Fevers: Healthy or Dangerous?

It's that time of year where the FLU and other illnesses are fresh on our minds. This blog will briefly help you to consider what might be a "healthy" vs. "dangerous" fever. Obviously if you are ever uncertain and concerned especially with regard to your child, then you should always err on the side of safety and consult your healthcare provider as to the condition you or your child are suffering from as various causes exist for fever.

This post is due to the fact that I often find many of my parent patients being wary of any fever whatsoever and generally immediately suppressing fever at its earliest onset in both their children and themselves. Understandably as parents we want to protect our children from all harm, however is this what we are really doing by knee-jerk response with medications to reduce fever? I always work to explain "what" fever really is to parents so that they more appropriately know how to respond.

Although "fever" (body temperature over roughly 100 deg F, whereas "normal" is 98.6 deg F) can exist for many reasons, with regards to "illness", fever is a normal response to help the body's immune system to properly cope with an infection in order to "heal." Generally fevers do not get above 102 deg F and last for only a day or two. In these circumstances you must ask yourself if it isn't wiser to "let the temperature go" and allow the body to due its proper course of healing because when the fever is suppressed, all to often the healing response also is suppressed. Therefore, although your child may "feel" better, the body has yet to properly deal with the infection and this often can lead to a "recurring" illness in an individual who has never gone the full course necessary to heal the infection. Under these circumstances, this individual seems to always be sick in a recurrent fashion.

This Blog is designed merely to get you thinking as a parent as well as for yourself regarding fever. Obviously there are many reasons for fever, however it could be argued that the "usual" fever is a very healthy and necessary response by your body in order to "completely" heal itself. Again, if ever in question, then ask your health care provider to help you make the best decision considering your particular circumstances. Otherwise, give strong consideration to the potential over use of symptom relievers that may not only be unnecessary, but also have long term detrimental effects.

We always make ourselves available for questions on any subject matter. We hope that you find this thought-stimulating and useful!

Obesity

Obese vs. "Normal" individual

Obesity is a grave problem in our American society. Note that it isn't just a "problem" on the outside appearance, it is also a tremendous problem on the "inside." This is a large topic that we could spend a lot of time on, however please note the amount of "fat" surrounding the internal organs and heart. Think that could contribute to high blood pressure, lack of breath, and poor digestion? And that is just the mechanical force of this fat on the organs, not to mention the "bio- chemical" problems involved such as Diabetes.

Although these images make it very obvious that there is a problem here. It may be easier to think of individuals (or yourself for that matter) as either in balance (Homeostasis) or not!

Balance = Healthy Imbalanced = Unhealthy

Chiropractic, Nutrition, Acupuncture, etc are all healing arts that focus in bringing the body into greater "balance" so that it can function and heal as it is supposed to. For that matter, even your typical Medical "symptom" care is afforded better results the closer the individual is towards balance. Unfortunately many of us wait and wait..................and wait on our problems until we are so out of balance with our body, that we then require a large degree of treatment just to get us a small percentage better.

How does Chiropractic fit into obesity? Well, consider that Chiropractors are the second largest leading health profession in the world behind "Medicine, " and that our primary focus in on prevention and maintenance of your health and well-being "before" you get sick. As well, we are focused on "correcting" the imbalances in your body that got you ill or in pain in the first place, rather than simply covering up your symptoms. Chiropractors are all trained in Nutrition as a part of their schooling (Chiropractic Hours = 120 Hours + ; Medical hours = 0).

If you are able to walk into our offices, then there is more "right" with you than "wrong" with you and you are capable of healing to some degree. A part of the Chiropractic Treatment regimen is often to modify your diet for optimal balanced function of your body. Chiropractors generally look at your body from the perspective of "4 Essentials" ( as in 4 essentials to life).
1. Proper Nervous system function 2. Food 3. Water 4. Air........................take any 1 away and you die, diminish one or more and you are out of balance and therefore not in a place of optimal health.

Do you really want to wait so long that those imbalances require drugs, surgery, or other severe interventions that could have been easily avoided?

Yours in health, wellness, and "balance",

Does Auto Insurance Cover Chiropractic?

This is a question we hear often. The simple answer is "yes." If you are involved in an auto accident, you should always make certain that you are evaluated by the healthcare provider of your choice so as to avoid any future pit-falls of not doing so at or near the time of injury. This is due to the fact that many injuries can be non-symptomatic for a few months to a few years depending upon the dynamic of the accident.

All states and Insurance companies recognize this fact and that is why you have a "statute of limitations" ( often 3 years) as to "how long" you have to submit a claim related to a particular auto accident.

Along with your standard Medical coverage, Chiropractic is also covered under your same plan. Therefore, depending upon your accident, make sure both providers evaluate you thoroughly........your Medical provider for immediate fractures, live-threatening injuries, etc. and your Chiropractor for the rest so that you have the best chance at your body healing itself as quickly as possible.

Remember, Healthcare is a TEAM approach and your being "healthy" is not always measured best by your "symptoms," especially following auto accidents, even "fender benders."

Basically, make sure to take care of yourself early, and not wait for problems to come knocking. The best healthcare providers will always offer free, no obligation consultations to determine if what they offer is appropriate for your particular needs. This is why we have always offered FREE consultations to those seeking appropriate healthcare for themselves and their family.

We have been treating auto accident victims for nearly 11 years now and make ourselves available for your questions.
More detailed questions, just give us a call.

Health and Blessings!