March 2005

The revolution has begun!

by Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman

Of 13 countries studied in a recent comparison, the United States ranked an average of 12th (second from the bottom) for 16 available health indicators. More specifically, the ranking of the U.S. on several indicators was:

***  13th (last) for low‑birth‑weight percentages ...

***  13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall ...

***  11th for postneonatal mortality ...

***  11th for life expectancy at 1 year for females, 12th for males ...

***  10th for life expectancy at 15 years for females, 12th for males ...

***  10th for life expectancy at 40 years for females, 9th for males ...

***  7th for life expectancy at 65 years for females, 7th for males ...

***  3rd for life expectancy at 80 years for females, 3rd for males ...

***  10th for age‑adjusted mortality ...

***  13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes)

There's a need for a new way of thinking ‑‑ a shift in the way our culture lives, thinks, and looks at our bodies and each other. A change that will not just save us but also the world. I like to call that change "chiropractic thinking."

And that shift is already beginning to happen.

In a 2004 survey, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly two‑thirds of Americans regularly use alternative forms of health care, with chiropractors being the leading alternative health care providers. Recently, hospitalized patients were among those who were more likely to use alternative approaches, raising questions about the quality of care they received from traditional practitioners. About 28% cited the ineffectiveness of traditional medicine as their reason for choosing alternative care, while 13% said the cost of traditional care caused them to seek out alternatives.

Several years ago, a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 68% of young people (ages 15‑24) had surfed the Web for health‑related information and had visited health sites more often than they downloaded music, played games, or chatted with friends ‑‑ suggesting that teens are not only concerned about their health but also that they aren't getting the information they need from their own doctors. And more than a third said they changed their behavior as a result of what they learned on the Internet ‑‑ which is potentially problematic, given the abundance of misinformation dispensed online.

Consider these statistics about adult Americans.

According to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry, just over half of all people who suffer from depression or anxiety have gone outside traditional health care, including psychiatric care, for treatment of those disorders.

A study at the University of California in San Francisco is analyzing the effects of yoga on a variety of illnesses and disorders, including depression, diabetes and HIV.

In 2002, a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the following breakdown of the top 10 alternative therapies used by Americans:

***  Prayer for a person's own healing: 43%

***  Prayer by others for a person's healing: 24%

***  Use of natural products, such as herbal remedies: 19%

***  Use of deep‑breathing techniques: 12%

***  Group prayer for healing: 10%

***  Meditation: 8%

***  Chiropractic: 8%

***  Yoga: 5%

***  Massage: 5%

***  Diet programs (such as Atkins): 4% (this percentage is presumed to be much higher today with the increased popularity of the South Beach Diet, The Body by God Un‑diet, Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Solution, and similar programs).

If traditional health care was so effective, there would be no need for alternatives. The reality is that while non‑medical, non‑surgical wellness treatments like chiropractic are considered "alternative health care," really, there is no alternative to doing the things that genuinely bring health and happiness. True health and real wellness rises beyond merely symptom relief and doing what it takes to look good. What is often called "alternative health care" really should be called "no alternative" health care, if health and happiness is the goal.

"No alternative" forms of health care make up a maximized living revolution and form the natural health and happiness system that never fails. As chiropractors, we're not just in the middle of this revolution, we're the vanguard of the revolution. And every atlas you adjust, every talk that you give, and every screening you conduct brings this health and wellness revolution one step closer to realization.

(Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman manage Teach The World About Chiropractic ‑‑ a coaching, seminar, and product company ‑‑ and Body by God Intl. Dr. Lerner is author of the New York Times best‑selling book, "Body by God: The Owner's Manual For Maximized Living." Drs. Loman and Lerner, maintaining two of the highest‑volume clinics in chiropractic, both have a new book coming out in August from Thomas Nelson Publishing.)