by Dr. Sharon on May 9, 2012
Naima and Her New Son
My lovely patient Naima has graciously agreed to share her story about chiropractic and pregnancy. I first met Naima at the tail end of her fourth pregnancy. She works in a retail shop, and was having some back pain as her pregnancy progressed. The chiropractic care helped…so much so that, during her next pregnancy, she decided to get adjusted more regularly.
I saw Naima about once a month during her fifth pregnancy. The last visit was two weeks before her due date. We adjusted both left and right sacroiliac joints, specifically, to make sure that the pelvis would be as flexible as possible, and that the sacrum would rock and tip like it should during childbirth. I predicted that she was going to have an easy childbirth, based on how well her pelvis was functioning after the adjustment. Little did I know how easy!
Naima reports that she stayed on her feet throughout her eight hour workday while in the early stages of labor. Her husband picked her up, and she went home and fed her family dinner before checking into the hospital at about 9:00 p.m. Without epidural shot or pain medication of any sort, she reports “very little, if any” pain during this childbirth, in comparison to her previous deliveries. She had her son in her arms by 11:00 p.m. Congratulations, Naima! I especially admire this woman for her strong views on raising a healthy, happy family naturally. Her little boy is darling, don’t you think? (By the way, he’s in cloth diapers thanks to his super-natural mom !)
You may have read my previous account about Yahaira and her quick and natural childbirth. Over the years, I have adjusted many pregnant women. Only one that know of went on to have a C-section. When it comes to an easier pregnancy and a less painful childbirth…try chiropractic!
by Dr. Sharon on April 30, 2012
You want statins with that?
Someone with math skills tried to figure out the percentage of people on the planet who have eaten a McDonald’s burger. The figure was
61%. I am sure that number is on the rise; my friend Nikhil tells me he was shocked to see McDonald’s restaurants had popped up everywhere in his home city of Mumbai, India since he last visited. Also on the rise are the number of people who take statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels.
According to the CDC, 26.9 percent of males over the age of 45 are now on statins, compared to 2.3 percent 25 years ago. Among men 65 years old and up, 50% are now on statins.
The above numbers give me grief for a few reasons. First, people who are on statins commonly get side effects such as muscle pain, drug-induced nutrient depletion and weakness; they may come to the chiropractor for relief and find none. But more than that, the statin problem illustrates the great divide we Americans face when we must decide between health care and a healthier lifestyle. To me, the question isn’t “should I or should I not take this prescription my doctor ordered?” The question is, “what healthier lifestyle choices can I make to protect my health?”
Recently I had a patient who decided to seek some answers for himself. He knew his cholesterol was high, but what he really needed to know was whether he was at risk of having a cardiovascular event. Besides the lipid panel, there are laboratory tests available that do a better job of telling us whether we are at risk. For about $100.00, we tested for fibrinogen, cardiac C-reactive protein, and homocysteine levels. These three tests together gave us a good picture of the level of inflammation inside our patient’s body. The results showed that he had an average risk of a near-future cardiac event. We decided that he would follow a plant-based diet, supplement with some anti-inflammatory herbs, and re-test six months from now. We’ll be able to see if these changes help him move from average to low risk of a future cardiovascular event.
It’s easy to imagine that, ten years from now, the guy behind the counter at McDonald’s could be asking, “would you like statins with that?” If you’d rather not be part of these burger and statin stats, let’s talk.
