A Perfect Pattern

What is essential for a perfect fit, a pleasing style, and happy results? The answer is to have an excellent pattern to go by.

In building a house, creating a new invention, or accomplishing anything in life, a good idea and a perfect plan are essential for best results.

This fact holds true in everything. It is especially true in creating your life's pattern or reaching a higher goal, or being your better self which is a worthy ambition that you should always strive to attain.

Of course perfection is seldom reached. But, it is something to shoot for and there is great satisfaction in almost reaching your objective. Anything less than your best is unworthy. You have to think high to rise, and this is very true if you expect to win the prize.

Perhaps you will say your handicap in life is ill health, that you live on aspirins and other drugs you have been prescribed by doctors.

No wonder you have health problems. Can you expect great good from a wrong course? Can there be anything near perfection in a pattern unsound in principle? Drugs merely blind you to effect and actually correct nothing. Perhaps you realize this but continue to rationalize, "What can I do? I must have relief."

Look at it this way. Your body has been called God's masterpiece because of its marvelous design. Consider the dexterity of the hands and fingers. The marvel of sight and hearing, the beauty of form. The miracle of thought and memory, the wonders of digestion which is the changing of common food into living, loving flesh, blood and bones, hair, skin and nails. Also consider the additional fact of the healing of injuries or diseases and the supplying of nourishment when and where needed. These represent perfection to the highest degree. Had you thought of that?

But, you still may continue to protest that your body is out of tune with nature's plan. What can you do about it? The pattern may be perfect, but what about the means of keeping it so? What is it that directs and controls all bodily function? This is done through the nervous system. The nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord plus its bundles of spinal nerves that emit from openings between the vertebrae. In this masterful arrangement the spinal column encases the spinal cord. Through these openings nerve bundles emit before separating into countless tiny fibers that form a direct medium of contact between the brain cells and tissue cells.

Through this medium, all sensation is communicated to the brain where the message in interpreted and responding mental impulses direct and control all bodily activity, in a normal state of health. But sometimes due to spinal strain due to postural difficulties, or from accident related trauma, a vertebrae may be displaced to a degree so that nerves are "pinched". That disturbs function, lowers resistance, and results in dis-ease, with its various symptoms which may induce you to employ pain killers and kindred methods to reduce pain.

There is a better way! Clearly, a natural methodology would be the utilization of chiropractic to restore a more perfect pattern. This is done by hand only, to correct the cause thus opening the way toward better health and a more abundant and higher
quality of life.

High Blood Pressure - Highly Likely

Do you think you're safe from high blood pressure? Think again. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that 90% of Americans may develop hypertension (high blood pressure) in their lives. This health condition potentially leads to heart disease and premature death.

The authors of the study determined lifetime risk for hypertension in 1,300 people aged 55-65 years and hypertension-free at the start of the study. Hypertension was defined as a blood pressure of at least 140/90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury - the standard measure of blood pressure), or the use of anti-
hypertensive medication.

Lifetime risk for the development of hypertension was 90% in both age groups. In other words, nine out of 10 people in the 22-year study had high blood pressure at some point later in life. Also, 60% of the individuals took anti-hypertensive medication at some point.

Besides detrimental effects on health, hypertension creates a financial burden on society, which will likely increase as the percentage of older Americans increases in the near future. The best ways to prevent high blood pressure are essentially free: Exercise regularly (30 minutes of aerobic exercise, five times per week is ideal) and maintain a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in fats, simple sugars, and sodium.

Reference: Vasan RS, Beiser A, Seshadri S, et al. Residual lifetime risk for developing hypertension in middle-aged women and men: The Framingham Heart Study. Journal of the American Medical Association 2002:287(8), pp. 1003-1010.

Aspirin For Heart Attacks

Dr. Virend Somers, is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, was the lead author of a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 A.M. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened. Dr. Somers and his colleagues have been working for a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame.

1. If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the Aspirin would be strongest in your system.

2. Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest for years, (when it gets old, it smells like vinegar). Thus, discard the old and purchase new. Something that we can do to help ourselves, and good to know. Also, Bayer is making crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue. These would work much faster than the tablets.

Why keep Aspirin by your bedside? It's about Heart Attacks

There are other symptoms of a heart attack, besides the pain on the left arm. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.

Note: There may be NO pain in the chest during a heart attack.

The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack during their sleep did not wake up. However, if it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep. If that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

Afterwards:

- Call 911

- Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by

- Say "heart attack!"

- Say that you have taken 2 Aspirins

- Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival and ... DO NOT LIE DOWN!

A Victim of Routine

Many people are victims of circumstances, victims of wind and weather, victims of flood and tornado, victims of war and many other hazards. But, had it occurred to you that you may also become the victim of routine? The definition - "a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program."

What is routine? It's a sort of habit, doing things in a constant way, adopting some regular mode of action in business or pleasure.  By definition - "a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program," and "pursuing a given course with little flexibility."

What is wrong with that? Nothing really, unless the habit becomes static, unproductive, or stale. Good habits aid in accomplishment, they guide you in a regular course, making things come easily and/or quickly - all to the good. Thus, there is more power to such a positive routine.

Of course, there is a chance of becoming a victim of negative routine, constantly doing things the hard way, being unwilling to change, holding fast to an antiquated pattern of life, giving too much attention to time-consuming, unprofitable details. Such routine needs to be modified and brought up-to-date.

In a broader sense, there is also routine in politics, in religion, and in health methods. Voting for the same party regardless of policies, holding fast to one political group or to fixed methods. Religion likewise becomes more or less static with many people. Prayers are sometimes routine - asking the blessing is a good example. People in general follow fixed patterns; even the Lord's Prayer is more or less a matter of rote (a committal to memory), without thought to its true meaning. Had you thought of that?

And, what about health methods? What is your pattern when ill? Do you rely on aspirin, pain killers, tranquilizers, shots, vitamins, and vaccines without thought about the side effects and consequences to your overall general health? Are you a victim of treatment routine?

What is health anyway? Is health something that can be bought and sold, or taken by the dose, or acquired on a doctor's prescription? Have you ever analyzed the question? Can health be injected by a hypodermic or grafted on by surgery? Think about it!

Doctors of chiropractic have a different approach. We look upon the body as God's masterpiece, a unit composed of many elements, all arranged in systems having definite functions, organized and harmonized through the nervous system.

What relationship does the spine hold to health? All functions and activities of the body are directed and controlled through the nervous system. You recognize this, perhaps, but do you realize that shocks and strains on the spine sometimes cause a vertebra to be displaced to a degree resulting in nerve interference that disturbs function, lowers resistance,and results in dis-ease.

Antibacterial Soap Overuse May Help Spread Disease

From an August 1st MSNBC article come news that scrubbing your hands too often with antibacterial soap may actually have the opposite effect and make you and others more susceptible to disease.

Doctors at the summer scientific meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology said that, "When overused, the relatively harsh detergent action of antibacterial soaps leaves you vulnerable to open sores that can attract bacteria, resulting in skin problems such as eczema."

Dr. Marianne O’Donoghue, associate professor of dermatology at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago in referring to over washing with antibacterial soap said,

"This begins a vicious cycle, whereby a person who develops hand eczema or another form of dermatitis touches a surface, leaving microscopic germs behind. Another person comes along, touches that surface and he too can be infected with the bacteria."

Dr. William Baugh, chief of dermatology at the Beaufort Naval Hospital in Beaufort, S.C., agreed. “I’ve seen patients who have developed hand eczema from these [antibacterial] products,” he said. “It certainly can occur [and spread].” Baugh went on to say, “When I ask patients [with eczema] how often they wash their hands, they say 20 to 25 times a day. They think they are being good citizens by washing frequently. But you can over do a good thing.”

Presently it is estimated from a recent survey that nearly half of 1,100 liquid and solid soaps contain antibacterial agents. From a dermatologist’s point of view, antibacterials are among the most worrisome products contributing to skin problems, O’Donoghue said. She continued, “They literally strip away fatty acids, moisture and amino acid from the skin.” Baugh added, "Overuse of antibacterials is worse than frequent use of other soaps as chemicals in the detergents strip away the naturally protective fats and oils on the skin."

Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy Damages the Unborn Brain

Reuters Health news service ran an article dated Feb 10, that stated that researchers now know how drinking alcohol during pregnancy can affect the brain of a fetus. This study also published in the February 11, 2000 issue of the Journal of Science, was conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Missouri.

One of the authors, Dr. John Olney, stated that "Its a mechanism that involves interfering with basic transmitter of the systems in the brain, which literally drives the brains nerve cells to commit suicide." The shocking part of the report was that it was reported that just one episode of getting drunk during the third trimester of pregnancy would be enough to damage the brain of a fetus.

Effects alcohol could have on the baby

When you drink, the alcohol quickly travels through your bloodstream, crosses the placenta, and reaches your baby. Your baby breaks down alcohol more slowly than you do, so she may end up with higher levels of blood alcohol than you have.

Drinking endangers your growing baby in a number of ways: It increases the risk of a miscarriage and stillbirth. As little as one drink a day can raise the odds for having a baby with a low birth weight and raise your child's risk for having problems with learning, speech, attention span, language, and hyperactivity.

Some research has shown that expectant moms who have as little as one drink a week are more likely than nondrinkers to have children who later exhibit aggressive and delinquent behavior. One study found that girls whose mothers drank during pregnancy are more likely to have mental health problems.

"Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders" (FASD) is the term experts use to describe the range of problems related to alcohol exposure before birth. The most severe result of alcohol use is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a lifelong condition characterized by poor growth (in the womb, after birth, or both), abnormal facial features, and damage to the central nervous system.

Babies with FAS may also have abnormally small heads and brains, as well as heart, spine, and other anatomical defects. The central nervous system damage may include mental retardation, delays in physical development, vision and hearing problems, and a variety of behavioral problems.

Frequent drinking (seven or more alcoholic drinks per week, including liquor, wine, and beer) or binge drinking (four or more drinks on any one occasion) greatly increases the risk that your baby will suffer from FAS. Even babies whose mothers drink less can also develop this syndrome. Babies exposed to alcohol before birth – even if they don't have the full spectrum of FAS – may still be born with some of these birth defects or later exhibit a number of mental, physical, or behavioral problems.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fetal exposure to alcohol is one of the main preventable causes of birth defects and developmental problems in this country. More than 10 percent of women in the United States drink during pregnancy, and about 1 in 50 pregnant women binge drink. The babies of all these women are at risk for alcohol-related effects.

I personally met and photographed Dr. Hans Selye at Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1974.

"The Stress of Life" is a perennial bestseller by Hans Selye, written in 1956. Selye almost single-handedly introduced the notion of stress into the worldwide consciousness. By doing so, Selye changed the way we think about ourselves, our values, and how we conduct our lives.

As Selye observed, stress is a double-edged sword. Many types of stress are good for people, both physiologically and personally. For example, Wolff's law states that bone will remodel (build more bone) along lines of mechanical stress. In other words, bone becomes stronger when it is subjected to physical loads. The physiological stress of weight-bearing exercise such as walking, running, and strength training helps prevent osteoporosis by making bone denser and more resilient. From a psychological perspective, the great German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, famously stated in "Twilight of the Idols" (1888), "What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Apparently, Nietzsche (writing in the 19th century) was far ahead of Selye in pointing to the benefits (and dangers) of stress.

Life is filled with "good" stresses. A new love relationship, a new job, or a new baby may all provide great personal happiness and the experience of fulfillment and satisfaction. But each circumstance may also place new demands on us, calling on us to be and do much more than that of which we had previously thought ourselves capable. A person may develop all sorts of adaptive responses in attempts to cope with life's new requirements, but most of these adaptations are themselves stress-producing. Over time the adaptations become habits, stress becomes a day-by-day experience, and a host of physiological and psychological disorders and syndromes may appear.1,2 High blood pressure, diabetes, overweight/obesity, arthritis, insomnia, and depression may all be considered as long-term maladaptive responses to stress.3

Muscular aches and pains, muscle spasms, and headaches are common physiological responses to ongoing stress. A vicious circle develops in which stress leads to muscle tightness, which constricts blood vessels, which leads to headaches, which leads to more muscle tightness, more pain, and even more stress. One's day seems to become filled with stress and stress reactions. The good news is that means of ending these vicious circles of stress are available. Present time consciousness, regular exercise and a healthy diet, sufficient rest, and regular chiropractic care comprise a powerful tool kit for restoring balance in one's life.

1Wu EL, et al: Increased risk of hypertension in patients with major depressive disorder: a population-based study. J Psychosom Res 73(3):169-174, 2012

2Hristova MG: Metabolic syndrome - From the neurotrophic hypothesis to a theory. Med Hypotheses 2013 July 27 [Epub ahead of print]

3Martocchia A, et al: Targets of anti-glucocorticoid therapy for stress-related diseases. Recent Pat CNS Drug Discov 8(1):79-87, 2013