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October - November 2012 “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life, sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” Let Us Give ThanksThis is a precious time of year. We start to settle in for the winter, we get extra time with family and close friends, and baking becomes a regular event. This can also be a stressful time of year. Many of us feel pressure to provide entertainment for guests and to have the house in perfect condition. The cost and time of preparing meals can take away from the little time we have to ourselves. You might be surprised to learn that the time of year in which we see the greatest number of new clients coming in with acute injuries - unable to stand up straight because of low back pain - is between the start of November and the start of January. People are spending time on others that they'd rather spend on relaxing. Take care of yourself this holiday season. Be thoughtful about what you eat and drink. Be honest about how you want to spend your time and give the gift of honesty by choosing out of obligatory events you'd rather not participate in. Most of all, cherish your family and those you love and trust. You never know if you'll have another holiday season with them or not. Enjoy quiet time with loved ones, News from UsNew Faces Around the Office In January we will be having a Penn State Kinesiology student, Erin Corrigan, start as a 4-month intern. She will be completing 40 hours a week with us, many in the office and many out of the office. If for some reason you prefer not to have her present for your treatments just let us know as you schedule your next visit or when you arrive. This is an opportunity for her, not an obligation for you, and your privacy and time is the priority. Additionally, Erin will not be sitting in on new patient visits in order to ensure patient confidentiality. Also in January our friend, Rae Stefaniak, a licensed massage therapist, will start seeing clients in our office on a limited basis. She is a caring and authentic individual in addition to being a gifted body worker, which is why we've invited her in. Please read her interview below and say “Hi” if you bump into her around the clinic. Please let me know if you have any questions! Highmark Policy Changes Update What this means is that clinics like ours are required to do all the paperwork and jump through all the pre-approval hoops, but that Highmark will pay on all claims through the end of the year. Starting in January, without Penn State and other Highmark customers taking action, the plan will go into effect and those customers' benefits will be lost. This has both benefits and challenges. The benefit is that we have more time to understand some parts of the process, and that small PT and chiropractic offices will not have their revenue cut off for a few more months. The challenge is that we will not have the chance to understand how the approval process works for a few more months, specifically whether Highmark's contractor, Healthways, will be inclined to approve visits or simply to deny everything as most managed care plans do. Please make your opinion heard, you are the ones with power in this situation. Original Highmark bulletin to providers announcing the change (6/2012) Centre Chiropractic's letter to clients explaining the change (8/2012) Centre Chiropractic's email update (9/2/2012) Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association documents: Report from PCA on the change and ugly details about the organizations (8/2012) Help Us Help More People
Please take a moment to like us on Facebook, write a Recommendation at LinkedIn, or write a short review at Yelp. Thank you very, very much! For those of you who may have missed it, we spent several months producing a series of videos on chiropractic, Gonstead, adjusting and spiritual psychology which are all posted on our website and on our video channel on YouTube. In the coming year my intention is to record a series of videos for the most common stretching and strengthening exercises we do so you'll have a visual reference in addition to memory and handouts. These are fun if you've ever wondered what's going on behind you while you're busy lying down! A Few Thoughts on PreventionOver my years in mental and physical health care, I have noticed many common but dangerous thoughts about health, self-care, and how to approach illness. While analogies between the body and your car are great for helping us really get the importance of taking care of the machine our brain and soul walk around in, there is one flaw in them: bodies are self-healing and self-regulating, which cars aren't. The other sad difference is that most people are more willing to spend money on their car than they are on their health… Ignoring symptoms, hoping they'll go away? Do you tape over the oil warning light on your dashboard? If you ignore it, your health will go away - symptoms are your friend. There is no condition worth being scared to find out about that will get better with time. Waiting until things hurt to see your doctor? Do you wait until your car is already out of gas to put some in? The American Medical Association reported that 60% of the time, heart attack is the first symptom of heart disease. Telling yourself you're weak, a whiner, and to pull yourself up by your bootstraps? Do you yell at your tire when it has a slow air leak? How bad is bad enough? Taking drugs for pain instead of rising the mechanical (muscle, joint) problem? Do you replace your tires over and over, or get the alignment checked? Problems are only solved by addressing the cause. Health cannot be achieved by treating symptoms. Waiting for "the miracles of modern science" to come up with a solution? Do you assume Pennzoil varies are coming tonight to change your oil? Many medical treatments have poor outcomes and are not at all miraculous… New ResearchSunshine a Powerful Treatment for Drug-Resistant TuberculosisRecent research from the UK confirms understanding that Vitamin D is a powerful anti-inflammatory and speeds soft tissue healing, in this case impacting patients' ability to recover from TB, a condition which has been seeing a resurgence as drug-resitant strains spread. Read more… Spinal Fusion Surgery Continues to Show Poor OutcomesA recently published study from Australia evaluated outcomes for recipients of low back spinal fusion surgery. Only half of those studied ever returned to work, the other half unable to perform basic work duties after poor surgical results. Read the abstract here… Or read a commentary here. ADD, ADHD Drugs Having Serious, Sometimes Fatal EffectsI wanted to share this report I received recently by email, from a doctor in Florida. A recent investigation conducted by The Star, a newspaper in Canada, unearthed information about 600 children who had serious, sometimes fatal, side effects of drugs used for the symptoms associated with ADD and ADHD. Each of these children went to the hospital, suffered a disability or life-threatening condition, or died. The investigators also discovered that ADHD drugs Strattera and Concerta were “the second- and third-highest suspected causes of reported serious side effects suffered by Canadian kids taking any drug in the past 10 years.” According to The Star, this was worse than any cancer drug, any antipsychotic drug for kids with serious mental illness, and “more than nearly 1,800 other drugs reported to have been the suspected cause of a serious side effect in a Canadian child since 2001.” They also found that “in more than 40 per cent of all cases where a youth thought about suicide, an ADHD drug is listed as the suspected cause.” Some reported side effects included: 20 cases of psychosis; 40 cases of depression; 24 with convulsions; 48 with hallucinations; 20 overdoses, eight intentional; 3 cases of stroke; 28 cases of heart problems including heart attack; and 23 cases of liver damage. Some reported amnesia, mania, cerebral hemorrhage, suicide ideation and suicide attempts, both successful and unsuccessful. Two hundred of the reports were from the last two years, and some of the children were as young as 4 years old. It is also widely acknowledged that these types of incidents are grossly under-reported. How many of these things are actually going on is anyone's guess, but some experts believe the number of events being reported to be about 5 percent of what's actually happening. ADD and ADHD are not diseases, they are diagnoses given to sets of symptoms. Many of the symptoms can be caused by actual physical conditions such as allergies, toxicities, hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and so on. However, when a child exhibits the symptoms, they are likely to be put on the drugs without a thorough investigation of their physical condition. The drugs do not cure or even address the root cause of the problem. If your child has the symptoms of ADD or ADHD, have them checked out by a healthcare professional who is trained to thoroughly investigate these problems and find the cause of the symptoms, rather than simply treating them with dangerous drugs. Sources: The Star, article one The Star, article twoFeatured Practitioner, Rae Stefaniak
What is holistic bodywork? My approach to healing and bodywork involves the whole self. To achieve optimal wellness, all facets of our lives need to be in harmony. While massage therapy and reiki are my primary focuses, sessions may also include breathwork, guided meditation, stretching, a nutritional tidbit, etc. Most likely you will be given “homework” to co-facilitate your wellness; this can range from doing the breathwork at home to worry reduction exercises to getting a few minutes of fresh air everyday. I want your health to extend beyond our bodywork sessions. Why do I need holistic bodywork from you? My philosophy is that we are all responsible for our own health, and therefore have the ability to improve it at any time. I work to empower people to take charge of their health and listen to their own inner wisdom. Our bodies will always tell us what we need if we are only willing to listen. In our time together, I'll give you everything I have; I also expect you to give me your best since you'll be practicing wellness without me many more hours than you will with me. Your well-being is my top priority; I was put on this earth to be a shealer (she-healer) and helping you to feel well fulfills my life purpose. There is true gratitude in my work and for my clients. Does it hurt? What is it like to experience? Generally massage and energy work are very relaxing. Some people prefer deeper work such as trigger point therapy. Most would describe this level of work as “good pain” in that it may be uncomfortable in the session, and sore post-session, but highly effective in relieving deep or chronic pain. Reiki does not hurt. Many people fall asleep. As with all forms of bodywork, emotional releases are possible. Laughing and/or crying sometimes happens and that is perfectly natural and acceptable; it simply means your body is ready to let go of an emotion or experience. What type of training do bodyworkers have? That varies by the type of bodywork involved. Massage therapists have different training than Rolfers, for example. My education took place at the Central PA School of Massage and involved a blend of anatomy, physiology, pathology, somatic therapies, and various massage styles such as swedish, sports, myofascial, lymph drainage, geriatric, pregnancy, etc. I also studied Reiki and other forms of energy work under certified instructors during my time in North Carolina. As licensed healthcare professionals, we are required to take continuing education classes and honor a code of ethics to ensure we are providing the best care possible to our beloved clients. Rae can be reached at 919-608-8146 or you can email her to schedule an appointment. Incredible Downhill RideOkay, so let's be honest - not only could I never pull this ride off physically, I couldn't even remember the route he takes! As far as extreme sports go I'm not a fan of mountain biking, but this is incredible. Watch it full screen, then read the hilarious comments.
Your Brain On PrayerA very cool examination of changes in brain function during prayer. 
A Finger, Two Dots, Then MeI know not many people are fans of poetry, but the internet has allowed pots to present their work in a visual way that makes it much more accessible. A close friend recently forwarded me the link to this beautiful piece.
Marianne Williamson, The Gift of ChangeMy selection this month is a beautiful and inspiring book that was a very powerful read for me, in particular because I had not previously been a fan of Marianne Williamson's writing style. I was not expecting to be so moved by this book, and that made the impact even better. As someone who has gone through many successful transitions in my life, I found this to be a great reminder that even scary changes bring deep blessings.
FarewellThanks for your participation, and thanks for your feedback. In addition to linking to my website in order to keep the newsletter concise, these will all be archived on the website so you can always go back later to read, research or forward content. It's also important to me that you know that I am never compensated in any way for any of the promotions in this newsletter; individuals, businesses and products are featured because I believe in them. Subscribe to the Centred on Health newsletter… As most of you know, my mission is to support as many people as is possible in living healthier lives and making more informed choices. This newsletter is designed to communicate current research, information and perspectives in service to that mission and is provided free of charge and without obligation. It may or may not contain promotional events or advertising for Dr. Matthew Hertert and Centre Chiropractic. Centred on Health values your privacy. We do not sell, rent, loan or transfer your personal information to anyone else. For more detail, please view our privacy policy. |
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