Do you believe in Wellness?

I often hear people comment about how they either believe or don't believe in certain "alternative" or holistic heath care methods. There is no malice in their words, usually. However, the very choice of the word believe would imply that very real and very researched non-medical therapies require the same level of belief as one would give the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

We place our absolute confidence in medications today that will be considered obsolete or even too harmful to prescribe in 5 years. Yet, time tested natural methods continue to require a belief system to be consider accepted. It just doesn't seem logical. So I thought I would offer a little bit of information to help you believe in wellness and maybe even Chiropractic.

I received a periodical the other day and found this awesome article by one of my favorite Chiropractors, Christopher Kent, DC, Esq. He wrote about wellness and specifically how Chiropractic fits in the wellness model. The references he leaves you with are compelling. Take a moment to go to the article or at least read on a little further. I have quoted the article and hope you find it interesting.

If we are worried about health care bankrupting our future. Check out these interesting results of a 7 year study. "Significant decreases in the utilization of medical services, and their attendant costs, were noted when Chiropractors or other “CAM-oriented” practitioners were used as primary care providers. In an Independent Physician Association (IPA) which permitted patients to select a doctor of chiropractic as their primary care physician, clinical and cost utilization based on 70,274 member months over a seven year period demonstrated decreases of 60.2 percent in hospital admissions, 59.0 percent hospital days, 62.0 percent outpatient surgeries and procedures, and 85 percent pharmaceutical costs when compared with conventional medicine." Imagine what a reduction of 60.2% hospital admissions would mean for our national health care budget. (http://www.chiroeco.com/news/chiropractic-news.php?id=7223&section=127)

Let us also think about the geriatric population. Many health care economists predict that the baby boomers will become a huge economic burden as they enter their declining years. We often discuss the long-term benefits of Chiropractic maintenance care with our patients. Dr. Kent referenced this next excerpt concerning wellness and maintenance care in his article in the January 20 edition of Chiropractic Economics. "A larger study surveyed 311 chiropractic patients, aged 65 years and older, who had received chiropractic maintenance care for five years or longer. Chiropractic patients, when compared with U.S. citizens of the same age, spent only 31 percent of the national average for health care services. The chiropractic patients also experienced 50 percent fewer medical provider visits then their comparable peers. The health habits of patients receiving maintenance care were better overall than the general population, including decreased use of cigarettes and decreased use of nonprescription drugs. " (http://www.chiroeco.com/news/chiropractic-news.php?id=7223&section=127)

Take a brief moment to consider these very real references and what you believe in.