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Your body is intelligent!
When something is wrong your body will let you know and work to self-correct the situation.
- Let me ask you a question: Is vomiting a “normal” body reaction? – Sure it is! If you consume something that your body intelligently identifies as a threat then your body will try to quickly get rid of it and as a result you vomit.
- How about coughing? Is coughing a “normal” body reaction? – Now you may not like coughing and how it makes you feel but yes it is a normal body reaction. Once again you’re highly intelligent body senses some type of irritant, infective agent or other unwanted guest and tries to get rid of it. Makes sense right?
- High blood pressure, normal response? – You betcha! Once again something has gone wrong internally which triggers your body to elevate your blood pressure to counter act the “screw up” the best way it knows how.
- And what do most people do when these unwanted symptoms/warning signs arise? -NO……most don’t look to the root cause of the problem and address it. Instead most people do what is “quick” and “easy” or what their all mighty medical doctor tells them to do and they take a medication that hopefully takes care of the symptom.
Hint: these problems do not arise because there is an absence of medication in your system.
So they take an anti-emetic so they don’t vomit. They take a cough suppressant so they are not uncomfortable and don’t cough. They take a blood pressure pill to artificially lower their blood pressure.
Please Help
Know The Risks of NSAIDs Says Hainesport Chiropractor
All the while most people flat out IGNORE the message that their body is trying to send them. That message is that “Something has gone wrong please take care of it.”
The message is not to ignore the message. Not to cover up the warning signal in hopes that it will go away. But rather please take care of this the right way. I’m warning you!
I could go on and on with examples of how our body intelligently sends warning signs to us that something has gone wrong and we don’t address the problem but I’ll spare you with the exception of one last example(for now :) ).
I want to share ONE last example with you because this one is SUPER IMPORTANT! I see this day in and day out in the office and most people think nothing of it and certainly don’t consider the RISKS involved.
So here I go…….PAIN. Normal body reaction or not?
I hope that you’ve got the idea by now and realize that pain is in fact a normal body reaction. It is a warning signal from your body telling you what? That’s correct. It’s telling you that something has gone wrong and that you should properly address it.
Instead of properly addressing it what do most people do?
That’s right…they usually reach (without even giving it a thought) for the medicine cabinet to find some type of over-the-counter (OTC) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). A big fancy word for pain pill.
Now I know that you’re smart so what would/should (for all of you jokesters) you do in the following scenario:
You’re driving down the highway and the check engine light for your vehicle comes on.
What do you do:
- Safely pull over to the side of the road, put duct tape over the check engine light so that you can proclaim that you fixed the problem OR
- Safely and in a timely manner take your vehicle to a certified auto mechanic to properly identify the underlying cause of the problem so that it can be properly fixed
The answer is obvious, right? 2 is the right answer. We all know that putting tape over the warning light does not fix the problem.
Yet with your most valuable asset, your body, most people will opt for a scenario similar to answer 1.
Let me explain.
Pain is like the check engine light in your car and it signifies that something is wrong. When pain shows up what you should do is address the underlying cause of your pain. Try ice/heat, stretching, and rest to assist the healing process. And if those approaches don’t help then you should follow up with a certified practitioner (chiropractor :) ) to thoroughly evaluate the underlying cause of your problem and properly address. Chiropractic care will address the underlying cause of your pain by reducing the joint fixation, spasm, inflammation, swelling, or nerve interference so that your body will heal itself and function at its best.
Unfortunately when pain shows up most people take a pain pill to take care of their problem. Well guess what. It doesn’t address the problem. It only, hopefully, takes care of the pain while the problem is still there. Taking pain meds is like putting tape over your check engine light and thinking that you just fixed the problem. And what do you think will happen the longer you drive around/cover up the problem with medications? Things will likely get worse.
I think you get the gist of what I’m trying to share. It may not be the best example but I believe it gets my point across.
The Bigger Problem :: Side Effects
BUT there is a BIGGER problem with the scenario I described above and it has to do with side effects associated with taking OTC NSAIDS.
Some examples of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include: ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and celecoxib. They go by brand names such as Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, Aleve, and Naprosyn to name a few.
And yet again most people pop these pain pills not knowing the potential side effects and believing that they are safe.
If I have said it once then I have said it a million times OTC NSAIDS ARE NOT SAFE!
Warnings From the FDA
In fact July 2015 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a consumer safety announcement that strengthens their warning of heart attack and stroke risk associated with taking NSAIDS.
You can see the entire consumer safety announcement at the following link here. I encourage you, even if you only use this stuff on a rare occasion, to read the article and know what the potential side effect can be.
The Announcement
The following paragraph is taken directly from FDA announcement and sums things up nicely (BOLD ADDED BY ME FOR EMPHASIS):
“Non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke, either of which can lead to death. There are a large number of studies that support this finding, with varying estimates of how much the risk is increased, depending on the drugs and the doses studied. These serious side effects can occur as early as the first weeks of using an NSAID and the risk may increase the longer you are taking an NSAID.”
Folks if you care about your health please do not take this lightly.
There are a large number of studies that support the increased risk of heart attack and stroke associated with taking NSAIDS and they can occur quickly and increase the longer you are taking this stuff.
I have patients coming into the office that pop this stuff like its candy and have been doing so forever because it’s easier then eating right, exercising and maintaining regular chiropractic visits.
And believe it or not I’m OK with and respect their decision to take NSAIDS regularly and at high doses provided that they know the potential side effects of the NSAIDS and how serious they can be. It’s their health and their decision. But please be informed before taking this stuff!
Most people have no idea just how bad this stuff can be for their health and the potential for side effects. That’s not ok!
Please take a moment to thoroughly read this advisory and educate yourself.
Not only do NSAIDS not “fix” the underlying problem but by taking them you are increasing your odds of experiencing unwanted side effects and even possibly death.
Healthy Alternatives
There are alternatives to “fixing” the underlying problem and managing your pain naturally. I’ve discussed many of these before: Chiropractic care, anti-inflammatory diets, cold laser, ice, exercise, and natural anti-inflammatory supplements to name a few.
A “natural” approach addresses the underlying cause of the problem and at the same time helps you safely and effectively manage your pain in both the short and long term without having to be reliant on medications.
To reiterate, there is certainly a time and place for the use of medications and there are times where pain situations are beyond the help of chiropractic and natural approaches. I get that!
But do yourself a favor and try a chiropractic and natural approaches to managing your pain first. Sure it’s not as “easy” as popping a pill but I’ve got to tell you (OF COURSE I’M BIASED, IT’S WHAT I DO AND IT’S THE RESULTS I SEE DAY IN AND DAY OUT) it’s a lot safer and the outcomes last a lot longer and are a lot better.
Well that’s all for now! I hope you found value in the information that I shared and I hope that it will positively impact your health goals.
If you only do one thing please read this FDA SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT about NSAIDS so that you can make an informed decision.
As always I hope this information has served you and will take you one step closer to your desired health goals.
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Until we chat again remember: Eat Well, Move Often and Stay Healthy!