I BLINCt

This is not I "blinked" as in a showdown, but I "BLINCt" as in a show up.

I was invited to speak this Monday evening to, and with a group, 25 as it turned out, of Ojai teens, from 15-18 years old, about health. The event was a weekly gathering of BLINC (Building Lives Inc), a program of the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation (OCYF).

The evening program included dinner, readings of original writings by members, my talk and a Q&A session. We talked about what doctoring is, about the major factors that influence health and disease, and about how fortunate they are to be able to consider health at their age. I demonstrated some chiropractic evaluation and some spinal manipulation. A few teens told me that they were going to take my suggestion and try removing dairy products from their diets to see if they felt better.

I was so impressed with these young people! their writings! their intelligence! their maturity! their behavior! their questions! I was also impressed with the OVYF program director, Meg Wall, who coordinated and moderated the gathering! She obviously has the trust and respect of the participants.

The impression that I have of BLINC is that it is an invitation to local youth to show up to meet others and to better know themselves in a setting in which each individual is valued and respected. What an opportunity!

I love teens and I love health! It was a great evening!

I'm so glad I showed up. So glad I BLINCt.

http://www.Ventura-Chiropractor.com

I'm Not a Gastroenterologist, but ...

For clarity and for medicolegal considerations, let me be clear; I am not a gastroenterologist.

But, please note this Google review about me, my wife Jo, and our office, written by Rachel on‎ - Jan 28, 2012:

"I went to Dr. Young with a serious case of ulcerative colitis that had been diagnosed two years prior. I had been to three gastroenterologists, an acupuncturist, a dietician and another chiropractor and had never found relief. All the doctors told me I would be on medication for the rest of my life. After a month of seeing Dr. Young I was 90% better. Six months later I feel completely healthy. With his care and Jo's wonderful supportive attitude, I have my health back and the ability to do all the things I love again. THANK YOU!"  *****

Again, for clarity, what I am is a Functional Medicine Chiropractor; that just means that I have a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, and that Functional Medicine is the overarching systems approach upon which I base my practice. I treat a lot of back and neck pain, but I am not a specialist, I am a general practice doc. I treat everything from acne to depression to heart disease.

Does one have to be a doctor to figure out that the food that we put in our mouths is the single greatest effector of our gut?

Would one have to be a gastroenterologist to know that while the human body is composed of 10 trillion cells, that living in our gut and on us are 100 trillion microorganisms? Wouldn't it make sense that these microorganisms would also have a powerful effect on our digestive tracts?

As an Functional Medicine Chiropractor I adhere strongly to medical science, and constantly return to the basics to solve complex problems like ulcerative colitis. The first step with a new patient or new condition is to figure out the causes of the problem. I always look at the patient's diet, food allergies, digestive capacity, nutrient status, and spinal function (which directly influences digestive health).

While specializing, focusing a doctor's study and attention on one organ or system, can be valuable, it is not, if the doctor loses sight of the integrated function of the entire body. First and foremost we all need a healthcare practitioner who understands and considers the whole body, and guides us to an understanding of the causes of our illness.

The moral of this story might be: just because you have been to 3 specialists, doesn't necessarily mean there is no where else to turn for help.

And never forget, if your healthcare practitioner has not discussed with you the causes of your illness, something critical has been left behind.


http://www.Ventura-Chiropractor.com

Dr. Oz Says the Functional Medicine I Practice is Cutting-Edge

Dr. Mark Hyman, Chairman, IFM Board of Directors and Dr. Kristofer Young at the 18th International Symposium on Functional Medicine in 2011

Dr. Oz is right! And I am fortunate to have been studying and practicing Functional Medicine since it's inception 20 years ago.

Please watch this 4 and a half minute video which introduces my friends and colleagues, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Blum, Dr. Perlmutter and Dr. Warner. Note that Dr. Oz says that these four are doctors that he would send his own family members to, and that these doctors are practicing cutting-edge medicine; Functional Medicine.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-oz-s-disease-detectives-pt-1

Dr. Steven Shuel, chiropractor, dropped by my office in Ventura, CA in 1991 to drop off an audio tape of a lecture on inflammation, that he thought I would find interesting. Little did he know, this act would change my life.

The lecture on the tape was given by Jeffrey Bland, PhD. The content was fascinating, and of obvious importance to any thoughtful physician. My attention, listening to the first of many lectures that I would hear Dr. Bland deliver, was drawn to his intellectual brilliance, his capacity to communicate complex materials, and his vision regarding the way forward to improve healthcare.

In 1991 Dr. Bland founded the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). That same year I subscribed to Dr. Bland's monthly audio program on current and developing trends in healthcare, Preventive Medicine Update (PMU). PMU was later renamed Functional Medicine Update (FMU). I have maintained an active subscription to PMU-FMU since 1991. PMU-FMU has been the single most important source of continuing education in my professional life. It has consistently informed me of important trends in healthcare five to ten years before they begin to become mainstream.

On the IFM website the question "What is Functional Medicine?" is answered as follows:
"Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual."

In 1993 the Institute for Functional Medicine inaugurated its annual International Symposium on Functional Medicine, a conference featuring world-reknowned speakers and attendees from around the world. I have attended 15 of the 18 conferences.

More than 50,000 practitioners have been introduced to the principles and practices of functional medicine. Faculty from one-fifth of all medical schools in America, and physicians from 44 countries have attended the IFM's foundational training course, Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice.

Functional Medicine is cutting-edge. But as you can see, it is not new. Dr. Bland, Dr. Hyman, and thousands of others around the world have been working for decades to bring us better medicine.

If you want to address the underlying causes of your disease, engage in a therapeutic partnership with a doctor, address your whole being - not just your symptoms,  and return to health and vitality, go to the IFM website and find a practitioner of Functional Medicine in your area. Dr. Oz thinks you will be making a smart move!

A Baby's Broken Bones - and you can help

Below you will read about a 2-month old baby boy with fractures of the skull, ribs, leg and collar bone. With what you will learn, you can help this boy, help protect other infants, and actually help all Americans protect themselves not just from bone fracture, but from cancers, heart disease, diabetes, depression, weight gain, arthritis and more.

***** begin quote from VDC *****

Another Rickets Tragedy - source - The Vitamin D Council
January 19, 2012
I [Dr. John Cannell] received the following email this morning and these cases continue to break my heart. I have been conversing over the phone with this mother, Deborah, all day. While I do not definitively know if Deborah and her fiancé are innocent, my guess is that they are – I have heard and seen far too many similar cases.


Dear Dr. Cannell:
We spoke on the phone earlier today about the situation that I'm in. My fiancé and I are in the process of one of us being convicted of child abuse. My son Jason is 2 months old. I'm African American as well as my fiancé. I breast fed my baby but did not give him vitamin D supplements. The baby doctor said nothing about vitamin D. I attend college, so my fiancé took time off (from school) to help raise our son. Jason was born 11/19/11, and we live in PA (it’s very cold where we live). We do not take our son outside because I fear he would catch a cold.

The night before we took our son to the hospital, I had gone to class and my fiancé was watching him; he would never hit Jason. He has a daughter prior to our son and no history of abuse with her. So my son was crying and I came back, he was trying to calm him down by walking around the apartment, which was one of the techniques I showed him to calm our son down when he twitches and cries. Then he began to twitch worse and we called the pediatrician like we always do, and she told us to monitor him and he should be fine. Well the twitching didn’t go away and my fiancé called the pediatrician again to tell her it didn't stop. She then told us to come in, that it could be something else.

We brought him in, and he was not twitching at the doctor's office, so they directed us to the hospital. Jason started twitching again. So they took him and told us to wait, they wanted to do a CT scan of his head. The doctor came back telling us that he had suffered severe head trauma and may have brain injuries. We were shocked and started crying all over the hospital, trying to get in touch with our parents to tell them this horrible news. Jason had to be transported to a children's hospital where they then informed us that he has multiple fractures of the head, ribs, leg, and collar bone. We had NO IDEA how that happened. We were always careful.

The police then talked to us, as well as child services. They wanted me to testify against my fiancé, but I couldn't because it didn't make sense. There were no signs of abuse. He had no bruises, nothing! They said some of the fractures appeared to be old but again, there were no signs. The old fractures were from when Jason was in my care, and I would never abuse my son. His father was rarely around then as he was working two jobs. Just the past week is when he began to watch Jason by himself. Therefore, the fractures, I have no idea where they have come from. My parents didn't see it, the doctors, the hospital. Nobody saw any bruises or signs of child abuse. We were going to the hospital regularly too.

I then remembered that one of the hospital blood tests he had undergone about 4 weeks ago showed that he had very low vitamin D levels. We got it retested; the second time my son was taking Vit-D-Sol, but the test again showed his vitamin D levels were still very low.

I read all over online about what could be the cause. I came across your website and article and looked at pictures of rickets x-rays. His legs curve but the doctors told me not to worry, it’s nothing. But after reading and learning about rickets, I believe that my son may have this. Can you please help me! I'm being threatened that they will remove my child and not even give Jason to my parents unless I testify against my fiancé. I need your help.

Thank you. If you need me to do anything, let me know. Thanks for your help,

Deborah


Dear Deborah:
I can only try to understand the tragedy that you are going through. If this had happened five years ago, you would have had no chance. Either you send your man to prison or you lose your baby. However, things are starting to change. I can try to help.

The twitching you noticed in your son are probably small seizures from episodic low blood calcium; it sounds as if he has had this for a while. Given time, the baby formula Jason is now on will treat these. However, the doctors are giving your son inadequate amounts of vitamin D, that is why his second vitamin D level did not go up. Also, ask them to do an “alkaline phosphatase bone” blood test and x-rays of the ankle and wrist as soon as possible and send the doctors the request for these tests in a registered letter. How low was his vitamin D, do you remember? The fact that you have a vitamin D level before they took the baby away is incredibly important. Also, bowed legs, like your son has, are very common in rickets.

The lack of bruises over the fractures is typical with rickets. Trauma, such as hitting, causes bruises; rickets seldom does. Also, if someone was repeatedly beating the infant, the infant would often cry when that person picked him up or came close. Sometimes mothers hear “popping” noises as the rachitic infants’ bones softly break on normal handling or changing. Have you ever heard such noises?

Jason will heal now as he is on infant formula, which contains lots of vitamin D for his 10 pounds of body weight. However, they will say he healed because he is out of your abusive household. As I understand it, your fiancé was not around during the time of the old fractures, so he could not have done them. If someone had hit Jason in the last week, bruises would have been evident to you.

The “severe head trauma” is bleeding on the surface of the brain, which is common in these cases, and again, no bruises will be found. One of the email addresses that I am going to give you is Mr. Zach Bravos, a lawyer and an expert in this field of “head trauma” and abuse. His paper on the subject will help your attorney.

They will try to get you to testify against your fiancé in order to keep your baby. It is a terrible choice, a Sophie’s Choice, but I advise you to stay on the side of truth and let your man know that you will. Your fiancé needs help; tell him these false accusations are common, especially among Black couples who breast-fed their infants. He needs to know that you support him. Tell him there are others in his shoes. He needs professional help if he is suicidal.

The second person that may help your attorney is Dr. David Ayoub, a radiologist very familiar with these cases. I will call you and give you Dr. Ayoub’s information.
Please stay in touch and do not give up hope.

John Cannell, MD
Vitamin D Council
1241 Johnson Ave, # 134
San Luis Obispo, Ca 93401

***** end quoted material from VDC *****

Most Americans have low blood levels of Vitamin D. Low levels of Vitamin D increase the risk of bone fracture, osteoporsis, cancers, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, arthritis, autoimmune disease, depression.

What is your blood level? What about your children?

My wife and I have tested our Vitamin D levels, and due to supplementation and sun exposure, our levels are very healthy. We tested the four members of our daughter's family, who live in New York. Only our daughter had an acceptible level; due to supplementation. Our two grandchildren and our son-in-law had unhealthy, unsafe levels.



Beware: though current laboratory testing reference ranges suggest that 30-100 ng/mL is a healthy blood level of Vitamin D, many experts agree that 50 should be the low end of the scale.

As a culture, we need to wake up to the need for Vitamin D.

Individuals with darker skin need more sun exposure than those with lighter skin, to make the same amount of Vitamin D. Consequently, darker skinned people in America have lower Vitamin D levels, and more of the diseases that arise from insufficiency.

So, what can you do? Have your family's blood levels tested. Share this information with your friends, family and co-workers. As we as individuals become informed, our culture as a whole becomes more informed. We will protect the bones of babies, we will improve our own health, and we will improve the health of our world.

Testing: simple finger stick done at home - see this page

http://www.Ventura-Chiropractor.com

Statins Can Cause Diabetes

Dr. Mark Hyman, the Chairman of the Institute for Functional Medicine, and a doctor committed to inspiring people to learn about their bodies, and to take charge of their health, states, "A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that statins increase the risk of getting diabetes by 71 percent in post-menopausal women." He encourages, in this case, post-menopausal women to learn about their health, to advocate for their own health, and to beware of being prescribed a drug that might be dangerous for them.

The lesson here is an old lesson; drugs can be very powerful and very dangerous ~ a healthy lifestyle is very powerful and is not dangerous.

I cast my lot with Dr. Hyman, Dr. Ornish, Dr. Oz, Dr. Weil, and practitioners of Functional Medicine who know and teach that we can only control our declining health and increasing healthcare expenses by living more healthfully!


http://Ventura-Chiropractor.com

46 Year-Old Biologist Reverses Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine in 6 Weeks

That's right! A 46 year-old biologist reversed his degenerative spinal arthritis in just 6 weeks!

But here is what is really surprising! Within this blog post, you will find neither an 800 number nor a URL for a website from which you can order magic pills for $39.95, with a second bottle absolutely free, including shipping and handling, with an unconditional money-back guarantee of satisfaction (minus a $36.95 restocking fee) so that you too can experience these miraculous results. Instead, what you will find are the simple, rational therapies of Functional Medicine that you will be able, without risk or charge, to try out for yourself.

When I first saw this patient, he had been experiencing chronic low back pain for some time. On his first visit I found the joints of his spine to be stiff and restricted, and found the muscles of his spine to be excessively tight. My attempts to manipulate his spine met with little success. Stiff joints, tight muscles and a spine that is not amenable to manipulation are hallmarks of degenerative spinal arthritis.

I explained to the patient that most Americans have insufficient magnesium in their diets and in their bodies, and that without adequate magnesium, ones muscles cannot fully relax. I told him that reactions to foods are one of the most common causes of arthritis, and that dairy products are one of the most common offending foods.  I reminded him of the critical importance of daily stretching to maintain spinal and general health. And I ordered an MRI of the his low back to help me evaluate the condition of his spine.

When the radiologist's report arrived on my desk, I was not surprised to read his description of the degenerative spinal arthritis and the mild disc protrusion.

Six weeks passed before I saw the patient for his second visit. He reported that his low back pain had lessened, that he had been taking magnesium, that he had reduced his dairy intake and that he had been stretching regularly.

This time, manipulation of his spine was easier; joints that would not release at the time of the first visit, now moved. His joint function and muscle tone were not optimal, but they were better. He had reversed the arthritis in his spine.

Now, let's be clear here, I did not say that he was cured, and I did not say that his condition was resolved. I said that his degenerative spinal arthritis was reversed; the direction or trajectory of the condition was reversed from worsening to improving. Given that pain and progressive loss of mobility are classic signs of degenerative arthritis, it is reasonable that decreased pain and increased joint mobility are signs of the reversal of the condition. It is a great start.

Note that these improvements were achieved without drugs or expensive treatments. Note that these simple treatments address causes of arthritis. Note that not only did his symptom, pain, diminish, but the function of his spine improved. Note that this was achieved without attempt to cover or mask the symptom.

This is not a miracle story. On the contrary; this is commonplace in a Functional Medicine practice.


Written by Dr. Young, a Ventura Chiropractor.

Diabesity: What is it?

“Diabesity describes a continuum of disease from optimal blood sugar balance to insulin sensitivity to full-blown diabetes. This biological imbalance is our modern plague. It affects 1 in 2 Americans and is the leading cause of most chronic disease in this country including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer, not to mention its leading role in weight gain and obesity.” – Mark Hyman, MD

http://drhyman.com/fifty-percent-of-americans-suffer-from-silent-killer-7915/

The Wheel Doesn't Need to be Reinvented

The wheel doesn't need to be reinvented, and I don't have to work to restate what Dean Ornish, MD has stated so clearly on his website:

"People often think that advances in medicine have to be a new drug, a new laser, or a surgical intervention to be powerful—something really high-tech and expensive. They often have a hard time believing that the simple choices that we make in our lives each day—what we eat, how we respond to stress, whether or not we smoke, how much we exercise and the quality of our relationships—can make such a powerful difference in our health, our well-being, and our survival, but they often do."

Part of my job is to repeat the wisdom of others. Gently.

http://Ventura-Chiropractor.com