"Side Effects"?

Ever since pharmaceutical companies began marketing directly to consumers in 1997, the public has been buried under an unprecedented avalanche of marketing. While the onslaught of television commercials has been a windfall for late night comedians, most doctors agree that it has caused problems within the health care system of this country. Much has already been written about the problems with patients "shopping around" to get a desired prescription, unqualified diagnosing and glamorizing certain medications, but those are discussions for another time. Here we are going to talk about the concept of side effects.

We have become all too familiar with 30 second TV ads where the last 10 seconds are filled with "side effects may include..." These effects include everything from itchy eyes to insomnia to incontinence, and on and on. Some medications, particularly anti-depressants, can even cause an exacerbation of the condition they are intended to treat. They are listed as "side effects," which is a misnomer. There are no such thing as "side effects", just effects, albeit unintended and adverse ones.

Why is it important to make the distinction in terminology? The phrase "side effects" allows our minds to more easily disregard these effects as being important. Many times on the these "side effects" is death! Death is not inconsequential.

New Era Chiropractic recognizes that medications can be very beneficial and supports the medical community in the quest to improve patients' quality of life. However, we also encourage our patients to carefully weigh both the positive and negative effects (even minor ones) of any drug. The benefits must outweigh the risks.

No honest discussion about "side effects" would be complete without mentioning the unintended effects, both positive and negative, of getting an adjustment. The negative effects, while rare, are usually limited to mild muscle soreness when adjusting through a spasmed muscle. Fortunately, the unintended effects are almost always positive. Patients often report relief from allergies, sleeping better, improved digestion, and clearer vision. Regularly, patients report improvement from conditions they had overlooked as "normal" or with conditions they had no idea a chiropractor could help. The reason this works is chiropractors help the nervous system perform at its maximum potential. The nervous system controls everything that goes on within the body. Therefore, when the nervous system in working correctly, the whole body functions at a higher level.

To Poke or Not to Poke: Vaccines

The topic of vaccines, especially for children, has recently become a hot button issue in the health field. Whether for or against them, it is important to know as many facts as possible before making any decision. New Era recommends the book, The Vaccine Book:Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Robert Sears. We feel this book does a great job of explaining what each vaccine is for, why it may or may not be necessary and statistics on cases in the U.S. without much bias for or against. Whatever the decision, remember it is always a matter of personal choice. There are laws in Michigan and the U.S. that state vaccines may be opted out of based on religious, moral or medical reasons. This includes the vaccines that are "required" of children entering schools. More information can be found on the state's website.

There are both pros and cons to each and every vaccine. Every vaccine needs to be evaluated on a separate basis. Most of us are aware of the pros of getting a vaccine. Children are at a reduced risk of getting whatever disease they were vaccinated for, however it is not a guarantee. While the list of cons can be exhausting, the major ones are 1) some vaccines still contain ingredients that are harmful to the body, such as mercury 2) the vaccine can actually give you the disease, however usually it is a milder case, 3) vaccines can give you a false sense of security, such as the Gardasil vaccine for HpV, and 4) the artificial immunity given by vaccines wears off in 5-7 years.

When deciding to vaccinate a child, New Era ALWAYS recommends that bundled vaccines be split up. Although this may mean more "pokes" for the child, it GREATLY reduces the risk of complications. New Era also recommends that the parents and doctors weigh the risks and benefits of giving or skipping each vaccine.

Particularly if the decision is made to not vaccinate a child, maintenance of the immune system becomes an active process. This includes eating healthy, exercise and regualr exposure to germs. Regular exposure to germs is a workout for the immune system, much like Rocky getting ready for a fight. One of the most important steps in this process is maintaining a healthy nervous system, which will boost the immune system. The best way to support the nervous system is through chiropractic care. Getting adjusted also has many other beneficial "side effects."

Contact Dr. Dave or Dr. Brooke at New Era Chiropractic for any questions, or visit our website at www.newerasaline.com.