The last column covered the largest “driver” of health care costs, which is lifestyle, and the benefits (including cost benefits) of living a wellness lifestyle. Now we’ll look at the second part of the wellness equation — the benefits of wellness care, especially when compared to today’s health care system.
Most people aren’t aware of the difference between wellness care and disease care. We just assume health care is primarily medical, with a few problems that can be helped by “alternative-type” treatments. But wellness care can — and some say should — be the cornerstone of a health care system.
The problem with a disease-based system is that while it does treat disease, it doesn’t necessarily improve health. Despite the fact that 81 percent of the U.S. population uses an over the counter or prescription medication regularly, our health is not improving, it is declining.
The number of people on multiple medications is steadily rising, along with rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Changing our health care system to one that is based on wellness care could save our state millions, not only in improved health outcomes but also in reducing our need for drugs, surgery, testing and hospitalizations. In contrast to our current system, where a disease is managed by drugs that improve one bodily function (say, blood pressure) but interfere with several others (“side effects”), wellness care focuses on improving all parts of a patient’s health without upsetting other functions. This includes treatments such as manipulation, acupuncture, exercise, dietary recommendations and supplements and herbals. These are very powerful treatments and the experiences had by millions of patients has shown them to be effective for most health problems, especially chronic diseases.
There is a lot of skepticism in our drug-oriented society for anything that isn’t in pill form, but research has shown chiropractic care to be very safe, effective and economical.
Of course, most of the research was done on back pain, since it is one of the most common health problems, but there is evidence that chiropractic helps other health problems such as asthma, vertigo, colic and blood pressure.
Many chiropractic doctors also argue that care of the spine benefits the whole body, and there may be improvements in health that seem to be unrelated to the treatment. Many patients report that they sleep better, are more relaxed and more. This is the nature of a wellness treatment — its “side effects” are actually an overall improvement in health.
There also is plenty of research that shows acupuncture to be effective. In fact, the World Health Organization’s website on acupuncture lists 28 conditions that have enough research behind them that it can be recommended as a treatment. This list includes very common problems, such as back and neck pain, depression, and headache, as well as unexpected conditions such as malposition of the fetus (breach babies), nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and high blood pressure. The site further list 63 conditions that acupuncture has been shown to be effective for, but further research is recommended. This list includes conditions such as ulcerative colitis, tobacco and drug addiction and shingles.
In 1996, an HMO in Chicago decided to test the idea that wellness care can be the basis for their health care system. They allowed their clients to choose chiropractic doctors as their primary care providers, and the chiropractic doctors were expected to provide wellness care to their patients. They were able to order tests for their patients, but would prescribe no drugs, do no surgery and only offer natural treatments including manipulation, acupuncture, nutrition and herbals. If a patient needed medical care, they were given a referral.
After five years, the average costs per patient for the wellness providers were compared to the costs for the traditional medical providers. The results were nothing short of amazing. The overall expenses for the wellness family doctors were 60 percent less than their medical counterparts. Their patients reduced prescription drug use by 85 percent and hospital admissions by 60 percent. An article published in the 2007 Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics gives the details of this effort.
My advice? Try to be one of the 3 percent who truly live a healthy lifestyle. Even small improvements can make a big difference. And if you do get sick, be sure to start off with wellness care, going to the more aggressive disease attacking forms of health care only in emergencies or when wellness care fails.
Dr. Michael Noonan practices chiropractic, acupuncture and other wellness therapies in Old Town.
http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/09/health/benefits-of-wellness-care-over-drug-treatments-undeniable/?ref=relatedBox
Many conditions associated with chronic pain involve the musculoskeletal system. Myofascial problems and joint swelling are chief among them. There are several forms of arthritis that can lead to debilitating pain in all areas of the spine, as well as the various joints of the arms and legs. Joint pain, myofascial pain, arthritic pain and fibromyalgia, can improve significantly with several natural remedies now available.
Most people who suffer with chronic muscular pain and joint problems can derive significant benefits from exercising regularly. Stretching the muscles of the neck, back, arms, and legs helps to tone muscles. In some cases isometric and resistance exercising may also be beneficial. All of the major body joints respond remarkably well to mobilization. Active movement is therapeutic. In the upper extremities range of motion exercises from the shoulders to the fingers is essential. The same is true for the lower extremities, from the hips to the toes. People who suffer with serious muscle and joint problems should begin exercising under the direction of a qualified professional.
Inflammation is the culprit in most cases of chronic pain. Several natural anti-inflammatory herbs have shown to be quite effective in alleviating inflammation and thus easing pain. They are with few exceptions side-effect free. They include turmeric, boswelia, ginger, ginseng, and willow bark.
Several other natural products have shown significant effectiveness in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Glucosamine sulfate, 500 mg 3 times daily, taken with chondroitin sulfate 400 mg 3 times a day improves joint function and eases pain for most people with mild to moderate joint arthritis. Hyaluronic acid has also shown effectiveness.
A very helpful product that has of yet not received as much attention as glucosamine and chondroitin, are the ASUs, (avocado/soybean unsaponifiables). These products are extracts from avocado and soybean oils. They are available at health food stores and can be taken in 300-- 600 mg doses is daily.
SAMe, (or s-adenosylmethionine), has proven to be helpful for pain and inflammation associated with arthritis as well as fibromyalgia. 400-500 mg twice a day is optimal for arthritis and fibromyalgia. However, it is recommended that this product be taken in smaller doses initially to avoid any potential gastrointestinal distress.
Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/story/advice/health-matters/natural-pain-relievers-are-underused-for-chronic-muscular-pain-and-joint-problems-225947741.html#ixzz2gZqkD3J0
Cluster Headaches
The pain of a cluster headache is often described as an ice pick in the head because of its concentrated stabbing feeling. The name comes from the fact that the headache occurs in a cluster of days over several weeks. The pain is often followed by a runny nose or fever, so they are often known as “histamine headaches." Cluster headaches are common in the winter due to temperature changes.
Solution
Capsaicin Cream
The active ingredient in this cream is cayenne pepper. Apply a small amount to the inside of your nostril that’s on the side of your head where you are experiencing pain. The cream works to block nerve pain signals. This effective remedy can be purchased for about $11 in a health food store.
Migraine Headaches
This one-sided throbbing pain causes sensitivity to light and sound and may cause nausea. Migraines run in families and women are three times more likely to have them than men. Experts believe that migraines may be caused by nerve signals that the brain misinterprets as pain.
Solutions
Feverfew
In clinical trials, this supplement from the sunflower family has been shown to be effective for treating migraines. It reduces inflammation, which takes pressure off the nerves and helps to prevent migraines entirely. It costs around $12 and comes in capsule form.
Acupressure Massage
This ancient Chinese healing method involves applying pressure to certain points on the body to relieve pain. Place your finger in the depression between your first and second toe and press firmly for 3 to 5 minutes.
Article: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/all-natural-headache-cures?page=2
Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier.
It's underrated as a form of exercise but walking is ideal for people of all ages and fitness levels who want to be more active.
Regular walking has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma, stroke and some cancers.
Use this guide to increase the amount of walking you do every week and maximise the health benefits.
Try to walk 10,000 steps a day. Most of us walk between 3,000 and 4,000 steps a day anyway, so reaching 10,000 isn't as daunting as it might sound.
If, to begin with, you can only walk fast for a couple of minutes, that's fine. Don't overdo it on your first day.
You can break up your activity into 10-minute chunks, as long as you're doing your activity at a moderate intensity.
Read article: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-walking.aspx
