Blue Heron Chiropractic – Dr. Dana’s Blog

“The Future of Personalized Medicine” was in an article today in the Wall Street Journal. It raised major cautionary flags for me. The idea here is that “Apps” on our “smartphones” will soon analyze a drop of our blood, and allow sophisticated software (maybe even “in The Cloud”) to be “a Doctor in your Pocket” and handle all your healthcare needs.  Dear patients: This is not personalized medicine… it’s impersonal-ized medicine. Please allow me my opinion: Healthcare is an Art and a Science, both, and in that order – but you need both.  Converting your healthcare to a Cloud computer’s ability to cross reference a database and spit out an answer to a question, and then blindly trusting that to meet your needs, seems to me to be surrendering to the generic.  While if it were real, “a doctor in your pocket” would certainly shorten my appointment times with people, it would pull all of the ART out of healthcare.  My idea: Let a skilled human provider like ME cross-reference the databases, let me look at you, hear you, and help you fit things into a context that works for you. Let me listen to your WORDS and hear your voice, let me cry with you, let me pat you on the back and say “you made it”… unless a little red or green dot on the screen will be enough for you – and let’s do it inside an appointment with some hands on.

Now, advances will come and they will be very helpful. I don’t mind an App telling my patients not to OD on Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or not to eat too much red meat. But who will write these? And PS, they will not be able to create an APP that can release a dysfunctional joint in your spine…

But I’m just saying…. I think the dream sounds good, but exceeds the reality…

Here’s the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577155162382326848.html

Awesome NY Times Article! Seeing a chiropractor definitively relieves neck pain more effectively than relying on pain medication, new research shows. And – the results were still the same after a year! Also, chiropractic was better than exercise alone for relieving neck pain (58% compared to 47%). And remember, “exercise” is a pretty big category, and many of you (you know who you are) have hurt yourself doing certain exercises. Let’s get you treated and get an exercise plan tuned for you. Here is the link to the article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/for-neck-pain-chiropractic-and-exercise-are-better-than-drugs/?src=me&ref=general

I wanted to spend a moment telling you how I prepare to treat you when you come in for an appointment.  First of all, you have a treatment plan, that I have discussed with you, and that shows up on my screen whenever I access your chart on my electronic records system.  When your name comes up on the schedule, I open your file and review the discussion items and the objectives I may have set for your last appointment. I then look to see if there were referrals made – for x-rays, for example. I then check to see if we have gotten in the things we requested – a report, a confirmation, a record from another provider.  I check to see what kind of specialties you might need – a work restriction update, a special pillow on the table or perhaps a particular type of adjusting. I check any risk factors that might be associated with your case. If there are more diagnostics to do, we get ready to order them.

I meet with the staff the night before, to discuss your upcoming appointment. We then review you again in the morning, and go over the Treatment Plan with both the biller and the therapy assistant/LMT – to get everyone on the same page. I then wait for you to arrive. So if ever wondered how much time and attention went into things before you actually even got here, now you know.  Part 2….next week.

I am originally from New York,  and New Years always had to do with the giant Times Square “Ball” and bundling up against the cold and watching it drop – standing elbow to elbow in a spirit of fun and excitement.  There is something refreshing about a new year, new beginnings, newly refreshed ideas, maybe new energy. I hope you will have some fun making some resolutions  -  we here at Blue Heron Chiropractic and A Back in Balance Chiropractic & Massage will, too.  I hope to see you  as we transition into 2012. Call and schedule and we will make our skills available to you!

I have seen an increase of cyclist accidents lately. It started with the wet leaves; it has continued with the black ice. At least at this time… watch out in those early hours!

Hey, by the way… of course not you, but help me tell our biker friends – helmets and lights! I’m just sayin’…

I am evaluating putting a collage of active life pictures to scroll in a window on my new website. Got any pictures of you doing anything outrageous and showing you living an Active Life?  Here’s me doing it the other day.   Yes, my eyes were closed but I was NOT sleeping. It was very bright. So how about you? Watcha got? Bring them in on your phone or iPod Touch at your next appointment!
While you are here getting treated, let’s talk about Vitality! Ask me…

You may have heard or seen something about BMI or Body Mass Index. This number correlates with the amount of fat in your body – and yet, it does not directly measure body fat. What? Well – it’s an index, a pointer, a guideline.  It describes the situation better than just your “weight”. There are a lot of factors that go into BMI – and a number of ways to calculate it. There are also huge variations in the results depending on which method you use – weight to height, waist-to-hip-ratio, bioelectric resistance testing, caliper, or water-tank. It really makes no sense to compare these actual numbers with each other;  and rather than arguing which is more accurate, it IS valuable to compare the information they  provide. Some sources, for example, might calculate you as “obese, while the other says “overweight”. The question is, which one feels right to you, which is more motivating, and which one do you want to use? Which will motivate you better?  You will know (or your chiropractor or trainer will help you to recognize) when you are really getting to where you want to be.

For more on BMI, you could see http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html; but let’s talk about a vitality program at your next appointment. Call ahead and tell us that you want to talk about VITALITY. We will know what you mean.

The feature film “Forks Over Knives” examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by (drastically reducing or eliminating) animal-based and processed foods.  The statistics and research presented in this film are really jaw-dropping. Worthy of a look – even if you are not planning to become a Vegetarian.  It’s not a Vegan Activist piece; it’s more scientific – and all of this stuff has to be “taken with a grain of salt”.  However, after watching it, I am cutting my Animal Protein intake in half. That seems reasonable for a start!   So, Dr. Oz says see it, Dr. Gupta says see it, now Dr. Sibilla says SEE IT. Let’s talk about it at your next treatment visit.    http://www.forksoverknives.com/

I get to see a lot of skin in my practice (being one of the few who care to GOWN their patients and work hands on!) and I do get to see some scary skin lesions. The identification of skin cancers is mysterious and requires a lot of practice (I did very well in dermatology but it was hard for a lot of people I knew!). It really should not be attempted at home, so to speak.

And still, I wanted to give you a chance to look at a few pictures that might actually save your life. What follows is a link to a CBSnews slide show that gives you 38 pictures of common benign, pre-cancerous, and cancerous skin lesions. All I can say is I have seen every one of them at Blue Heron. Let me say in advance I don’t control what shows up on this news site, and I am not sure how long it can be accessed, but here it is:

http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10006772.html?tag=page

While you may not have asked me to do this in your chiropractic appointment, I often make a point of pointing these out to you when I see a suspicious one of these on your spine.  Of course some of them are not in my line of sight, but I never treat right on top of one.  Whether you take them seriously or not is your business, but I hope you would. If you have any questions, let me know, I will see you at your next appointment and make a referral to an awesome dermatologist that I know.

Your body can’t live without water.  Water delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells, flushes toxins from organs, regulates body temperature, keeps your skin moist and – (especially important in our context) – cushions your joints. Drinking enough water can even keep your appetite in check. Bonus!

Problem is, some drinks that “contain water” actually are NOT beneficial. So what should you drink that won’t sabotage your health? Plain water is still your best hydration choice: it’s calorie-free and devoid of additives.  Additives in water change the way your body processes it; tea, for example, contains water; but it is a diuretic and makes your body lose water.

A good way to figure it is, decide if your drink CONTAINS water, or IS water.  Or look, just go with water, ok? If you want flavor, add sliced lemon or citrus fruit, crushed mint leaves or a splash of pomegranate or cranberry juice.  Someone really charmed me the other day at a party, with ultra-thinly sliced CUCUMBER in the water. Classy. Or make ice cubes from 100 per cent fruit juice and add two to a glass of water. Watch out for the sugar.

Sparkling water, such as club soda or mineral water, is another option, although a little more expensive. Despite the myth that carbonated water robs calcium from your bones, there’s not a shred of evidence to support this.  If mineral water is your main source of water, be mindful of sodium. Naturally occurring, sodium is listed on the label in parts per million, equivalent to milligrams of sodium per liter. Suggestion: go with “VERY LOW SODIUM”. Drink up!