Chronic Headaches and the Pill Industry
Clear Lake Chiropractor comments: The advertisements are everywhere, at the supermarket, gas station, billboards, or TV, compelling us to ingest another pill for an ill. Nowhere is this more prominent than in the pain pill industry. We are told that simple pain relievers really do the trick to make that nasty headache go away. But have you ever thought about how you the consumer are being manipulated? These over-the-counter drugs are a booming industry and make huge profits for the companies that push them.
Have you wondered why you don’t see an advertisement suggesting that you should see a doctor to get a proper diagnosis, to determine the cause of your headache? Instead, we self-diagnose and self-medicate all while finding no long-term solution for a chronic and long-term problem.
The first question a consumer needs to ask is, “why do I have a headache? Do I need headache treatment?”
Why is my body signaling pain? Humans and other animals have evolved with a nervous system that warns us of problems by making us experience pain. The pain is like a fire alarm. What would life be like if the fire department responded to a house fire by cutting the fire alarm? We’d still be in a raging inferno. But when pain is temporarily silenced with medicine, the cause of the pain continues. No one could seriously think that headaches are caused by a lack of ibuprofen in the diet? That would be outrageous! But these pain pills are consumed by so many of us, they have almost become part of the national diet. And of course the dirty little secret is that many of us double and triple the dosages recommended on the bottle.
The warnings on the bottle don’t seem to help much either. Stomach bleeding, liver and kidney problems are all serious unintended consequences of taking these pills over a long duration. The side effects are even more dangerous if we drink alcohol regularly.
So what’s a person to do? First, get examined by a doctor of chiropractic to determine if there an underlying spinal cause for your headache. The doctor can also rule out rare things that can be causing the headache, such as high blood pressure or a brain tumor (very rare causes). Next, it’s important to realize that pain is a signal and should be embraced rather than ignored or suppressed.
Through natural chiropractic care your headaches can go away without pain pills. Clinical research in the form of randomized clinical trials, have documented the effectiveness of chiropractic care in patients with headaches. The safety profile of chiropractic is far superior to pain medications, including the over-the counter variety.
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Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Dr Beecher’s August 27 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, August 27th, 2012
Mental Attitude: Fatty Food Pictures? Looking at images of high-calorie foods stimulates the brain’s appetite control center, which leads to an elevated desire for food. This stimulation of the brain’s reward areas may contribute to overeating and obesity. This is a striking finding because the current environment is inundated with
advertisements showing images of high-calorie foods. Endocrine Society’s 94th Annual Meeting, June 2012
Health Alert: GlaxoSmithKline Pleads Guilty! GlaxoSmithKline, the world’s 4th largest company, pled guilty to fraud and agreed to pay $3 billion dollars to resolve criminal and civil charges against the company. The matter relates to failure to report the safety data of certain prescription drugs, as well as false price reporting. It is the largest payout by a drug company over fraud, and the largest healthcare fraud case to date. James M. Cole, Deputy Attorney General said, “Today’s multi-billion dollar settlement is unprecedented in both size and scope. We are determined to stop practices that jeopardize patients’ health, harm taxpayers, and violate the public trust and this historic action is a clear warning to any company that chooses to break the law.” Medical News Today, June 2012
Diet: Muscle Power and Caffeine. As we age, our muscles naturally change and weaken. A study found caffeine boosts power in older muscles, suggesting the stimulant could aid elderly people to both maintain their strength and reduce their risk for falls and injuries. With the importance of maintaining a physically active lifestyle to preserve health and functional capacity, caffeine could prove beneficial to the aging population.
Society for Experimental Biology, June 2012
Exercise: Good Reasons. Exercise increases your stroke volume (the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat), improves your self-esteem, and reduces your susceptibility for coronary thrombosis (a clot in an artery that supplies the heart with blood). Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996
Chiropractic: A Recommendation By A Prominent Physician. “[The] best people to manage back pain are osteopathic and chiropractic physicians. Why? Because they are specially trained in the mechanical abnormalities which cause 95% of back pain and they know how to correct these defects manually.”
~ Paul Hemenway Altrocchi, MD, MPH – former Professor of Neurology at Stanford Medical School
Wellness/Prevention: Leave Your Car At Home? People who walked 150 minutes per week had lower health care costs and mortality rates. European Journal of Public Health, June 2012
Quote: “Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.” ~Ben Franklin
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr Beecher’s August 20 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, August 20th, 2012
Mental Attitude: Feeling Sleepy? One third of all workers sleep less than six hours each day, instead of the recommended 7-9 hours. People especially at risk of not getting enough sleep include those in the health care, social assistance, and transportation fields. CDC, June 2012
Health Alert: Cancer and Aging. Why does our risk of developing cancer increase as we age? By the time we stop growing in our teens, we accumulate a large percentage of the mutations we will have during our lifetime. There’s a mismatch between the mutation curve and the cancer curve, meaning that if cancer is caused by reaching a tipping point of mutations, then we should see higher cancer rates in 20-year-olds, as this is when the mutation rate is highest. The body’s healthy cells function best in healthy, younger tissue; however, in older tissue, cancerous cells may adapt better in that environment than healthy cells and more easily propagate. Oncogene, June 2012
Diet: Food Industry Should Be Regulated? “The obesity crisis is made worse by the way industry formulates and markets its products, and so must be regulated to prevent excesses and to protect the public good,” writes Kelly Brownell, a leading food expert. He argues that left to regulate itself, the food industry has the opportunity, if not the mandate from shareholders, to sell more products irrespective of their impact on consumers. Thus, government, foundations, and other powerful institutions should push for regulation of, and not collaboration with, the food industry. PLoS Medicine, July 2012
Exercise: Good Reasons. Exercise reduces your risk of developing Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, reduces the risk of developing breast cancer and improves mental cognition (a short-term effect only).
Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996
Chiropractic: Joint Friction? The supplement chondroitin sulfate significantly reduces the friction coefficient of articular cartilage, which, in turn, leads to a decreased risk of joint degeneration.
Journal of Biomechanics, 2007
Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D and Fractures. Taking 800-2,000 IUs of vitamin D per day significantly reduces the risk of most fractures in men and women age 65 and older. In a study, the top 25% of Vitamin D consumers sustained 30% fewer hip fractures and 14% fewer fractures of other bones. There was no benefit to taking Vitamin D supplements in doses below 800 IUs. The cost of treating a hip fracture is $26,912.
New England Journal of Medicine, June 2012
Quote: “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ~Unknown
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr Beecher’s August 13 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, August 13th, 2012
Mental Attitude: Catching Colds? The risk of contracting a cold, regardless of pre-existing immunity, after being exposed to cold viruses is 52% less in parents compared with those who have no children. The finding may be expected considering that when children get colds, the parents may develop protective antibodies against the specific viruses that cause these colds. However, the findings revealed that based on levels of antibodies to the study viruses, the lower risk of colds in parents could not be explained by pre-existing immunity. Volunteers who were parents tended to develop fewer colds irrespective of whether or not they had protective levels of antibodies. One possible explanation may be that being a parent improves regulation of immune factors (cytokines) that are triggered in response to infection. According to earlier research, cytokine responses explain the protective effects of psychological factors, such as lower stress or a positive attitude against the risk of colds.
American Psychosomatic Society, July 2012
Health Alert: Cortisone. Injections of corticoid preparations can have severe side effects. In 278 cases of complications after corticoid injections, medical errors were found to have been committed in 40% of cases. Typical errors include faulty asepsis, treatment without indication, and injections that were too closely spaced in time or in excessive doses. Deutsches Arzteblatt International, July 2012
Diet: The Not So Small Intestine. Have you ever wondered how your body gets nutrients out of your food? Your small intestine absorbs most of your food; however, the small intestine is not that small. The average surface of the human small intestine is about the size of a tennis court! Gray’s Anatomy
Exercise: Good Reasons. Exercise improves respiratory muscle strength and muscle endurance (particularly important for asthmatics), reduces your risk of having a stroke and helps you to burn excess calories.
Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996
Chiropractic: Move Your Joints! Range-of-motion exercises can help maintain normal joint function by increasing and preserving joint mobility and flexibility. The Cleveland Clinic, 2007
Wellness/Prevention: Constant Change. A big reason to stay healthy is that the cells of your body are constantly replaced. Eating right and exercising will give the new cells the best chance to become healthy cells. For example, did you know that humans shed and re-grow outer skin cells about every 27 days? That’s almost 1,000 new skins in a lifetime! Gray’s Anatomy
Quote: “Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”
~Albert Einstein
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr Beecher’s August 2012 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!
“Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.” ~ Isaac Newton
Is Exercise A Drug and Can It Hurt Your Heart?
Also in this issue:
- Want to live longer and healthier? Researchers may have discovered a way to do it… and it’s not all in your genes.
- Second hand smoke and children… more bad news.
- The Matt W. Story: How the courage of a young man with cerebral palsy inspired an entire school.
In today’s high-tech, fast paced society, we all tend to over think, over complicate, and make things more difficult. This is especially true when it comes to our health.
For example, there is pretty good evidence that exercise is good for you and people who exercise are, in general, healthier than people who do not exercise.ouston – In today’s high-tech, fast paced society, we all tend to over think, over complicate, and make things more difficult. This is especially true when it comes to our health.
Few people would dispute it, but that simple statement can be taken to the EXTREME. How? Many people think if a little exercise improves health, then more must really improve health.
Well, some researchers are now saying this thought process may be very, very, very flawed.
Here is why: Researcher Dr. James O’Keefe, a cardiologist at the Mid America Heart Institute of St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, reported in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings that strenuous exercise might actually harm your heart.
According to Daily Mail, “Extreme exercise, such as marathons, may permanently damage the heart and trigger rhythm abnormalities… [Researchers] say the safe ‘upper limit’ for heart health is a maximum of an hour a day, after which there is little benefit to the individual.
“A review of research evidence by US physicians says intensive training schedules and extreme endurance competitions can cause long-term harm to people’s hearts. Activities such as marathons, iron man distance triathlons, and very long distance bicycle races may cause structural changes to the heart and large arteries, leading to lasting injury.”
Dr. James O’Keefe said, “Physical exercise, though not a drug, possesses many traits of a powerful pharmacologic agent. A routine of daily physical activity can be highly effective for prevention and treatment of many diseases, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart failure, and obesity.
“However, as with any pharmacologic agent, a safe upper dose limit potentially exists, beyond which the adverse effects of physical exercise, such as musculoskeletal trauma and cardiovascular stress, may outweigh its benefits.”
Dr. O’Keefe thinks the research suggests that extreme endurance training can cause elevated cardiac biomarkers and transient structural cardiovascular changes that normalized in about a week.
The review found:
- Approximately 12% of seemingly healthy marathon runners showed evidence for patchy myocardial scarring.
- The two-year follow-up showed a significantly higher rate of coronary heart disease in marathon runners versus runners who do not run marathons.
- Elite level athletes commonly develop abnormal electrocardiograms. Studies show that too much exercise can lead to abnormal heart rhythms.
- Continued excessive exercise may lead to arterial wall stiffening.
It is important to note that Dr. O’Keefe mentioned long-term, vigorous exercisers have a lower death and disability rate than non-exercisers.
If the information in the report is accurate, exercising like crazy is better than not exercising at all… but moderate exercise is better than over-doing it.
Many people (marathon runners, triathletes, etc.) were enraged by this report, and quite frankly, many factors were not accounted for in this research.
For example, does nutrition change the results? What about high carbohydrates versus low carbohydrates? The list here could go on and on…
But the really important point is: EVERYTHING HAS LIMITS.
For example, most people believe that drinking water is good for you. Not always. If you drink too much water, you can actually DIE. In fact, a 2005 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that close to one-sixth of marathon runners develop some degree of hyponatremia, or dilution of the blood caused by drinking too much water.
Drinking the proper amount of water is good for you. Too little is bad. Too much is also bad.
We may need to look at exercise the same way. Too little exercise is bad and too much is also bad.
Genetically, we are all different. We all have different amounts of stress and strain we can take.
But, we all have a threshold. Exercising up to that threshold will be beneficial, but crossing it will not be beneficial and probably harmful.
Will some people be “okay” doing marathons or triathlons because they are genetically superior? Probably. It’s just like some people smoke and live to be 95 years old and seem to be “healthy” their whole lives.
Then again, other people get lung cancer in their 40’s and don’t survive it.
Famous Chiropractor Jack Lalanne frequently said it is all about moderation. He thought it was better to exercise a little every day than to go crazy every now and then. He was probably on to something.
Now for something completely different, but equally as important…
More Bad News About
Second-Hand Smoke and Children
In a presentation at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting, physicians from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital showed more evidence that second-hand cigarette smoke is an environmental toxin and dangerous to children’s health
“Our research shows that exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke increases the risk of severe urinary disorders in children that may otherwise be reduced or even prevented,” said Joseph G. Barone, MD, an expert pediatric urologist, Associate Professor of Surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Surgeon-In-Chief of Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “Our results emphasize the importance of smoking cessation for parents. Pediatricians and family physicians are urged to discuss with parents opportunities that are available to quit smoking.”
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that parents are responsible for 90 percent of their children’s exposure to environmental (second-hand) tobacco smoke.
And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.
Inspirational Story Of The Month
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)
The Matt W. Story
How The Courage Of A Young Man With Cerebral Palsy
Inspired An Entire School. Do YOU Have These Kinds Of Guts?
Who knows what his real, full name is. “Matt W.” was all that was given and that’s all that is needed, because Matt W.’s actions speak louder than words ever could.
Here is why: Matt W. is a student at Worthington Colonial Hills Elementary School in Ohio. But Matt W. is not your average student. You see, Matt suffers from cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is a serious condition and according to the Mayo Clinic, “Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture that is caused by injury or abnormal development in the immature brain, most often before birth. Signs and symptoms appear during infancy or preschool years. In general, cerebral palsy causes impaired movement associated with exaggerated reflexes or rigidity of the limbs and trunk, abnormal posture, involuntary movements, unsteadiness of walking, or some combination of these. The effect of cerebral palsy on functional abilities varies greatly. People with cerebral palsy often have other conditions related to developmental brain abnormalities, such as intellectual disabilities, vision and hearing problems, or seizures.”
That’s why it was a very big deal when Matt decided he was going to run the 400 meters (approximately ¼ mile) at his school’s once a year track event. What happened during that race is one of the most inspirational events you’ll ever see. There’s a link to a video of it below, but we’ll describe it here…
At the start of the race, all the 5th and 6th graders took off. Matt slowly made his way off the starting line. His running strides were labored but what he lacked in grace he made up for in determination… tenfold. The video’s soundtrack is the theme for Rocky.
The race was two complete laps around the 200 meter track and the other students quickly lapped him. Then, the real magic started. Matt’s gym teacher, John Blaine, started running the race with Matt while providing him verbal and emotional support.
As Matt completed the first lap, supporters started to cheer more. About a quarter of the way around his second lap, a little girl made her way over to Matt while yelling to cheer him on. Inspired by Matt (and taking the little girl’s lead) more students rushed over to join Matt.
Students completely surrounded him with everyone chanting over and over, “Let’s go Matt… Let’s go!!!” Matt picked up his pace as his classmates and friends energized him.
More and more students appeared. They all crossed the finished line together with a massive cheer in just under four minutes. The students swarmed Matt with high fives and hugs. Matt was obviously exhausted but enjoyed this amazing moment with his supporters.
Matt’s mother broke down in tears several times as she witnessed her son’s incredible journey and life lesson for us all.
Many doctors believe in the power of positive thought. Not only does it have the power to possibly heal us, but it can also move mountains when it has to.
Matt W. may never win an Olympic Gold medal, but his actions during this 400 meter race may change more lives than any Gold Medal winner probably ever has.
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger. You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!
Did You Know?…
When we think about how to be happier we typically look for things to achieve or add to our lives. However, sometimes the key to happiness is actually giving up certain perspectives and behaviors. Here are a few things you can give up in order to become a happier person:
- Give up the habit of blaming. Blame is a scapegoat for taking responsibility of your own outcome. It is a lot easier to point the finger at someone or something else instead of looking within. Blame is not constructive. It does not help you or the other person. Nobody wins in the blame game. The amount of energy and stress it takes to blame just keeps you from moving forward and finding a solution.
- Give up your need to impress. When you accept who you are, and you embrace your quirks, flaws, strengths and vulnerabilities, you’ll get a lot more comfortable in your own skin. When you’re confident, you stop caring so much about what everyone thinks of you. You stop worrying if someone will like you or not, because deep down you know that the people who falsely judge you don’t matter in your life.
- Give up being a victim. The perspective that you are just the result of all external variables deflects responsibility for taking control over your own life. It is unfortunate that sometimes bad things happen to the best of people. Life can be unfair, unkind and unjust. However, being stuck in a victim mentality does not nurture your ability to move forward and onward.
- Give up feeling entitled. Nobody owes you anything. Nobody. When you approach life with the perspective that you are owed things, it’s likely that you will find yourself disappointed time and time again. When you are grateful for what you have, and see positive things as bonuses versus owed expectations, then you’ll be surprisingly pleased.
- Give up pretending. In a society where we are rewarded for perfection, we constantly pretend to be perfect. We try to show the world that we are flawless human beings in hopes that we will be liked and accepted. But when we embrace who we are and decide to be authentic instead of perfect, we open ourselves up to have true connection with others. There is no need to put on a show. There is no need to pretend to be something or someone you are not. You are perfect the way you are.
Tip Of The Month
Want to live longer and healthier?
Researchers may have discovered a way to do it…
and it’s not all in your genes.
Want to live a longer and healthier life? Here are some things that might help you do it! First, let’s look at “centenarians.” A “centenarian” is someone who lives to be 100 years old or more. Researchers developed a questionnaire designed to identify certain genetically-based personality traits and used it to assess 243 Ashkenazi Jewish adults between 95 and 107 years of age. The investigators chose this population because their genetic similarity would make it easier to account for genetic differences in personality.
“The results indicated they had two things — a positive attitude for life, meaning they are optimistic, easygoing, extraverted, laughed more and [they] expressed emotions rather than bottling them up,” said Dr. Nil Barzilai, a study co-author and Director of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Institute for Aging Research.
Other experts believe there is an interaction between personality and physiology, and it makes sense that being positive causes less stress which leads to a healthier life. In other words, some experts believe genes alone have less influence on our life span than most people think. Dr. Gary Small, Director of the UCLA Center on Aging said, “Several studies have found that genetics accounts for only about one-third of how long and well we live.”
Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal
and maintain the pain free body you deserve.
This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please let us know.
