me.  Enjoy and share!  For my personal blog visit: 

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What Our Patients Have To Say

Yolanda wrote:
     
     I used to suffer severe headaches and migraines on a daily basis, usually all day.  I managed to work in an office because I had to.  When I went home at the end of the day I would often close the shades and go to bed.  I could not plan weekend events because I simply never knew how I was going to feel tomorrow.  If there were a special event such as a birthday or wedding, I would begin to medicate myself two weeks in advance to give myself the best chance of making the event.
     Friends and fellow church-goers had been trying to get me to see Dr. Rick for some time before I finally gave in.  Looking back, I don’t know why I waited.  Within a month, I was headache free.  I couldn’t remember what it was like to not feel pain.  I could do whatever I wanted and not live in fear of the headache.  This was a miracle for me, but the story does not end here.
     An opportunity came up for us to adopt a newborn baby girl not long after I began chiropractic care.  This baby was particularly important to me and my husband because her mother is a relative.  Tragically, her mother was also a drug user and did drugs during her pregnancy.  If we could not adopt the baby she would have been put into the foster system since the biological mother was incapable of raising her.
     To keep a long story short, we did adopt her and she is doing fantastically.  There is no sign of any effect of the drugs on her as of yet, and with God’s help, there never will be.  We think that is because of the vast amounts of love and attention she gets from us, her real mommy and daddy.
     What does this have to do with chiropractic?  The reality is that without chiropractic, I would still be nearly an invalid with headaches.  I COULD NOT HAVE TAKEN CARE OF AN INFANT OR RAISED A YOUNG CHILD.  THEREFORE, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE THAT MY HUSBAND AND I WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR HER.  MY DAUGHTER’S LIFE IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE SOMEBODY MADE ME GO TO A CHIROPRACTOR. 
     You need to tell everyone you know what you know about chiropractic.  Who knows who’s life you will change too.
Andrew's mother, Barbara, wrote:

     Hello, My name is Andrew and I am a happy, healthy one year old.  But I wasn’t so happy or healthy when I first met Dr. Rick a few months ago.  I had been having problems with my ears for four months, I couldn’t sleep at night and I was miserable.  We’d been to the doctor lots of times but nothing was helping.  In fact, all the medicines the doctor had tried seemed to make me worse instead of better!  Both the regular doctor and the Ear-Nose and Throat doctor said that if the antibiotics didn’t work, then they’d just have to put tubes in.  Now my Mom and dad weren’t about to let them do surgery on me, especially since they had been reading and learned that tubes can cause more problems than they solve.  My mom and dad did a lot of praying.  Then my mom heard that sometimes babies who have a traumatic birth like mine have ear trouble.  You see when I was born they used a vacuum extractor and forceps to pull me out.  I guess all that yanking on my head, hurt my neck.  She also heard that chiropractic care can be the answer.  Now she was skeptical because she couldn’t imagine a chiropractor helping ear infections!?!  But at that point she was willing to try anything!!  Happily, a few weeks of adjustments and my ears were all cleared up.  In addition, I no longer had a stiff neck or shoulders and my whole personality was happier.  I have to tell all babies who have ear troubles, don’t let them give you tubes until you at least try chiropractic care first.  After all, it can’t hurt and if you’re like me, you could be perfectly well with no drugs and no surgery.  In my family, we thank God for Dr. Rick, because I feel better, my mom and dad are happier and sometimes, I even sleep through the night.