Six Medical Myths--Medications Improve Health - Texas Journal of Chiropractic

HOME / Editorials / EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

Six Medical Myths--Medications Improve Health

Published 11/03/2011 - 1:45 p.m. CDT

Rate This Article:

Email this to a friend

Print HTML

It is REPORTED HERE that "The actual paradigm of medical care has not changed much in spite of all of our technological advances. Physicians have been extensively trained and have held steadfast in the belief that presenting symptoms are entities unto themselves. These symptom complexes have been treated as if they have a life of their own, separate and apart from the innocent bystander host, the person with the medical problem. We have divided the human body into a jigsaw puzzle of component parts. We've taken the jigsaw puzzle apart and assigned a specialist to address each one of these pieces of the whole, losing sight of the fact that everything is part of the whole, and everything we do as physicians to each little part affects the whole person. This has fostered the current allopathic paradigm of 'symptom care' in lieu of the more important issue of "health care."

"In order to establish a system that is truly focused on health care, we need to expose some "myths" that will allow us to unlock the door to creating a more efficient and successful healthcare delivery system." In the coming weeks we will look at these myths.

"Myth #4 - Medications improve health. We are, in this country, the most heavily medicated society on the planet. People are taking medications to control the symptoms of countless diseases. These medications are either prescribed by their physicians or purchased over the counter by the patient. I have seen, in my practice, thousands of elderly patients taking upward of 10 prescription medications as well as a few over-the-counter ones. If you ask the average senior how they are feeling, most will say that they feel awful in spite of their medications. How could this be? If the medications are supposedly 'keeping them healthy,' how come they feel so bad? There are a number of reasons for this."

"First of all, every medication swallowed is perceived by the immune system as a 'poison,' because there is nothing in nature that would ever present to the G.I. tract in that form of chemicals. This added 'toxic load' places additional stress on the body. These chemicals must be detoxified and eliminated by the body. This need to detoxify causes stress in the liver and kidneys and can damage these vital organs."

"Additionally, all medications, because they are designed to interfere with natural body physiology, will produce inevitable side effects. Why? In every situation where a drug is used to block symptoms (the roadblock), the body will undergo physiologic compensations in an effort to get around the roadblock. So, the body will recruit different physiologic pathways in an attempt to bypass the roadblock. Hence, the patient will experience new symptoms as these other pathways elicit undesired effects. Some of the side effects can be potentially more disabling than the symptoms they are being used to treat."

"Many side effects are treated with additional drugs, further increasing the toxic load. The other issue most important to understand is that the symptoms are a directed response by the body to solve whatever issue needs to be dealt with. If you inhibit these symptoms with medications, symptoms will return when the drug is withdrawn if the body has not successfully solved the problem."

"Quite simply, if a patient has high blood pressure and is taking medication to control it, and then they cease taking it, they will see their blood pressure rise again. If they are suffering with an inflammatory problem and are taking anti-inflammatories to control their discomfort, and cease taking their meds, they will again be in pain. If they are suffering with sinus congestion and take a decongestant, they will feel congested again if the drug is withdrawn. Empirically then, we see that the medication has not at all improved their health, just their symptoms."

Post A Comment

* Indicates Required Field

Most Recent Comments

View All Comments

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy

Updated July 10, 2009

Registration

When you register as reader or a paid member, or sign up for a mailing list, we collect your contact information (including your name, address and email address). This information is added to our mailing list so that, from time to time, we can send you information about new features, additions, participation in market research, and information about our advertisers’ products and services. We use the credit card or payment information we acquire from you solely to fulfill your order. It is not stored on our database. We may store your information with outside bulk mail providers whose services we use but are not authorized to use this data for their own purposes.

Profile Creation

Readers may choose to create a public user profile. Elements of the public profile include name, title, industry, skills, professional experience, recent site activity, your personal photograph. Creating a public profile is entirely optional, but enables you to better identify yourself to other readrs and may allow you to participate more fully with some programs such as “Reader of the Day” which is limited to readers who have posted a personal photo.

A word about cookies.

We use cookies so we can recognize you and enable certain features of the site for the purpose of making your visit more enjoyable and convenient. We also provide session tracking cookies that controls your access to certain site functionality. WE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE YOUR COMPUTER IN ANY OTHER WAY OR FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE INCLUDING ANY ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER OR EMAIL ACTIVITY.

We may use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our Web site. Third-party advertising companies track information about your visits to this Web site to serve ads to you. In the course of advertisements being served to you, the third-party advertising company may place or recognize a unique third-party cookie or cookies on your browser.

Please be assured that we are very serious about privacy concerns, and we intend to make every effort guard them.

Thanks,
The Publisher

FeaturedNews

FEDERAL HEALTH REFORM NEWS

NEWS FROM THE FEDS

COLLEGE NEWS

STATE NEWS

EDITORIALS & OPINIONS

Clinical Trial Data Should Be Open for Review

Published 04/30/2012 - 3:14 p.m. CDT

Original clinical study reports, which contain far more detail than published randomized trials, should be made available to independent researchers seeking to verify efficacy and safety claims.

In support of this argument, the history of the influenza antiviral oseltamivir (Tamiflu), which was approved by the FDA in 1999, was cited. The widespread belief in oseltamivir's efficacy, was based on a meta-analysis of 10 trials conducted by the manufacturer prior to licensure. But the authors pointed out that the FDA, which was aware of these clinical trials, concluded that oseltamivir had not been shown to reduce complications and required a statement on the drug's label to that effect. Moreover, oseltamivir was not given an FDA indication for prevention of spread of influenza.

To this, [authors] commented, "If FDA is right, the drug's effectiveness may be no better than aspirin or acetaminophen.'"

HR 329 in need of Co Sponsors

Published 04/30/2012 - 11:11 a.m. CDT

Representative Bob Filner recently introduced the Chiropractic Care to All Veterans Act (H.R. 329). The bill would require the Veterans Administration (VA) to have a chiropractic physician on staff at all major VA medical facilities by 2014. You too can help ensure chiropractic care is available to those who have placed their lives in service to our country. H.R. 329 is in need of cosponsors to assist its likelihood of passage.

CLICK HERE to urge your legislators to cosponsor the bill.

Court Sides with Generic-Drug Makers

Published 04/25/2012 - 6:33 a.m. CDT

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that generic drugmaker Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories can sue Novo Nordisk for what Caraco says are exaggerated descriptions of the scope of patents Novo Nordisk holds on a diabetes drug.

A group of Democratic senators has introduced a bill that would allow people to sue generic drugmakers over failing to update their drug labels to include all known risks. The bill is meant to counter last year's Supreme Court decision in a generic drug dispute.

Watch for Changes in Coming Weeks

Published 04/30/2012 - 10:36 p.m. CDT

The TCA Web sites will be under going change in the next few weeks. Please bear with us while we complete some improvements.

Published 04/25/2012 - 11:30 a.m. CDT

When the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation published its list of 45 overused tests and procedures that physicians and patients should think twice about, it did so with the caveat that these aren’t things doctors should never do — nor are they actions that should never be covered by public and private insurers.

The Choosing Wisely campaign was sparked by a 2010 article that prompted the National Physicians Alliance to publish a list of overused tests and procedures in primary care. The ABIM Foundation wanted to spread the idea to as many medical specialties as possible. The ABIM Foundation recruited nearly a dozen consumer groups, including Consumer Reports, to help disseminate the list.

Published 04/20/2012 - 8:01 a.m. CDT

The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports on the TMA v TBCE Court of Appeals Decision.

Published 04/29/2012 - 12:02 p.m. CDT

Girls who face multiple social stressors at home as toddlers are more likely to be obese by age 5, researchers found.

Published 04/29/2012 - 5:00 a.m. CDT

Nonpharmacologic pain management appears to be safe for mother and baby, although there is limited published evidence to explain its efficacy, according to a Cochrane Review.

There is more data to support the ef?cacy of pharmacologic pain management, such as epidurals and opioids, but these methods lead to more adverse effects. This reports reports upon some of these

Water May be Good but Watch the Bottle!

Published 04/24/2012 - 3:22 p.m. CDT

"In just one year, Americans drank nearly 9 billion gallons of bottled water, which is second only to soft drinks as the largest beverage type in the U.S. market, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.

In the first study of its kind, researchers determined just how much BPA you absorb when you drink bottled water.

Published 04/29/2012 - 9:43 p.m. CDT

Ethiopia and Kenya Trips. Have you ever wanted to provide chiropractic care in another country and give back to those in need?

Dr. Teresa Jones has been volunteering on mission trips to Africa for 4 years and is reaching out to the District 5 for help this year. There are two chances to participate, both in July 2012 and if you are interested please RSVP to frontdesk@wholehealth-care.com to let her know you area interested!

Published 04/28/2012 - 6:57 p.m. CDT

Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic were slow to inform patients and their doctors about problems with metal-on-metal hip implants and relied on industry officials and consultants in crafting their responses.

Complications included high failure rates and possible systemic effects from elevated metal ion levels in the blood. An advisory has been issued to surgeons, telling them that patients who have received metal-on-metal implants should have annual checkups for life. The evaluations should include testing for metal ions in the blood as well as for clinical symptoms of device failure.

Home is Where the practice is

Published 04/25/2012 - 2:25 p.m. CDT

Historically, many physicians worked in a living space with a medical practice area. That slowly fell out of favor in the 1950s, when more and more physicians set up separate offices or worked in hospitals.

The home-based medical practice currently is something of an oddity, but some physicians have managed to establish one that meets the standards of a commercial space. Setting up a home-based practice is like setting up an office, with a few complications.

Published 04/29/2012 - 3:04 p.m. CDT

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative (PCORI), established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has set five priorities as the group's research agenda for the coming years, with the overall goal of advancing clinical effectiveness research. …. the priorities [are] as follows...

Published 04/29/2012 - 12:02 p.m. CDT

Girls who face multiple social stressors at home as toddlers are more likely to be obese by age 5, researchers found.

Published 04/21/2012 - 12:11 p.m. CDT

Twenty thousand physicians in four Midwest states received a glimpse into their financial future last month. Landing in their email inboxes were links to reports from Medicare showing the amount their patients cost on average as well as the quality of the care they provided. The reports also showed how Medicare spending on each doctor's patients compared with their local peers in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska.

The "resource use" reports, which Medicare plans to eventually provide to doctors nationwide, are one of the most visible phases of the government's effort to figure out how to enact a complex, delicate, and little-noticed provision of the 2010 healthcare law: paying more to doctors who provide quality care at lower cost to Medicare, and reducing payments to physicians who run up Medicare's costs without better results.

Published 04/29/2012 - 5:00 a.m. CDT

Published 04/16/2012 - 1:38 p.m. CDT

The new "healthcare law could sharply exceed its cost-savings targets and add up to $530 billion to the federal budget deficit, a leading authority on U.S. government benefit programs said.

Scrap Medicare Advantage Demo, GAO Says

Published 04/30/2012 - 6:09 a.m. CDT

An $8 billion Medicare demonstration program is poorly designed and should be cancelled, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) said. The program is designed to reward the highest-quality Medicare Advantage plans, but instead pays out most of its award money to mediocre plans, according to a report.

Published 04/24/2012 - 12:19 p.m. CDT

Medicare is set to withdraw most coverage of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic low back pain, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicated.

Medicare Documentation Made Simple

Published 04/22/2012 - 3:36 p.m. CDT

Regarding Medicare Documentation, either an inaccurate message is being delivered to chiropractors regarding appropriate Medicare documentation requirements and/or chiropractors are misinterpreting the message.

This article provides a look into the requirements of Medicare and offers a "Medicare Documentation Simplified" flow chart for explanation.

Published 04/03/2012 - 1:51 p.m. CDT

Dr. John Demartini recently spoke to Parker University students about clarifying their purpose, strategizing their actions, and living proactively towards their goals and dreams.

Dr. Demartini told the students to determine what’s most important to them. After that’s determined, he recommended they align their lives, goals, and actions so they have the most congruent life plan. He stressed the importance of dissolving challenges, overcoming obstacles, and managing emotions in order to stay focused and take charge of creating their dreams.

“If you have a mission and vision beyond you, you will not let fear distract you or hold you back,” said Dr. Demartini. “If your cause is bigger than your obstacles—the obstacles melt.”

He told the students to become certain in what they’re doing and live congruently and authentically with their highest morals. He explained that people will be magnetized to them because of their inspiration and authenticity.

Published 04/03/2012 - 1:51 p.m. CDT

TCC to Host Summer Wellness Program

Published 03/27/2012 - 3:44 p.m. CDT

ACA and the National Wellness Institute (NWI) will offer students and DCs the opportunity to become leading wellness experts starting this June. Through the Certified Chiropractic Wellness Specialist program, participants can earn an NWI certification and begin implementing new chiropractic services into their practices. The next seminar will begin June 2 at Texas Chiropractic College (TCC) in Pasadena, Texas. Presenters include Will Evans, DC, PhD, CHES; Cheryl Hawk, DC, PhD, CHES; and Michael Perko, PhD. To register, click here.

TCC to Host Summer Wellness Program

Published 03/27/2012 - 3:44 p.m. CDT

What it Takes to be a Servant Leader

Published 03/12/2012 - 11:08 a.m. CDT

Servant Leadership: Empower, Encourage, and Inspire” during an all-school Parker assembly. Dr. Mancini told the audience that the core foundation of chiropractic and Parker is service. He shared the importance of chiropractors being servant leaders.

For years, Dr. Mancini has studied what it truly takes to be a servant leader. He explained key characteristics that a servant leader must encompass including the first characteristic of being an effective listener.

Published

Published 04/30/2012 - 12:13 p.m. CDT

The Kilgore College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will sponsor an educational seminar for medical office staff, including office managers and billing staff, entitled Basic Workers’ Compensation for Medical Office Staff on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

Published 04/05/2012 - 10:04 a.m. CDT

The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners has adopted a final version of Rule 77.5, "Misleading Claims." The full text is found in this article.

Published 04/05/2012 - 10:04 a.m. CDT

The Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners has adopted a final version of Rule 77.5, "Misleading Claims." The full text is found in this article.

Published 04/05/2012 - 2:57 a.m. CDT

Final amendments to TBCE Rule 80.1, Delegation of Authority, have been adopted. The full rule is found in this article.

Published 03/23/2012 - 12:52 p.m. CDT

"You don’t have to look very far to see the perfect storm developing in our nation’s health care system. With the combination of skyrocketing health insurance premiums, an aging population average, an obesity epidemic, staggering health insurance deductibles, a rapidly climbing incidence of diabetes, a looming doctor shortage, and a record breaking budget deficit … Alan Greenspan said 'The greatest threat to the economy is healthcare.' Our government’s attempt to tweak the system is equivalent to putting up a tent in a hurricane. … The truth is that we won’t stop being sick until we stop making ourselves sick. The ultimate solution is that we need more self-care not more health care."

Published 03/23/2012 - 12:52 p.m. CDT

What Limits?

Published 12/15/2011 - 9:43 a.m. CDT

Regarding the practice of chiropractic, there are some who are telling us that "...what is in the statute is extremely limiting."

If that is the perspective you wish to look at it then the results of the various court judgments are the results you would expect.

I see the term "condition" in a broader sense.

What Limits?

Published 12/15/2011 - 9:43 a.m. CDT

Published

Published 11/15/2011 - 11:31 a.m. CDT

At this point in the history of mankind, we have been conditioned to abhor symptoms of any kind. Headaches, sneezing, coughing, colds, allergies, pain, infections, hypertension, etc., are no longer tolerated as a part of the process of living. Rather than look into the mechanisms that may be causing these symptoms, we are reaching for the medicine that will suppress them. In so doing, we may feel better, but we now have no motive to look at causes and correct for the issues that may be impairing our health, thus increasing our "need" for more medications over time.

Without the "gold standard" double blind, placebo controlled study there can be no FDA approval of a new drug. So let's look at this approval process more closely.

News

Featured News

Highlighted News

Association News

Clinical News

World News

Federal Health Reform News

News from the Feds

College News

Governmental News

State News