In life, there are always problems that arise. To solve these problems, there are some specific steps that must be followed. Einstein is quoted (I believe it was Einstein), "You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that caused the problem." Our current "Health Care" reform endeavor is trying to solve a problem. Let's look at the problem:
Not enough access to affordable health care.
The problem statement above seems to be an accurate description of what we are trying to fix. But let's take a deeper look at the above statement. There are many false premises that need to be clarified to truly define the problem. The above statement is not true.
First of all; medical care and health care are two separate entities, they are NOT the same! The above statement is based on the presumption that health care is too expensive for people to afford with out insurance. The truth is "Medical" care is too expensive. Health care is FREE! You don't need a doctor when you are healthy. They do come in handy when you are actually sick or injured, but healthy people don't need doctors, and therefore, don't need medical care.
Second of all; The Law of Supply and Demand is being ignored. We have too many people consuming medical care. If we increased the number of healthy people, this would reduce the demand for medical services and, according to the Law of Supply and Demand, the price will go down. Lower price = affordable.
Thirdly; our health as a nation is pathetic. We rank near the bottom in all health statistics and markers. Yet we spend more than any other developed country, and consume more prescription drugs. We also eat more processed food, and exercise less. So, clearly our "medical" care is not healthy.
Much like our current medical system, the proposals on the table to "Reform Health Care" are nothing more than doing something to cover up the apparent problem (symptom),create new problems (side effects) and do nothing to address the underlying cause of the problem. We are trying to solve a problem with the same level of thinking that got us into this mess!
The best solution is most often the simplest solution. To reduce health care costs, reduce the demand by keeping people healthy.
I have outlined several steps in previous posts. Please review those for more information. Please leave a comment or question.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Why Health Care Should Cost Money, and Lots
This whole "Health Care" debate has really gotten off track. As I have stated before, the current bills do absolutely nothing to improve health or reduce costs. Several proponents of the plan have an idealistic view of the problem. They expect "Free" health care courtesy of the government. From personal and professional observation, Free health care would be the worst thing to happen to this great nation.
Allow me to illustrate the folly of Free health care with at little story:
Two kids in the neighborhood want new bikes. The first kid tells his parents, "I want a new bike." and the parents give him the brand new bike. The second kid knows better than to ask his struggling parents to give him a new bike, so all summer he mows lawns and does several odd jobs. He saves his money, doesn't go to the movies with his buddies or buy candy at the store. Finally, he has enough to purchase the bike himself.
Ask yourself this question, who's bike will be in better condition in a year?
You know the answer, most grade school kids know the answer. The kid who worked hard and sacrificed will take very good care of his bike, because it has value. The first kid won't care if he leaves it outside in the rain, or bangs it up. He doesn't care because it didn't cost him anything, it has no value. If it breaks, his parents will probably get him a new one.
It is pure human nature. If something has value it is taken care of and cherished. If it has no value,it is disposable. Free health care has No Value!
I have seen this first hand in my practice. People who do not pay for their care are less healthy. There is no incentive to get healthy because someone else is going to pay for all the care they need. My patients who do not have insurance, or have very high deductibles and/or co-pays are much healthier. They value their health. They protect and maintain it like a valuable asset.
Even assets of great value, when given away for free, have no value to the recipient. Just look at free housing in inner city "Projects" or the free government housing given to the Native Americans for example. Run down and unkempt because the "owner" did not value it.
The best way to bring down health care costs is to improve the health of the nation. To do that, health has to have value. It has to be important enough to actively be taken care of. Routine tests and screenings should cost money. If you think you can't afford them, then you need to decide what is of more value. Maybe you have to cut back on other expenses, especially unhealthy ones. Smoking, alcohol, processed foods, etc... and put the money spent on unhealthy items into your health savings account to pay for better health.
Insurance was never supposed to cover routine maintenance. It is supposed to protect your assets in case of catastrophe/major illness. This is why I have always supported high deductible catastrophic insurance coupled with a health savings account. When you see where your health care dollars (and how much) are spent, you begin to live a healthier lifestyle.
Please leave a comment or question. Thanks for reading!
Allow me to illustrate the folly of Free health care with at little story:
Two kids in the neighborhood want new bikes. The first kid tells his parents, "I want a new bike." and the parents give him the brand new bike. The second kid knows better than to ask his struggling parents to give him a new bike, so all summer he mows lawns and does several odd jobs. He saves his money, doesn't go to the movies with his buddies or buy candy at the store. Finally, he has enough to purchase the bike himself.
Ask yourself this question, who's bike will be in better condition in a year?
You know the answer, most grade school kids know the answer. The kid who worked hard and sacrificed will take very good care of his bike, because it has value. The first kid won't care if he leaves it outside in the rain, or bangs it up. He doesn't care because it didn't cost him anything, it has no value. If it breaks, his parents will probably get him a new one.
It is pure human nature. If something has value it is taken care of and cherished. If it has no value,it is disposable. Free health care has No Value!
I have seen this first hand in my practice. People who do not pay for their care are less healthy. There is no incentive to get healthy because someone else is going to pay for all the care they need. My patients who do not have insurance, or have very high deductibles and/or co-pays are much healthier. They value their health. They protect and maintain it like a valuable asset.
Even assets of great value, when given away for free, have no value to the recipient. Just look at free housing in inner city "Projects" or the free government housing given to the Native Americans for example. Run down and unkempt because the "owner" did not value it.
The best way to bring down health care costs is to improve the health of the nation. To do that, health has to have value. It has to be important enough to actively be taken care of. Routine tests and screenings should cost money. If you think you can't afford them, then you need to decide what is of more value. Maybe you have to cut back on other expenses, especially unhealthy ones. Smoking, alcohol, processed foods, etc... and put the money spent on unhealthy items into your health savings account to pay for better health.
Insurance was never supposed to cover routine maintenance. It is supposed to protect your assets in case of catastrophe/major illness. This is why I have always supported high deductible catastrophic insurance coupled with a health savings account. When you see where your health care dollars (and how much) are spent, you begin to live a healthier lifestyle.
Please leave a comment or question. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Health Care Plan
Wow, has it really been since June? Football and soccer are now done for a while, so I have a little more time now. On to the topic at hand!
The Health Care Plan
What a nightmare! Too many pages to actually read, at least 2 different proposals (House, Senate, White House...) and not one will make any difference whatsoever in the nations "Health." Every plan or version is nothing more than changing who is paying and how much for a failing "health care" system. Let's get one thing straight, we do not have a "health care" system in this country, we have a "disease/sick" care system. Mainstream medicine does absolutely nothing for disease prevention, wellness and health promotion/education. Mainstream medicine, as a business, only profits from the sick and injured. If you are healthy, you won't see a doctor. If you are healthy you don't need prescription medication, and you don't need surgery.
This is a very expensive and ineffective way to establish a healthy population. It has been argued that the U.S. has the best "Health Care" in the world. I would argue, we have the best "Emergency Care" in the world. If you are injured, suffer a heart attack or stroke, the best place in the world would be a U.S. hospital. But if you are well and are looking for ways to stay well and improve your health, this would be the last place to be.
In a recent e-mail from Sen. Herb Kohl, he quoted the following statistics: the U.S. spends $7290 on health care per person, yet the average cost among the 30 most developed countries is only $2960. The U.S. ranks 44th in infant mortality and 30th in life expectancy. Our "Health" care system is not working!
How do we fix this?
You must understand there are very powerful economic forces driving our current system. As an old friend said to me, "If you want to find out why certain things are done, just follow the money." Medicine and the pharmaceutical industry profit from you being sick. There is a strong financial motive to keep you sick. I know, most doctors do believe they are helping people. But remember, all of their training is funded and based on pharmaceuticals. Drug company reps. are constantly bombarding doctors with drug company research on the newest wonder drug. TV ads get the general public to "Ask if Deathinapill is right for you."
To fix the Health Care Crisis, here is what I suggest:
1) Ban all pharmaceutical ads to the general public.
2) Have all pharmaceutical companies pay into a "Research Fund" and have public universities do the drug trials in a blinded manner.
3) Equal insurance coverage for all licensed health care providers, including chiropractic, homeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture, etc..
4) Set up Health Savings Accounts for everyone.
5) Ban artificial sweeteners, additives, flavorings (MSG) from food sources
6) Improve education in grade schools and up on wellness and disease prevention.
These are the main highlights to improving our system. If you would like details on any of the above, let me know. Just remember, health care is not a right, but a responsibility. Our country cannot survive if the population is ill. In order to not only succeed, but to survive, we must change our habits and improve our health. The internet is a great start, as information that was previously hidden by the powers that be, is now available for everyone. Public demand is making manufactures change their products for the better due to this information (stevia instead of aspartame). Of course, beware of the false claims and hype. If you have questions, let me know.
Please leave a comment or question, this could be a very good topic for discussion as I have planted a few seeds with this one.
The Health Care Plan
What a nightmare! Too many pages to actually read, at least 2 different proposals (House, Senate, White House...) and not one will make any difference whatsoever in the nations "Health." Every plan or version is nothing more than changing who is paying and how much for a failing "health care" system. Let's get one thing straight, we do not have a "health care" system in this country, we have a "disease/sick" care system. Mainstream medicine does absolutely nothing for disease prevention, wellness and health promotion/education. Mainstream medicine, as a business, only profits from the sick and injured. If you are healthy, you won't see a doctor. If you are healthy you don't need prescription medication, and you don't need surgery.
This is a very expensive and ineffective way to establish a healthy population. It has been argued that the U.S. has the best "Health Care" in the world. I would argue, we have the best "Emergency Care" in the world. If you are injured, suffer a heart attack or stroke, the best place in the world would be a U.S. hospital. But if you are well and are looking for ways to stay well and improve your health, this would be the last place to be.
In a recent e-mail from Sen. Herb Kohl, he quoted the following statistics: the U.S. spends $7290 on health care per person, yet the average cost among the 30 most developed countries is only $2960. The U.S. ranks 44th in infant mortality and 30th in life expectancy. Our "Health" care system is not working!
How do we fix this?
You must understand there are very powerful economic forces driving our current system. As an old friend said to me, "If you want to find out why certain things are done, just follow the money." Medicine and the pharmaceutical industry profit from you being sick. There is a strong financial motive to keep you sick. I know, most doctors do believe they are helping people. But remember, all of their training is funded and based on pharmaceuticals. Drug company reps. are constantly bombarding doctors with drug company research on the newest wonder drug. TV ads get the general public to "Ask if Deathinapill is right for you."
To fix the Health Care Crisis, here is what I suggest:
1) Ban all pharmaceutical ads to the general public.
2) Have all pharmaceutical companies pay into a "Research Fund" and have public universities do the drug trials in a blinded manner.
3) Equal insurance coverage for all licensed health care providers, including chiropractic, homeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture, etc..
4) Set up Health Savings Accounts for everyone.
5) Ban artificial sweeteners, additives, flavorings (MSG) from food sources
6) Improve education in grade schools and up on wellness and disease prevention.
These are the main highlights to improving our system. If you would like details on any of the above, let me know. Just remember, health care is not a right, but a responsibility. Our country cannot survive if the population is ill. In order to not only succeed, but to survive, we must change our habits and improve our health. The internet is a great start, as information that was previously hidden by the powers that be, is now available for everyone. Public demand is making manufactures change their products for the better due to this information (stevia instead of aspartame). Of course, beware of the false claims and hype. If you have questions, let me know.
Please leave a comment or question, this could be a very good topic for discussion as I have planted a few seeds with this one.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Joys of Being a Sports Doc
Been a while since my last post, but when you are a Sports Doc with a family, life gets pretty hectic. Many of my friends, when they look at my schedule, wonder how I do it. I'm not really sure, I just do it.
May was a very good busy month, Roller Derby was winding down and football was just starting. Unfortunately, these overlapped which made life very interesting. The football team I play for and serve as team doctor, Fox Valley Force www.fvforce.com kicked off the season in Kimberly on May 9. The Paper Valley Roller Girls www.papervalleyrollergirls.com had their season finale on May 9. So, off to the football field at 2:00 to start taping players, get dressed and warmed up for the game, play the first half, check on any injuries, go to the locker room, shower and change, drive cross town to the roller rink and get set up for roller derby. Catch my breath!
Stretch and adjust a few skaters, evaluate some pretty good injuries (torn PCL, torn hamstring insertion), get text from football coach on final score, adjust a few more skaters, and finally pack up for the day. The hard part now is which after party to attend? Problem solved, attend both!
May 16, repeat the above with the Force and the Fox Cityz Foxz www.foxcityzfoxz.com !
Memorial weekend came at the right time!
Roller derby is done for me until the fall, football is now half over, and soccer season has just begun. I coach a 15 year old girls soccer team-Neenah Dragons.
What make it possible to do all this? I love it! Life would be pretty boring without all the adventure.
Leave a comment or question, love to hear your thoughts.
May was a very good busy month, Roller Derby was winding down and football was just starting. Unfortunately, these overlapped which made life very interesting. The football team I play for and serve as team doctor, Fox Valley Force www.fvforce.com kicked off the season in Kimberly on May 9. The Paper Valley Roller Girls www.papervalleyrollergirls.com had their season finale on May 9. So, off to the football field at 2:00 to start taping players, get dressed and warmed up for the game, play the first half, check on any injuries, go to the locker room, shower and change, drive cross town to the roller rink and get set up for roller derby. Catch my breath!
Stretch and adjust a few skaters, evaluate some pretty good injuries (torn PCL, torn hamstring insertion), get text from football coach on final score, adjust a few more skaters, and finally pack up for the day. The hard part now is which after party to attend? Problem solved, attend both!
May 16, repeat the above with the Force and the Fox Cityz Foxz www.foxcityzfoxz.com !
Memorial weekend came at the right time!
Roller derby is done for me until the fall, football is now half over, and soccer season has just begun. I coach a 15 year old girls soccer team-Neenah Dragons.
What make it possible to do all this? I love it! Life would be pretty boring without all the adventure.
Leave a comment or question, love to hear your thoughts.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Ankle Sprains
As a sports doctor, I see many injuries. The most common is the ankle sprain.
It never fails, if I'm covering an event, such as a soccer tournament, a kid will twist an ankle and some well meaning parent with some medical training will jump right in with the "Standard" advice. Don't take off the shoe, ice right away, don't walk on it, take some ibuprofen.....
While these steps have been firmly implanted into our heads; this approach actually slows the healing process and sets up an inferior repair that will lead to repeat ankle injuries.
The old RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) treatment is good for immediate pain relief, but does nothing to enhance or speed the healing process. Let me explain...
When an ankle or other joint is sprained, the ligaments that hold the bones together get stretched or torn. This can only happen if the bones get pulled apart. When you twist an ankle, one side gets opened up and stretches/tears the ligament. It is imperative that the bones get re-aligned immediately to start the repair process.
The first thing I do is evaluate the injury and see if the ligaments are intact, then traction the joint to re-align the boney structures. This usually brings great relief to the injured athlete. This must also be done before the swelling begins.
Conventional wisdom tells us that swelling and inflammation is bad. If it is bad, why does the body do it? Swelling and inflammation is vital to the repair process. The swelling floods the damaged area and cleans out the damaged tissue. This gives a foundation for the repair. Inflammation occurs when tissues are damaged. Histamines are released from the cells. This histamine release sets in motiion the repair process, as the body begins to deliver repair materials to the area. The pain and swelling helps to protect the joint durring this phase.
Taking NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-ibuprofen) leads to fibrosis formation. This creates an inferior and weak repair, prone to reinjury. Natural anti-inflammatory remedies include tumeric, curcummin and the enzyme bromelain are effective.
Weight bearing, as soon as possible, will strengthen the repair and speed healing. Weight stresses the repair and the body will build a stronger repair along the stress zones.
Best advice... if you suffer a sprained ankle, have a trained sports chiropractor evaluate it and treat as needed. Within a week to 10 days, most ankle sprains are healed enough to resume normal activities. Any questions or comments would be welcome.
It never fails, if I'm covering an event, such as a soccer tournament, a kid will twist an ankle and some well meaning parent with some medical training will jump right in with the "Standard" advice. Don't take off the shoe, ice right away, don't walk on it, take some ibuprofen.....
While these steps have been firmly implanted into our heads; this approach actually slows the healing process and sets up an inferior repair that will lead to repeat ankle injuries.
The old RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) treatment is good for immediate pain relief, but does nothing to enhance or speed the healing process. Let me explain...
When an ankle or other joint is sprained, the ligaments that hold the bones together get stretched or torn. This can only happen if the bones get pulled apart. When you twist an ankle, one side gets opened up and stretches/tears the ligament. It is imperative that the bones get re-aligned immediately to start the repair process.
The first thing I do is evaluate the injury and see if the ligaments are intact, then traction the joint to re-align the boney structures. This usually brings great relief to the injured athlete. This must also be done before the swelling begins.
Conventional wisdom tells us that swelling and inflammation is bad. If it is bad, why does the body do it? Swelling and inflammation is vital to the repair process. The swelling floods the damaged area and cleans out the damaged tissue. This gives a foundation for the repair. Inflammation occurs when tissues are damaged. Histamines are released from the cells. This histamine release sets in motiion the repair process, as the body begins to deliver repair materials to the area. The pain and swelling helps to protect the joint durring this phase.
Taking NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-ibuprofen) leads to fibrosis formation. This creates an inferior and weak repair, prone to reinjury. Natural anti-inflammatory remedies include tumeric, curcummin and the enzyme bromelain are effective.
Weight bearing, as soon as possible, will strengthen the repair and speed healing. Weight stresses the repair and the body will build a stronger repair along the stress zones.
Best advice... if you suffer a sprained ankle, have a trained sports chiropractor evaluate it and treat as needed. Within a week to 10 days, most ankle sprains are healed enough to resume normal activities. Any questions or comments would be welcome.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Office Decore
My office has, of course, the standard "health care office" decorations. Magazine rack and educational posters in the reception room, diplomas on the wall, etc.... But in my Patient Education Room I have some very interesting "Props".
I have Silly Putty, several bent and rusty bolts and nuts, rubber bands, a bowling ball....But my favorite Prop is an actual tire from one of my cars!
Why on God's Green Earth would a doctor have an old worn out tire in his office (not to mention the rusty bolts, but that is a subject for a future post)? Remember, this is my patient education room. Any good teacher will tell you, if you can get your "Students" to ask questions, they learn better. I don't bring up the tire subject for everyone, and it is really fun to watch people look at the tire, wonder about it, then finally get up the nerve to ask about it.
"What's with the old tire?" Well, you will notice a distinct wear pattern, this is a symptom, much like a headache or back pain. If you treat the symptom by replacing the tire only, what would happen later? Of course, the new tire will quickly wear out like the old one. That is why we must address the underlying "Alignment" problem to fix this symptom. The lightbulb really pops on about now!
Understanding that just covering up a symptom with medication, does not actually fix anything and the symptom will return until the underlying alignment problem is fixed.
Got a symptom? Get your alignment checked!
Love to hear your comments or questions, leave a note!
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