Pathways Article Summaries and References
Issue 14 - Summer 2007
Letter from the Editor
Jeanne Ohm, DC
A current topic of concern with many parents is the exclusion of chiropractic and other vitalistic types of care under their insurance policies. It seems to make no sense when parents are choosing safe options for their children that support healing without invasive and risky procedures and insurance companies are refusing to support their choices.
This is a pertinent and legitimate concern on the part of parents and I will try to answer it from a perspective that will once again lead us back to core beliefs and paradigms about health and wellness.
First and foremost, “health insurance” has been misnamed. Most coverage is about crisis care, not true wellness. In order for coverage to be considered, there needs to be a diagnosed symptom or condition recognized by the insurance industry. Since the insurance industry bases its reference point of “health” from the medical allopathic model, most holistic forms of care are not even considered.
Secondly, there appears to be a double standard of coverage. Insurance companies are insisting that holistic providers offer substantial “evidenced based research” to be included in their policies and yet they are accepting numerous allopathic treatments that are not consistent with evidence based research. For example, the scientific literature has shown that antibiotics are not effective for ear infections for many years now and that their use actually increases the likelihood of repeated ear infection. Even so, insurance companies have continued to cover the administration of antibiotics. Ritalin and all psychotropic drugs when prescribed to children are considered “off label” and therefore are not evidenced based. Regardless, insurance companies continue to cover their administration. Too numerous to expound are the procedures practiced in obstetrics that are not evidenced based at all, and yet full coverage for these procedures (and the complications they cause!) are never questioned for coverage.
In my naiveté, I used to wonder why insurance companies did not embrace the coverage of holistic care. After all, holistic care is safer and works with the natural “prevention” of conditions and disorders. Parents value the safer options of care and continued “maintenance” care because they see overall improvements in their families well-being. They become baffled when their insurance company does not cover services that are safer and have lasting effects on their families’ health. Surely it is less expensive for the insurance company to cover safe and natural care for a family than to pay the costly expenses of questionable drugs and risky procedures which just lead to future health crisis and costs. Then one day it dawned on me. Of course their motive is profit and continued growth of their huge industry. I was just looking at it from a completely erroneous perspective.
Health insurance companies support mechanistic/reductionistic care because, like the whole concept of mechanistic care, the health insurance industry thrives on fear and despair: fear of sickness, fear of disease, despair with inadequate body function. Mechanistic care and the insurance that covers it depends on people’s feelings of despair, hopelessness, doom and failure for its very existence! It is the fear factor that motivates people to renew their insurance policies covering modes of treatment they will never use.
Vitalistic/holistic care, on the other hand, directs our attention back to the purpose of
the body to self heal, regenerate, be well with assistance and support in that natural,
inborn process. Vitalistic care orients people to rely on a greater, inborn intelligence.
Vitalistic care takes people out of the fear model and into a healing paradigm of trust. Fear
thoughts and attitudes by their very nature shut down healing and inhibit wellness. Trust and
confidence in our body’s ability to be well sets the ground for healing to occur. One only
needs to read some of the outstanding literature being published in the
Psychoneuroimmunolgy scientific journals to discover the direct relationship between our
beliefs, our feelings and our health outcome.
So, if you are waiting for the insurance industry to shift its core value from profit to human concern, don’t hold your breath. They have obviously been successful in creating the perceived need for their services based on a skillful and successful marketing plan which feeds off of the very easily stimulated human emotion, fear. To embrace healing arts that practice from and reposition people into an entirely different paradigm: trust, would be suicide for their very existence.
During times of social transition it takes our individual initiatives to bring about the changes we want to see. In order to initiate change in a mechanistic system diametrically opposed to our holistic choices as parents, here are my suggestions:
Look for insurance policies that offer “catastrophic/crisis” care with high deductibles and avoid spending unnecessary dollars on needless coverage that you may never use. Take the money you save on monthly premiums and put it towards paying for true wellness services for your families. Receiving these services may also significantly reduce the need for mechanistic treatments. Opt into “health saving plans” offered by your employees that put aside funds to be used for the type of care you really want. Choose providers based on their care, not your insurance coverage. Remember you always have the choice. Rather than staying with a provider, “because he is covered” we need to proactively initiate change and utilize our right for safer, vitalistic care regardless of coverage.
Finally, change your lifestyle choices to incorporate healthier options. Find providers that offer supportive vitalistic care and participate in their family wellness programs. Surround yourself with information and opinions of wellness. Above all, shift your consciousness about health and begin to respect and trust in your body’s innate purpose for well-being.
It’s your family, it’s your life, it’s your choice!
Feature:
New Approaches to Health Care:
“Alternative” Therapies Now
Mainstream for Many Families
Jolene Gensheimer
From the Article:
After enduring 50 hours in labor and the Caesarean Section birth of her son Anson, Kim Pham of Seattle did not head straight home from the hospital to rest.
She took her 3-day-old son directly to a chiropractor because she was concerned about the effects of the difficult labor and the unnatural tugging and pulling from the C-section on her new baby’s spine.
Inna Garkavi of Bellevue regularly takes her 6-year-old son Benji to an acupuncturist to strengthen his immune system and reduce the effects of his asthma. Since beginning acupuncture, Benji has had fewer colds and has not had an asthma attack, allowing him to avoid the steroids commonly used to treat asthma. Garkavi also gives him herbal supplements such as astragalus and elderberry to boost his immune system...
Reprinted with permission from the May 2005 issue of ParentMap magazine.
About the Author
Jolene Gensheimer is a Bellevue-based freelance writer and mother
of two.
Wellness Lifestyle:
Mom's Weekend Pass: Two Nights Away to Recharge Your Batteries
Amy Tiemann, PhD
From the Article:
Let’s be honest, whether we are at home with the kids or employed while mothering, the daily demands of family life take their toll on our minds and bodies. All moms need a break from time to time—it makes me think of the mythical country song “How Can I Miss You if You Never Go Away?” When we take a break from our family responsibilities, we gain the perspective that distance brings, as well as a very important opportunity to recharge our batteries. This is not selfishness, it is self-preservation...
About the Author:
As the author of Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising a Family, Amy Tiemann helps women create a new sense of identity when entering motherhood. Getting in touch with your true ‘self’ while raising your baby is not only possible, it’s being done in“Mojo Mom Circles” around the country. See why women are joining the revolution and downloading their own “Mojo Mom Party Kits” from www.MojoMom.com. You can contact Amy at: amy@mojomom.com
Nutritional Nuggets:
The Value of Authentic Vinegar
Cheryl Player
From the Article:
Vinegar has long had its place in the household kitchen cupboard. Unfortunately, the most commonly used vinegar is white distilled vinegar. The process of distillation renders it nutrition-less, removing minerals such as potassium and important acids which ward off bodily toxins and unfriendly bacteria. This highly processed vinegar can be demineralizing when ingested; therefore, it should not be used internally. It does however work well in all kinds of household cleaning chores...
About the Author:
This article was contributed by Cheryl Player. Please visit www.leaflady.org.
Chiropractic for Life:
Nerve System Function and Wellness
Jeanne Ohm, DC
From the Article:
The term “wellness” is becoming common and being used by many holistic care groups to describe the type of care they are offering. In an effort to better understand its definition, I looked it up in various dictionaries. Merriam Webster defines wellness as “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.” From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, I read,“Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being…In other words, wellness is a view of health that emphasizes the state of the entire being and its ongoing development.”...
Pregnancy & Birth:
For Many Pregnant Moms, Webster Technique is the Key to a Safer Birth
Nicole A. Whitehead, DC
From the Article:
As a mom navigating her way through a high-risk pregnancy, news of one more complication just leaves you with more questions and concerns. When the news is that your baby is not in the head down (or vertex) position, your questions go something like this: Will my baby turn on its own? Will I need external cephalic version? Can I even have that? Is it safe? Will I need to have a C-section?
If your particular high-risk situation doesn’t automatically require Cesarean, a breech (or transverse or oblique) presentation greatly increases that chance. Even in the case of low-risk pregnancies, abnormal position near the end of term commonly results in surgical birth. In fact, 2003 data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that 87.2% of all breech presentations were delivered by Cesarean...
About the Author:
Nicole A. Whitehead, DC is a family chiropractor in Mooresville, NC. She has extensive post-graduate training and experience in the care of pregnant moms, infants and children. She is a member of the ICPA, and is, of course, Webster Technique certified. Her private practice, Advanced Spinal Fitness, is a diverse community where infants and kids achieve maximum health alongside “grown-ups,” including racecar drivers and crew members— Dr. Whitehead’s other specialized patient population. Visit Advanced Spinal Fitness online at www.DrNicole.net.
Breastfeeding:
Why is Your Kid Purple?
Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC
From the Article:
Gentian violet (1% solution in water) is an excellent treatment for Candida albicans. Candida albicans is a type of yeast that may cause an infection of skin and/or mucous membranes in both children and adults. In small children, this yeast may cause white patches in the mouth (thrush), or diaper rash. When the nursing mother has a yeast infection of the nipple, she may experience severe nipple pain as well as deep breast pain...
Parenting:
When Consequences Don't Work
Judy Arnall
From the Article:
Your son rides his bike without a helmet. Again. You’ve nagged, begged, pleaded, and informed him of the dangers of riding without one. Next, you’ve issued Consequences! You’ve taken the bike away and put it in the garage for a day, then a week, and then, a whole month. You’ve done everything the parenting books say for a consequence to work. It’s reasonable. Anyone can live a day without a bike. It’s respectful. You’re not hitting or calling him names. And it’s related. No helmet, no bike. It’s simple to understand. But the problem is that he is still riding a bike without a helmet! And the situation could turn into a huge power struggle every time you take the bike away...
About the Author:
Judy Arnall is a 10-year veteran parent educator, award-winning speaker, and mother of five children. She is the author of Discipline Without Distress: 135 Tools For Raising Caring, Responsible Children Without Time-out, Spanking, Punishment or Bribes. Email jarnall@shaw.ca or visit www.attachmentparenting.ca for more information.
Mind-Body:
Re-Valuing Free Play
Cynthia Aldinger
From the Article:
Many parents don’t realize that imaginative free play has been squeezed out of our children’s lives, and what a tremendous loss this is. The majority of preschool programs today emphasize early learning, computer literacy, or using the materials in just one way rather than being play-centered. Some public elementary schools provide no recess or physical education time at all. The highly structured time a child spends in preschool, daycare, school, or aftercare is usually supplemented by a daily dose of enrichment classes and adult-led sports. These activities are sandwiched in between the three to four hours a day the average child spends watching television, movies, or playing with video games. The old refrain from my childhood, “What’ll I do?” is rarely heard today as children have almost no time in which they are not being instructed or entertained...
Family Life:
Keeping our Babies Safe in Motion
Bridget Horan, DC, DACCP
From the Article:
Although I would love to stay at home all day with my
baby, my life requires me to leave home on occasion.
Well actually, my son, Xander, and I usually have to venture out everyday. The one
thing I can count on is that when I put Xander in his car seat I have done everything
possible to make him safe on our journey. When I was pregnant, I went to register
for my baby shower. What a confusing and overwhelming experience to say the least.
You have the list of “necessities” and the little sensor gun. Of course, once you got
started, the things like bedding, towels, and clothes were easy. You just picked the
color scheme you wanted. Then, it was time to pick out the stroller and high chair.
These items were also based on the look, color, and ease of setting up and taking
down. Now, I was almost done. I had only the car seat left. I remember standing there
in the aisle just staring. I had no idea what I needed. There were infant-only seats,
toddler seats, convertible seats, and booster seats. There were instructions on them
regarding forward facing and rear facing. Did they all fit in every car? Will my baby need the same seat or different seats? Was it based on age or weight? I had to stop and think a minute. I then decided to call a few friends who already have
children. After those phone calls, I didn’t know if I felt any better. Each friend
had a different brand and style. Each friend had different advice on why their seat
was the best. I decided to start with the one that was made for the smallest baby.
I chose an infant seat...
Seasonal:
Sun Exposure Increases Survival of Melanoma
Van D. Merkle, DC, CCN, DABCI, DACBN
From the Article:
We've been told for many years that the sun is bad! According to the Mayo Clinic, all forms of skin cancer have been on the rise. The greatest rise has been in melanoma, which is the most serious and most deadly type of skin cancer. Even with our sun-phobic, sunscreen-wearing society, the percentage of people with melanoma has more than doubled over the last 30 years.
In contradiction to the “typical” skin cancer prevention advice, the journal Cancer in March 2002, did an examination of 506 regions and found a close inverse correlation between cancer mortality and levels of ultraviolet B light. The likeliest mechanism for a protective effect of sunlight is vitamin D, which is synthesized by the body in the presence of ultraviolet B. In a more recent study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute [February 2, 2005], 528 melanoma patients were assessed. It was found that self-reported skin awareness, high intermittent sun exposure, and even sunburn were all linked to improved survival from melanoma. Attempting to explain their findings, the authors note that sun exposure is essential for the skin to make vitamin D3. Vitamin D has anticancer properties and therefore could explain the beneficial association between sun exposure and survival from melanoma...
About the Author:
Dr. Merkle is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and has two Diplomate Degrees in nutrition. He has a private nutrition and chiropractic practice in Dayton, Ohio. Please visit his website at: www.Bk2Health.com. For additional information about science-based nutrition visit: www.sciencebasednutrition.com.
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