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April - May 2013 “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” Challenging TimesA few years ago there was tremendous enthusiasm about our country, the economy, and even politics on both side of the aisle. Recently I have noted increasing frustration and exhaustion being shared by many of you, our friends, in the office. This is understandable, and is complicated by global economic changes, difficult international relations and unnerving violence here at home. It can be extremely distressing to the heart, mind and ego to feel unsafe, to feel that the world is changing in ways we don't understand, and that in places where we once felt hope we now feel hopelessness. These feelings have been common to all men since we began civilization. The choice about whether to stay in hope and proactivity or to sink into fear and despair is not always an easy choice, but it is always a choice. Wake each morning and decide what your day will hold, call your best self forward, and shine your Light, power and hope through your day. It empowers and encourages others and blesses each being you touch through the day. Think carefully about what shows, movies and news you watch and whether it makes you angry and fearful, or whether you are watching things that restore your faith in God and man. Are you making choices that feed you or choices that eat you? I am praying and holding for each and every one of you, News from UsHire Woody! Many of you will remember a write-up on our friend Woody Wilson from last year's eNewsletter, and it's that time of year again. He has helped dozens of families and businessnes in our area prepare, plant, tend and harvest organic gardens on their property, and would love to help you, too! Dr. Erin Goes to Atlanta I want to extend a deep thank you to all of you for embracing Erin and allowing her to sit in on your visits over the last four months. Time has passed quickly - she is graduating from Penn State in May and moving on to study chiropractic at Life University in Atlanta. I will share updates about her progress as she shares them with me, and maybe we'll even see her return to practice in State College someday… Speak Up About Highmark Changes While chiropractic and physical therapy associations across the northeast have been lobbying Highmark and state legislators to resotre benefits taken away this year, we need Highmark's customers to speak up. This means you! The most effective actions you can take are to file written complaints with all human resources departments at Penn State (or your company if your benefits have been affected) and also to file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner. The Insurance Office is actually funded based on how many complaints they are asked to investigate, meaning they are paid to, and happy to, take complaints. The Insurance Commissioner wields the greatest power outside the PSU administration - but neither can take action unless you speak up! Doctor's offices are authorized to file on behalf of their patients, so if you'd like to fill out the form and have us offer feedback on the complaint language, we would be more than happy to help. Thanks for fighting for us and for yourself. Help Us Help More People
Recently I realized that I am asking for help in a way that could be overwhelming. I've been asking for help with three different social media sites. If I had this request from a friend, I'd want to, but would set it aside for later! So from now on I will be focusing on one site and asking for your help with it. This issue I'd like to ask you to please write a review on Centre Chiropractic at Yelp. Thank you 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! Have I Failed You As Your Chiropractor?I often wonder about my work and if – and what – I could be doing to better care for you, my clients. Recently I considered this in a new context. I stumbled across a study that indicated regular, ongoing chiropractic clients had far more blood panel indicators of DNA repair than people who weren't under chiropractic maintenance care (our DNA is constantly being damaged, and our body is constantly repairing those mutations, which produces certain markers in the blood). When I first read this, I had the same reaction as I had when I heard about the medical study that showed chiropractic was more effective in treating high blood pressure than any two HBP medications combined: "Duh!" This study was not surprising to any chiropractors or chiropractic clients, as DCs have been helping people with hypertension for a hundred years now. It was, however, nice to have affirmation of this from a more "legitimate" medical research team. As I did more reading about this DNA study, however, I found that it was not a well-run study and that the scientists' calculations and conclusions were questionable (at best). In other words, as exciting as the study could have been, it's not good evidence for the healthy effects of chiropractic. This didn't really bother me because there have been dozens of studies showing beneficial effects of spinal adjustments on healthy biochemistry, so this wasn't the loss of some groundbreaking piece of research. What bothered me more was how many DCs were celebrating this study in cyberspace without doing their homework. The suggestion that adjusting would help support the body in something as "nano" as DNA repair is not a stretch in any way to me – I didn't think twice about whether this was possible. The fact that some of my clients might question it led me to consider where I might be letting you down. While many people still think of chiropractic as a massage-style treatment for back pain, and while it can serve in that capacity, it is so much more than that. People think adjustments just fix the structure of your 'house,' but I'm more concerned with your wiring than your rafters. The importance to you as client is getting out of pain or staying out of pain, but the less-obvious, far more important benefit is that your brain can coordinate body function better, and your parts can tell your brain what resources – iron, oxygen, potassium – they need. Chiropractors adjust joints that are misaligned in order to get pressure off nerves. Nerves are how your body communicates about what's going on. If things can't coordinate or communicate, your body can't respond to injuries or insults (like whatever is raising your blood pressure) the way nature evolved us to or the way God designed us to. If you have nerve compression, your brain can't run your body's functions properly, so your body can't repair DNA at full potential. Even if this happens on a more macro-level such as not being able to digest food as well to extract nutritional resources to support DNA repair – it still happens. Have I failed you by not talking about this more often, so you really get the Big Picture? New ResearchCaesarean Delivery Contributes to Liver DiseaseThis is a tender topic in the sense that I never want parents who have had a c-section to feel guilt or remorse; however it is important for those of us who have births to come to understand that health is compromised to a degree when babies are not born with normal exposure to the flora and fauna of the vaginal canal. Natural delivery supports full biochemical, hormonal, metabolic and genetic development, and this study from England showed at least one health risk related to c-sections in piglets. Read the full study here… Adjustments Significantly Better Than NSAIDS for Low Back Pain and Clinically Superior to PlaceboShocker! A new study showed that for low back pain, adjustments were far more effective than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatments (like Advil or Alleve). Please print this one out and take it to your primary care physician for me! Read the abstract here… Patients Feel Trapped, Unheard by “Authoritarian” DoctorsThis perspective piece references an interesting study on how patients feel about talking to their doctors and the treatment choices they are offered - essentially an investigation about how patients feel about trying to be self-advocating. The results were not good. In no small part due to growing up diabetic, I am very sensitive to this relationship. I work hard, especially in my Report of Findings with each of you, to emphasize how important it is to me that we have open, honest communication and that partnership is the way to health. I hope each of you feels this is the case with us, and if ever you feel that I am overstepping my bounds, it is important to me that you let me know. It's important to me you do this with all your doctors. Link to the article within this story… Featured Practitioner, Mary Ellen Sayre, Holistic Veterinarian
What is “alternative” pet care? Alternative, or “complementary” health care for animals applies practices such as acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic, as well as herbal medicine, food therapy, and/or homeopathy to address imbalances in an individual animal. Standard or allopathic veterinary care focuses on attempting to narrow down all symptoms to one diagnosis so that one or two medications can be used in treatment; these medications are often (certainly not always) used to suppress symptoms. In comparison, a complementary approach would be to allow for various, sometimes conflicting symptoms, and to treat the animal as the complex system that it is, often times with several interventions. For instance: A dog who licks her paws, chews at her sides, scratches her elbows with her hind feet and rubs her face on the floor and couch cushions is diagnosed with “atopy” (essentially allergies). She is placed on an antihistamine or a corticosteroid to suppress the itch. The medications seem to help somewhat but once she is taken off of them the itching resumes. Over time, these medications may stop helping or produce unwanted side effects. A complementary approach might be to step back and take in the dog's history, focusing not just on her skin, but on her digestion, behavior, thirst, appetite, etc. and attempting to identify patterns. If there is a history of a sensitive stomach or diarrhea, and the dog has a greasy, stinky hair coat, a wide wet tongue, and pants incessantly, food changes would be instituted and an herbal formula addressing heat and "dampness" would be used. If, on the other hand, the dog has a history of being fearful, even to the point of fear aggression, and it is small in stature, has a small pale tongue and red eyes, we may place the dog on an herbal formula to support the blood and work with both food changes (such as adding liver to the diet) and acupuncture to reduce the itching. This is not to say that antihistamines would not be used: they are often used as well, but more as a stop-gap measure early on in treatment. What are some advantages of complementary medicine? Complementary medicine attempts to combine the most effective and least objectionable therapies into a thoughtful and tailored treatment plan. Owner observations are encouraged and considerable time is put into taking a history and communicating with the owner. For these reasons, owners tend to feel like they are taking a part in their pet's recovery and they tend to have a better understanding of their pet's problems. Additionally, side effects are very rare and usually very mild. Disadvantages? Changing an animal's diet can be tough, especially if it means home-cooking. Home cooked and other types of specific diets require time and are often more expensive than the bag of dry kibble. (Certainly processed diets are an easy and economical way of feeding ourselves and our pets, but we are learning that we will pay for this type of nutrition down the road). Additionally, because we are attempting to address the root of the problem, treatment often can be compared to “peeling an onion.” This means that during the process of healing, new symptoms may arise and the therapy then needs to change to address this. Patience and persistence is often needed by owners, however this tends to be easier when they see their pet improving. How would I know if my pet needed alternative health care? If your pet is suffering from any sort of ailment, and you feel their quality of life is not good, regardless of whether or not he/she is on medication, then trying an alternative approach will likely improve the quality of life. Chinese medicine and acupuncture have been quite helpful for pain relief and for treating chronic conditions such as digestive problems, bladder and kidney disease, liver disease, skin disease, autoimmune disease, and cancer. Does acupuncture hurt? What is it like to experience? Animals will experience a tiny pinch as the acupuncture needle is inserted and they may experience a “heaviness” in the general area of the needle. Most animals relax once the actual insertion is over; some fall asleep. It is important to keep the animal as still as possible, however, because the needles will pull and hurt if they are moved around too much. What is the time and monetary investment? In general, the amount of time it has taken for the animal's problem to develop will reflect the time it will take to resolve the problem. If your dog jumped off the couch funny and now has a disc problem, and you've been working with your vet for only a couple of weeks, then it is likely that three or four weekly treatments will help resolve the issue. If, however, your cat has been urinating blood on and off for three years and refuses to use the litter box, expect the treatment to be more involved and take longer. Each visit will range anywhere from $75 to $100 (plus mileage), depending on the type of animal being treated and your location. What type of training do veterinary acupuncturists have? All veterinary acupuncturists must have a current veterinary license. In addition, they should also have completed a veterinary acupuncture certification course, which is an intensive training program that is ~4-6 weeks in length. What services do you offer clients? I provide acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and nutritional counseling in a house-call setting. I see mainly dogs and horses, but I am also happy to treat cats and other species such as birds, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Some animals are more tolerant of needles than others and I don't force them; if they are too stressed, then really any help the needles might provide is being negated. Instead, I will focus on diet manipulations, lifestyle changes and herbal formulas. I have been practicing standard veterinary medicine for 15+ years, so I have an appreciation for the advantages and disadvantages of most interventions. I do not strive to disrupt the animals' current treatment regimen, but instead prefer to augment that regimen. I like to keep in touch with the pet's regular veterinarian regarding treatment of the case. Mary Ellen can be reached at 814-404-2466 or through her website. www.SayreVetAcupuncture.com… Ridiculously AwesomeEvery once in a rare while a video makes me want to go exercise. This one did, and all she's doing is jumping rope! Have no fear, I did not attempt this at home and therefore will not have a nose-cast on my face next time you're in…
Nerd Talk - SynesthesiaFor those of you who love science and all things nerdy, this awesome series explains a cool, wide variety of topics for the layperson. I recently found this one on synesthesia. Syn, meaning incorrect, and -thesia, meaning feeling (like anes-thesia, without-feeling), is something we've all felt, like a burning sensation when we're obviously not on fire, or amputees having sensation in a missing limb. 
Please Forgive My SentimentalityI grew up around the Boston area. For some reason, this simple video touched me deeply. I hope it touches you as well.
Barbara Marx Hubbard, Conscious Evolution"There is no doubt in my mind that Barbara Marx Hubbard, who helped introduce the concept of futurism to society, is the best informed human now alive regarding futurism and the foresights it has produced." -Buckminster Fuller Fulller, long a hero of mine (most people know him as the inventor of the geodesic dome), led me to Hubbard, a woman who has been working to actively create a positive and hopeful vision for the future in service to bringing that vision to life. She is widely applauded by those I respect, and this book is an inspiring read. 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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