It’s Never Too Late: For Dr. Siegfried, the German Medical Engineer.

I am a patient of Dr. Siegfried’s. I would like to share one of my best experiences with you that I have had. At 67 years old I was thinking my life was over, I’m an old man and I have to accept that, but thank you Dr. Siegfried for changing my life for the better in the last few months.

In my earlier years I was very active and competent. I was a professional motocross rider for 15 years. After this time I skied a lot of black diamond trails on my mountains. Then for the last 20 years I have played soccer on Portland’s over forty team. All of these sports are well known for high risk accidents and injuries. I was no exception from this. I collected many of them myself. Just a few from the list: broken leg, broken ribs, broken sternum, compressed vertebrae in my back, injured neck, hips, shoulders and knees. Yes I did earn platinum medals but for this I also have metal in my leg and in my collarbone.

The worst accident happened to me 25 years ago, as I recall we were practicing for the upcoming China Hat 100 Motorcycle Desert Race. We were at the beginning of the practice when I hit a camouflage hidden stump with my front wheel of my bike, I flew over the handle bars and landed on my head, my helmet stuck well in the sand.

My injury from this crash was so severe I was in the intensive care unit for a week in the local hospital. I fractured my back, sternum and ribs. I lost 2 inches from my normal height. I went from 5’6’ to 5’4” from the impact.

On the day of my discharge from the hospital I was advised to stay away from chiropractors. So I listened to my surgeon and the other doctors and I did not go near a chiropractor for at least 20 years. I paid a very high price for listening to this advice. I was living my life in tremendous pain and discomfort for all those years.

At the end of last year I was involved in a bad car accident on I-5. I was hit and sandwiched between two SUV’s while driving my small Toyota. As I recall my car was bouncing like a tennis ball on the pavement at the time of impact. I was seriously injured again on top of my old injuries. When I looked at myself in the mirror I was crooked and I could not standup straight. The very next day I went to visit with Dr. Siegfried looking for help.

After being examined Dr. Siegfried felt sorry for me. He knew how badly I was injured and how much pain I was in at the time. The very first treatment gave me instant relief from my pain and discomfort. When he explained to me his first goal was to stop the pain, I did not believe him that he could do it because I was in very bad and constant pain for the last 25 years.

Dr.Siegfried * 301 NE Dunn Place McMinnville  503-472-6550 * 6501 SW Macadam Ave Portland  503-977-0055

www.siegfriedchiropractic.com

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After treatments where Dr. Siegfried was using all his knowledge and experience to treat me, the results came to be fantastic. All of my pain is now gone and I don’t have to suffer

anymore. To achieve this goal the methods of his adjusting treatments at the clinic he additionally included treatment with an advanced decompression and traction table and massage therapy and exercises at my local gym.

He also provided me with knowledge of how to eat right and take care of myself in the future. And he put me on the road to good nutrition like fresh cod liver oil and calphonite, a source of calcium which helped me heal. And other whole food supplements he taught me about. I also regained 1.5” to my height. I can stand and walk straight up now. Be realigning my spine, he freed up and released the pressure on my nervous system. Now I can breathe and sleep better, I have lots of energy and motivation, my memory and thinking is a lot sharper than before and I am more flexible.

Thank you to you and your staff for my brand new life Dr. Siegfried. After I escaped from communist Hungary years ago, I became a factory trained Mercedes mechanic.. I eventually came to this great country to continue my work. You, Dr. Siegfried, are truly a German Engineer in your medical field when it comes to body reconstruction. What I learned from you was to eat well, stay in shape, check my body alignment and receive adjustments as needed is a must to staying healthy in this life. You truly care about your patients. Thank you again.

From Dr. Siegfried (since 1983).

Dunn Chiropractic Clinic: 503-472-6550. A practice started in 1915. MWF 9-6.

Johns Landing Clinic: 503-977-0055. Since 2005. Tues. and Thurs. 10-4.

Sometimes when times are tough – you’ve got to do some pretty drastic things…

To all my patients and friends at Dunn Chiropractic and Johns Landing Clinic.

I’ve only mailed a few hundred of these letters to preferred patients like you. I just got this very impulsive idea and I wanted to jump on it and write this now. It may or may not be “spell check and other corrections proof” and I apologize for that. So before I change my mind, I want to make sure that you get this “special offer” so you can plan accordingly.

To my regular adjusting patients and those of you who haven’t been in for an adjustment lately –it’s basically my way of saying thank you for being a patient and a good way to

Dr.Siegfried * 301 NE Dunn Place McMinnville  503-472-6550 * 6501 SW Macadam Ave Portland  503-977-0055

www.siegfriedchiropractic.com

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“jump start” your spring. Regular chiropractic patients know the benefits of regular chiropractic and now is a good time for you to “get back in the ball game”.

As you may or may not know, I own the Dunn and Johns Landing Chiropractic Clinic. I purchased the Dunn Chiropractic Clinic from Dr. Dunn in 1985 after returning from practicing in Italy as chiropractor for the Italian Olympic Team. He founded it in 1959, after practicing with Dr. Byron White, who started this type of practice in McMinnville in 1915. So there is a lot of history providing chiropractic care and other services to the McMinnville and surrounding Community – for many years. Plus, I’ve been in Johns Landing since 2005, on Tuesday & Thursday when not in McMinnville. And my website, though I admit is a work in progress, has a lot of info on me and my services: www.siegfriedchiropractic.com.

And I think that you will be interested in what I’m going to tell you…

                                    Bureaucracy!! More and More!!!

Right now, in these tough economic times, so unsettling for all of us, my practice is no different than any other health care practice: More government regulations, state & federal. More insurance scrutiny, paying less and less for your private insurance care even though your monthly and mine too seem to keep rising. Premiums that is, not coverage. And all the hoops you need to go through with private insurance to get tested, MRI scans, etc. Pre-approved, preauthorizations, certain symptoms before they will do anything.  Back and forth from one doctor to another. And I don’t see it getting any easier. In fact, in Oregon, we are now under the national health care plan that President

Obama formulated. Oregon was given the go-ahead to craft its own version of the Obama Healthcare Plan. It just passed in the Oregon Legislature the other day and our local Senator, Brian Boquist, told me by e-mail he really doesn’t know what it means for all of us who have private insurance regarding coverage, etc. I don’t even know if chiropractic care is covered in it as of right now. If you would like to read it, it is called Senate Bill 1580, called “health transformation” measure, according to the News Register Saturday March 3, 2012.

However, car accident and work injuries are still covered 100% for chiropractic care and no referral or pre-authorization is necessary. So you can just come here on your own if you unfortunately get injured in a car accident or work injury. These 2 insurance policies are outside the new Oregon Health Care Plan.

                              The Emerging Health Care Landscape

Also, more and more providers are trying to copy what chiropractors do, without proper training, calling a spinal adjustment/manipulation something else. Like mobilization, body work, etc. There are even weekend courses being given so that someone can be

Dr.Siegfried * 301 NE Dunn Place McMinnville  503-472-6550 * 6501 SW Macadam Ave Portland  503-977-0055

www.siegfriedchiropractic.com

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called an Osteopractor. Quite frankly, there is nothing wrong with this, but without the intention and studies it takes to understand the nervous system and how it effects your body, they are only moving things around, unaware of the time and processes involved in assisting your body to function at its optimal levels.

Plus, more and more drug ads – legal drug ads – telling patients what drugs to take, which many people try, and hoping to get relief from their back, neck or headache pains, etc. Or for their cough, colds, flu, allergies, etc. Only to suffer more with unwanted side effects, etc. Just try and understand that guy on the tube talking 100mph what the side effects are of the advertized drug.

                                                 Modern Medicine

 I do want to be clear that I am not totally against modern medicine; only how much they seem to want everyone taking so many drugs, doing so many unnecessary surgeries, tests, etc. I don’t mince words here. Drugs are drugs, prescription or otherwise. Surgeries can be dangerous. You need to know the difference between elective and emergency surgery. And if you can avoid them, better for your body. Dr. David Brownstein, M.D., recently wrote a book outlining the problems with modern medicine, confirming what Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. wrote about years ago(Confessions of a Medical Heretic). Dr. Brownstein’s book is called “Therapies That Work and Don’t Work. Or you can read Gary Null, Ph.D.’s recent book, Death By Medicine. It is on special for only $15.

Example: One of my patients who work in a senior citizen care home came in recently for her monthly adjustment. She said, in addition to all her heavy lifting of older patients at work, she also hands out “MEDS’ to the residents. Sometimes as many as 17 different drugs a day, several times a day. Now, I personally take a lot of whole food concentrates. In fact, quite a few patients of mine take a “handful” of whole food

concentrates daily. Some only a few. At most, maybe 6 or 8 different ones daily. but not 17!! And they have no side effects and no chemicals in them.

I asked her to repeat her statement: “that’s right Doc, 17 different drugs a day, sometimes 2x a day!!”

After hearing this, I told myself that I am re-committing myself to all my patients, past & present, to do all I can to help them be as healthy as they can through natural health methods, chiropractic care, natural non-surgical disc decompression, nasal specifics, proper nutrition, supplementation, etc. If you need a drug for a short term emergency, fine. But this long term taking drugs and excessive surgery is becoming more questionable daily.

Dr.Siegfried * 301 NE Dunn Place McMinnville  503-472-6550 * 6501 SW Macadam Ave Portland  503-977-0055

www.siegfriedchiropractic.com

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                                          So Let’s Get Started!!!!!!!!!!

And I am starting by offering a special Patient – past and present – Appreciation Day where you will receive a FREE Chiropractic adjustment. All that I ask is that you bring a few cans of food to contribute to our annual food drive supporting Henderson House – the women’s shelter for women and children. Last year we donated over 350 lbs of food and we’d like to top that this year.

That’s right! You’re going to receive a FREE adjustment for only a few cans of food while you will be contributing to your health and help feed some mother’s & children get through times of crisis. Every patient that calls to make an appointment – limited to as many as I can see  – will not only receive a FREE adjustment, but a FREE consultation regarding questions you may have on other health issues.

                                                But that’s Not All

Most patients don’t realize how extensive chiropractic education is regarding evaluation and treatment and that we refer to a lot of medical providers & know who the best ones are – in fact – the one’s I have used for my own self & family members. Of course, being a Naturopathic Physician helps me also in my evaluation procedures.

So, I am also offering a free nutritional /diet/supplement evaluation called the  “Symptom Survey Form”, a battery of questions developed by Dr. Royal Lee,D.D.S, in 1920 to help evaluate clinically all your major systems: digestion, elimination, nervous, muscles, joints, heart, brain, male and female complaints, etc. This system is still Right on today – when evaluated by someone like me, a Doctor trained in using it. It is not perfect. Nothing is. But it sure gives a good overall picture of your clinical nutritional status, what dietary and whole food concentrates – gas & oil if you will – that you may need to help your car – sorry body--run better… And I am waiving the normal $175.00 evaluation fee for this Patient Appreciation Day only.

Plus you will receive a FREE COPY of my Health and Wellness series on CD($ a $29 value)—also on my website—to listen to in your car. A 4-hour radio interview that went longer than anticipated because of all the nutrition topics covered. It is a fundamental expose’ regarding our food, water and supplement situation that you can address at home and EMPOWERING YOU to really take control of your food intake, supplement quality, water quality, etc.

I’m really not sure how long it will take to give all this treatment, but I will be prepared to spend my day giving FREE treatments and advice and answer any questions you may have so that I can help you be healthier in 2012 and beyond!!

Dr.Siegfried * 301 NE Dunn Place McMinnville  503-472-6550 * 6501 SW Macadam Ave Portland  503-977-0055

www.siegfriedchiropractic.com

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My Techniques

I have so many different chiropractic techniques that I have learned over the years, I am sure that if you haven’t been in for awhile, you will be helped by one of them. Plus, of all the Whole Food Concentrate products I use I am sure that I will be able to help you with at least one you may need to get started with. In fact, I will be happy to review what you are taking to help you determine if indeed your supplements are natural or synthetic, building you up or tearing you down. But you have to call to make an appointment for this to happen! NOW! You can also have my FREE CONSUMER AWARENESS BOOKLET (a $19 value) on supplements: Natural vs. Synthetic, Truth vs. Lies. Just ask for your FREE COPY while they last.

                                   Just What Are All My Services?

To give you some idea of techniques and conditions I treat you can simply go to my website and/or blog at www.siegfriedchiropractic.com. I have videos and written material there. Chiropractic adjustments, Bilateral Nasal Specific for head injuries, concussions, headaches, sinusitis, chronic ear infections, non surgical disc decompression, etc. etc, are all on there for you to read about. Plus my Free CD Wellness Interviews. But, at the same time, I realize my website is a work in progress… Still, I think going there will help you understand better who I am, and what conditions I have treated successfully over the years.

FOR EXAMPLE: my whole food product concentrates I recommend come from not only reputable companies, but also have been around for years, plus, I know the people who run them. I trust them with my health and yours too. Like Standard Process Labs, since 1920; Springreen, 1941; Nutriplex Formulas 1990; Green Pastures, 1998; and others. Actually I don’t just know the people who own the companies. I know their character, integrity, and how they formulate their products, whether or not they use chemicals in formulating their products, etc. And I can promise you, I will not recommend any product to you I would not take myself or give to my family.

I will admit I don’t know all the companies and products available out there – but I can GUARANTEE YOU THIS PERSONALLY: I can EMPOWER YOU TO know & evaluate whether the products you are taking are good for you and your body in the long run, and your kids, grandkids etc. Basically to evaluate whether or not you are consuming – and you should be – raw, organic, non-gmo’d Whole Food Concentrates. Not chemical, synthetic, fraudulent, masquerading as whole food concentrates/products, etc.

                                              Parents Especially

If you are a parent, you want to be sure your children are healthy now and in the future, so they can have healthy children. The Price Pottenger Foundation is your best

Dr.Siegfried * 301 NE Dunn Place McMinnville  503-472-6550 * 6501 SW Macadam Ave Portland  503-977-0055

www.siegfriedchiropractic.com          

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information in this regard at ppnf.org. I’ll give you the sum and substance of their message right here: avoid the “WHITE PLAGUE”: WHITE FLOUR, WHITE SUGAR, PASTEURIZED MILK, and all the other chemicals in our food whenever possible. These simple concepts are demonstrated in their documentaries that I show at the clinic. )ne hour and you will see for yourself how profound these practical concepts are for the health of you and yours, now and for future generations. These 2 documentaries are a total of 55 minutes and I show them for Free at the clinic from time to time for my patients. If you like to know the schedule just call. Based on these principles, I was blessed to have healthy children and now 3 healthy grandchildren. You can too by following these principles shown in these documentaries.

NOW!! You might be asking yourself: “why is he doing this”? I am only sending this letter out because I want patients – preferred present and past – and potential new patients, to know, that I appreciate the opportunity to serve you and yours and those you refer to me, through the benefits of natural chiropractic health care. It is my passion and my gift – to provide for my patients.

                                  The Uniqueness of This Practice

This clinic/practice has had such a long history of helping people – NATURALLY – and in this crazy “health care environment” we are all in now seems to be SERIOUSLY affecting us all, I simply want to stay connected and reconnected and get acquainted with all the patients I have treated or who have treated wit these great Doctors before me. Yes, I still have a few patients who treated with Dr.White back in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and lots of patients who treated with Dr. Dunn after Dr. White died. So, I must be doing something right and will continue doing so, and once again, I am prepared to help you and yours through my methods.

           BUT THAT”S NOT ALL! THERE’S MORE FOR YOU

When you call for your appointment:

McMinnville office on Wednesday April 18^th for current or past patients.   

Johns Landing office on Thursday April 19^th same as McMinnville, you can “cash in” on these OFFERS as well! (These are stand alone offers and cannot be combined with any other offers. Thank you for understanding ahead of time).

So to summarize; in addition to your FREE ADJUSTMENT/CONSULT/SYMPTOM SURVEY/ EVALUATION FORM/My Health and Wellness CD’s. You will be saving $294 if you decide to participate in this special Patient Appreciation Day. For only a few cans of food to be donated to the Henderson House Shelter for Women and Children.

Dr.Siegfried * 301 NE Dunn Place McMinnville  503-472-6550 * 6501 SW Macadam Ave Portland  503-977-0055

www.siegfriedchiropractic.com

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                                    PATIENT APPRECIATION DAY                                               

                                     CASH PATIENTS ONLY:                                     

Adjustments: Buy 5 for $265, get I FREE.

Nasal Specific Patients: Save $150: Buy 3 for $375. Normally $525

Decompression Patients: Save $500: Buy 3. Normally $960, only $495

Supplement Patients: 10% off all orders. Plus my Wellness CD’s.

Orthopedic Neck and Low Back Pillows: $10 off.

Gardeners: $5.00 of Sea Crop 16 ™/Nitrozyme. The only plant growth

                   Regulator of its kind.

Bio-Freeze: $5.00 off per bottle.

Skin Care: $5.00 off Sun River Ointment

Rebecca’s Beautiful Image of Oregon Micro current Non-Surgical Facelift

System: Introductory session only $30. Gift Certificates available. www.beautifulimageoregon.com

Massage for Women: Normally $55 for 60 minutes. Only $50.

     (Gift Certificates available)

**But I would suggest you call now and get your appointment now…there are only so many visits available in a day like this**

FINALLY: thank you for taking time to read my letter to you. In fact, I think I will mail it – JUST LIKE THIS, ASAP! Why? Well it will save time here at the office, plus allow you to scheduled as well. Otherwise it just might go onto the “To Do List” and NEVER GET DONE! Ever have that happen? A great idea/opportunity gone to the wayside? This way I’m sure you’ll get it, quickly, so that you can plan accordingly and take advantage of my offer to you.

AGAIN, THE PATIENT APPRECIATION DAY HOURS:

Existing Patients:

McMinnville (503-472-6550): Wednesday April 18th

Johns Landing Clinic (503-977-0055): Thursday April 19th

New Patients (excludes auto accidents, work injuries and xrays)

So please call now. Reserve your appointment. Tell my staff just exactly what you want: adjustment? Nutrition Consult? Supplements? And time. And whether you will be bringing cans, boxes, bottles, etc, so we have an idea how many different boxes to have.

Hope to see you there.  And a Happy and Healthy Spring to you and yours!!!!!!!!!

Dedicated to your health!

Dr. Siegfried

P.S. PREVENT YARD BACK. GET ADJUSTED NOW.

                                   PATIENT APPRECIATION DAY                                    

                                     CASH PATIENTS ONLY:                                     

Adjustments: Buy 5 for $265, get I FREE.

Nasal Specific Patients: Save $150: Buy 3 for $375. Normally $525

Decompression Patients: Save $500: Buy 3. Normally $960, only $495

Supplement Patients: 10% off all orders. Plus my Wellness Nutrition CD’s as a

  gift with your order.

Orthopedic Neck and Low Back Pillows: $10 off.

Gardeners: $5.00 of Sea Crop 16 ™/Nitrozyme. The only plant growth

                     Regulator of its kind.

Bio-Freeze: $5.00 off per bottle.

Skin Care: $5.00 off Sun River Ointment

Rebecca’s Beautiful Image of Oregon Micro current Non-Surgical Facelift

System: Introductory session only $30. Gift Certificates available. www.beautifulimageoregon.com

Massage for Women: Normally $55 for 60 minutes. Only $50.

     (Gift Certificates available)

These special offers expire: April 30, 2012

Dr. Siegfried

301 NE Dunn Place

McMinnville, OR 97128

McMinnville 503-472 6550

Portland 503-977-0055

Address Correction Requested

What’s Inside:

Patient Appreciation Day, McMinnville: Wednesday April 18^th

          Portland: Thursday April 19th

New Patients Free Adjustments/Consultations April 16^th-20th

It’s Never Too Late: Dr.Siegfried the German Medical Engineer

Henderson House Food Drive

Our Current “Healthcare” Situation

The Emerging “Healthcare” Landscape

Moderno Medicino

A health class in every issue!!

A Note For Parents

Many fads come and go in the healthcare industry. The significance of this particular discovery is neither a fad nor has it gone away. Its truth and effectiveness still applies to your joints today. Unlike so many other “discoveries and breakthroughs”.

In the 1930’s, Dr.’s Price(DDS) and Pottenger(MD), independent of one another, found that healthy joints are dependent on several essential foods. An essential food is one that your body needs daily. Cod liver oil, butter oil and bone meal. Not just fish oil, so popular currently. Not synthetic Vitamin D, also popular today. Not glucosamine or chondroitin. And not just any Cod Liver Oil, Butter Oil or Bone Meal.

Your body needs fresh, raw, unprocessed, no added chemicals, cod liver oil, butter oil and bone meal. These 3 foods combined-when unadulterated- have all the components of fish oil, vitamin D-3, glucosamine/choindroitin and so much more.

These 3 foods have a proven track record with patients. Call today for a monthly supply of Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver/Butter Oil and Whole Food Bone Meal. 503-472-6550.

Plus, if you would like a Free Copy of a Consumer Awareness Booklet that helps you find out once for all if what supplements you are taking are NATURAL or SYNTHETIC, ask for it when you call. Plus ask for the Free articles on the Bone Meal and Cod Liver/Butter Oil.

Something I thought some of you might be interested in that came to me from a radiologist friend.

Michael Freeman 2/21/12

The Major Cause of Breast Cancer Almost Everyone Ignores

Story at-a-glance

* The FDA secretly monitored the personal e-mail of a group of agency whistleblowers for two years. All of the monitored employees worked in the office responsible for reviewing medical devices, including those for cancer screenings and were expressing concerns over several devices. Some of the employees were harassed and/or terminated, and six of them are now suing the agency

* There’s a lot of compelling evidence that the dangers of mammography are being covered up, and that a Congressional hearing is well overdue

* While roughly 15 percent of women in their 40’s detect breast cancer through mammography, many other women experience false positives, anxiety, and unnecessary biopsies as a result of the test, according to the data. In fact, a full decade ago, a Danish study published in The Lancet concluded that previous research showing a benefit of mammograms was flawed and that widespread mammogram screening is unjustified.

* According to the Cochrane Collaboration, for every 2,000 women getting mammography screening over the course of 10 years, just ONE woman will have her life prolonged. Meanwhile, 10 healthy women, who would not have been diagnosed with cancer had it not been for the mammography screening, will be misdiagnosed as having breast cancer, and will be treated unnecessarily

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) secretly monitored the personal e-mail of nine whistleblowers—its own scientists and doctors—over the course of two years.  The monitored employees had warned Congress that the agency was approving medical devices that posed unacceptable risks to patients. Six of the monitored scientists and doctors recently filed a lawsuit against the FDA, charging that the agency violated their constitutional rights to privacy by monitoring lawful activity in personal email accounts, and using that information to harass and ultimately relieve some of them of their positions.  According to the Washington Post1:

"All had worked in an office responsible for reviewing devices for cancer screening and other purposes.  Copies of the e-mails show that, starting in January 2009, the FDA intercepted communications with congressional staffers and draft versions of whistleblower complaints complete with editing notes in the margins.  The agency also took electronic snapshots of the computer desktops of the FDA employees and reviewed documents they saved on the hard drives of their government computers."

The FDA has declined to comment on the allegations, stating it does not comment on cases involved with litigation.  However, according to internal FDA documents obtained by the plaintiffs under the Freedom of Information Act, the agency had asked the Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS)

inspector general to conduct an investigation back in May 2010, stating suspicions that the plaintiffs had improperly disclosed confidential business information about the devices.  The HHS inspector general's office found no evidence of criminal conduct, stating the doctors and scientists had legal right to share their concerns with Congress and journalists.  Hence no investigation was launched. But the FDA was not satisfied.  On June 28 that same year, Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health wrote that, "We have obtained new information confirming the existence of information disclosures that undermine the integrity and mission of the FDA and, we believe, may be prohibited by law," and again requested action be taken against the employees in question. (Shuren is also the official who oversees mercury dental fillings, which they have been fraudulently referring to as 'silver fillings'. Shuren had promised to make an announcement about dental amalgam by the end of 2011. But with just six minutes left in the work year, at 4:54 pm on Friday, December 30, the FDA conceded that no announcement was forthcoming – not in 2011, and maybe not at all.) After consulting with general prosecutors, the inspector general declined the second request for an investigation as well. Now the question is whether the agency monitored their employees within legal limits, and whether the purpose of the extensive monitoring was reasonable.  Senator Charles Grassley doesn't seem to think so, stating that:

"The FDA has a huge responsibility to protect public health and safety. It's hard to see how managers apparently thought it was a good use of time to shadow agency scientists and monitor their e-mail accounts for legally protected communications with Congress."

Systemic Corruption and Wrongdoing...

Although its roots go way further back, the current saga began in 2007, when the plaintiffs, all of whom worked for the FDA's Office of Device Evaluation, claim they began making internal complaints about a dozen radiological devices about to be approved despite lack of proof of effectiveness. The doctors and scientists were concerned that millions of patients would be put at risk. According to the featured article:

* Three devices risked missing signs of breast cancer

* One device risked falsely diagnosing osteoporosis

* One ultrasound device could malfunction while monitoring pregnant women in labor

* Several colon cancer screening devices employed such heavy doses of radiation that they risked causing cancer in otherwise healthy people

They also recommended against approval of a computer-aided imaging device for breast cancer screening a total of three times. But after the third rejection, a senior manager, Donna-Bea Tillman, suddenly approved the device in 2008. This and much more was detailed in a 2009 letter from an unknown number of FDA employees to President Obama's transition team.2,3 In that letter (in which all the signatures were blacked out due to fear of retaliation from the FDA), the authors clearly spell out the need for a complete overhaul of the agency due to deep-rooted systemic corruption at the highest levels.  They write:

"On January 7, 2009, FDA physicians and scientists wrote to Mr. John Podesta: Through this letter and your action, we hope that future FDA employees will not experience the same frustration and anxiety that we have experienced for more than a year at the hands of FDA managers because we are committed to public integrity and were willing to speak out. Currently there is an atmosphere at FDA in which the honest employee fears the dishonest employee, and not the other way around. Disturbingly, the atmosphere does not yet exist at FDA where honest employees committed to integrity and the FDA mission can act without fear of reprisal. ... America urgently needs change at FDA because FDA is fundamentally broken, failing to fulfill its mission, and because re-establishing a proper and effectively functioning FDA is vital to the physical and economic health of the nation."

Remarkably, just two months later, Acting Commissioner Dr. Frank M. Torti and FDA attorneys sent an email to all FDA employees stating they "must comply with … obligations to keep certain information … confidential … [including] e-mail to and from employees within FDA [that document the] deliberative process." Furthermore, employees were told that "violation … can result in disciplinary sanctions and/or individual criminal liability."  A few days later, on March 24, 2009, Senator Grassley sent a letter to Dr. Torti stating that:

"Your memorandum … appears to run contrary to many statutes protecting executive branch communications with members of Congress… I am concerned with the timing of your memorandum, given some recent high profile matters concerning your Agency and the release of information that has shown failures in FDA's regulatory mission. [This] could be viewed … as an effort to chill and/or prevent FDA employees from exercising their rights under whistleblower protection laws."

Congressional Hearing on Mammography Cover-Up is Overdue

Folks, this is a major story, and it's about to get much bigger... There's loads of powerful and damning information out there that can, and will, be used to call for a congressional hearing on the mammography cover-up. Decades ago, in 1974, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was warned by professor Malcolm C. Pike at the University of Southern California School of Medicine that a number of specialists had concluded that "giving a women under age 50 a mammogram on a routine basis is close to unethical."  And in the 1990's, Dr. Samuel Epstein started warning people about the dangers of mammography, stating:

"The premenopausal breast is highly sensitive to radiation, each 1 rad exposure increasing breast cancer risk by about 1 percent, with a cumulative 10 percent increased risk for each breast over a decade's screening... The high sensitivity of the breast, especially in young women, to radiation-induced cancer was known by 1970. Nevertheless, the establishment then screened some 300,000 women with X-ray dosages so high as to increase breast cancer risk by up to 20 percent in women aged 40 to 50 who were mammogramed annually."

Since then, concerned FDA doctors and scientists have issued a number of written warnings in the form of letters to various authorities, such as the October 2008 letter to Representative Dingell, notifying him of corruption within the FDA, which sparked a House Energy and Commerce Committee investigation into Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) activities. 4  A second letter, sent in January 2009 to HHS Secretary-Designate Tom Daschle, Baltimore City Health Department Chief Joshua Sharfstein, and nine members of Congress, delved into more detail. According to Medical Devices Today5:

"In the case of an April 2008 approval of a computer-aided detection device for mammography, the scientists specifically charge (by title, but not by name) ODE Director Donna-Bea Tillman "and her subordinates" with the "most outrageous misconduct by ordering, coercing, and intimidating FDA physicians and scientists to recommend approval, and then retaliating when the physicians and scientists refused to go along."  The letter also includes a bullet-pointed list of nine "examples of wrongdoing" by the ODE Director, including ordering physicians and scientists to ignore FDA guidance documents and allowing manufacturers to market unapproved devices."

In October that same year (2009), the US Preventative Task Force revised its recommendations on mammograms,6 stating that women in their 40's should no longer get routine mammograms for early detection of breast cancer. Instead, the panel recommended waiting until the age of 50, and only doing one mammogram every other year, instead of yearly. They also suggested women between 40 to 49 should talk to their doctor about the risks and benefits of the test, and then decide if they want to be screened. The Canadian task force followed suit in November last year.7

Many cancer organizations were outraged and have shunned the task forces' new directive; completely ignoring the data supporting their decision... The main reason behind the changed guidelines? The inherent dangers and short-comings of mammographic screening...

Could More Women Be Harmed than Helped with Mammography?

While roughly 15 percent of women in their 40's detect breast cancer through mammography, many other women experience false positives, anxiety, and unnecessary biopsies as a result of the test, according to the data. In fact, a full decade ago, a Danish study published in The Lancet concluded that previous research showing a benefit of mammograms was flawed and that widespread mammogram screening is unjustified.  That mammograms are still recommended at all speaks volumes about the state of modern medicine...  Mammograms expose your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray, which poses risks of cancer. Mammography also compresses your breasts tightly (and often painfully), which could lead to a lethal spread of cancerous cells, should they exist. In April 2011, the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration chimed in, saying mammography screening may cause more harm than good8. For their informative leaflet, please see the following link. Even more provocative is the new book, Mammography Screening: Truth, Lies and Controversy by Peter C. Gøtzsche, Professor of Clinical Research Design and Analysis Director at The Nordic Cochrane Centre, and Chief Physician. The very first paragraph of the book's ad reads9:

"The most effective way to decrease women's risk of becoming a breast cancer patient is to avoid attending screening."

Now, that's a bold statement! And it's backed up by facts. According to the Cochrane Collaboration, for every 2,000 women invited for screening over the course of 10 years, just ONE woman will have her life prolonged. Meanwhile, 10 healthy women, who would not have been diagnosed with cancer had it not been for the mammography screening, will be misdiagnosed as having breast cancer, and will be treated unnecessarily. Additionally, more than 200 women will experience significant psychological distress for many months due to false positives.

Did You Know? There are No Guidelines for Lumpectomies...

These sad and shocking statistics are worsened further by reports such as this one, published in the New York Times on January 31,10 revealing that oncologists (cancer surgeons) perform lumpectomies without any guidelines whatsoever, despite the fact that it's the most commonly performed breast cancer surgery there is. According to the cited study, about half of all women undergoing a second lumpectomy may not have needed it. On the other hand, some who did not get repeat surgery may have benefited from it.  According to The New York Times:

"Rates of repeat surgery can vary widely by doctor, from zero percent to 70 percent, according to the study. The additional operations are done when pathology reports on tumor specimens suggest that the first operation may have left behind some cancer cells. But surgeons differ when it comes to interpreting those reports.  ... Such uncertainty about a cancer operation that has been in use for 30 years is "a shame," said Dr. Laurence E. McCahill, the first author of the study and a surgeon and assistant director of the Lacks Cancer Center in Grand Rapids, Mich. ... [Another] major reason for the variation in repeat operations after lumpectomy is that there is no consensus among surgeons about how big a rim or "margin" of healthy tissue should be taken out when a cancer is removed. Surgeons try to cut cleanly around a tumor and remove enough of a margin to ensure that they excised all the cancer."

Indeed, you'd think they'd have it nailed down a bit better by now, but it just goes to show that a lot of what the general public assumes is science-based medicine is anything but. Interestingly, a study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health indicates that spontaneous remission of breast cancer is not quite as miraculous as we might think. In fact, it's actually quite common. According to their findings, more than one in five invasive cancers detected in the study by mammography vanished without ever being treated!11, 12 All in all, there's convincing evidence that mammography is not all it's cracked up to be, and the FDA is not doing it's stated job to protect your health. Instead, they're busy catering to industry and skirting the boundaries of the law to protect their own and their client's behinds; their client, of course, being the drug- or medical company—the ones they're supposed to be regulating and keeping honest... It's going to take a lot to change the course of this agency at this point, but indeed it must be done. Or the entire notion of a safety- and efficacy standard for drugs and medical devices of all kinds will be moot.

REFERENCES:

---* 1 Washington Post January 29, 2012 * 2 i.bnet.com/blogs/cert-fda-letter-to-the-president-4-2-09-and-trans-team-1-7-09.pdf * 3 www.whistleblowers.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1138 * 4 The Gray Sheet, November 24, 2008, Vol. 34, No. 047 * 5 Medical Devices Today January 15, 2009 * 6 www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsbrca.htm * 7 Chicago Tribune November 21, 2011 * 8 Cochrane Summaries April 13, 2011 * 9 www.cochrane.dk/screening/book/flyer-mammography_screening_standard.pdf * 10New York Times, January 31, 2012 * 11Dartmouth Medicine Spring 2009 * 12 Canada.com December 15, 2011

__._,_.___

Mammography

Proton Pump Inhibitors Raise Risk for Hip Fractures over time

February 6,2012.

(These comments based on a recent published article published in Medscape Medical News, January 31, 2012).

                                      The Problem              

This recent article reveals another treacherous mistake of modern medicine: taking a drug that not only doesn’t help indigestion but also causes reduced calcium uptake and in the long run, risk for hip fractures. But probably many more risks. You just aren’t told that. But your body will tell you, over time.

The crux of the issue here is digestion. Our modern diet causes so many problems with digestion. The medical approach, such as the proton inhibitor drugs, is based on the theory that blocking acid production in your stomach, you won’t get stomach problems, like GERD—gastro-esopahageal reflex disease for one. Many people, including myself recently, may feel heart attack like symptoms, get all kinds of tests, and are told they have “indigestion”. GERD being the beigest one these days. And no wonder, what with all the stressees on our digestive processes.

The biggest problem with the Proton Inhibitors9 acid blockers) is that they stop the production of acid in the stomach, slow down your digestion, creating fermentation—gas—and you feel crummy. Plus, because they interfere with proper digestion—like covering up a fire with a blanket, you may dampen the fire but the ashes (gas and indigestion) are still there, only to get going stronger later---meaning more noticeable indigestion, gas, “sluggish bowels”, constipation, etc.. Not to mention the precancerous lesions in your esophagus which slowly develop.

Not to mention the fact that you don’t absorb your nutrients from your food, like CALCIUM, causing the risk for hip fractures, especially in women.

                                       The Solution? A couple of them….

1) Start working on your digestion. Actually, start looking at what you are consuming. The “white plague” –white flour, white sugar, pasteurized milk—plus all the chemicals in our foods, and all the other processing, are causing so many of these digestive problems. Just look at the shelves at Rite Aid, Whalgren’s, Costco, etc. Digestive “aids”—like Tums, Tums Tums Tums (remember this ad on TV?)—are interfering with your proper digestion. But don’t worry, because the next shelf has the Ex-lax and constipation and hemorrhoids’ medicines, suppositories, etc. All connected to poor digestion.

2) So how to work on your digestion from a supplement standpoint? An old “folk remedy” based on the work of Dr. Jarvis, M.D., The Apple Cider Vinegar Book, tells us to have a teaspoon of raw, apple cider vinegar each meal. Sip it as you go. WHY?

   This actually helps feed the digestion process with a little extra acid that we need for digestion to prevent the fermentation/gas developing. The exact opposite from the Proton Inhibitor game. Why? Because you need acid. Your stomach is supposed to be slightly acidic for digestion. After age 30, your acid production starts to slow down. So you need to supplement. Vinegar is a good start. Paul Bragg’s Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is probably the best. Some people mix it with a little honey. Which is ok too. You can mix a half bottle vinegar/raw, organic honey and take a “shot” each meal. But be careful of all honey these days. Actually, Tupelo is the best. You just have to know the source, like so many other foods.

                                  What else?

Your stomach needs to be a little acidic. I always recommend Digestplex from Nutriplex Formulas first. Why? I know the company. I trust they use the best ingredients available. Plus, we have the same nutrition mentors. They are uncompromising in their products. Digestplex, taken before a meal, will help the initial stages of your digestion so you don’t get gas, GERD, and end up going to the hospital thinking you are having a heart attack and need to spend a lot of money that you’re insurance doesn’t cover.

Then you need to be sure that your elimination is working well too. All this marketing about probiotics is fine, except for the fact that they are very expensive and not as effective as some basic foods.

In the primitive cultures, they ate a lot of fermented foods. Why? Your gut needs good bugs. Fermented foods not only promote the growth of good bugs in your gut(intestinal tract) but those same bugs will help make vitamins you need. Plus your absorption of your food nutrients will improve.

Today, foods like pickled beets, cucumbers, sauerkraut, pickles,PLAIN YOGURT—not flavored –  all will feed your gut, help make good bugs, and all will be well. The supplement I recommend is Standard Process’s Lactic Acid Yeast. It is a combo of foods that promote the formation of lactic acid in your gut, which is what your gut needs for healthy elimination and digestion. It is the ORIGINAL PROBIOTIC, formulated in 1940 by Standard Process. It is also very cheap. 1 tablet per meal from a bottle of 100 wafers will last at least 1 month. And your digestion will thank you for it.

                                Case in point

As I said earlier, as we age, our digestion slows down. We need an acid supplement,  not an “acid inhibitor” like the Proton drug. Just ask around the senior community and you’ll find all the problems they have with digestion and  elimination. And I have a lot of senior who don’t need these drugs because a Digestplex and Lactic Acid Yeast each meal keeps them regular. A good digestion and elimination keeps you feeling so good.

And let’s not forget good, fresh spring water for drinking. Community water systems are loaded with chlorine and fluoride. Chlorine has been shown to be a big cause of colon cancer according to independent research studies. Water filters may help. But why fool around. Locally you can buy Earth2o and Chrystal Geyser, both fresh and cheap and bottled.

                           Now what about the Calcium Connection and the hip Fractures?

Calcium needs an acidic environment to be absorbed. The Tums, and most other calcium are too hard to digest, rip off what little acid is in the stomach as we age, and actually promote constipation. Why are Tums and so many other types of calcium so hard on your stomach and digestion? Because so many types of calcium are Calcium Carbonate. Most calcium carbonate forms of calcium are ground up Oyster Shells, which are basically calcium carbonate. Good for the oyster as their tough shell protects them. Bad for your stomach because it is tough to digest. So Tums and other sources with calcium carbonate are just another way to deplete your already low acid in your stomach and promote poor digestion. Add a Proton Inhibitor and bingo, a double whammy on your system, actually causing indigestion and constipation that you don’t even know is occurring. Bowel movements every couple days is not normal. The solution is IONIZABLE CALCIUM.

The best traditional source of IONIZABLE CALCIUM is raw milk. It is almost impossible to get Raw Milk anymore so you do need some form of supplemental calcium. The best source of supplemental IONIZABLE CALCIUM in both a food form and elemental/basic form is CALCIUM LACTATE. And the best company with that is Nutriplex Formulas. A few a day will meet your needs. It is best taken on an empty stomach because of the acidic environment helps you absorb the calcium into your system.

                                          Let’s Summarize

In a nutshell, Proton Inhibitors are given on the false theory that you may have too much acid in your stomach. Wrong. Guyton’s Physiology, a basic textbook, tells us your acid production goes down after about age 30. Therefore your stomach acid levels are low. You therefore need some form of supplementation that will help acidify the stomach for better digestion.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar taken with meals is ok. Digestplex from Nutriplex Formulas is better as it FEEDS each stage of your digestion; not just the stomach. Lactic Acid Yeast is next. The FOOD CONCENTRATES in it promote the formation of LACTIC ACID in your large intestine—the GUT—so that your intestines can not only make the normal “bugs” needed, but also help in the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. Probiotics as are currently advertized are very expensive and not nearly as effective as LACTIC ACID YEAST. My senior citizen patients are an excellent example because of all the things they have tried, these 2 products “Keep Them Regular”. No need for Proton Inhibitors, or Probiotics.

And let’s not forget the fermented foods like plain yogurt (Nancy’s), pickled beets, cucumbers, pickles, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods like Buttermilk. Darigold’s Bulgarian Buttermilk with the GREEN LID as found at Roth’s in McMinnville is the best I have found. It has a real “BITE” to it. Also Kambucha Tea and other fermented foods.

                                    The Primitives Approach

Before refrigeration, before modern industrialized food processes, before pasteurization, before the concept of “shelf life” and transporting food over long distances and putting them on a shelf in a store, the Primitive/Indigenous peoples knew the benefits of these raw foods. The above discussion is a brief summary of some of the foods available to us.

Digestplex and Lactic Acid Yeast will provide all your body needs to promote good digestion and elimination; without the side effects of Proton Inhibitors (another name for acid blocking). Doing the natural approach will promote better digestion, reduce gas formation, improve your normal flora in your intestines and help your body produce and absorb nutrients necessary for your good health.

To order these call the McMinnville Clinic at 503-472-6550 and Johns Landing Clinic at 503-977-0055. And give them a few months and feel the difference!!!

Adapted from Nutrition News and Views, November/December 2011, Vol.15, No.6, Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X), by Judith A. DeCava, LNC, CNC

Some authors say it is due to a lack of B vitamins. The B vitamins are needed by the liver, nervous system and other systems. They say a shortage of B vitamins allows the blood sugar to drop, meaning insulin, and craving is the body’s mechanism to the brain for more food. So many times more and more sugar—meaning refined carbohydrates, sugar itself, high fructose corn syrup, etc—is consumed. Round and round it goes. Until diabetes, type 1 or 2 appears in your body. But there is another way to solve the craving and the diabetes, which is happening with patients of mine these days. Without drugs.

Basically it is to remove all refined carbohydrates from the diet. Or at least cut down, way down. This means refined sugars, like corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, refined flours, refined grains (white rice, etc.) and all non-foods made with them—in other words, a big part of the western diet, or the “white plague”, as Dr. Price called it: white flour, white sugar, pasteurized milk. Eating these “non-foods” alerts the body that it must recruit its reserves to try and not only digest but to eliminate these “non-foods” and all their trappings. Hence, a deficiency, over time, is created.

On the other hand, foods high in complex carbohydrates are beneficial and are high in needed nutrients. Preferably organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains—unless one is gluten intolerant—nuts, seeds, beans and others are shown to help sugar metabolism, preventing the onslaught of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, etc. All diseases of “modern civilization”.

Natural protein-containing foods are beneficial (beef, lamb, pork, poultry—preferably pasture-fed and free range, like “Full of Life Farm “ in St.Paul:www.fullof life farm.com, plus fish, eggs, raw milk products. The body breaks down protein into amino acids or peptides , some of which are stored in the liver for the manufacture of glucagon, which allows for the release of glycogen (the storage form of glucose)—the body’s backup system when glucose levels start to fall after a meal. Can you say “would you like some dessert?”

Also, the refined carbohydrates, the “empty calories” and the lack of the complete B vitamin complex so prevalent in the modern diet also contributes to low energy, depression, insomnia and a general sense of “just not feeling well”

No protein, or poor quality protein, means no glycogen. No glycogen means no backup glucose which triggers intense cravings for sugars or other carbs as the body signals for more glucose. What’s your preference? Pie, ice cream, coffee, etc.? Can you say “Food Coma”?

Alternatively, natural fats, good fats, help satiety—feeling satisfied—are easy to digest, and are burned for fuel quickly and efficiently. Natural fats tend to speed up metabolism in general while slowing the digestion of sugars. Keep in mind that your body is unique, so how much protein, fats, carbohydrates your body may need may differ from someone else. I wonder what school the French, Italians, Greeks and other Mediterranean cultures, etc.went to in learning that fats like butter, olive oil and other “good fats” actually help your body in more ways than one. Digestion, blood sugar regulation are just two.

How about the health aspects of good fats helping to make new cells in the skin, hair teeth and nails. As well as hormones, muscles, etc. Good fat, good digestion, good cells, good health.

From the whole food concentrate supplement standpoint, I always recommend at least “one a day” of  our Fermented Cod Liver Oil/ Butter Oil, Wheat Germ/Flax combo and Essential Balance. This is the equivalent of at least a good tablespoon of GOOD FAT that you may or may not be getting in your daily diet.

For blood sugar issues, like diabetes 1 or 2, Cod Liver/Butter Oil combo and our GTF formula are all that some need to alter the path of their diabetes and sugar cravings. Which add certain factors missing in their regular diet. Of course, improving the diet and regular exercise of some sort always helps.

Mounting evidence points to the importance of a “personalized nutrition” approach—diet tailored to the individual. Some people are more efficient at burning fat, others more efficient at burning carbohydrates, for instance. Since genetic tendencies are influenced by lifestyle, getting the right balance of nutrients and phytochemicals that interact with genes will affect different systems in your body. Real food supplies the variety and balance needed for SELECTIVE ABSORPTION of an individual’s needed nutrients.

Brief Nutritional Consultations with Dr. Siegfried are free. McMinnville call 503-472-6550. Portland call 503-977-0055.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/british-medical-journal-brain-drain-starts-age-45-age-60-article-1.1001921#ixzz1inqaJfaf

Dr. Siegfried here. Why does this happen? A deficiency of RNA, ribonucleic acid.

According to Mr. John Courtney, who was the Head of Research and Development for thirty years for Standard Process Laboratories, founded by Dr. Royal Lee, DDS, this product is indicated for cold extremities, mental aberrations, hypothyroidism, keloids and scar tissue, chronic low resistance, memory loss/senility.

RNA supports cell growth by activating protein synthesis in the blood, memory factor of the cell, and promotes healing.

Mr. Courtney: Ribonucleic Acid is usually called “RNA”. It is a yeast extract that is just what the name implies: ribo-nucleic acid. RNA is involved in cell multiplication and development and it’s a relative of the protomorphogens. RNA helps build cells by supporting protein synthesis. It is of merit for most people with mental aberrations: people who cannot remember things, for example. People who lose their ability to think properly as well as their memory need RNA. Dr. Frank of New York City wrote a book on RNA. He is primarily trying to reverse the aging process through the use of RNA. If protein isn’t being utilized at the cellular level, it’s likely to be present in the blood in excessively high levels, impeding circulation and causing problems such as cold extremities. So this is another use for RNA, as many as 12 daily for people with cold hands and feet. It’s also useful in promoting healing. For example, to assist in the nutritional removal of scar tissue, keloids, etc. The formation of white blood cells is inhibited in a deficiency of nucleic acid, so RNA can be helpful to people with chronic low resistance to infection, fever, colds, etc. This is an excellent product with many uses, all relating in one way or another to the formation of new tissue.

In my practice, I have had patients/students tell me that their short term memory and their “overall mental outlook” improve with the use of this product.

For more information please call the clinic at 503-472-6550.

Fran Lowry

January 5, 2012 — Spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) and exercises that patients can learn to do at home are more effective than medication for relieving neck pain, both in the short and long term, according to results from a new study published in the January 2012 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

However, the results of this trial are not going to be applicable to all patients, lead author Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD, from the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies, Northwestern Health Sciences University, Bloomington, Minnesota, told Medscape Medical News.

"You have to individualize the treatment," he said. "It has a lot to do with where the patients are in their history of neck pain, what they've experienced in the past, and what their preferences are, but at least these treatments represent some viable options that can be offered to patients."

Dr. Bronfort said that he and his team believed that spinal manipulation would be better than medication for improving neck pain, at least in the short term, based on their past experience. However, they were surprised to find that the home exercise program turned out to be just as successful, he admitted.

"The home program involved a couple hours of instruction in self care and specific neck exercises, where patients were taught how to avoid certain postures, such as sleeping and working postures, that would aggravate their neck pain," he explained.

Nonspecific Neck Pain

In the study, 272 patients aged 18 to 65 years who had nonspecific neck pain for 2 to 12 weeks were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of spinal manipulation therapy, medication, or home exercise with advice. The spinal manipulation therapy was given by 5 chiropractors who were well-trained and experienced in the procedure, Dr. Bronfort said.

Medication was provided by licensed medical physicians, with a focus on prescription drugs. First-line therapy was nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, or both, the authors note. Those patients who did not respond or could not tolerate the first-line therapy received narcotic medications. Muscle relaxants were also used, and advice to stay active or modify activity was given as needed. "The choice of medications and number of visits was made by the physician on the basis of the participant's history and response to treatment," the authors write.

Pain, as reported by the study participants, was measured at 2, 4, 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks.

Results showed that spinal manipulation had a statistically significant advantage over medication after 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks (P < .010), and that home exercise was superior to medication at 26 weeks (P = .02). No important differences in pain were found between spinal manipulation therapy and home exercises at any time.

Patients who received spinal manipulation therapy or home exercises also reported similar improvements in self-reported disability, medication use, general health status, and adverse events. However, patients said they were more satisfied with spinal manipulation than with home exercise.

With regard to adverse effects, 40% of the spinal manipulation group and 46% of the home exercise group reported adverse events. The most common was musculoskeletal pain, and less frequently they experienced paresthesia, stiffness, headache, and crepitus.

Among patients randomly assigned to the medication group, 60% reported adverse effects. The most common were gastrointestinal symptoms and drowsiness, followed by dry mouth, cognitive disturbances, rash, congestion, and disturbed sleep.

Dr. Bronfort pointed out that patients could not be blinded in this study, and that this was an important limitation. He also suggested that participants who received spinal manipulation may have been more likely to experience improvement in their neck pain and be more satisfied with their care because they had more frequent interactions with their care providers.

"When we started the study there was really not very much scientific evidence to support any treatment, really," he said. "You would think that neck pain would disappear by itself, and it does in a number of patients, but about half will go on to have chronic or sporadic neck pain, even a year later. What we don't know is to what extent spinal manipulation or home exercise can prevent more chronic conditions, and this is something that we need to find out."

Pragmatic Trials

In an accompanying editorial, Bruce F. Walker, DC, MPH, DrPH, from Murdoch University, Perth, and Simon D. French, PhD, from the University of Melbourne, both in Australia, point out that the 3 therapies in this study were not compared with a placebo or sham therapy. Such comparisons would have provided more convincing evidence of effectiveness, they write.

A cost analysis would also have been useful, they add, and they point out that neck manipulation has the potential for a rare, but potentially catastrophic, risk for vertebral artery stroke, and warn that patients should be advised of this possibility.

"Pragmatic trials, such as the one by Bronfort and colleagues, have their place in answering important questions about current treatment approaches, but we need innovative studies that explore which treatments benefit which of the many people who experience disabling neck pain," the editorialists conclude.

This study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bronfort, Dr. Walker, and Dr. French have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Ann Intern Med. 2012;156:1-10, 52-53. Article abstract, Editorial extract

Tony Cenicola/The New York TimesWhat’s the best treatment for neck pain?

Seeing a chiropractor or engaging in light exercise relieves neck pain more effectively than relying on pain medication, new research shows.

The new study is one of the few head-to-head comparisons of various treatments for neck pain, a problem that affects three quarters of Americans at some point in their lives but has no proven, first-line treatment. While many people seek out spinal manipulation by chiropractors, the evidence supporting its usefulness has been limited at best.

But the new research, published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, found that chiropractic care or simple exercises done at home were better at reducing pain than taking medications like aspirin, ibuprofen or narcotics.

“These changes were diminished over time, but they were still present,” said Dr. Gert Bronfort, an author of the study and research professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota. “Even a year later, there were differences between the spinal manipulation and medication groups.”

Moderate and acute neck pain is one of the most frequent reasons for trips to primary care doctors, prompting millions of visits every year. For patients, it can be a difficult problem to navigate. In some cases the pain and stiffness crop up without explanation, and treatment options are varied. Physical therapy, pain medication and spinal manipulation are popular options, but Dr. Bronfort was inspired to carry out an analysis because so little research exists.

“There was a void in the scientific literature in terms of what the most helpful treatments are,” he said.

To find out, Dr. Bronfort and his colleagues recruited a large group of adults with neck pain that had no known specific cause. The subjects, 272 in all, were mostly recruited from a large HMO and through advertisements. The researchers then split them into three groups and followed them for about three months.

One group was assigned to visit a chiropractor for roughly 20-minute sessions throughout the course of the study, making an average of 15 visits. A second group was assigned to take common pain relievers like acetaminophen and — in some cases, at the discretion of a doctor — stronger drugs like narcotics and muscle relaxants. The third group met on two occasions with physical therapists who gave them instructions on simple, gentle exercises for the neck that they could do at home. They were encouraged to do 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise up to eight times a day. (A demonstration of the exercises can be found at www.annals.org).

After 12 weeks, the people in the non-medication groups did significantly better than those taking the drugs. About 57 percent of those who met with chiropractors and 48 percent who did the exercises reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, compared to 33 percent of the people in the medication group.

A year later, when the researchers checked back in, 53 percent of the subjects who had received spinal manipulation still reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, similar to the exercise group. That compared to just a 38 percent pain reduction among those who had been taking medication.

Dr. Bronfort said it was a “big surprise” to see that the home exercises were about as effective as the chiropractic sessions. “We hadn’t expected that they would be that close,” he said. “But I guess that’s good news for patients.”

In addition to their limited pain relief, the medications had at least one other downside: people kept taking them. “The people in the medication group kept on using a higher amount of medication more frequently throughout the follow-up period, up to a year later,” Dr. Bronfort said. “If you’re taking medication over a long time, then we’re running into more systemic side effects like gastrointestinal problems.”

He also expressed concern that those on medications were not as empowered or active in their own care as those in the other groups. “We think it’s important that patients are enabled to deal with as much control over their own condition as possible,” he said. “This study shows that they can play a large role in their own care.”

  Dr. Siegfried’S Health NotEs: empower yourself At Home

Happy Thanksgiving/Happy Holidays

To all of you, your friends and families!

Before I forget!! If we have snow this winter, we will be open, and the driveway will be clear! Sorry, no sledding down it! I shovel it myself early, unless the snow is deep like a few winters ago, and then I hire a guy with a blade to plow it. Either way, the show must go on. We will be here to help you with “snow back, wood back, leaf back, winter back, etc.”

FALL FOOD DRIVE!! Help us help others this holiday season. Last year the clinic collected over 350 lbs of food. Let’s beat last year!!

Social Commentary

I would be remiss if I did not mention our overall situation in this great country. Be it politics, economics, and my obvious passion, “healthcare”. Regarding your health, it seems like we are on our own more and more regarding our health. What do I mean by that? I mean that there is so much information available now that it is hard to know “WHO’S ON FIRST”.

 Let’s take a look at the “healthcare industry”.

Watch the TV? (I admit it, I like sports and a few other shows), watch the ads. Take this drug, take that drug. You can hardly hear the side effects the guy is talking so fast. But in the end? “ASK YOUR DOCTOR”. Problem is, just who is your Doctor and what will he/she tell you? It’s really tough because depending on who and which kind of doctor you ask about what, you may get multiple answers. Which puts you right back to where you started. So you go to Web MD, or other places on the internet and try to understand your symptoms. This is a good exercise. You get some good information. But in the end, with all the different approaches available to people for the myriad of health problems we are faced with, again it can be back to square one. My advice to you?

Use your intuition as much as possible. How many people do you know, probably including your self at times, who have taken the advice of someone you respect in the “healthcare” industry only to figure out at a later date it was bad advice? Worse yet, the side effects of such advice may be just as bad as the treatment. I know it has happened to me. The examples are endless. Of course, there are examples of good advice being given as well, being followed, and you are happy with the outcome.

In the end, you have to go with your gut and also believe in/trust the provider of the information and their recommendations. Does what you have been told make sense? What are the risks? What are the benefits? Costs? Etc. It’s not easy being a healthcare consumer today. Or any kind of consumer for that matter. But it doesn’t change the fact that when you have a certain health consciousness, you expect to be as well as you can be, by making use of all there is available so that you can simply live your life as best you can, as healthy as you can. It is really that simple. And that complex. Caveat Emptor, 24/7. Your food, water, air, healthcare providers, supplements, medications, exercise, etc. These all need to be scrutinized, questioned, evaluated, etc. Why? Because it is your health, your life, and you want to be around to enjoy it as much as possible, as long as possible.

What a wonderful season upon us

Leaves falling, crisper air, days and nights, beautiful sunsets—when we can see the sun!!—beautiful moons, beautiful fields of harvested grapes, grains, berries, nuts, fruits, vegetables. This is a gorgeous part of the world to be in. I have quite a few patients who are world travelers and tell me they prefer this area to all others. I have had my share of travels—although I crave more—and agree quite a lot. The winters are kind of tough at times because of the gray and dark and rain, but the wood burning, fresh air, close proximity to the beach and mountains and generally mild winters tempers all the down sides. Sitting by the fire, watching the storms from a hotel room, walking a windy beach with the dog—and very few people around—and so many other things there are to enjoy, make the great northwest indeed a great place to be. But there is also a price to pay if you aren’t careful.

Do you get SAD             

(SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER)??

This is a very common problem. It is a clinical term for the blahs, depression, lack of energy, boredom, malaise, etc. So what can you do? Glad you asked? There are different things actually.

At this time of year, in the Northwest and Northeast part of the country, the drug business is going strong. Can you say anti-depressants? But there are options to the drugs. Many. Let me give you a few that you can use at home on a daily basis. But let’s talk briefly about the effects of the Northwest Winters on our bodies and minds.

Basically, it is your nervous system that suffers the most. Your brain does not produce enough “happy chemicals”, so you may feel blue, lethargic, short tempered, tired, downright depressed, etc. But there are answers other than just taking drugs, whose side effects by the way can be worse than the reason you take the drug. Let’s look at some simple remedies.

What about lighting?

During this time of year when it gets so dark so fast, consider installing full spectrum lighting in your house. Dr. John Ott, Ph.D. wrote a book years ago called “Health and Light”. Basically he said that being in the sun is good for you. Not 24 hours a day but you know what I mean. He made and patented a particular technology that mimics the sunlight, called full spectrum lights, which

helps the body during the winter. Some schools actually have switched from “Cool Lights” to “Full Spectrum Lighting” and the effects on the children in learning, attention span, and overall health is remarkable. You can purchase these by googling ottlights or Dr. Ott, etc. I don’t have it handy. Some stores handle them but not many. Ott lights are the best to my knowledge. Just by having them on helps your body make “happy chemicals” so you feel and function better. Of course, going to Hawaii would be good too. Short of that, get Ott Lights.

Proper exercise. This helps your body make “happy chemicals” so that you actually feel good in spite of the gray. Whatever you enjoy most. Just do it. Consistency will get your best results. Even a 15 minute walk does wonders.

Are you getting enough sleep? Fatigue only makes things worse, no matter where you live. But here, improper sleep/rest only makes the winter worse. How is your water consumption? Our neurophysiology teacher used to tell us that the best thing to do, first thing in the morning, is to drink at least one glass of water—spring water: Earth2O or Chrystal Geyser are the one’s I recommend---because the water hydrates your brain and “charges it up” and in doing so “charges up” the nervous system which “fires up” so many systems in the body. In short, water “gets your body going”. Just don’t be too far from the lieu because it also cleans you out. Don’t like water? Ok. Just drink a little bit. In time, you will and will drink more.

How about your “Fuel Intake” or food and drink? Try and avoid the “White Plague” as Dr. Weston Price called refined flour, refined sugar, and pasteurized milk. These “non-foods” rob your body of what are called the “mineral activators” or “essential nutrients” that are like sparkplugs to your system. Without them, your body/machine simply doesn’t function as well as it could/should. Not only that, they contribute to what are called chronic degenerative diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis, bad teeth, cancer, etc. And also try to avoid the preservatives, etc. The other side of the equation?

Fresh, local, organic, non-gmo’d foods. Pure and simple. When you are at the store or wherever you purchase anything, ask yourself this question, or the vendor as well: where has this food come from, how has it been produced, processed, tampered with etc. If it isn’t fresh fresh fresh, I would be careful. A recent article in one of my chiropractic journals had a story about a chiropractor who traveled to Micronesia, and spent several months treating the islanders with chiropractic adjustments. One of the islands had no fresh or running water as we know it. They have lived there for thousands of years and have figured it out for them. The drink lots of coconut milk, eat lots of coconut, bananas, mangoes, other tropical fruits, bread, fish and they raise pigs. That is their basic diet. And they use solar energy for any electricity they need. An unbelievable story. The point is, they have really fresh food.

And don’t forget about butter. At this time of year, butter is very, very good, and is high in the “X-factor” that Dr. Price found among many native foods of the “primitive” or indigenous people that he studied. The X-factor is a fat soluble vitamin. The fat soluble vitamins are important for the synthesis of steroid hormones, which are building blocks for every cell and tissue in the body. But don’t worry; you won’t look like a freak if you get a lot of fat soluble vitamins in you. Your body knows how to naturally use them as opposed to the athletes who use synthetic hormones and end up looking like freaks at times. The Weston Price Foundation has some good articles available on why “butter is better”.

FRESH FISH: One of my patient’s, Pete Wiebe, has fresh frozen Alaska Sockeye Salmon fillets for sale. He caught it this summer. It is as good as you’ll find, short of going to Alaska and catching it, freezing it, and shipping it down here yourself. He makes this trip yearly in the summer and he still has some left, at 2010 prices. You can call him at 503-510-7959. You can buy the fillets individually or in quantity. Purchase as few as a couple or as many as a 50 lb. box and get 10% discount. Great for a couple families to go in together. The fillets are cut with the bellies so the GOOD FATS are on the fillets. Also available are Salmon Roe, plus some trimmings from the fillets which are good for Seafood Chowder. If you want to be on the “MEDITERRANEAN DIET”, this fish is a great part of it for the essential omega 3’s and 6’s.

Caution?

There is a lot of press lately about E-coli in our food chain. There are many reasons for this. Basic public health measures are probably #1. But also all the processing that goes on getting foods to market. And when people hear this, a whole industry can be altered or even shut down. And the alterations may not be for the better. Ex. the California almond scare of a few years ago. It was not what the press made it out to be, but it changed the way the nuts are processed. The outcome of that it is very hard to get raw, uncooked, untreated almonds anymore. And who knows what other chemicals are used in the processing. Just like the wine industry. Many chemicals are used in the making and processing of wine that do not have to be reported to the consumer. So you must…

KNOW YOUR SOURCES AND THE PEOPLE? COMPANIES YOU ARE BUYING FROM. We are fortunate in this area because there are people with small, for ex., nut orchards who sell to the public but are still not under the ag department umbrella. These are the people you want to know and buy from, assuming they are not spraying their trees with chemicals. And if they are, tell them to consider using Sea Crop 16™, which is a seaweed extract that is used in over 80 countries now by farmers/growers who end up using fewer chemicals all the time. I have it at the clinic in small containers for you gardener’s and bigger containers for farmers ( as little as 1 pint per acre per application). A little goes a long way. Those of you using it in your gardens, spring or fall have noticed a difference in the look and vitality of your plants, not to mention the nutrient density vastly increasing. And of course the taste. So again, beware where you buy your food, and what’s been done to it.

Also consider all the seasonal colorful fruits and vegetables at this time of year. They are given to us for a purpose. And that is to bolster our immune system as the seasons change. The reason they bolster the Immune  System (Immune Support is the whole food supplement I recommend) is because according to the research, the vitamin A and C in them feed the Lymphatic System which is a major part of your Immune System. When the lymphatics are working well, you won’t get sick as a rule. You don’t need flu shots. What your body needs is sound nutrition and your immune system will be fine.

What about supplementation (Whole Food Concentrates are best).

Very important at this time of year. For your immune system, for your nervous system, for your overall well-being. Particularly for depression are the B vitamins. I mean the whole B complex. All 28 plus of them. The best place to get them all is in our B Food. Some people do well on 4-6 daily and take more when they feel the blahs, depression, etc. “coming on”. Others like students who get stressed out/freaked out at too much work at school, have been known to take 4-6 at a time, several times a day. B Food is just foods that are high in the B complex so it can only help. Just be sure to get enough water as you take them.

Sleeping

Insomnia means different things to different people. Difficulty getting to sleep, waking up, sleeping poorly, waking up exhausted. In the old days, a cup of warm milk would give your body a good dose of Ionizable Calcium to relax your nerves and muscles. Usually, because the milk is not an option, I will tell patients to try extra Cal Mag first. This helps relax the nerves and muscles. Sometimes adding a few Green Nutrients will be necessary as well. But try one thing at a time and experiment. These products can together act as a mineral tranquilizer, simply calming down your system.

Traditionally, Chamomile tea has calming qualities. The problem these days is the quality, like so many other products. But a cup of it before bed may help as well.

Chiropractic Care

Having been in practice now for over 25 years, I am constantly amazed how the chiropractic adjustment helps so many conditions. One of them your sleeping patterns. It is not uncommon for patients to report how much better they sleep when they get their regular maintenance adjustment. Maintenance means different things to different patients. But the consistency of care is what makes the difference in your overall health and well-being.

Finally, I wish you and your family a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving and upcoming holidays. Call me and help me help you have better health this coming winter.

Dedicated to your health,

Dr. Siegfried

P.S. None of the above statements have been evaluated by the FDA.

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Is constant back or neck pain caused by Bulging, Degenerating, Herniated Disks, Stenosis or other spinal conditions keeping you from enjoying your life?

Who’s winning your war on gravity?
The compressive forces of gravity?
Or the disks in your back or neck?

Low back and neck pain, sciatica, arm pain, numbness, tingling in the arms and legs have puzzled doctors and frustrated patients for years. Bulging, degenerating, herniated disks and stenosis have ruined the lives of many people just like you. But the 3D Active Trac table, an FDA cleared, patented medical technology, treats these and other spinal conditions non-surgically and successfully. Computerized, painless, safe and effective, it is a non-surgical alternative and has helped many, many people avoid elective surgery.

The 3D Active Trac non-surgical back and neck disk decompression system now allows candidates who suffer constantly with back, neck, headache, arm pain, sciatica and arthritis pain to get one up on the war on gravity.

For over 30 years, due to my own back and neck injuries, I have been fighting the war on gravity – and winning. I am still able to compete as a pitcher in the Portland City Baseball Leagues. But now, with Oregon’s first, non-surgical back and neck disk decompression table, I have been successfully offering this treatment to many previously thought hopeless sufferers who are candidates.

You are on the table, in a “zero gravity” state and your back and neck disks can be gently, comfortably and painlessly decompressed (unloading the disks due to traction and positioning). This allows the disks to rehydrate (absorb water and nutrients). This procedure also takes pressure off the nerves that when pinched can cause sciatica, arm pain, numbness, tingling, weakness in the arms and legs; even headaches; all of which just won’t go away – until the pressure is off the disks and nerves.

This procedure is safe, comfortable and has no side effects. Patients who are candidates, who are motivated and who are committed to get well, have a good chance to get their life back in a very short time. In fact, a successful medical research study on the 3D Active Trac system will soon be published in Spine Magazine, the most prestigious back and neck medical journal in the world.

How Might You Benefit From This Method?
As stated earlier, I don’t know all the answers and I don’t claim to. I have, however, learned how to care for my own back and neck problems due to a birth defect – a club foot – and multiple back and neck injuries. And I can tell you what I have discovered has worked for me and many other patients over the years. You just have to be motivated and committed to your health and this system. It can be relatively easy, requires no down time or time off work. Treatment only takes a short time and is an affordable way to regain your health.

The 3D Active Trac is a new, computerized technological version of non-surgical back and neck decompression that I have been using for over 25 years on myself and patients. It is not for everyone, but those who have benefitted are very pleased with their results and are once again enjoying their life.

Could This Be You?
Constant back, neck, arm or leg pain, numbness, tingling? Do these keep you awake at night? Are you stiff in the morning? Losing energy? Depressed from all of it? Do you hurt like mad during the day? Keeping you from a normal life? Have you lost activities that allow you to enjoy life? Like walking, gardening, golfing, competitive sports, hiking, playing with the kids, etc.? Are you frustrated because your back or neck has not responded to past treatment of medicine, rest, physical therapy, injections, chiropractic treatment, massage, acupuncture, etc.? Are you or have you lost height due to your disks losing water? Are you at your wits end?

Worse yet, have you had a surgery that didn’t work? (called failed back surgical syndrome?)

If so, the 3D Active Trac Non Surgical Disk Decompression System may be your answer. It certainly has been for many of my patients who are motivated and committed to their health.

How Did You Get Like This Anyway?
Car accidents, work injuries, athletic injuries, “tweaking” your back and neck, wear and tear, lack of exercise, poor food, junk food, etc.? Let’s face it, modern life and civilization is not the most healthy. Yes, people are living longer, but they are also in nursing homes, retirement centers, assisted living centers., and many are not doing all that well. In fact some are living like vegetables. And are taking a lot of drugs. Do you know anyone like this? I do. And personally, I don’t want that. So I spend my time thinking, investigating, practicing how to stay healthy, and share it with my patients. Hopefully you can become a patient so I can take care of you and also show you and empower you so at home you can take care of yourself better.

To understand all this, I help you look at your history, how you got this way, and what to do to come out of it, get well and be well, as best you can. It takes motivation, commitment, time and patience. But the results are worth it.

After All Your Suffering . . .
You have to ask yourself, how did my back or neck disks get like this. Well, one answer is that things just happen to us. And we have to learn how to deal with them. Things that happen are like we talked about earlier in the section “Could This Be You?”

But another and more scientific answer is that when your spinal column (your back and neck) is not in proper alignment, gravity takes over, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” We have all heard this. Form and function go together. Like your car. If it is out of alignment, it doesn’t run right, plus tires wear unevenly as do the other joints in the car. The disks and joints in your spine are like the tires on your car, they wear out and lose their water cushion.

From an engineering scientific research standpoint on how the spine works, you can go to www.idealspine.com to learn more.

Another simple and powerful explanation as to why the disks wear out is that your brain and nervous system run your body. When the brain and nerves are stressed, the muscles pull the spinal column out of alignment, pressure is put on the nerves and disks, the muscles get weak, causing the spinal column to lose its normal position. Gravity again. Over time, the pressure on the nerves and disks and joints can cause spasms, pain, weakness and malfunction of the neck, back arms and legs. Even your organs like digestion, elimination and others can be affected.

Your Disks
You have 24 of them. They are shock absorbers between the vertebrae. Your disks have very little nerve supply and blood supply. Healthy disks are full of water and nutrients. An unhealthy disk can be like a dried out sponge. You can’t always feel them deteriorating (losing water). But when they flare up, look out. Undue stress on a joint or disk – remember the car out of alignment analogy? – causes the disk over time, to lose water, valuable nutrients and it gets weak and bulges, degenerates, then herniates. Simple things like bending over to brush your teeth, put your socks on, going from sitting to standing, etc. can blow out a disk – the final straw, so to speak. A pop, click, or stabbing pain in the back or neck may be the telltale sign of a disk problem.

Your Diet, Your Disks, Your Health
Your diet is supposed to supply all the building blocks. Food can be your medicine. It can build up your body or it can break it down. It does one or the other. Your disks and joints need real food, whole food, organic, not GMO’D food. Real Food, not Franken food! I counsel you on your diet and your supplements, both of which are essential and both of which will feed your disks or joints and your whole body – if they are whole and organic. Plus certain specific exercises & stretches will be given to you for you to do at home.

Recommendations are made for buying organic foods. I will provide you with some whole food concentrate supplements during your non-surgical disk decompression program to help you get stabilized. Specific Whole Food Concentrates for disk and joint health. Food concentrates that build. Not synthetic, isolated chemicals that eventually tear down your disks and joints and muscle like chondroitin, glucosomine, MSM. These are patent chemicals. Anything not a food is a chemical, synthetic poison. I will help you understand this.

Another nutrition concept and very practical way to help your disks and whole body is to stop or at least cut down on drinking pasteurized milk, fluoridated and chlorinated water, refined white sugar products and refined sugar. Avoiding those, in a nutshell, will help you build strong disks.

For further information on this nutrition topic, you can go to the Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation website. This information will empower you at home on a daily basis.

X-rays Don’t Always Show Disk Damage
X-rays have their place. They are valuable tools for showing alignment of the bones, detecting tumors, osteoporosis, infection, fractures, whiplash from a car accident, etc. But they only show the spacing between the bones where the disks lay, like shock absorbers. If the space between the spinal bones – called vertebra – are thinned out, with calcium spurs, you could have degenerative disk disease. The way to pinpoint the disk problem is with an MRI. So both are valuable in this process of diagnosing your bulging, degenerating, herniated disks, even stenosis.

Bulging, degenerative, herniated disks are like an old dried out sponge, unable to hold water. They need water and nutrients to provide support to the bones of the spine. Combining decompression with proper nutrients allows the disks and joints to rehydrate and regenerate. You can prove this to yourself by putting an old sponge in water. Watch it swell. Depending on the strength of tour disks they should do the same.

So Really, What Are Your Options Here?
As I said before, I am not a neurosurgeon, orthopedic surgeon or medical physician but that I do have over 30 years experience in this treatment area. And my job is to tell you what I think is best for you and what I would do in your condition. Your job is to tell me how you would like me to help you if I think you are a candidate for this incredible treatment system. I will help you make an informed decision in your case as to what to do.

Even most neurosurgeons will agree that if you can rehydrate your disks, you have an excellent chance of avoiding elective back or neck surgery in these conditions. Why do they say this? Because they know that surgery can be dangerous and that operating on your disks and joints should be a last resort.

Medically and Surgically
Patients with back, neck, arm or leg pain usually go through the following regimen medically meaning you go to your doctor, get evaluated and get a treatment plan). The plan usually goes something like this: “Bob or Mary, it appears that you have back, neck, leg, arm, sciatica or carpal tunnel pain – maybe even a herniated or bulging or degenerated disk. I’m going to give you something for the pain for a few weeks, and find something for the inflammation, and something to relax the muscles, and then schedule you for treatments at a physical therapist. I want you to come back for a visit after some treatments in about a month. O.K.? See you then.” Or maybe some variation of this. But basically you are given drugs and sent home and or to the physical therapist. And this is the normal medical approach. This is what they are trained to do for these conditions.

Then you return to your doctor. Again, not with much change usually. Sure, you may be looser from all the stretching you were given to do. But the pain Is Still There! Now what?

Next step is: “Well Bob or Mary, this may be more serious than I thought. I’d better send you to a Neurologist to see if this is more than just a simple muscle problem. I’m going to order him to do some tests, and he will get back to me and then we’ll review those results. See you next visit.”

The neurologist may do any of the following: EMG – putting needles into the muscles of the arms or legs to test the nerve function of the nerves in your back or neck – change the medication – recommend an MRI to rule out a disk problem – maybe even recommend a series of steroid injections into the pain areas to reduce the swelling. After a period of time, and another visit to your primary care physician or PCP, “Well Bob or Mary, based on the results of your EMG, MRI and/or evaluation by the neurologist, it looks like you have a disk and nerve problem. I think it is time to consult with a neurosurgeon to determine of you need elective surgery on your back or neck. We will schedule you and have you return to me after your consultation. See you at your next visit.”

At the neurosurgeon’s office, after reviewing the x-rays, MRI and other information he may have, you may receive the following recommendation: Elective Surgery now or later. Now because the problem is severe and progressing due to excessive pain or weakness in the arms or legs, or loss of bowel/bladder function, or degeneration or instability in the back or neck. Later if you can tolerate the pain and you want to wait. The problem is, waiting isn’t going to help either because you have a progressive situation. No one knows how long your condition will hold on until you may need an emergency surgery. So here you are, maybe 3-6 months down the line from when this started and you are no better. In fact, maybe worse!

So Let’s Summarize Your Medical Options
Up to this time you have had the best that medicine has to offer you. It has been your primary care physician, medicine, the physical therapist, the neurologist, and the neurosurgeon. You may have had pain killers, muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, or steroid injections. Nothing has helped, or maybe it has helped a little bit but you are still not like you wanted to be: pain free and functioning as you like. And now you are faced with surgery, depending on your condition. Recommended surgery could be a Diskectomy, laminectomy, rhizotomy, ablation, fusion, disk replacement, laser, implanted battery, morphine pump, or some other surgery.

As with any major surgery, you could die, be disabled, or need temporary or permanent rehabilitation. The injections may or may not have helped. They usually work 30% of the time and can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 and can weaken your joints. Some patients even have had spinal cord damage from the surgery. The side effects of continued use of pain management medication can cause many problems too. Dry mouth, blurry vision, urinary incontinence, even the need for kidney dialysis. You don’t see these kidney dialysis centers going in because people’s kidneys are getting better. Even co-pays alone can cost a small fortune for all these procedures.

The Top Medical Specialists Say
All of these surgeries involve general anesthesiology, and all the other procedures and potential complications that go along with any major surgery. The results of the surgery may be worse than the reason for the surgery itself. In fact, the Providence Hospital System reported in a study on Workers Compensation Back Surgeries. Most surgeries failed, most patients said if they had it to do over again, they wouldn’t have had the surgery to begin with, and many of the patients have not returned to their original work, while others are completely disabled.

Is Surgery Really Any Better?
According to a 2005 article in the Portland Business Journal, Portland is the back and neck surgery capital of the United States. But patients aren’t getting much better with elective surgical procedures. According to a U.S. Government study, about 600,000 back surgeries are performed annually in the U.S. with and average failure rate of 53%. U.S. Government Health and Human Services reported less than 1 in 100 elective back surgeries are necessary. And of those, many fail, leading to another problem called Failed Back Surgical Syndrome. Worse pain, disability and Dysfunction are common. More back and neck surgeries are done in th U.S. than anywhere in the world. Over 240 million people in the U.S. (80% of the population) suffer with back pain on any given day. Another 9 million deal with neck pain. As a result, all other treatment options should be considered before elective surgical intervention. Health statistics tell us those costs are over $60,000,000,000 (that’s billion) a year. “Houston, we have a problem”, as the astronauts might say.

Unfortunately . . .
Currently accepted non-surgical medical methods are not working and may only be giving false hopes to sufferers like you. Dr. Daniel J. Mayaner, M.M., vice chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute and head of the section of spine medicine said this regarding the medical approach to disk problems” There are several medical non-surgical ways to treat a herniated disk, including rest, medication, exercise, time and steroid injections. A fair trial is 6-8 weeks. If these don’t work, you need surgery. It is important to note that these all take time, medical care taking longer than surgery.”

Unfortunately, in the long run, the medical outcomes are the same (Arthritis Adviser, August 2006, www.arthritisadviser.com).

Even psychological intervention can be important and more cost effective compared to standard medical approaches to back pain. (Arthritis Advisor, March 2007, www.arthritisadvisor.com) It too, however, is not working.

Recent Headlines On Surgery
Recent national headlines have reported the results of a major government-funded study that reveals back surgery is not the answer for patients suffering with pain, even debilitating pain, from back, arthritis, sciatica, or bulging, degenerative, herniated disks. (Oregonian, November 24, 2006)

In fact, the results show waiting may be just as good. Really? Do you want to wait any longer, suffering like you are? Well, you may not have to.

Have you been told the cause of your pain? Do you know your options? Are you able to make and informed decision about what to do next? That’s where I come in. I will help you make an informed decision. My treatment program may or may not be for you, but at the very least you will be able to make an informed decision. In fact, hopefully this report will help you in making a decision regarding what to do next.

How About Surgical Fusion?
As mentioned earlier, surgical fusion is not working. As a rule, Providence Oregon Lumbar Spinal Fusion studies reveal that of 1600 patients with a single operation after 4 years 71% had not returned to work. Of 2400 patients with multiple operations followed 3 years post-surgically, 95% had not returned to work one year after surgery. 56% continued to need narcotics for pain control, which can be addicting and lead to dialysis due to kidney problems. 56% said their pain was the same or worse following fusion. 64% could do fewer activities than before spinal surgery. 63% were highly disappointed or not pleased with spinal surgery. 47% would not have had it had they known what they were in for ahead of time.

25% had additional surgeries since the fusion. The estimated cost of one unsuccessful back surgery resulting in permanent total disability was $1.2 million dollars.

These studies demonstrate that elective surgery should not only be questioned, but avoided, at all costs, in my opinion. Cauda equina syndrome (bowel and bladder dysfunction), progressive arm or leg weakness, and other severe medical emergencies are absolute indications for surgery. But many patients who have had spinal surgery claim that within one year after surgery their symptoms are no different than before they had surgery. (Spine Magazine, 1989, 14 (4); acta-orthop Scand suppl, 128; acta-orthop Scand, 1977, 48 pp 630-634; the failure of surgery for lumbar disk disorders, Disorders of the Lumbar Spine, Lippincott, 1978)

Sadly . . .
The number of spinal surgeries is increasing much faster than the population (Spine, 1997, 19 (10), pp. 1117-1124). One observer explained this increase in pure monetary terms: Surgery rates are influenced by the ratio of surgeons to population (Scientific American, 1982, 246 (4), pp. 120-134.

One Solution To Your Disk Problem(s) . . .
Non-surgical disk decompression on the 3D Active Trac Table may be your solution. Is the concept new? No. But the technology is. It is a high tech form of traction. Computers and engineering technology have provided this for your benefit, non-surgically, safely, effectively and successfully. It is a valuable alternative to patients considering elective back or neck surgery. Our results have been amazing.

Traction is not new, there is really very little “new under the sun”. However, non-surgical disk decompression is very different than traction.

Traction has been used for disk and back problems since Hippocrates. “The Rack” as it is sometimes called, was used to stretch out the back and disks for many back problems. It was even used in the middle ages as torture. All of these were hardly helpful because the patient couldn’t relax.

Modern medicine adopted the concepts of ancient traction. They used weights, pulleys, ropes, etc. to basically try to pull apart the disks. But it doesn’t work. That is why it isn’t used in hospitals anymore.

In the 20th century, pioneers in these decompression methods were James Cyriax, M.D., Robert Martin, M.D., Conrad Lorenz, M.D., Duane Saunders, P.T., Robert Sheally, M.D., engineers and others. All of these methods were designed to help patients avoid back and neck surgery.

If you look at the history, it seems that the non-surgical approaches were developing as fast as surgical procedures. The difference? No side effects, no injuries, and no deaths from the non-surgical approach. Different tables and technology were being developed for patient comfort and clinical efficiency.

Why So Different? And Unique?
Unique to the 3D Active Trac Non-Surgical Disk Decompression table are its engineering and patented technology, as well as its benefits. I believe that, non-surgical back and neck disk decompression therapy is now a primary alternative to elective back and neck surgery.

From an engineering standpoint, it has many patents. It allows decompression of the joints and the disks to be accomplished very comfortably. By being comfortable on the table, the patient’s disks have the best opportunity to readily rehydrate by absorbing water and specific nutrients as best they an. This has been demonstrated on MRI studies. Of course the most important result is the functional improvement of most patients who are able to experience this incredible technology.

3D means 3-Dimensional. It allows you to be positioned throughout your treatment in the most comfortable position. Sometimes it is uncomfortable to lay flat on your back. Sometimes your legs are more comfortable when elevated. And once you are positioned comfortably, you may even fall asleep during your treatment, which may last anywhere from 10-30 minutes, depending on your condition.

Non-Surgical Back & Neck Decompression, according to the FDA, occurs by unloading the disks by distraction and positioning. It is this positioning that makes the 3D Active Trac so different from other tables. Since the spine moves in many directions, it only makes sense that the table does too. Then setting the computer to decompress your disks is more easily accomplished.

Success of the treatment depends on both of us: my clinical skills of 25 years, and your motivation and commitment to get better. The ultimate goal is to initially get you out of pain, improve your daily function and improve your quality of life. You are not only treated at the clinic, but are also given very practical and empowering things to do at home. Certain specific stretches, exercises and whole food concentrates will be given to you. It is a complete program.

In 1995, A Very Positive Change
In 1995, the Sunders Group, a medical manufacturing company, developed their prototypes to the 3D Active Trac Non-Surgical Disk Decompression table. Since 2001, their table has been able to treat – non-surgically – patients suffering with bulging, degenerating, herniated disks, sciatica, leg and arm pain, numbness, tingling, even weakness, stenosis and failed back surgical syndrome (surgery that failed to help). The table is an FDA cleared medical device to treat these conditions. It is computerized, safe, effective and successful for qualified candidates. It has multiple patents and has been studied with a soon to be published successful study in Spine Magazine, the most prestigious medical journal in the world for the back and neck. The Johns Landing Clinic and the Dunn Chiropractic Clinic are the first in Oregon to offer treatment on this revolutionary breakthrough technology.

Life-Changing Treatment And What It Feels Like
Right before your non-surgical back or neck disk decompression treatment, you receive a very gentle soft tissue manipulation and trigger point release of the muscles in the back or neck. This allows your back or neck to relax. Then you lay on the table in the most comfortable position for you. Two belts are placed around your pelvis and abdomen designed for your comfort and to secure your body on the table. Some patients tell me it is like a “seat belt”. Others describe the harness like a “corset”, but all are comfortable. We always recommend that your stomach and bladder are empty.

The computer is programmed and you begin to feel timed sequences of gentle pulling, holding, then relaxation in the back or neck. A predetermined cycle will be set for your condition.

Once the treatment is completed, you will be instructed to do some gentle exercise on the table, then sit up and, depending on what treatment you are in my system you may do some other simple, gentle rehabilitation exercises before leaving the clinic. Patients usually feel more relaxed after the treatment and look forward to the next visit. But there are occasions where the gentle pulling stretches old scar tissue in the back or neck, in addition to opening up the disk space, and you could be sore. This is why we may have you put some ice on your back, drink extra water at home and take certain natural whole food concentrates for reducing inflammation and swelling while your disks are healing.

Non-Surgical Option
The 3D Active Trac
In addition to the traditional medical approach to your problem, you may have had acupuncture, massage, Rolfing, exercise, stretching (yoga) or other programs, plus herbs, vitamins even chiropractic care. One famous medical physician said this “Nobody in America should be allowed to have back surgery unless they have seen a chiropractor first” – Robert Mendelsohn, M.D. The problem is, even traditional chiropractic care is not always helping patients like you or me with a positive MRI and x-rays showing misalignments. But the 3D Active Trac Lumbar Cervical non-surgical disk decompression system does. Even the Oregon Medical Board has said this method should be tried as an alternative to surgery.

It takes time, motivation, treatment, and a commitment on your part to become stable and to then maintain yourself. This method does what other methods don’t: rehydrates disks, increases the joint spaces, lubricates the joints, regenerates the disks. Of course, everyone is different. And everyone’s body is in a different condition when I begin with them, But everybody has the chance to heal within reason, if given the opportunity. Does yours? We could find out now.
And the Best Part Is
No side effects, no down time, no time loss, no danger to you. And the very strong probability that your pain will be significantly reduced, if not gone with no more need for pain medications and no more inflammation. Your overall function, energy and quality of life should improve – and you will know how to better take care of yourself at home. If you come in for a consultation, you will be able to make an informed decision as to whether this is for you, if I can accept you as a patient, and when to get started!

Let’s Summarize
You may be wondering if non-surgical back or neck disk decompression on the 3D Active Trac is for you. You may be wondering if you want, or really need back or neck surgery. You may even be wondering if you should consult with me. If you decide to consult with me, you will have an honest opinion on your condition and what I would recommend if I were in your shoes. If you are a candidate, and accepted as a patient, motivated and committed to getting better, we will work together to decrease your pain, increase your function, teach and empower you how to improve the quality of your life and your energy. After providing many many treatments on the 3D Active Trac, I have helped many patients get their life back and avoid surgery.

My Commitment To You
Your no obligation consultation is FREE. I’ll review your history, x-rays and MRIs. If I examine you, there is a small fee. I’ll explain to you why you got this way and what you can do to get better – assuming I think I can help you, of course. I’ll give you my ideal treatment recommendation for your condition. You will decide what you want to do after answering all your questions.

If your condition is not getting any better, ruining your life, frustrating you like mad and you want to do something positive for yourself right now, this could be your time to do something life-changing!

Call Now
Time is of the essence. You are either getting better or getting worse. There is no middle ground. Call for a Free no obligation consultation. Give yourself the opportunity to get your back and neck on track. Your health is your wealth. If you have your health, you have hope. And hope is everything. My passion is helping people like you to become patients – and get well!

Sincerely,
Dr. Siegfried

Scientific References

1. Gionis TA, Grotke E. The outcome of a clinical study evaluating the effect of nonsurgical intervention on symptoms of spine patients with herniated and degenerative disk disease is presented. Spinal Decompression, Orthopedic Technological Review. 2003; 5(6)[Nov/Dec]: 36-39.

2. Ramos G. Martin W. Effects of vertebral axial decompression on intradiskal pressure. J neurosurg 1994; 81: 350-353.

3. Sherry E, Kitchener P, Smart R. A prospective controlled study of VAX-D and TENS for the treatment of chronic low back pain, Neurol Res 2001; 23: 780-784.

4.Guehring T, Unglaub F, Lorenz, H, et. al. Intradiskal pressure measurements in normal disks, compressed disks and compressed disks treated with axial posterior distraction: an experimental study on the rabbit lumbar spine model. Eur Spine J 2006; 15: 597-604.

5. Bigos S, et. al. Acute Low Back Problems in Adults, Clinical Practice Guideline No. 14 Rockville, MD: U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, AHCPR pub. No. 95-0642, Dec. 1994.

6. Le Blanc Ad, Evans HJ, Schneider VS, Wendt RE, Hendrick TD. Changes in intervetebral disk cross-sectional area with bed rest and space flight. Spine 1991; 19: 812-817.

7. Naguszewski WK, Naguszewski RK, Gose EE. Dermatomal somatosensory evoked evoked potential demonstration of nerve root decompression after VAX-D therapy. Neurol Res 2001 Oct; 23(7): 706-14.

8. Gose EE, Naguszewski WK, Naguszewski RK. Vertabral axial decompression therapy for pain associated with herniated or degenerated disks or facet syndrome: an outcome study. Neurol Res 1998; 20: 186-90.

9. Gay RE, Bronfort G, Evans RL. Distraction manipulation of the lumbar spine: a review of the literature. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2005; 28: 266-73.

10. Graz B, Wietlisbach V, Porchet F, Vader JP. Prognosis or “curabo effect?” physician prediction and patient outcome of surgery for low back pain and sciatica. Spine 2005; 15; 30: 1448-52.

11. Guyer RD, Patterson M, Ohnmeiss DD. Failed back surgery syndrome: diagnostic evaluation. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2006; 14(9): 534-43.

12. Buttermann GR. The effect of spinal steroid injections for degenerative disk disease. Spine J. 2004; 4: 495-505.

13. Hazard RG. Failed back surgery syndrome: surgical and nonsurgical approaches. Clin Orthop 2006; 443: 228-32.

14. Croft PR, Macfarlane GJ, Papageorgiou AC, Thomas E, Silman AJ. Outcome of low back pain in general practice: a prospective study. BMJ 1998; 316: 1356-1359.

15. Reginster JY. Theprevalence and burden of arthritis. Rheumatology [Oxford] 2002; 41 (suppl.): 3-6.

This from a recent article in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics:

“Sixty percent of patients with sciatica who had failed other medical management benefitted from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention.”

The study was co-authored by a chiropractor and 2 neurosurgeons.

Other take home points:

More than 200,000 microdiskectomies are performed annually in the united states, at a direct cost of $5 billion or $25,000 per procedure.

Consenting participants were chosen randomly to receive either an average of 21 chiropractic adjustments over a year or a single microdisckectomy.

If cost is assumed at $100 per chiropractic visit, there is a direct, total savings of $22,900 per spinal adjustment patient. System-wide, this could save $2.75 billion dollars annually. Not to mention the pain and suffering from failed back surgery.

This research supports spinal adjustments performed by a Doctor of Chiropractic is a valuable and safe treatment option for those experiencing symptomatic lumbar disk herniation, failing traditional medical management of drugs, physical therapy, injections and surgery.

Reference: McMorland, G.,Suter, E., Casha, S., du Plessis, S.J., Hurlbert, RJ. Adjustment of Microdisctomy for sciatica? JMPT, October,2010; 33(8): 576-84.

I have specialized in non-surgical disc decompression since 1977.

Bio-Identical Hormones: another “healthcare oxymoron”

“It’s hormonal”!!!!! Or is it????

A common cliché anymore in the so-called “healthcare field”. “Healthcare marketing ploys” have  become synonymous to medical care. Drugs for this. Drugs for that. No talk about why or how we develop these chronic degenerative conditions.Talk about confusion. “Who’s on first”, as Abbott and Costello used to say.

I’ll tell you who’s on first. It is the patient, you and me. And it is really hard to figure out which way to go. Back to home plate or to second base. (That’s baseball talk).

What do I mean by all of this? Being a student of Dr. Weston Price and Dr. Pottenger, reading and studying all I can of their works and using their knowledge and research/observations daily, I have come to the conclusion that we are now living in an Orwellian environment of so called “health care”.

Chronic degenerative diseasesare rampant and are being treated as though they are a crisis. They are not. They are gradual conditions that build up over time. So they must be treated, cared for patiently. And there are answers for you.

For example: cancerfor one. It doesn’t just show up in your body. It may not have been discovered for a while but it has been growing. And when your body’s ability to adapt to the stress of broken cells diminishes, the symptoms show up, and when you can’t get rid of the symptoms, you “go ask your doctor”.

He may or may not do some testing. Or, he may just hand you the “sample of the month” from his local drug company rep. “Try this for awhile and get back to me in a month”. Depending on whom you are what your insurance is or is not, etc. So much for the Hippocratic Oath we all take at graduation from Medical or Chiropractic or Naturopathic College. The Hippocratic Oath states that you, the patient, are what is most important.

But if you are a “high profile “individual, you may get different treatment or care. I always ask my patients who ask me what to do in such situations if they feel they are not getting the care/attention/treatment. I ask them this: “what do you think your doctor would do if you were Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Princess Diana, or the President of the United States?” Would you be sent home with a drug sample, prescription, etc, without doing the standard diagnostic tests? Rhetorical question actually. Perfect example here of a violation of the Hippocratic Oath. And it goes on.

No matter how much I hear it, it still gets my ire up and makes me think to my self: “what can I do to help you better understand your situation and help you get better by helping your body do its God-Given ability to heal itself. (Obviously I am not talking about if you break your leg, are bleeding profusely, need emergency medical care, etc. Sometimes you simply need to go to the hospital ER for help).

Case in point: “It’s hormonal”. Just what does that mean? Let’s look at this for a minute.

Hormones are made by your body. The food you eat provides the building blocks for the hormones your body makes. The hormones your body needs do not need and cannot be made in a chemical laboratory sufficient for your body needs. So what are “Bio-identical Hormones”? Simply put, they are made in a lab, marketed and sold to you through a doctor or pharmacy as what your body “needs.” Not so. Just like these following words are not representative of what your body needs to make hormones: Phytochemicals, neutrieuticals, nutritional pharmacology, etc etc. These are all oxymorons.

Your body makes hormones from foodsthat provide their building blocks. Particularly, good fats. Like olive oil, butter, raw milk cream for starters. Then there is Cod Liver Oil—far superior to “fish oils which are mostly industrialized. Ask for my free article on the industrialization of oils. Also wheat germ oil.  There are others. But these are basic and are loaded with the proper omega concentrations to allow your body to build hormones. Even more particularly, they have the “fat soluble” vitamins which provide the basis for your steroid hormones to be made.

But to build hormones your body needs to be digesting your food properly so the nutrients in your foods feed the organs that make the hormones available.

And by the way, bio-identical hormones are like hitting your body with a hammer. Meaning they are massive amounts, usually milligrams in dosage. In your body, the regular amount of a circulating hormone is listed in nanograms, a thousand times smaller. So hitting your body with a hammer might create an effect alright. But what kind of an effect? In the long run, the opposite effect. Too much of one thing causes an imbalance somewhere else in the system.

Funny how “female problems” are referred to as being “hormonal” but diabetes isn’t. Both are hormonal. Hormonal regarding women’s issues get more attention however.

The point is this:your body will make the hormones you need if the building blocks are there. Simply put, the building blocks include proper foods (gas and oil) and electricity (sparkplugs-nervous system input from proper alignment of the spine).

Other things that interfere with proper making of hormones include environmental chemicals, stress, etc. Probably one of the greatest stressors to your hormonal system is the fluorides, bromides and chlorides in our foods and water. These chemicals literally attack the Thyroid gland and keep it from doing its many functions, like maintaining your proper weight, detoxification, hormonal balance, etc.

And then there are the adrenal glands, another huge contributor to “hormonal problems” like night sweats, weight gain, fatigue, etc. In fact, if a woman still has her ovaries, her adrenal glands take over the production of Estrogen but only if the adrenal glands are being fed properly. Again another need for good fats, whole food B vitamins, etc.

If you are convinced of your body’s ability to make its ownhormones from proper foods, then we should talk.

Right away.

And you might be surprised that your night sweats, mood swings, weight gain, sleepless nights, irritating issues may not only be easier to deal with but actually go away. In the process, you will be empowered to deal with these “normal” stresses and strains of life. These “hormonal problems”.  I don’t think you need to be putting hormone patches on your skin, under your skin, etc. I think, after 25 years of practice, you can take care of these issues naturally, without things made in a laboratory. But please remember something.

                      Remember this however…

In treating “hormonal problems” remember that anything you do is “clinical”, meaning it takes time. There is no quick fix. So you need to decide to give whatever you do, time. You have to look at your diet, your environment, your nervous system function, any supplements or drugs that may be contributing to your “hormonal problem”.

And this goes for men as well as women. I have yet to find a man deficient in Viagra. I have taken care of a lot of men deficient in hormone building foods and supplements that help them physically, etc. By the way, it’s easier to tag female problems “hormonal” than men. But Big Pharma is breaking down that barrier with all the Viagra/Cialis, etc. ads.

For a short time, as an opportunity to find out “the other side of the story”, I am offering $15 off of any supplement (whole food concentrates) order over $75. Plus a free consultation ( normally $125) to help you decide what Whole Food Concentrates may be best for your situation.

Don’t believe “It’s Just Hormonal” anymore. It may indeed be hormonal, but using drugs or man made chemicals is not what you want for the long term health of your body.

Dedicated to your health,

Dr. Siegfried

Nerve supply? Make sure you get regular chiropractic adjustments. A chiropractic
adjustment does wonders for your nervous system. Just ask someone who has been
under regular chiropractic care for awhile. World-class and professional athletes
know the benefits of chiropractic care. Your nervous system needs to be adjusted
as well. Your nervous system is your power supply in the body.

In fact, when your nervous system is not functioning properly, your
structure/posture is off. When your posture is off, your power supply from the
brain is down. And some scientific research says that when this is the case, you
can lose up to 90% of the energy output from the brain. This means all systems
down line from the brain will suffer. A FREE COPY OF THE WINDSOR
REPORT is available if you like. Just ask. It is a summary of research done in
the 1930’s at the University of Pennsylvania which shows that when nerves are
pinched, the organs suffer because they are not getting their full power supply.

Dr. George Siegfried

A long time patient of mine recently told me that he appreciates my information as it has helped him and his family over the years stay well and get well faster if issues come up.

However, knowing my Irish-gift of the gab- background and not wanting to offend me and my dialogues, he respectfully asked me to summarize my missives first, as he doesn’t always have the time to read like he would like to. However, he does eventually get to read my letters and in fact enjoys them. So here is the thumbnail sketch of my letter today. The problem is, we have all heard a lot of this before, but the “devil is in the details”.

Fall is upon us. Build up your Immune System. Eat more fruits and veges fresh or steamed. Organic, non-gmo’d. Exercise gently. Take only Whole Food Concentrates. Sea Vegetables are essential. Check out local food buying groups for best quality. Get your rest. Continue with your regular chiropractic adjustments. Think twice about the flu shots, or any vaccination for that matter. I hope this summary helps!!!

Now to the details:

We are now changing seasons. End of summer—we did have one, didn’t we?—beginning of  Fall. And our Immune Systems are under attack once more. How is yours doing? The seasonal changes are normal. Our body’s response should be normal. Meaning it rises to the occasion. This means your adrenal glands must be strong as they are essential for your body to defend itself. We need  some extra sleep and rest. We need some extra support nutritionally. We need a few extra adjustments. After all the nervous system controls the immune system.  So lets review what we can do.

We also have to keep in mind that there are an awful lot chemicals in our environment which complicate any natural cycle like seasonal changes and our needing to adapt to them.

Recent articles summarizing the toxicity situation in our environment are in Acres USA, October issue ( Acres USA.com.) The President’s Cancer Panel. Established in 1971, is sounding the alarm bell about chemicals in our daily lives, including those used in conventional agriculture.

After recently reviewing over 450 scientific a les on the toxicity issue, their final statement to the President is as follows: “the Panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”  It did not specifically mention  “foods GMO’d” and they should have. In fact,  for your information you can read about this issue in depth by getting the book, The World According To Monsanto, the largest gmo’d seed company in the world. And on the other side of the coin, you should opt in to the Raw Food Newsletter for “another side of the story”. Caveat Emptor.

On a more positive note, however, another article summarized the work of Dr.Maynard Murray’s book, “Sea Energy Agriculture” demonstrated that mice either consuming “sea vegetables”, or eating foods grown in soil fertilized by “sea vegetables” had no cancers ( therefore no need for cancer vaccines),hardening of the arteries, infertility or other “diseases of civilization”. So no longer is it just “eat your greens”, but eat your sea salt and sea vegetables!!!

Another example of the toxins in our environment is found by googling: umbilical cord toxins. This is an indication of all the toxins/chemicals in our environment. This hopefully will help you understand right away how important it is to be detoxifying our bodies as much as possible. Fasting, cleansing programs and rest are still as essential today as they have been since antiquity.

Right out of the gate I feel a need to mention flu shots as well. Patients ask me about this a lot. I do not recommend them at all. I have never had one, nor have my children been vaccinated with anything. And you too can make informed decisions about this issue by joining or looking up the National Vaccine Information Center site. They have been providing unbiased information on this topic for years. And by the way, it is not state law that your children be vaccinated. If you don’t want to have them vaccinated, you can claim religious exemption. This is a very political issue but at least allows those parents to let their kids go to school without being vaccinated.

So how can we build up our Immune Systems? Simply put, there is the Nutritional approach and the physical approach (chiropractic, exercise, massage, etc.). Let’s look at nutrition first ( like gas and oil for your car so to speak).
 

The liver is responsible for detoxifying our system as well as providing nutrients. In this sense it is a trash can and and a manufacturing plant. Keeping it clean and functioning at its best is essential.

The colon, if healthy, carries the waste material from the body. Keeping the colon healthy these days is difficult. The toxins we are exposed to not only effect colon health but the Immune System as well. Foods that keep the colon working well are fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickled beets, cucumbers, buttermilk. Also eating a raw food (s) at each meal and of course not overloading the digestion with huge meals, junk food, sugar, etc. Simply put, eat lightly, eat organic, eat well. Fruits, vegetables—raw or steamed or baked or grilled—grains (not boxed), etc are ok. In essence, moderation.

We have a Colon Cleansing Program that takes only 1-2 weeks. It is from Springreen Products.com if you want to look it up. They grow organically, non gmo’d products and vacuum dry them (no heating the products) so they are raw as well. They have offered these same products since 1942. We have offered this to patients for years and it is a good idea to do 1-2 times a year. It is easy and inexpensive. Just ask for a brochure. Short of a cleansing program, we have several products that you can take daily or several times a week to insure you are helping to cleanse your system. And build at the same time. Just ask for help. There is no obligation to buy anything but I can provide you with information to help you understand whether or not you are consuming what is best for you. Cleansing, detoxifying and strengthening your body is the issue here.

            Anecdotally, I have a patient who uses a product we have called Lactic Acid Yeast daily. She is 94. She has used this for years to help keep her “regular”. This one product, in itself, is as good, if not better, in my experience, than all the other Probiotic supplements available. At a fraction of the cost.

To begin with Nutritionally, fresh water is essential. This ideally means spring water or spring bottled water. Well water is ok if it doesn’t have a lot of chemicals, which is very possible due to all the farming chemicals being used which are getting into the ground water. In Oregon, I recommend Earth-2-O first. Chrystal Geyser 2^nd. They are available at Roth’s, Albertson’s, and other stores. Drink at least 6-8 glasses daily. Why this much? Because it is needed for basic body functions, like breathing and other basic body functions which we don’t even think about, but are controlled by what’s called the Autonomic Nervous System.

Next is Food, or what I call gas and oil. Mother Nature gives us certain foods at this time of year for purposes of helping our bodies make the transition from Summer to Fall. Squashes, apples, pears, and other seasonal fruits and veges should be consumed liberally. Milk, if Raw, is particularly rich in minerals and fat soluble vitamins now. Kookoolan Farms in Yamhill is a local source of good raw milk : www.kookoolanfarms.com. 503-730-7535.

They also have good eggs. No mineral oil or other chemicals used in cleaning or processing.

Locally, Mustard Seed Farms in St.Paul has a community garden, CSA. All organic produce. Call: 503-633-7333 or go to www.mustardseedorganic.com for more info.

Meat: same as always. Organic, grass-fed, no hormones, antibiotics, etc. This applies to animals, fish, chicken, turkeys, etc.etc. Just try and get good meat. Again, Kookoolan Farms is a good source. If you go to a store or meat market, ask where the meat comes from and what’s been done to it before you get it. Carlton Pack also has a retail store that has grass-fed meat products.

Fish? A special at this time of year. Fresh frozen sockeye salmon from the pure waters of Bristol Bay in Alaska. Mr. and  Mrs. Wiebe sell it from their home in between Otis and Rose Lodge on Highway 18 in filet sizes. Their # is 503-510-7959. It is available until end of September. It is flash frozen immediately from the wild. And no parasites!!

Fats/Oils. Good fats and oils that is. Raw, organic, non gmo-d. Butter, olive oil, wheat germ oil, cod liver oil, flax oil. There are others. These are the most common. The animal ones: Cod liver oil, butter are best. The vegetable ones noted are also good. Just try and think of these foods as essential, meaning you need them in some form regularly, if not daily.

Exercise? The simplest of things are best. Unless you are training for some particular sport, walking, swimming, riding a bicycle, stretching and rebounding are fine.

Rebounding/minitrampoline is a fantastic exercise. It is what was used years ago to rehabilitate the astronauts when they returned from space. You can read about the science of reboundology by googling rebounding or reboundology. In the meantime, just go to big 5 and purchase a mini-trampoline and you’ll be in business.

Supplements?  Whole food concentrates only.Your white blood cells, your blood’s first line of defense, needs ionizable calcium to stay strong. Avoid The “White Plague “ that Dr. Weston talked about in his studies of the indigenous people’s. White sugar, white flour, pasteurized milk. These 3 “non-foods” are simply not good for our bodies.

Once again, these are only recommendations for you to consider and there is no obligation to buy anything. PDF files are available on many of these issues and products for the asking.

I recommend Nutriplex’s  Cal Mag first. And vitamin F (omega’s) as found in Cod liver oil, wheat germ oil, flax oil. Of the Vitamin F group (that is, the omega’s), my opinion is that the Blue Ice Cod Liver Oil is the best available and the one to start with. Also from my “pharmacy”, I recommend Immune Support, Inflaplex and or Ultimate Defense. Depends on the patient as to amounts and what works best for your body. Of course, you need a Multiple and some extra B’s (for stress). But these should only be whole food concentrates. The companies whose products I recommend are the best that I know of. Obviously there may be others and I am always looking and studying what is best for both my family and patients. Flyers on these products are available.

Especially B’s at this time of year in the northwest. Depression is rampant along with the other seasonal nervous issues. We have been having great success with B Food. More and more patients find they can cut down or eliminate the pharmaceutical central nervous system anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, etc. Lewis Labs brewer’s Yeast is another fantastic source of  whole food B vitamins. Some stores have it, but you have to look on the bottom shelf usually.

Mentally: Think health, think strength, good thoughts. Try to keep your stress level low. Go walk the beach, breath the fresh air, listen to the waves, watch the clouds go by. Maybe see a few seals, whales, birds, etc. Let your mind wander and come down. Breath the negative ions. A great way to relax.  As is Conscious Breathing. This is a practice as well as a book that is available. It is simply a method/practice to help get you “out of your head” so your body can relax and do what you want it to do. Not sure if that makes sense to you but simply put, if you are too stressed, in reactive mode, your body doesn’t work the way it should.

Or go to the woods, or the dessert. Or wherever you can to find some peace and relaxation.

Chiropractic: The studies continue to show that those patients receiving regular chiropractic care have a higher level of health due to a better functioning nervous system, which is your power supply to every cell and tissue in your body. Unfortunately, the mainstream press does not talk about these patients. But it doesn’t change the truth of the matter. Keep the power going!! Regular adjustments will help.

As always, feel free to call with any questions.

Dedicated to your health,

Dr. Siegfried

PS. Mention this letter and receive 10% off your next adjustment/ supplement/ or orthopedic pillow order until October.15.(does not apply to other offers).

Dr. George Siegfried, McMinnville Chiropractor since 1984, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Brain Injury Association Of Oregon (BIAO). The Brain Injury Association is an organization dedicated to supporting Traumatic Brain Injury Patients and their needs. According to the BIAO, there are over 81,423 people living in Oregon with Brain Injuries. There are over 19, 000 new cases per year.

Siegfried has a subspecialty in his practice treating Traumatic Brain Injury Patients, Post Concussive Syndrome, etc.

Dr. Siegfried can be reached at 503-472-6550, or www.siegfriedchiropractic.com  Bilateral Nasal Specific. 

Now for those of us who don’t have the luxuries of the Dog Days of Summer and have to deal with the heat.
 

Aside from trying to stay as cool as possible, the following have proven helpful over the years. From the days in Philly growing up, to the Middle East with the Italian Olympic Team, to the heat of Mexico City before the 1984 Summer Olympics, t the current heat wave, here is my little formula.
Upon arising, a glass of spring water—if possible—with a dash of fresh lemon. 4 Cal-Mag, 2 Caro-C, 2 Cataplex F. At breakfast, hot oats, raw honey, butter, raisins, almonds or filberts. Particular for the heat are the previous supplements, plus AC Carbamide. Suffice it to say that it helps with the heat by balancing the osmotic pressure of the blood, regulating calcium metabolism. The F is particular for the metabolism as well. Vitamin F is the original name for all the Fat-Soluble Omega’s being marketed today. They are also found in Cod Liver Oil, but in the intense heat, the Cataplex F, Cal-Mag, and Carbamide are particular. Following the bottle recommendations are good, but taking more can’t hurt. They are foods.

Additionally, seasonal green leafy veges, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. are essential. They have been given to us for a reason. Use them liberally.

Finally, sea salt, as desired. Not Morton’s Salt, as it is sodium chloride, etc. Celtic Sea salt is a good one. It is good for minerals, especially for the Adrenal Glands, which are really stressed during the heat.

And rest. Good old rest. Cotton clothing. Air conditioning? Though comfortable, be careful. The extreme temperature differences can be a shock to your system. Moderation in all things.

Finally, a few minutes in the sun, eyes looking into the sun, closed eyes!!, will nourish your system too. Vitamin D, etc. Dr. John Ott’s Book, Health And Light talked about this years ago.
 

Good luck. Anyone wishing to read more on this let me know.
 

Enjoy your Dog Days of Summer. And if you have a dog, better yet. Learn from it. He/she knows how to enjoy life!!! But all he/she needs is some food/water and lots of love. Sounds like a good prescription to me as well.

Dedicated to your health,

Dr. Siegfried

P.S. How do I know the above works currently? My son pitches in the Cubs Minor League System. He says it helps a lot in the intense heat of Daytona Beach. Anywhere from 85-105 daily heat and humidity. Florida is not all that great in summer!!!

PSS. It helps the old man too. I pitched yesterday in Portland. 95 degrees at game time. I pitched a complete game and won. Tired after? You bet, but felt good tired. No Gator-aid, soda, etc. for me. Maybe on a special time, but not while I’M “working on the mound”.Does it matter? Only if you want to stay competitive at 59 with 25-35 year olds. At least that has been my belief and practice.
 

PSSS. Receive 10% OFF the supplements listed in this letter until August 31, 2010.
 

A conversation with a Pharmacist tech the other day confirmed my suspicions for this time of year, in this part of the country. Seasonal Affective Disorder is rampant once again. Depression, feeling down, low energy, not wanting to get out of bed, short-fused emotionally, frustrated, downright unhappy with life, circumstances, people, etc And lots of drugs being taken by people, over the counter and prescriptions. These, in addition to all the others prescribed for back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc.

And, of course, the question is why SAD? Well, in the great northwest, one huge reason is due to the weather at this time of year: rainy, cold, damp, dreary, gray, overcast, and generally miserable to many. Even occasionally to those of us who know how to handle it. All this green and fresh air comes at a price to our bodies and minds so we have to rally ourselves.

Another reasonable question is why and how to handle this and in fact, make it a good time. I’ll tell you at least some things to try. Going to Hawaii or Arizona or some other sunny and warm place may not be possible for most of us. So here are some good practical things to do.

As a student in Heidelberg years during this time of year when it was also like this a lot, I figured out a few things to “stay on top mentally” and physically.

Cliche’s perhaps but nonetheless helpful and true. Proper rest, eat as well as I could, exercise as much as possible---this really stimulates the brain function creating happy chemicals in it--- have not only a positive mental attitude but also a do-er attitude. In other words, keep moving and doing.

Visiting with people I liked, got along with, felt good about, etc. Going to the farmer’s market to get the freshest fruits and veges, meats, eggs, etc I could afford. Prepare them as healthily as possible. Enjoy meal time.

Other activities would be to figure the best time of day to study, work out, always keeping in mind the deadlines of school work. Classical music concerts for cheap tickets, going to the monastery for vespers, walking in the woods. Attending mass and concerts in the massive cathedrals or chamber music at the little chapels or at the castles. These things and more promote happy chemicals in the brain and nervous system to give us a good outlook on life, inspite of the weather. Oh yes, I had my share of the German Pubs and their unbelievable beers. Always in moderation however. Well, not always.

There is something about just stopping everything for a few minutes, for awhile. Some call it praying, meditation, a nap, etc. It is the consistency of this behavior that really helps build our happy chemicals in our brain. It is rejuvenating and helps with our outlook on life. Many religions recommend this daily.

Among monastic communities, they stop and pray or chant several times daily. Like the monks at the Trappist Abbey in Lafayette. It is good for the mind, body and spirit.

If you are at work, I just suggest sitting quietly in your chair or find a quiet place for few minutes with your eyes closed. Afterwards you will be refreshed.

And yes, I was at the beginning of my nutrition learning from a diet, supplement, herbal therapy, homeopathic standpoint. Being in a town/environment like Heidelberg provided a wealth of experience and exposure to really traditional European methods to health. Including  my first Heilpractiker treatments. They are very similar to Chiropractor’s.

I guess I just don’t believe it is necessary for people to take all these drugs that are being prescribed and taken over the counter. I will never say they do not have their place. They do. But I have to admit I am tired of seeing so many ads in the news, TV, radio, everywhere on them as if they are the only approach to health problems.

Of course, if this is what people are exposed to most of the time, well guess what? Get a prescription, of course. It’s even paid for. But not for long with this new “health care” plan.

My days lobbying in Salem put me in touch with some very important and influential politicians. The thought was and still is that this whole “health care” package will mean less care, more taxes, less quality of care. Can you say rationed care? Having lived and practiced in a socialized medical environment in Italy it is not far fetched. We’ll see. In the meantime, we need to be doing all we can for ourselves, family and close friends to Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well, Be Well. And I know I can help you with this.

So what are some things you can do to keep your mind fresh, clear and full of “ happy chemicals” during this time of year? By the way, the northwest and also the northeast parts of the country are the heaviest consumers of what are called anti-depressant drugs. But you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to.

We have lots of fresh air here. Make it a point to get out in it. Walking, wherever you like is great. Neighborhood, woods, trails, beach, lanes, wherever you like. The gentle, consistent movement creates happy chemicals for us by providing grade A oxygen to our brains and nervous system.

Can’t go outside? Get a mini trampoline at Big 5. If you are concerned about balance, get one with a handle on it. This activity helps to oxygenate every cell and tissue in your body. All you have to do is bounce gently. Not even leaving the surface. 5-10-15 etc minutes at a time. They are only about $60-$90. Or check the paper, Craig’s list, etc. One patient found a brand new one in the paper for $20 recently.

Gotta go slow though. Case in point: An 86 year old lady got leg cramps after 5 minutes. Between getting her on Ionizable Calcium tablets, adjusting her back and gradually doing more, she is up to 25 minutes at a time at home while watching the news. And she hasn’t treated with me in a few months now. You can look up more on it under Reboundology on the web. NASA spent millions on this little trompoline concept rehabbing their astronauts after returning a mess from weightlessnes in space. This helped them. If it was good for the astronauts, it is good for us earthlings.

The beach if you can get there. Might have to dress warm but a good trade off. The NEGATIVE IONS in the air are great for the production of happy chemicals in our bodies and minds.

Water. Spring water also has lots of good things for our minds and feeling good. My Neurophysiology Professor at Western States Chiropractic College always told us to drink lots of it. It hydrated the brain and nerves, increasing their firing and function. As the nervous system runs every cell and tissue in  the body, keeping it fueled prevents stagnation and the buildup of unhappy chemicals.

In fact, he counseled us to drink at least one glass upon arising every morning to “get things going”. I have done this for years. He even counseled us to drink at least one glass or more before tests, athletic activity,etc. You can be sure I did. I needed any edge I could get in those really hard classes.

The problem is what kind of water. Earth2-O and Chrystal Geyser are the best around here in my opinion. And then maybe a water filter at the spigot. I don’t know enough about those to recommend one but I am working on it. I have used several but not happy enough to recommend one.

I cannot say too much about how our diets contribute to all the depression, etc. Kids or adults. Just look at the little guys in school and what they get. Sugar, refined flour products loaded with chemicals, overcooked, not fresh. No wonder there are so many “learning disabilities” and special ed classes.

 And the adults? Coffee/caffeine/stimulants to get going, more mid morning, more after lunch. Then evening how to come down while the adrenal glands are toast. Can’t get to sleep, sleep well, wake up fried. Depressed, low-energy, bad attitude? No wonder. But it is not all our fault.

When you have all these monied corporate profit oriented interests providing these so-called foods in our markets, with their marketing ploys to get us to just buy, well “Houston, We Have A Problem”. No wonder people think the anti-depressants are the answer. Well, they are not.

If I could tell you one thing to try from a diet standpoint, it would be to try and cut down on sugar, white flour and pasteurized milk products. My “Dinner and A Movie Program” will be given again soon and you will see why this is so important.

If I could tell you one thing from a supplement standpoint----not vitamins--- it would be to take a bottle of our B Food. Tablets or Powder. These are not vitamins, but whole food concentrates that feed your nervous system to make your body and mind function better. 14 diffwerent raw organic non gmo-d foods loaded with the natural B vitamins we all need so much.Give yourself a few months. Follow the bottle recommendations. See what happens. Most patients are happy. They get empowered and their hope level for better health improves.

It is hard to take too much of it. In fact, over the years I have had parents call me in distress because one of their youngsters got ahold of a bottle and decided to eat half of it and wondered if they should call the ambulance or something. To which I would respond: “ How is the little one doing?” And Mom would say he is playing on the floor with his toys. So I would tell her to just make sure he has enough water in him. He obviously like the supplement and ate them till he had enough. That B Food product has helped him at home with his supposedly ADHD condition a lot, along with his diet and chiropractic care

Mom’s have an instinct as to what is helping their little one’s. And so do adult’s I might add. Just be observant and patient.

I wish you and yours a very HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOLIDAYS AND NEW YEAR. Know that I am here to help you. Think happy thoughts.

Dedicated to your health.... The Doctor Is In..

Dr. Siegfried

PS: For more information on B Food just call for our flyer and we will send 

      it to you.