Slow Progress

The British drug company GlaxoSmithKline has finally decided to stop paying doctors to promote their drugs.  Currently they spend tens of millions of dollars in the practice.  'Course it'll take until 2016 for it to actually stop, but it's a step in the right direction.

They're also changing their compensation system for their sales reps and taking out the number of prescriptions written. 

The company claims none of these changes have anything to do with the investigation in China. 

Whatever the cause, at least they're moving in the right direction.

On The Air

For those of you eager to hear my voice on the air again I'll be interviewed on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. Central at http://bit.ly/1daImlo.  The show is It's All About Being Healthy with Denise Messenger so it should be a fun and educational hour!

Medicine Behind The Curve

Most folks don't have a clue about "modern medicine" and simply function on faith.  Faith that their doctors are properly informed and that the drugs they're prescribed have been proven safe and effective. 

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Read this article for a small taste of how absurd life is in the medical world today.

America's Health Ranking

Is it really any surprise when the 2012 rankings for world health came out and America is at the bottom or near the bottom?  How can this country continue to delude itself that it has the "best health care in the world" when all of the facts, all of the reports, clearly show otherwise?

The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council issued a 378-page study by a panel of experts that's the first to systematically compare death rates and health measures for people of all ages.  Bottom line:  American men ranked last in life expectancy among the 17 countries in the study, and American women ranked second to last.

Yet America spends two or three times what other industrialized countries spend on health care!

WAKE UP AMERICA!

More Medicine Isn't A Good Thing

There was a report back in 1999 by the Institute of Medicine that said an estimated 98,000 people were dying every year due to medical mistakes.  Today estimates are that it's up to around 200,000 people every year which makes medical mistakes one of our leading causes of death.  This from a profession that claims its highest oath to be Do No Harm.

Why the growth is medical mistakes?  Probably because of the dramatic increase in the amount of medicine being practiced every year.  Since 1996 the number of MRIs has quadrupled and the number of doctor visits resulting in at least FIVE drugs being prescribed has tripled.  Defensive medicine carries risks with every test or procedure ordered, a fact most doctors forget.

There are lots of hospitals and doctors doing some great things to reduce these risks but the fact of the matter is more people are still dying and America's cost of health care continues to grow.  Something has to change.

A. T. Still Memorial

Last Thursday there was a service to recognize the founder of the world's first osteopathic school of medicine in Kirksville, Missouri.  Most folks don't recognize the name of Andrew Taylor Still but many more appreciate what he gave the world.  This year's ceremony was held at the entrance to the Tinning Education Center instead of graveside due to weather.

Osteopathy is much more than simple chiropractic adjustments to the back, it's a medical system that focuses on the proper functioning of the entire human body.  And I can say from personal experience that it does work, and very well.

This year's ceremony was the 93rd anniversary of the event.

Thanks Dr. Still.

Award Winning Book

The winner of this year's UnBreak Your Health Award at Reader Views is Midlife Crash Course from Gail Feldman, PhD.  The book is a hero's journey to a better, more powerful place as a result of several "crashes" in her life.  From the loss of her 35-year marriage to a skiing accident to an automobile accident the growth she accomplishes gives the rest of us hope.

Check out the newest podcast and listen to Gail Feldman describe her journey of discovery.