Monday, March 31, 2008

Biomechanical X-Ray Saga Continues



Just as I'm informed by a local insurance company that I should dramatically reduce the frequency of x-rays that we take on patients, I come across 2 magazine articles suggesting just the opposite. Of course, I have such strong feelings on this issue that I don't need the support of these articles, but to hear others endorse my position merely keeps the naysayers off balance.

My position; the industry wants me, and all others, to follow the guidelines of The American Academy of Radiology, which governs what and when to x-ray. The major flaw in this situation is that we, all Drs., are only supposed to take x-rays when we suspect disease. As in pathology. As in bone tumors.

This narrowed vision eliminates all possibilities for x-raying and understanding biomechanical issues. Now, for those who haven't read my work or listened to my message, I'm once again loudly saying, each and every human being has a unique set of biomechanics, and the standing x-ray is the number one tool to determine what those findings are. These findings will allow the trained eye to develop a corrective program, which will then reduce the likelihood of injuries and defer, to some degree, the onset of osteoarthritis.

This would save society billions of dollars. Every year. Not to mention the quality of life. So, you may ask, why isn't it being done? We live with a medical model health care industry, which waits for you to break, only treats the site of injury, and only sets as it's goal the elimination of symptoms. This is like sweeping the dirt under the carpet. Eventually, the floor underneath rots out, and the future is defined.

So, these two other articles talk about why chiropractors are preferred when examinations are done for low back pain, as we look for all kinds of things, and the only way we can look for these all kinds of things is with x-rays. On every patient. The next article writes about a chiropractor who was negligent in the care of a young man, as he never took the necessary x-rays to determine the details of his injury. The case settled for $125,000. prior to the trial.

And these are the two latest endorsements for my proclamation; everyone would do well to be fully examined, including at least 4 standing biomechanical x-rays, at some point in their lifetime. Especially if they want a clearer understanding of what to do to preserve their structure over the course of their future.

That usually includes just about everyone. Thanks.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Live Internet Radio



Well, week # 1 is in the bank. This show was used more as a test than anything else. We let very few people know we were doing it, just so we could make sure the technical side of it was all working. And, the good news is, it worked.

So, now our goal is to notify as many people as possible about this show, as Structural Management® should also be known as "the solution". There is a total void out there in the sportsmedicine world with regard to good answers for athlete's problems, and we offer much better solutions.

Join in on the show, via e mail or (soon to have) telephone call-in- capability to discuss, question, challenge or whatever moves you. But, regardless of what moves you, join us on Thursdays from 3-4 pm EST, and join in on the movement that is going to transform sportsmedicine world into a new way of doing business.

Stay on the roads, stay in the gyms, stay active, and life will be good. The key is, stay uninjured. With that being said, we know how difficult this can be with our current system.

And, that's why Structural Management® is the solution for the future.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Good Job Carl



We have a newspaper columnist in our city who sheriff's everything. As a community member, I know I don't have to worry about a thing, as Carl will keep an eye on teachers, Drs., police, politicians and anyone else who dares to stray from "legitimate". He just seems to catch everyone.

For years now, Carl has focused on the psychotherapy business. He's convinced that new psychological disorders are named for the sole purpose of creating some new (magical) medication to enhance bottom line profits. I'm not a psychotherapist, nor am I familiar with these medications, but I do believe patients are medicated first and talked to only as a last resort. This poor guy gets all kinds of letters blasting him, with justifications being thrown all over the place by those who are in on the take. There are days I really feel for the guy.

So, yesterday, he writes this new article on psychotherapy, a subject he hasn't touched in months with all the police and politician material that's always in abundance. He interviews this woman psychotherapist who opposes the standard protocols of medicating first. She believes in talking to patients. But, the interesting thing is, she describes the current, accepted, traditional system as being "medical model". Yes, this is the standard of care in the medical industry today.

So, I put somewhere on my "to do" list, call Carl. Tell him the psychotherapy industry is not the only profit oriented, ignorant department in medicine. Musculo-skeletal may even be worse. The so-called experts, the medics, and more specifically, the orthopedists, don't really know a whole lot about musculo-skeletal (from a biomechanically diagnostic and rehabilitative perspective). They are great surgeons (most of them), and they sure know how to inject cortisone, but beyond that, they're not much help. Yet, the public believes they are the wise men at the top of the mount.

Next, we have our primaries, who know next to nothing about musculo-skeletal. It's sometimes embarassing when a patient comes in and tells me they went to their primary, and the tests that were(n't) done and the treatment that was recommended. Pills for pain and "stop doing what you're doing" is all too common. Our final players in the game are physical therapists and chiropractors. For the most part, they do very few tests and use the elimination of symptoms as their goal, attempting to get the person feeling better asap....."Quit whining and get back to work".

No one FIXES the person. In psychotherapy or the musculo-skeletal world. I move "Call Carl" higher on my list. Tell him. Let him know our industry is also a profit center (at the expense of humanity) for the pharmaceutical and surgical companies.

As Dr. Bob Arnott says in his book, Wear and Tear, "Our medical profession would have nothing to offer for my sore hip until I needed a hip replacement". And, as the deceased Dr. George Sheehan, famous cardiologist in the running world said, "If you're injured, you'd be better off in the hands of a mechanic than a medical Dr. At least your problem would not be complicated by drugs, that in the end will do no good."

Yes, the medical model probably exists in other departments of medicine. But, being a reader of Carl Strock's column, and living in the biomechanics world, I know there are at least 2 departments in health care that need to burn the current rule book. We need to put the health of the patient back as our number one goal, not the health of some bottom line at the expense of the patient.