“Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases. ” –Hippocrates, 460-377 BC. If a Greek physician could make this statement over 2300 years ago, why is it such an under-exposed theory today? As stated in Chiropractic First, written by Dr. Rondberg, a chiropractor of 35 years and founder of the “Chiropractic Journal,” Hippocrates “believed that only nature could heal and it was the physician’s duty to remove any obstruction that would prevent the body from healing” (8-9).
These “physicians” are called chiropractors today, and their goal is to remove subluxations, the displacement of two or more spinal disks that causes pressure or irritates the spinal cord, and allow the nervous system to do its job. When the nervous system is unblocked, many advantages are in place for the body, allowing medicine intake to be reduced and vaccines avoided.
Although many people are unsure about chiropractic work, Dr. Michael McClung, owner of Creating Wellness Chiropractic in Austin, TX, proves its validity by saying, “Literally thousands of health studies including research by the U.S. government have shown that chiropractic is beneficial in maximizing health, boosting immunity, relieving the symptoms of sickness and disease, and restoring normal function back to the body” (1).
Chiropractic work is a smart choice and safer and healthier alternative to medicine in certain cases because it can improve basic body functions, is a great option for preventing many diseases and should take the place of some medicine use, and can replace harmful vaccines. It has been shown that chiropractic work can improve the basic body functions.
First, it leads to correct spine curvature. After adjustment, the subluxated vertebrae are freed from their incorrect positions. The body then causes the spine to shape itself and nerve supply returns to normal (Rondberg 20). Another huge issue related to correct spine curvature is the correct spacing between the vertebrae and the blocking of “messages” between the brain and the nervous system. To show this point, Dr. Ben Lerner, author and “America’s Maximized Living Mentor,” talks about the actions of synapses in his book One Minute Wellness.
A synapse is a small gap between two nerves, or neurons, “through which information is transmitted. ” This information is what our brain tells our body to do, from natural bodily activities to basic muscle movement (177). Chiropractic work allows for mechanical activity to create more and more of these synapses because it rids the body of blockages such as subluxations. To show the advantages of having more synapses connecting the body’s neurons, a 1985 study done at the University of California at Berkeley was published in a journal called Experimental Neurology.
The research entailed the study of the brain of Albert Einstein and eleven other adult male brains that were observed for differences (Lerner 179). It was observed that Einstein’s brain and the others observed had the same number of neurons; however, Einstein’s brain had more synapses on his neurons, meaning the neurons would be more effective at relaying messages from the brain. In the end, a connection between more synapses and “increased human potential” can be seen (Lerner 179). Second, when a normal nerve supply is in place, the body’s healing power is at its best. For example, according to Dr.
Pete Wurdemann, who received his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in 1994, things as simple as healing from a cut, indigestion, irregularity, and muscle and joint pain can be fixed by this (Wurdemann). Improvement may also be seen in areas of flexibility and strength, which prompted our hockey team to make a deal with Dr. Wurdemann to get unlimited adjustments throughout the season to help prevent and recover from injuries. Dr. Wurdemann first took X-rays of our necks and spine, analyzed the X-rays with us, and talked about the benefits for us as hockey players and active people for life.
In relation, Dr. McClung points out that workers’ compensation studies show that “injured works with the same specific diagnosis of low back pain returned to work much sooner when treated by chiropractors than by medical physicians” (1). Therefore, chiropractors can help people recover from injuries quicker and prevent future injuries. Third, chiropractic work can correct joint spacing. For example, many people think of the chiropractor as merely “cracking” the back and neck. As Joshua Wurdemann, son of Dr.
Pete Wurdemann and a student working on becoming a chiropractor, states in his paper titled Chiropractic Works! , “A chiropractor is thoroughly trained to adjust someone and only they should be adjusting you” (11). He goes on to say that there is much more to chiropractic than “popping” a patient’s back. For example, Dr. Wurdemann also fixes joint spacing in other places of the body, such as knees, ankles, wrists, which can reduce pain and help in areas such as arthritis and carpel tunnel syndrome (Wurdemann). In the end, it can be seen that chiropractic work can improve basic body functions.
Chiropractic work improves basic body functions, but it can also help prevent many diseases and sickness. First of all, a connection between the neurological system and disease and sickness must be proven. Rondberg tells the story of when, in 1950, a set of conjoined twins were born in Russia named Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova. Masha and Dasha’s mother was told the twins, who were connected near the waist and had three legs and four arms, would die soon after birth, and they were taken to a Soviet Institution for study.
This became their home as the twins survived and their bodies were studied continuously. Before their release in 1989, it was determined that sickness and disease begin with the neurological system because of their differences. Dasha got sick easily, and Masha smoked but had more resilience than her sister to colds; however, the twins shared their blood. “The question that puzzled scientists was why one sister would get the measles and the other would not, even though the germ was in both bodies,” Rondberg states (66).
It was realized that the nerve system and spinal cord had a big role in the development of sickness and disease due to the fact that this was truly Masha and Dasha’s only difference. Therefore, a well-adjusted spine prevents the breeding ground for the millions of germs humans breathe in every day. It is proven that our neurological system is our defense. I admit that since getting adjusted at least once a week since September by Dr. Wurdemann that my allergies improved and I have not developed a common winter cold yet.
In addition to this, I have noticed and Dr. Wurdemann pointed out is that chiropractic work will lead to less intake of common over-the-counter medicine. Things such as Ibuprofen and Aleve for pain relief will be taken less if a person has less back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc. Chiropractic work is the safer alternative to medicine and normal medical procedures because the medicine intake in our country adds up over a lifetime, both prescriptions and over-the-counter, and leads to the biggest killer in the United States.
Chiropractic Works!by Josh Wurdemann points out that almost 1 million people die in America every year from medicine-related deaths, such as liver failure, followed by 699,697 people who die from heart disease and 553,251 who die from cancer. The people and doctors in America need to be more careful because the patients trust their doctors and the doctors are quick to prescribe drug after drug. Of course, there is always a place for medicine in our society, but Americans need to be safer with the use of these drugs. Second, chiropractic work can have a positive effect on both fertility and a healthy start for a newborn.
Lerner states in his book that, “Startling new research shows a possible link between spinal adjustments and infertility in some women” (179). For example, a study is mentioned where 15 women unable to get pregnant went to see a chiropractor for reasons other than infertility. After some adjustment, 14 became pregnant later as the infertility issues disappeared (Lerner 179). The connection of the spinal cord to the reproductive organs causes this relationship, as subluxations and misalignments cause a hormone balance. Also, even more amazing is the effect chiropractic has been discovered to have on newborns.
Rondberg states, “Every baby needs a healthy spinal column” (79). This makes sense, as this is the “framework” that will support a child’s growth and development. When I was born, no one would ever think of performing chiropractic work on a baby. However, it has been discovered that the birth process, which has become more high-tech and involves even more medicine today, can have a traumatic effect on the baby’s skull, spine, and alignment, known as traumatic birth syndrome. For example, these misalignments can lead to the baby being born paralyzed or having symptoms show up years later.
Unfortunately, Lerner points out that, “These subluxations have been severe enough to lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), due to the pressure they can cause upward towards the lower brain” (183). Therefore, getting an adjustment for a baby may lead to better development and a healthier child. Third, a direct comparison between certain subluxations and diseases has been observed. As Josh Wurdemann points out in his paper, “Henry Winsor, a Medical Doctor in Haverford, Pennsylvania, documented these findings called the ‘The Winsor Autopsies.
’” Winsor dissected 75 humans and 22 cats, connecting the cause of death to subluxations. Of all nine cases with stomach diseases, all had spinal misalignment in the mid-thoracic area, in the upper back. Similarly, all 26 cases of lung disease had spinal misalignments in the upper thoracic spine. Furthermore, of those who died of heart disease, all 20 had misalignment with the upper five thoracic vertebrae (9). Even scarier than these facts are how relatively unknown these connections are; however, a connection between misalignment in certain areas and certain diseases becomes apparent.
In the end, chiropractic work can prevent sickness and many diseases. Chiropractic work can prevent disease and sickness, which also makes it a safer alternative to vaccines, which many chiropractors are against. First, vaccines have many terrible effects on children, mostly due to the presence of mercury in the vaccines. Francoise Berthoud, a medical doctor and pediatrician, says in his article “Medical Voices,” that over the years he has heard many testimonies against vaccines, both from parents of children who have been vaccinated and those who have not (1).
He repeats, “‘My child began constantly coughing after the vaccination,’ and ‘My 16 year old daughter is completely unvaccinated. She is almost never sick. ’” (1). Many chiropractors are against vaccines and believe the best defense for the body is to remove subluxations and boost the body’s natural immunity. Furthermore, testimony after testimony advocates that vaccines have led to increased health problems for babies and infants.
For example, a petition created by autismtruth.org was sent to the staff of 60 Minutes due to the show’s biased and inaccurate piece on vaccinations. It contained 3154 signatures and added facts about the dangers of vaccines and pointing out the biased opinions stated. For example, the petition points out that the United States Government has paid out over $1. 5 billion to families of children harmfully affected by vaccines (1). However, the most interesting information in this source was a chart showing the similarities that mercury (an ingredient in vaccines) poisoning and autism share.
Both show speech complications, comprehension difficulties, sound sensitivity, hearing loss, involuntary body movements and poor coordination, ADHD traits, sleep difficulties, intestinal problems, and many other related problems and changes (Berthoud 3-7). It can be seen the connection is there, especially when the growth of autism and neurological disorders is observed. The reason chiropractors show a connection between regular adjustments and avoiding vaccines is because of their preventative and healthy actions (Wurdemann).
Unfortunately, now one in 68 American families are affected by autism, and the question, “What has caused the rise in autism in America? ” should be asked. Alarmingly, a Dutch association called the NVKP (Dutch Association for Conscientious Vaccination) released the results of a survey given in 2004 over all regions of the Netherlands in the article “Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated,” stating that the amount of medical problems, doctor visits, and disorders was greatly larger in those who were vaccinated than those without vaccinations.
For example, this report looked at diabetes, eczema, allergic reactions, ADHD, and even the removal of tonsils to come to these conclusions (7-11). Contrary to the common belief among many doctors, it seems the vaccinated portion of society may be causing more sickness than the unvaccinated. Closer to home, the report states that the Amish children in America, who are not exposed to vaccines, are autism free (NVKP 2). The connection between the rise in vaccines and the rise in autism is clear and scary. The truth is many small babies cannot handle the overload of chemicals they are exposed to after vaccination.
This is shown when the NVKP mentions a period in Japan from 1975-1980 when vaccinations were given to children at age two instead of two months. Fortunately, the number of serious vaccines reactions and deaths dropped dramatically, yet the plan was returned to vaccination at two months (2). The Japanese children born from 1975-1980 reacted to the vaccines much better than those born outside of the period due to the age the vaccines were administered. Something has to be done about vaccinations in our country, yet knowledge is mostly unknown until it is too late.
For example, I found many websites through research that had more saddening stories of babies and infants who were fine before vaccines and then their lives were changed forever. The same is true for chiropractic work: knowledge can save money and prevent sickness, which is why many chiropractors connect themselves with avoiding vaccines. In conclusion, chiropractic work is a smart choice and safer alternative to medicine in certain cases because it can improve basic body functions, is a great option for preventing many diseases and should take the place of some medicine use, and can replace harmful vaccines.
Hippocrates’ statement about the spine’s connection to many diseases, and therefore health, has been shown to stay true through hundreds of years. Therefore, humans need to be aware of technology’s harm and remember our natural defenses that babies are born with and those can be brought out through safe adjustments.
Works Cited Berthoud, Francoise. The Marvelous Health of Unvaccinated Children. International Medical Counsel of Vaccination, 25 June 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI). 60 Minutes II: Time to Tell the Truth About Vaccinations. Autismtruth.
org, 2004. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. Lerner, Dr. Ben, and Dr. Greg Loman. One Minute Wellness. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. , 2005. Print. McClung, Dr. Michael. Creating Wellness Chiropractic. Dr. Michael McClung, 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. NVKP (Dutch Association for Conscientious Vaccination). Thinktwice. com. NVKP, 1 Dec. 2004. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. Rondberg, Dr. Terry A. , Chiropractic First. The Chiropractic Journal, 1996. Print. Wurdemann, Dr. Pete. “Health. ” Wurdemann Family Chiropractic. North Branch, MN. 11 Sept. , 2010. Lecture. Wurdemann, Joshua. “Chiropractic Works! ” Print.