RochesterChiros Blog

I recently had a new patient encounter that went something like this…

Stressed and in pain patient (SAIPP): “Dr. Daly, I think spinal decompression would be very helpful for my pain but I cannot afford the $3,000 down payment. “

Me: “The WHAT?!?!”

SAIPP: “Well I went to another Chiropractor and they told me they would be happy to help me, but that I needed to sign a contract for treatment and pay up front”

Me:

The face is slightly exaggerated (my eyes aren’t blue), but It’s hard for me to come up with any other initial response.  And seriously, I’ve had A LOT of opportunities to work on it.

The story seems to repeat regularly.  People will hear about a new and exciting therapy for their pain, often including one of the following; chiropractic manipulation, spinal decompression therapy, low level/cold laser, soft tissue mobilization/treatment, traction, etc. The advertisements sound promising, and after they visit the advertising office they find out the treatment costs $3,000 and requires a three time a week treatment plan for 6 months.  They will assume that the $3,000 one-time payment is needed for the treatment, and will go ahead with the expense in hopes of relief.  Many of them are unfamiliar with chiropractic and assume that all chiropractors require the same investment.  Not knowing their options, the SAIPP (read above) will end up buying into an expensive plan that is not covered by their health insurance.  I’ve heard this frequently and I’ve tried to shrug it off, but it is getting ridiculous.

Patients of the world:  do not be swindled.  Spinal decompression, spinal manipulation, cold laser, soft tissue work, and just about everything else doesn’t require months of mandatory treatment and certainly DOES NOT require prepayment!  Our office, (along with many other ethical offices) offer the above treatments as needed or as part of a treatment plan at the standard office fee which is covered by most insurance plans (40-50$ per visit around here).  Why?  Because we do not need to guarantee your return! If we are careful with our diagnosis and utilize the appropriate treatment you should want to come back.  If you were unhappy and didn’t like chiropractic treatment; I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, and I will be happy to refer you to someone who might be able to. There’s no paying in advance for treatment here.

Unfortunately patients who have been duped by his business strategy often have a jaded view of chiropractors, and with good reason. They also have a significant bill that their insurance didn’t pay for, and if the treatment wasn’t helpful they could still be struggling with chronic pain.  After finding out they can receive the same treatment for much less, patients are usually a frustrated combination of happy and angry: “hangry”.  Most people aren’t too happy to pad someone else’s wallet with their own money.

            Prepayment is a great way to make a buck.  You advertise extensively, make sure patients are desperate and come to you in pain, and corner them into an expensive treatment plan.  It walks the borderline of ethics, but is an ingenious way to make money.  People who are scared and in pain are often willing to spend money for anything that will help!  I’m just not certain who this treatment is benefiting… it doesn’t seem too patient centered to me.

I love what I do. I offer a specialization in healthcare that is sorely needed.  People are often amazed to hear that their back, ankle, elbow, or neck pain can be treated easily without medication or surgery.  But I do not like how some of my colleagues operate. So stop.  Seriously, it makes us all look bad.  If you are in pain and think a chiropractor can help, do some shopping.  You should never be forced to pay absurd amounts of money or get involved with ludicrous treatment plans to find relief.  There are many of us out there who are looking out for our patients, not for our wallets. – Dr. D

There was a recent newspaper article that caught my attention.  For anyone who has missed out on the D&C article from Thursday, you can find it here.  Essentially, Rochester City School #2 has started an after school program which involves running around the hallways and exercising with their teachers. I think it’s awesome!

From a middle school student’s perspective (REALLY had to dust off the cobwebs on that one…), I cannot imagine anything more fun that to run around the halls and race against your math teacher. Exercise is without question a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, and should be included in every adult’s life. This program provides an excellent opportunity to fit in exercise and recreation where recess has fallen out.

But it’s important to cut back on recess right?  More time in the class equals more learning right?!

Academic theory certainly isn’t my expertise, but it turns out it’s pretty important to give students exercise time during the day. A huge study (greater than 10,000 students) demonstrated that giving students more than 15 minutes of recess actually improves classroom scores as classroom behavior[1].  I have enough friends in education to know that teachers love when students are behaved….  So while I love education, science is starting to point to the fact that a break from the classroom is actually better for learning!

Academics aside, obesity (not to mention “childhood obesity”) has gone from being common to prevalent.  One in 3 adults is overweight or obese and now so is one in five children.  Take a second to think about that…  I may be alone here, but I find those numbers disturbing.  Schools are frequently cutting health education and recess from curriculum, and for some indecipherable reason childhood obesity as well as diseases reserved for adulthood (diabetes and heart disease to name a few) are being seen in grade school children.  This is certainly a multi-factorial problem, but does anyone else see a connection here?

In my humble opinion, demonstrating the value of exercise and nutrition early on is vital to controlling some of the chronic health conditions which have plagued this country.  Obesity is responsible for a large percentage of the United States health care costs, and is considered a major factor in diabetes and heart disease. Clearly, we are not talking peanuts!

From the chiropractic perspective, sitting-particularly for 8 hours in school and later at work is a major cause in half of the complaints I see in the office.  Life is about movement. Exercise is one of the main actions someone can take to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and it doesn’t make sense to not push that mentality from an early age.  I love what they are doing at school #2, and hope more schools and districts follow suit!

Comments? Questions?  Happy to talk- Dr. D.

I have heard this way too often and it is always alarming.  Patients come in with a diagnosis they do not understand and are following a treatment plan that either doesn’t make sense to them, or that they do not want to follow.

 No Dr. Bear. I need treatment, not balloons.

This drives me nuts!  Is this lapse in appropriate information on the doctor’s side or on the patient’s side?  Where are these doctors failing to explain a patient’s diagnosis? Why are there patients content with understanding as little about their health as is possible?!  So the following rant is designed to be a public service announcement.

1^st, to the Patients: please, please, please, please, ASK questions. While some doctors may excel at mind reading, most of us do not. We spent so much time in school learning complicated terminology that at times we may forget to clarify in an easy to understand manner. The word “doctor” is actually derived from the Latin word for “to teach”.  After your doctor diagnoses your condition, the next step should be a conversation regarding what it is and what it means.  No one will look down on you because you are not well versed in human anatomy, physiology, and pathology.  The human body is absurdly complicated, and comprehension of how it works often takes years of schooling and practical experience (AKA Med School/Chiropractic School, etc).  So while just about everyone knows what “Kidney Stones” are, a lot of people would be confused if their doctor told them they have a Nephrolithiasis.  When in doubt- ASK. Having questions is expected, and most doctors will not be upset about a patient wanting to know more.

Next, as with any human relationship- if you don’t like your doctor or disagree with a recommendation you CAN get a 2^nd opinion or even change doctors! I hear several times a week “I’ve been going to see Dr._______ for 5 years, but I can’t stand the guy!”  Why on Earth would you spend your time and money seeing someone you don’t like and don’t trust!  Here in Rochester, there are numerous specialists in a wide variety of fields (I would assume it is same in any moderate or large sized city).  If you are willing to travel, you can often find a doctor who is a good fit for you and what you need.

Although… in some locations you may consider taking any medical advice you can get….

2^nd to the doctors: Remember, you are treating people. Many of these people are smart and willing to learn, but have zero training on how the human body works.  As a Chiropractor I see back pain ALL day every day, and while the vast majority is a simple fix I always try to remember that it is often scary and confusing for the patient who is in pain. I have to give kudos to the emergency room staff, oncologists, and other health professionals in fields that deal with more terminal conditions because giving bad news is the worst part of the job… But it is part of the job.  INFORMED consent is a vital part of the healthcare, and if the patient doesn’t understand their health it is impossible for them to properly consent.

In my book, comprehension from the patient is just about as important as a proper diagnosis and the proper treatment.  While we see the doctor to get evaluations of our health, the bottom line is that it is still YOUR health.  If you don’t understand something, ask.  Then ask again, because sometimes we forget.

End rant.

Questions? Comments?  Feel free to contact me- Dr. D.

I’ve heard this story a lot, especially lately.  I figure it’s a significant enough situation that something needs to be said about it. Let me know if this story rings a bell…

“Dr. Daly, I have a friend who cracks people’s backs for free. Isn’t that the same thing you do? If that works why should I see a Chiropractor?

Sound familiar? If not a question you’ve said aloud, I’m certain you’ve either thought it or had someone ask it in regards to Chiropractors.  In retrospect my biggest mistake was not getting anything signed to get that nickel for every time I have heard it… I need better legal representation…

Good question though right? It doesn’t matter who gets your bone to crack as long as it cracks! What’s the difference?!

Well, some might claim it doesn’t matter.  I however have to play the devil’s advocate and say it matters very much.  As I often do, I will elaborate.

So let’s wrestle this, what’s the big deal with people “cracking” one another’s backs.  I can vividly remember people in middle school, high school, and later college who would boast this ability. They would offer to crack your back, and would do so without any pre-requisite qualifications other than success after a few drinks.  So let’s start this simply; the spine is complicated.

There are numerous moving parts, hundreds of muscles, and let’s not forget the spinal cord with its 62 separate spinal nerves.  Chiropractors have spent over 100 years studying just the spine and how it operates. Chiropractors- Both through history and today have spent their years developing techniques to manipulate the spine (cracking).   We know how to manipulate joints with the appropriate amount of force and in the right direction to both create change and avoid side effects.

Without training and education, there are many possible side effects to trying to manipulate the spine. A short list includes broken ribs, sprains/strains, and without a proper examination any number of more serious side effects- incontinence, paralysis, perhaps even strokes! Non-specific and often aggressive attempts to manipulate the spine may get the crack, but are hardly without risk.  Again, not to toot our own horns, but Chiropractors are doctors who specialize in the treatment of the spine. We know how to examine it for conditions and disease, we know how and when to treat, and most importantly we know when NOT to adjust.

All side effects and nuance aside, the most important issue I have with the good ol’ back crack, is that it is practicing without a license.  “So what? It’s not hurting anyone?” Wrong, first of all it is a criminal offense and a felony in most jurisdictions. Second, going blindly into anything that you have no understanding/experience with is always a bad move. Having the tools for the job isn’t the same as knowing how to do the job.  Adjusting the spine may seem easy- odds are you have a spine, and most people have a hand or two, so it seems pretty straightforward. But If I received a bullet wound (yikes, what was I doing?!), I would prefer to be treated by a trained trauma surgeon over someone on the street with a knife and a set of needle-nose pliers!

So let’s discuss the real world example of what can happen when we do this. So we’ll pretend you offer to crack your friend’s back. He’s been having a rough week and you don’t think he should have to pay for what you can do right at home. You tell him to lie down and you proceed to walk on his back to get it to crack.  Now, Let’s also pretend you don’t exactly have a thorough understanding of the spine and your foot slips and you break a rib. Your friend gets mad about the broken rib (which are generally pretty uncomfortable) and does a not-so-friendly thing and sues you.  You have no license, so right from the start you have have zero defense for what you were doing. Next you have no malpractice/ liability insurance, so whatever he sues you for you will be paying for out of pocket. Suddenly the harmless crack you did ends up being a $200,000 oopsie with a chance for jail time.

            This whole post might sound like a ruthless exaggeration, but I would caution you to talk to a Chiropractor first. We spend a significant amount of time in school learning the ins and outs of working with the spine. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly. Nothing is worse than the “adjustments” performed from first year Chiropractors (not picking on anyone, I was there once).  Limited skill and limited knowledge in anything is going to be trouble, but with regards to healthcare and Chiropractic specifically is often painful. We pay for malpractice because even the best Chiropractor, on his best day, isn’t without the possibility for risk.

I swear I’m not just writing this from a soap box to try to sound better or more capable than anyone else. The point of writing this is to bring home an important point- it’s dangerous to practice without a license.  If you think someone need’s a back adjustment either take them to someone licensed to treat the spine, or tell them to wait a few years for you to get the appropriate education and license to do so.  Questions? Comments? I’d be happy to talk- Dr. D.

No! Not my ears!

“Ear infection? Try treating it with droplets of breast milk placed directly into your child’s ear!”

…  and there you have it….After much deliberation on what witty and clever method I would use to start this post, I realized there was no other way than to just throw it at you.

Dr. Kinsler and Myself came upon that “fascinating” new treatment a few weeks back and it hit us about that hard.  Those of you with an inquisitive rational mind are probably thinking- “uh what? Where on earth did you hear that, and who would say that?”  Trust me when I tell you, those were the exact questions that I had.  I subsequently went on a research journey to figure out where putting breast milk in your child’s ear came from, and if there was any validity to it.

First, as most informed health providers often do, I perused the scientific literature on the topic.  Peer reviewed studies provide the ground work for evidenced based care, and allow us to figure out whether or not a given treatment is useful.  Sadly, this first step proved to be a roadblock.  There is nothing. Again, nothing.  Without evidence this claim exists solely through anecdotes. And anecdotes are just that- individual stories lacking real evidence.  In healthcare stories should not be confused with legitimate and valid science.

So the first and arguably most important aspect of my journey had hit a wall. There was no scientific evidence, but what about the science behind this claim? Surely there is a valid reason it exists! Well… I’m not sure about the “Science” to this one…This mystical home remedy seems to persist through various message boards and online discussions, so I will address some of the claims seen most often.

1^st, Breast milk is full of antibodies and can assist in fighting the infection.

That is true breast milk IS full of antibodies, at least for about a week.  Colostrum is the earliest form of breast milk, which sticks around for the first 2-3 days after birth and is loaded with antibodies.  Transitional milk is the next in line and lasts for about a week,  but by day 10 breast milk composition is mostly water and fat (with some extra micronutrients and vitamins)[1].  So if you were to tell me your 3 day old baby acquired an ear infection and that you dropped your Colostrum directly into the ear canal for the purpose of bringing in antibodies: I would tell you that you are at least making an educated attempt. But if you are using fresh breast milk for your 6 month to 2 year old infant (most common age group to get ear infections), you sure aren’t doing it because of antibodies.

2^nd, Breast milk is naturally antibacterial so drops into the ear will treat the infection.

 If we look at the ear itself, most ear infections (Otitis Media) occur in the middle ear. The middle ear is the area behind the ear drum (tympanic membrane) which transmits sound to the inner ear. The tympanic membrane is impenetrable to fluid, which is why many complicated ear infections require surgical tubes in order to drain the ear of fluid.

Now if we know that the eardrum is impenetrable to fluid, one would have to wonder how or why someone would use ear drops to treat a middle ear infection.  Assuming that the ear infection is indeed bacterial (most aren’t) and that a few drops of breast milk would be enough to have an effect on a bacterial infection (it’s not), there is no way that the breast milk would be able to penetrate the ear drum.

I promise I am not trying to pick on breast milk.  As far as NUTRITION for infants goes, there is nothing better! (you will notice “Nutrition” is capitalized)  And there is in fact an association between breast milk and ear infections… Children who are FED breast milk demonstrate a significant resistance to acquiring ear infections as infants![2] (again, notice “fed” is capitalized).  The added benefits of breast milk could stretch for miles, but they surround feeding with it not dropping it haphazardly. My point is simply that just because something is very effective in your mouth does not mean that it will be effective wherever else you put it!

In order for a treatment to be useful, it should either have physiological logic behind it or evidence to back it up or even better have both- this one has neither.  So would I recommend a new mother put her breast milk into her sick child’s ear? The answer is a resounding no.  Now incase anyone is dealing with a Child who suffers from regular ear infections, here are a few links describing the current treatment guidelines for Otitis Media that you can discuss with your pediatrician.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/ear-infections-to-treat-or-not-to-treat/

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/113/5/1451.full#sec-11

Lastly, I want to reiterate; at this point there is no research to back up this claim but if someone should decide to research the topic, we will be sure to keep you all abreast of the situation. -Dr.D

Another new year is upon us, 2013 is right around the corner. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Festivus behind us; many are now considering how to undo some of the holiday damage and get a healthier start on the New Year.

Time for a Resolution Santa

With that in mind, what Resolutions are you planning on making? How many things are you planning on changing? Are they resolutions ones that you can keep?

I would be lying if I told you I hadn’t failed a few resolutions. They are hard to keep! Who hasn’t set up an awesome diet plan for the New Year and then packed it up for old habits as of January 8^th! So in an effort to assist readers out there who may not know what to do, where to start, or what even works; I’m giving everyone a few good places to start! Some of this stuff will sound crazy, and that’s okay; because health is crazy!

1. Eat more vegetables

I am not the go- to Doctor if you want to learn about a Vegetarian diet (although I happen to know someone who is…) but there is a simple principle when it comes to losing weight: Eat vegetables. It’s a simple idea, but no one ever gets fat by eating vegetables.  There isn’t enough Blogging space on the internet to list the health benefits of eating more vegetables, so I won’t try. Simply put: eat more of them. When you think you’ve eaten enough, eat more. You can’t lose! A good way to start is the ol’ “2/3^rd’s of a plate principle. Whatever meal you eat, make sure 2/3rds of the plate are veggies.

As you can tell, Dr. Daly’s Original Calling was art!

2. Skip breakfast.

Wait what? Doc’ you lost your mind right? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Well, maybe not… A lot of the recent science is showing that skipping breakfast can help to lose body fat. I’ll explain. When you eat a big ol’ starchy meal (bagel, doughnut, pancake, etc) the body cannot utilize all that sugar at once, so it gets stored (Fat is the storage unit). Obviously this was very necessary when humans didn’t have instant access to drive-thrus and take-out, but now is a big player in the “Obesity epidemic.”  So a good goal to lose weight is to get your body to use it’s fat reserves. Your body dips into the fat reserves over night and into the morning when not eating. What that means is skipping the morning bagel actually helps your body use up extra body fat!

3. Work with friends

Social pressure can be a strong motivator. If you have friends with similar goals, do it together. Diet and exercise can be a large undertaking on your own. Friends not interested in exercise and you are? Check out some ways of exercise that work as a community. Martial arts, sports, and Cross fit all work by getting everyone involved, and can be a great place to start!

4. Pace yourself

Whether dieting, starting a new exercise plan, or some exciting combination of the two, take it at a good speed. Keep your resolution attainable. When you set goals which are do-able in 12 months, you will set the stage for life-long changes. (Example: If you’ve never exercised before and you are starting for new years, you may want to start with 3-4 days a week of exercise instead of trying to win the Iron Man.  BUT this also means if you are trying to eat healthier you don’t cover your vegetables with gravy and cheese. The Middle ground is key!)

Now this post isn’t the comprehensive guide for diet, exercise, or New Year’s resolutions. Just meant to stir up some brain juice and get you thinking. Questions about any of these ideas or even some ideas of your own, I’d be happy to talk to you about it.  Have a safe and excellent New Year’s, and I look forward to hearing your resolutions, then in December 2013 I want to hear the success stories!

– Dr. D

       +     =  ?

“What is this calculus?! Why would anyone mix muscles and tennis balls?”

Well… Turns out there’s good reason to, and it might be the ticket to keep you functioning pain free!

So how does this work? Using a tennis ball directly over muscles mimics a treatment that we call “soft tissue mobilization/manipulation.” This process creates a compressive force on the muscle, which provides several therapeutic effects. First, compression on a muscle creates a micro-stretch that without focused soft tissue treatment is not possible. We all know stretching is something you’re supposed to do, but unfortunately traditional stretching methods aren’t always as effective.  Second, direct pressure to the muscle is extremely useful for the treatment of adhesions and trigger points; these are often referred to as “knots.” Whatever you call them, these little messes in the muscle are the side effect of overuse, underuse, and damage.  Third, as an added bonus tennis balls are small, cheap, and easy to travel with!

Those benefits sound pretty nice, and they are.  Soft tissue work is a vital component of injury prevention as well as rehabilitation.  Those who are familiar with our office (as well as many other Chiropractic offices) may have heard terms like Graston, A.R.T, myofascial release, NIMMO, etc etc. These are just a small sample of the many different named techniques that focus on the treatment of soft tissue.  You might be thinking “that’s a lot of focused treatments for soft tissue,” and it SHOULD be- soft tissue is very important!  A small sample of some of the conditions this can be useful for includes (but is not limited to): Rotator Cuff syndrome, piriformis syndrome/sciatica, low back pain (a variety of causes), numerous muscle strains, plantar fasciitis, and the list could go on for hours…

“But if I am seeing you in the office, why do I need to use a tennis ball?”

Good Question. Simply put, while we love what we do, we cannot fix everything and keep it healthy in a 15 minute appointment. The point of the tennis ball is to provide interim care in between appointments to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. At a certain point the areas that are problematic will likely require evaluation and more specific treatment. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a way to keep yourself running smoothly (both literally and figuratively) in between office visits.

Now as I wrap this post up, you will realize one thing that is not included are directions for use. It’s not a mistake I promise!  The specific technique for at home use varies significantly between different conditions. So while I appreciate those who want to “grab the bull by the horns” with their care, I do not want people to attempt this blind. I would recommend being evaluated by a professional and getting specific directions to swim before jumping into the pool. Questions are always welcome. Come by, we’ll talk.

-Dr. D

Those of us in healthcare often can’t help but follow distressing trends. One of these trends indicates that as the nutritional science recommendations for fruits and vegetables increases, Americans inexplicably seem to consume less of these important foods.  It’s like we are a bunch of rebellious teens trying to do the opposite of what our parents tell us. But how bad is it? According to the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (big brother, anyone?), of adults surveyed only 32.5% ate 2 or more fruits a day in 2009 and only 26.3 % ate 3 or more vegetables a day.  Despite millions of dollars spent in marketing, fruit consumption in the US fell by almost 2% from 2000 to 2009 while vegetable consumption remained unchanged.  It should be noted that Idaho was the only state that showed a slight increase in both fruit and vegetable consumption while 10 states (who shall remain nameless) showed a decrease.  So chances are unless you live in Idaho, you are eating no better than you did in 2000 — which was probably not so good to begin with.

Sure, it can be hard to eat all those fruits and vegetables. Every day.  But there is some good news:  Last year, the relative healthiness of apples was studied in the form of phenolic profiles and antioxidant properties of apple skin extracts. Plant phenols include such beneficial compounds as cinnamic acids, benzoic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, stilbenes, coumarins, lignans and lignins. These are strong antioxidants and might prevent oxidative damage to DNA, lipids and proteins and therefore reduce the likelihood of developing things like cancer and cardiovascular disease.  So if you eat the right apples, you don’t have to eat as many to get the antioxidant benefits.  In the United States, apples alone account for 22% of our phenolic intake, we would do well to be choosy about those apples.

Which apple should we be eating?  Crabapples ranked highest with approximately 2.5 times the benefit as the lowest ranking apples, the golden nugget and the macintosh.  Also very near the bottom were the gala and the empire.  Firmly in the midrange were the granny smith, honeycrisp, and red delicious.  The top ranking palatable apple was the ……Idared.  Idareds showed twice the benefit as the ‘losers’.  A recent trip to a popular local grocery store revealed not one single solitary Idared in sight.  However, there were plenty of conveniently pre-bagged ‘mini-macs’.  Resist the temptation. Bag yourself a few honeycrisps or granny smiths and you will get nearly fifty percent more benefit for the same amount of apple.  If you are lucky enough to find an Idared, even better. Remember, the study measured the relative amounts in apple skin so making applesauce or juice doesn’t count!  How do ya like them apples?

Dr. Michalene Elliott & Dr. Brett Kinsler are apple-loving Rochester NY chiropractors.

Ellie Phillips, DDS spoke frankly with me about the dental profession and how it can and must adapt from a drill and fill to a systemic and truly preventative model.  She is the author of the book Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye and a most interesting person to listen to.  I assure you, you have never heard a dentist like Dr. Ellie.

Find this episode in the podcast section of iTunes by searching for “On The Other Hand” or go to our podcast site here.

As chiropractors, we often get asked about diet and lifestyle in addition to the usual neck and back pain complaints.  In the current word-of-mouse era we live in, patients have access to an unprecedented amount of information only a click away.  Most have done their own research before they bring the subject up in our office.  Sometimes this is helpful.  Other times, it has only served to confuse them.  Some patients choose to follow each and every bit of nutritional news which only serves to drive them crazy.  Today, eggs are bad but coffee is good for you.   Yesterday it sounded like coffee was the Devil’s drink but eggs were the perfect nutritional powerhouse.

So what are they looking for from us?  Google “diabetes”  or “heart disease” and you will get well over ten million hits.  Most likely, after the cereal, shake and snack bar Googlemercials, the next few links will be to popular sources like WebMD.  These have their place but they are supported largely by pharmaceutical ad revenue.  Even if patients found their way to Medline (a source for medical journals) the average person is not used to reading technical and often seemingly contradictory research studies.

What patients are looking for is a way to look out at the endless sea of information and fish out from it the most relevant facts to their own situation.  This should be the role of their health care provider — to assist in this process.  Yet, in many cases, the information from the health care provider does not help in a positive way.

 The cycle goes something like this:

• patient gets diagnosis (or is told to “lose a few”)
• patient finds the latest “diet” and follows it
• patient loses a couple pounds then hits a plateau
• patient gets frustrated and goes back to old habits
• this becomes another “diet” that they tried that didn’t work. 

Any diet can work, especially in the short term.  The problem is most are unhealthy and are being used as a temporary fix.  Even diets like the South Beach Diet, which is very effective at weight loss in the beginning, is not an effective long term plan for health when taking into account factors like cancer and heart disease due to too much reliance upon animal protein and complicated “what you can eat when” charts.

Nutritional science can be very technical and complex.  Even if you make it a full time endeavor, keeping up on all the latest research is nearly impossible.  What is a person to do?  First, forget about the current politics of food.  Using only common sense, imagine what a healthy, nutritional meal might look like.  Chances are you imagined a plateful of vegetables.  Maybe there was some meat or fish on the side but the bulk of the plate was filled with plant foods.  Well, let’s start there.  Make your meals (and snacks) look like that imagined ideal meal.  Dramatically reduce (or eliminate if you can) the size of the animal protein (meat, fish, dairy) you have on the plate.  Push it off to the side and fill the rest of the space with several different plant foods.  Add a heap of brown rice or a plain baked or sweet potato.  Then add sauteed spinach, roast carrots, steamed broccoli and/or peas.  See what you did there?  Without even going to night school to get your Masters in Clinical Nutrition, you just put together a perfectly healthy meal.  Just make sure the vast majority of stuff on your plate is unprocessed and plant based.  Still hungry?  Try some whole grain bread with your meal and some fruit for dessert.  Getting started really is that simple.

Dr. Michalene Elliott is a chiropractor in Rochester, NY who has gotten started.