May 12, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

Conflict Resolution with Your Doctor

A bit back, I wrote a piece on how to find the right doctor. Once you find the right doctor, just like with any relationship, at some point, conflict may happen. Hopefully this piece will give you a glimpse at why conflict arises but better yet give you understanding on how to initiate conflict resolution with your doctor.

Conflict happens for 1 reason.

The sole reason is that expectations aren’t being met. Mis-expectations can be broken down into 2 categories. One, there is perceived threat. Two, there is perceived negligence.

Or for you analytical minds. Here’s a formula. C=E÷2. C (conflict). E (expectations). 2 (perceived threat or perceived attack).

I get the stories all the time from new patients coming in dissatisfied with their previous doctor.

“He wouldn’t listen”…perceived negligence. “She said if don’t take this drug, I will die,”…perceived threat. “The staff never returns my phone call,”…perceived negligence. “The practice will kick me out if I don’t vaccinate my kids,”…perceived threat. I’m sure you have your own story.

I also get the stories from fellow practitioners.

“He never makes his visits”…perceived negligence. “She’s hell-bent on ONLY using her insurance and if we don’t accept it, she is walking out”…perceived threat. “The staff never gets their calls returned,”…perceived negligence. “He has to check first with his regular doctor,”…perceived threat.

As a patient, you want to know 3 basic things from your doctor in no particular order. One, can the doctor help me? Two, how long is it going to take? Three, how much money is it going to cost?

As a doctor, you want to know 3 basic things from your patient in no particular order. One, will the patient follow recommendations? Two, is the patient able to pay? Three, does the patient have the time?

Really the doctor and patient want to know the exact same things. The problem is that expectations are vastly different. It’s ok not to agree on things. I have plenty of patients that don’t agree 100% with me on certain issues. But this is also why I have the coolest patient base; they aren’t afraid to disagree but they also aren’t afraid of discussing it and looking at an issue from my side. The same goes for them from me. We have an unspoken ‘judgement free zone’ relationship.

If you’re a patient looking for a new doctor, I’d love to see if we would make a good team. Book a free 15 minute phone consultation. All expectations are met ahead of time. You know how long it’s going to take. You know how much it’s going to cost. Just like me, you don’t know if I can help or not yet. We start on an even playing field.

If you’re a fellow practitioner passionate about helping your community create More Health, Less HealthCare, let’s chat. I often get inquires from people in other states looking for a doctor in their area that can help them in a drug free manner. Nothing formal, just reach out.

May 6, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

The Hunger Conspiracy

I hate to even use the word conspiracy, as it lays claim that someone or some group is doing something malicious on purpose and trying to cover it up. But the more I see campaigns surrounding feeding the hungry, the more I feel something weird going on beneath the surface.

I’m not denying there are people that don’t get enough food or there are many that go to bed hungry. But are Americans really dying from starvation? Hunger and starvation are different beasts. Is there a problem that is bigger but being brushed under the carpet? Is the media tugging at our heart strings to appease the people that pay their salaries?

Back in 2012, there was a report in Lancet (a British Medical Journal), called the Global Burden of Disease that reported obesity as now a bigger problem than hunger, except for sub-Sahara Africa. This report also has a LOT of controversy around it. I haven’t dug too deep but I think there’s one industry that is the spear head of the controversy, or dare I say it…conspiracy.

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April 28, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

Top 5 Ways to Lose Weight…Guaranteed

One of the most searched items on the internet is how to lose weight. Instead of searching through all the diets, workout programs, and supplement regimes, I have decided to be a knowledge broker for you and give you my ‘Top 5 Ways to Lose Weight…Guaranteed.’ Guaranteed means guaranteed.

If you don’t like the outcomes, you can get a full refund of the weight you lost. Some will work quicker than others but all of them are very effective and only 1 of them will cost you money directly.

1. Stop Eating

What happens when you don’t give your body the nutrients and calories that it requires to operate on a daily basis? The weight just falls off. This may take some time and won’t always be pleasant but the sky is the limit. Want to get back into those Bugle Boy jeans you wore in 8th grade? What better way than restricting any and all calories.

If you don’t have the will power or you feel you need accountability, you can head to south central LA and start yelling racial slurs. There will be plenty of people that will bash your face in, making it nearly impossible for you to chew food or even open your mouth. The best part of this plan is that you will save thousands of dollars on your food bill. All that money saved can be re-invested into your life insurance policy since you’ll be needing it in the near future.

2. Chop Off Body Parts

If you’ve ever seen the movie Jerry Maguire, you know the human head weighs 8-12 pounds. Chopping off your head is just plain ridiculous and only losing 10 pounds doesn’t move the interest needle very far. Instead, choose a non-essential, heavy body part.

According to the book Human Body Dynamics: Classical Mechanics and Human Movement by Aydin Tozeren, the average percentage of weight for each body part is as follows:

• Trunk (Chest, back and abdomen) – 50.80%
• Thigh – 9.88%
• Head – 7.30%
• Lower leg – 4.65%
• Upper arm – 2.7%
• Forearm – 1.60%
• Foot – 1.45%
• Hand – 0.66%

Just think about it, you’re 200 lbs and wanting to get down to a cool 170, the fastest route is to cut off a leg. Between your thigh and lower leg, that’s easily close to 30 lbs. Depending on your tool of choice, that could be as quick as 3 minutes. Fast and effective. There’s no way you need 127 hours to get these results like Aron Ralston did in the middle-of-no-where Utah.

3. Cocaine and Meth

Have you ever noticed there’s rarely ever a fat or obese person portrayed in the movies or TV that is addicted to cocaine or meth? Look at all the rock stars, movie stars, and athletes that admit to having a cocaine or meth addiction. Skinny, skinny, and skinny. The longer you use it, the better the weight loss results…GUARANTEED!!

The added benefit is that these drugs are also appetite suppressants so if you like option #1, this can be a great adjunct for quicker results. Not to mention as your teeth fall out, it’s hard to chew food. Plus those teeth are just added weight anyway. In weight loss, “every ounce counts.”

If you can’t afford the high cost of cocaine or meth, you might be able to get your doctor to prescribe a drug for ADHD. Same difference, right? Best of all, your insurance pays for it. Win-Win.

4. Blood Letting

You have too much blood anyway, you can afford to get rid of some. According to a UC San Diego study, the average blood draw burns 650 calories. “A pint’s a pound, the world around.” Not only are you losing a pound at each donation, you increase your calorie burning capacity. The hangup is that donating often is tricky. They try and make you wait like 53 days. Only losing 1 pound every 53 days is only almost 7 pounds in a year. You’re looking for 7 pounds per week.

Imagine if you donated 2x week, once on each arm. Weight loss jackpot. If the nurse is concerned that you just donated blood because of the needle marks on your arm, just tell her “Chill out, it’s been 53 days since my last donation. Those needle marks are from heroine…I’m trying to watch my weight. Gotta be healthy to donate blood, right?”

5. Parasites

This might be the best of all because you can eat all you want, the parasite just steals it from you. It works as the same premise as option #1 except you can eat all you want and never have a regret. You can look pretty on the outside and not worry about the inside.

Honestly, I thought this was a little far fetched until my wife asked me yesterday, “have you heard of the tape worm diet?” Apparently, I’m late to the game. Just like when I thought Red Box was a stupid idea. Seriously, just google the tape worm diet. Apparently it’s been around for a LONG time. People already willfully ingest tape worms to allow the parasite to aid them in the pursuit of life, liberty, and the consumption of excessive, guiltless calories. God bless ‘Merica.

In our society’s craze for the next weight loss strategy, don’t confuse weight loss with health loss. Just remember, dying early with less weight is not a successful outcome. If the diet or routine seems sketchy, it probably is, even when it’s ‘doctor supervised.’

April 27, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

Hepatitis B

Vaccine choice is under constant attack. As of this writing, if you live in Colorado, you have a choice. You can choose to get every single one, at the exact recommended interval. You can choose to get a few here and a few there at any time you desire. You can choose to not get any at all.

Just don’t make the decision blindly. I don’t write this with intent to give you medical advice. I write this with the intent of giving you parental choice. Since I have small children and want the best for them, this is how my wife and I decide if we should vaccinate or not.

Hepatitis B Vaccine:

If you have a traditional hospital birth, you have to decide within minutes of your baby being born if you want your little bundle to have the hep B vaccine. It’s the very first shot your child is recommended to receive. The child is also expected to get this shot at 1-2 months and 6-18 months for a total of 3 shots.

Is your child at risk for Hepatitis B? It shouldn’t be the shot that shapes your opinion. The risk of Hepatitis B should be what shapes your opinion.

According to the CDC’s Hepatitis B Vaccine Information Sheet, you be the judge.

Who is at risk for Hepatitis B?

• A baby whose mother is infected can be infected at birth;

• Children, adolescents, and adults can become infected by:

– contact with blood and body fluids through breaks in the skin such as bites, cuts, or sores;

– contact with objects that have blood or body fluids on them such as toothbrushes, razors, or monitoring and treatment devices for diabetes;

– having unprotected sex with an infected person;

– sharing needles when injecting drugs;

– being stuck with a used needle. (Does anyone else see the irony here?)

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April 6, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

Sitting is Suicide

The Unexpected Physical Consequences of Modern Technology aka ‘sitting is suicide.’

Don’t get me wrong, technology is great! We live in an era where pretty much whatever we want to know/learn about is right at our finger tips. We have modern modes of travel that allow us to travel great distances in a short amount of time. We have machines that allow us access to vast amounts of information and entertainment like never before in human history.

Humans are designed to move.

We, as human beings, are designed to move. We are designed to move at a low intensity, throughout our day. As hunter gatherers, we survived on our feet. We were nomadic people, traveling long distances, over long periods of time, gathering food and chasing the occasional wild game.

We continued to survive on our feet during the Agricultural revolution, tending crops and raising domesticated animals for food. Even into the Industrial Revolution, we continued to survive on our feet, as we stood in factory assembly lines and used our bodies to help forge this country into prosperity.

It wasn’t until the advent of modern conveniences like TV and automobiles, and later on the personal computer, that the idea of sitting for long periods of time became the norm, instead of the exception.

We now sit, on average, 9.3 hours a day. The average person, in this country, spends only 7.7 hours sleeping! We sit more than we sleep!

Bottom line, is that we weren’t designed to sit for long periods of time. We were designed to move. Movement is life. Sitting is suicide.

The problem is that we have turned sitting into our mode of survival today. Most of us have jobs that require long periods of sitting. We sit in our vehicles, we sit at our desks at work, we sit for long periods of time while watching TV. We sit…a lot.

But at what cost?

-Sitting 6 or more hrs a day makes you 40% more likely to die within 15 yrs than someone who sits < 3 hours a day.

-People with jobs that require them to sit have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease.

Another recent analysis of 18 studies found that those who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as likely to have diabetes or heart disease, compared to those who sat the least. According to lead researcher Thomas Yates, MD:

“Even for people who are otherwise active, sitting for long stretches seems to be an independent risk factor for conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.”

-80% of people in this country will experience chronic back pain in their lives.

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March 26, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

7 Steps to Make Your Hospital Birth Calm and Gentle

Create a Safe Space.

Hospital birth, in the media is portrayed as something dangerous and scary, something to be afraid of and something where anything and everything could go wrong at a moment’s notice. Honestly, it is sometimes portrayed that way in the more “natural, crunchy” birth world as well.

Here’s the thing about birth in general. It’s been going on for thousands, if not millions of years, depending on what you believe. All species of animals have been giving birth since the dawn of time. The medical industry, however currently advanced, is MUCH newer in time than birth.

Animals have been giving birth in general for 4,000 to 600 million years. Women have been giving birth in hospitals for less than 115 years. Let that sink in. Birthing babies is just something that is done. It’s something every species on earth does in some way, without help, millions of times per day.

That’s not to say that there isn’t some risk in childbirth. Of course there is. There is risk in every single physical act we do every day. There is also much more pure joy and ecstasy in the majority of the physical acts we do every day. If there wasn’t, statistically, we wouldn’t exist. The human race could not be overpopulating the earth the way that it is now if birth was as inherently dangerous as it is made out to be.

So let’s just throw that out the window right now. There are exceptions to every rule, of course and modern medicine is here to help when needed.

Fearing birth, no matter where it happens, is what makes it dangerous and scary. Fear tenses the muscles and interferes with the natural productions of hormones in birth that make everything work automatically and correctly. Eliminating fear is the key to making your Hospital Birth Calm and Gentle.

1. Preparation.

Being prepared is key. Get your personal birth team together as soon as the stick turns pink. A Doula, a Childbirth Educator, Chiropractor, Massage Therapist and anyone else you feel will give you the tools to make you fearless during birth.

2. Plan.

Once you have your birth team in place, decide what exactly you want and don’t want for your birth. Create a Birth Blueprint. Build your beautiful birth that makes you feel safe, warm and protected. Use the knowledge of your birth team to move around some outlets or plumbing as needed and know what happens if you decide to change your mind and knock down a wall. The key is to be educated enough to make changes without fear.

3. Find your safety net.

AFTER you’ve done all of the above, THEN find the provider to watch over you and make sure that medically your plans will be supported. Whether you choose a midwife or an OB for your care during pregnancy, remember that often times they may not be the ones actually attending your birth. Your preparation and planning are important for continuity of care. Deciding who your care providers will be is not JUST about whether they support your plans. You need to also make sure that any other provider from that practice supports you and that the hospital you are attending supports you. The typical protocols for your provider and the protocols at your place of birth may not be the same. Make sure that no matter whom you choose, you will feel safe and supported, even if things need to change.

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March 25, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

Shin Splints and Plantar Fasciitis – It’s All In Your Head

If you’re a runner or competing in the CrossFit Open with nagging shin splints or plantar fasciitis, you probably think I’m nuts saying your pain from injury is all in your head. What I’m getting at is this, ‘is your brain cheating on you?’

One of the key characteristics of shin splints and plantar fasciitis is that you are using the big toe to cheat your movement and cover for some other movement or body part not pulling its weight when you are running, jumping, or lifting. Your shin splints or plantar fasciitis is a symptom of a different problem, most likely one between the ears.

You may be thinking, “But my big toe and brain aren’t anywhere near each other.” Stay with me on this. If you don’t think your big toe and brain are connected, read on.

Shin Splints

If you’ve never had shin splints, then skip to the next section. If you HAVE had shin splints, you know how painful, debilitating, and frustrating it can be to treat and recover. What I want you to do is STOP TREATING YOUR SHIN. Your shin is not the problem. It’s the symptom. If you really want it to stay a nagging injury, keep competing and covering the pain with some caffeine and NSAIDS. [Read more…]

March 23, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

Non-Toxic vs. Toxin Free

If you have done shopping the past 6 months, you will notice an ever-increasing attention to show off a label that screams ”Non-Toxic.’ This seems really great on the surface until you peel back some of the layers in the battle of non-toxic vs. toxin free living.

It’s one of those things you may or may not want to dig into. It’s like Tom’s Shoes. On the surface, it’s a great idea. You buy a pair of shoes and they donate a pair of shoes. You forget about the rest…unless you work in the non-profit relief sector of these countries like a friend of mine, John. What you don’t see is that these donated shoes then puts the village shoe repairman out of business. These donated shoes also have a tendency to increase crime and violence as the shoes are stolen and you may be beaten up to get the shoes off your feet. Is there anyone to monitor that these don’t happen? Probably not.

Non-toxic is no different. There’s no regulation of the term non-toxic, just like there’s no regulation of the ‘pink ribbon’ to support breast cancer either. Anybody can slap that pink tag on any item and dupe you into feeling like you’re making a difference.

Why not make a pair of slippers with a non-toxic label, pink ribbon shoe laces, and donate them to those without shoes? Man you would help a ton of people.

In theory, there is a cutoff where something can be called non-toxic but that doesn’t mean it’s safe or toxic free.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the federal agency responsible for administering the Federal Hazardous Substance Act. The Federal Hazardous Substance Act defines ‘a product is toxic if it can produce personal injury or illness to humans when it is inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.’

Title 16, Section 1500.3

(5) Toxic shall apply to any substance (other than a radioactive substance) which has the capacity to produce personal injury or illness to man through ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through any body surface. (6)(i) Highly toxic means any substance which falls within any of the following categories: (A) Produces death within 14 days in half or more than half of a group of 10 or more laboratory white rats each weighing between 200 and 300 grams, at a single dose of 50 milligrams or less per kilogram of body weight, when orally administered; or (B) Produces death within 14 days in half or more than half of a group of 10 or more laboratory white rats each weighing between 200 and 300 grams, when inhaled continuously for a period of 1 hour or less at an atmospheric concentration of 200 parts per million by volume or less of gas or vapor or 2 milligrams per liter by volume or less of mist or dust, provided such concentration is likely to be encountered by man when the substance is used in any reasonably foreseeable manner; or (C) Produces death within 14 days in half or more than half of a group of 10 or more rabbits tested in a dosage of 200 milligrams or less per kilogram of body weight, when administered by continuous contact with the bare skin for 24 hours or less. (ii) If the Commission finds that available data on human experience with any substance indicate results different from those obtained on animals in the dosages and concentrations specified in paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this section, the human data shall take precedence.

In other words, if a substance kills ONLY 49% of the test subjects, it could be legally labeled non-toxic. Makes you feel really safe, right? How does this translate to humans?

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March 19, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

DPT Pregnancy Push

I had a conversation with a pregnant patient the other day. She said her OB was pushing her to get the pertussis vaccine to protect her unborn baby. She was very reluctant and hesitant but asked me what I thought?

You know what? It’s doesn’t really matter what I think. Let’s go to the literature. Here is the Tripedia – DPT Vaccine that I will reference as literature. You can also get it off the FDA website.

When someone asks if they should get it, especially when it comes to pregnancy and unborn children, they are asking, “is it safe?” I can only answer, “I don’t know…but neither do they?”

This is from the document itself. I do love that it says NOT to give it to pregnant women, yet OBs across the nation push this on unknowing expectant mothers. If you’re searching for this statement, it’s on page 6, about 1/2 way down.

Pregnancy Category C Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Tripedia vaccine. It is not known whether Tripedia vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproductive capacity. Tripedia vaccine is NOT indicated for women of child-bearing age.

Maybe you’re not pregnant but your pediatrician is pushing the DPT to your kids and you’re just not sure if it’s safe for the kids. Again, look to the same literature. This time, scroll down to page 11.

Adverse events reported during post-approval use of Tripedia vaccine include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, SIDS, anaphylactic reaction, cellulitis, autism, convulsion/grand mal convulsion, encephalopathy, hypotonia, neuropathy, somnolence and apnea. Events were included in this list because of the seriousness or frequency of reporting.

I want you to key in on the ‘post-approval’ phrase as these are reported by you, the parent, to the VAERS database. The real study for these vaccines happens when they are unleashed on millions in the general public, where they can’t control for certain factors.

The events were reported due to the seriousness or frequency of reporting. It’s estimated only 10% of adverse reactions are ever reported. There are many more reactions that get swept under the table.

Your kid might be fine after getting this shot. Your kid might not be fine after getting this shot. It’s your job as a parent to weigh the risks of the chances of getting Diphtheria, Pertussis, or Tetanus vs. the chances of having an adverse reaction like purpura, SIDS, autism, and seizures (notice how they use the word convulsion instead of seizure?).

I personally don’t care if you get shots or not. What I care about is that you don’t make decisions blindly nor go into these decisions lightly.

March 10, 2015 By Dr. Kurt, DC

Healthcare Epic Fail

I think it’s really simple on why our healthcare system fails to produce health. It’s not because our system is only accessible when you’re sick, therefore being a sick care system. It’s not because a lack of insurance coverage for the masses. It’s not because we don’t have a large enough vaccine coverage rate. It’s not because the FDA and government regulations are just subsidiaries of the drug companies. It’s not because of lack of technology, primary care physicians, and testing.

The healthcare epic fail comes down the basic premise of the goal of healthcare. Healthcare has one premise. That’s to remove disease.

Wait, what? Isn’t removing disease a good thing? In theory? Yes. In practicality, nope.

Removing disease is like trying to remove darkness. You can’t do it. Seriously, go into a dark room and try to remove the darkness. Look at your sleeping cell phone and try to remove the darkness of that screen. You’re not going to be able to do it unless…

You add light. If you want to remove darkness, you have to add light. It doesn’t even have to be a big, bright, spot light. It can be the slight glow of your smoke alarm’s red flashing light.

Disease is darkness. Health is light. The ONLY way you’re going to create less disease is by creating more health. This is why this website is called ‘More Health, Less Healthcare.’

For this reason we have a healthcare epic fail. Medicine cannot add light. The best medicine can do is slow down the rate of darkness. Medicine continues to attack darkness with short term results at best. How many ‘fighting (insert diagnoses)’ campaigns are there out there. We have walks for breast cancer, telethons for diabetes, and months dedicated to heart disease awareness.

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