San Diego Chiropractor, Dr. Harry Heeder, DC has said, “People are not weak and dependent as the media would have them believe. They are strong and capable and in control of their health destiny. The media says genes are responsible for health. This tends to program people to be lazy and accept the fact that they are destined to be the victim of their genetic makeup. Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. While genes do play a role, they are but a small contributor to overall health. Research shows close to 5-10% is all. Much more important are the lifestyle choices people make. Lifestyle choices turn on or turn off genes. Genes are just plans…it’s lifestyle that determines how those genes get expressed.”
Dr. Oz was quoted as saying “Genes may load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.” One major controversy is whether or not chiropractors should be simply low back technicians in a mechanistic medical model or should chiropractors stay true to their profession and remain concerned with analyzing and adjusting the spine with the purpose of restoring proper nerve system function for the betterment of the whole body, without drugs, without surgery.
Proponents of the controversy argue that there is no double-blind RCT to justify anything other than mechanical low back pain relief so chiropractic should be limited to that. Opponents to the controversy state that treating symptoms is a medical philosophy that has gotten us exactly where we are today, one of the worst developed countries in terms of health of its citizens. Opponents also point out that there have never been double-blind RCTs to verify the effectiveness of most drugs and virtually all surgeries, and millions die each year from both, so why require the same for chiropractors. Furthermore, chiropractic patients number in the millions and many report all sorts of improvements to their health, far beyond symptom relief which first brought them to the chiropractor. And the more neuroscience teaches us about the human brain, the more we are seeing chiropractic’s effect to normalize and maximize brain function. And, after all, the brain is the command center of the nervous system.
Dr. Heeder says, “Chiropractic is a separate and distinct healing art, science and philosophy and I oppose any attempt to move chiropractic back to a western medical symptom-based treatment approach.” While medical care certainly has its place, including drugs and surgery, it is hard to accept using the most invasive treatments for ordinary health complaints before the more conservative care approach which is designed to allow the body to repair itself if at all possible. There is no denying the US has the best trauma and emergency care in the world. In a life-threatening situation our highly trained doctors and paramedics with their expensive technology and well equipped facilities are the best choice.
For the common, chronic and acute maladies of everyday life, the answer does not lie in a pill, powder, potion or lotion. No one has headaches because of an aspirin deficiency. No one has high cholesterol because of a statin drug deficiency. Why then do people take those approaches? Simple: everyone has been conditioned to avoid disease versus pursuing health via sensible lifestyle choices. Chiropractic encourages pursuing health. In fact, that’s the only way to keep or regain one’s high level of health; to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
To see more about Dr. Harry Heeder visit The San Diego Professional Journal at: http://www.chiropractic.sandiegoprofessionaljournal.com/dr-harry-heeder-dc/. Visit Dr. Heeders Offices at 409 Camino Del Rio S., Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92108. Or call 619-450-4429.