My Position on Health Care Reform 2009
Dr Barry Marks, Chiropractor, Orange, CA 92868

Thank you to The National Policy Center for Pubic Analysis for their research. This is my distillation of their well thought out and factual points.

Reasons why this doctor cannot support the U.S. House’s bill:

Higher insurance premiums

• KY, MA, WA all saw huge spikes in insurance premium costs after state run reforms were put in place in those states.

Free care is not free–Higher taxes will be needed to pay for system

• Federal income tax would be increased to pay for care
• State income taxes will rise because the Federal government will put pressure on Medicaid (state run health welfare) to cover more and more, but not pay for it, so states will have to raise their taxes.

Higher fees, higher taxes, more regulation and endless red tape means fewer jobs

• Employers will pare their employment roles to stay in business. The jobs lost would most likely be low to middle income workers, the ones Obama says he wants to help with his Social Justice programs.

Deficits would rise exponentially

• National debt is at an all time high and will grow even quicker as the economy stays sluggish due to higher taxation and higher unemployment forcing the US to borrow more and more from foreign interests

Medicare cuts will hurt seniors

• House and Senate plans would raid $500 Billion out of Medicare to pay for care of others. In essence they are taking money away from seniors to be spent on someone younger, or possibly an illegal alien or someone who chooses not to work

Medicare Advantage programs will be severely cut and many will go out of business

• Seniors who privately pay for secondary coverage will find higher premiums and less coverage due to less federal funding of these programs.

Lowered reimbursement to doctors in Medicare and in new Govt. system

• The House and Senate plans both contain provisions to reduce doctor pay by 20%. Medicare already pays doctors severely low rates that are 70% lower than usual insurance rates.

Doctor shortages will increase

• With falling incomes and increased operating costs, many doctors will have no choice but to stop practicing or move. This will decrease the pool of good, qualified doctors and leave only those willing to work for pennies on the dollar.

The IRS gets new powers to your private financial and health information

• The collection agency for the House/Obama plan is the IRS. The IRS will get to decide which plans are acceptable and which aren’t. They will also punish those without acceptable insurance and fine or jail them into compliance
• The IRS will have more power to get your employee and health records to support their mandate

Loss of Freedom

• Whether you are 18 and healthy or 75 and sick, you MUST be insured by either the Govt. plan or a plan the IRS deems acceptable. If not, you will be fined and/or imprisoned, just like tax cheats.
• It is unprecedented in our nation that the Federal govt. has reached for so much power in one big grab.

These are just some of the many reasons why I cannot support a drastic and far reaching take over of our health care system.

Health Care Reform Bill from US House of Representatives
Dr Barry L Marks, Chiropractor Orange CA 92868

It’s Heeeeeeere….

it’s big….

it’s scary….

it’s dripping with red…

it could take your life….

Just in time for Halloween…

Democrats unveil a Trillion Dollar (as scored by impartial congressional panel CBO), 1990 page behemoth health care reform bill that looks like a yellow page book for the entire world.

Republican response to bill:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/10/29/house_leader_calls_health_bill_1990_pages_of_bureaucracy.html

Curious about what is inside the bill?

Download and try to read the bill yourself here:

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf

Don’t feel bad if you get a little confused. As with all legislation it is carefully and artfully written in cross talk, legal-ease and jabberwocky only legislators aides and legal counsel can even begin to decipher. “Section blah, blah is heretofore in reference to article ii of subsection 4.13 but is not be restricted by section 2(c) of article yada yada, and so on.

Only time will tell what is actually in this massive makeover of the world’s most advanced and successful medical system. In my humble doctor’s opinion, if it comes from congress and was done in smoke-filled rooms in secret behind locked door meetings it probably isnt going to be good for consumers or doctors. Senators, Representatives and the White House will continue to have the most exclusive and expensive health care plans while the rest of us will be given doled out, actuarial based stop-gap medicine.

Swine Flu (H1N1) Vaccine Update for Orange County, CA
Dr Barry Marks, chiropractor Orange, CA 92868

The Health Care Agency for the County of Orange has posted the latest Orange County H1N1 vaccine information. As of October 19, 2009 there are 91 patients with H1N1 in Intensive Care Units in Orange County. Sadly, 1 of them is a patient of ours. As of that date there have been 22 Orange County fatalities suspected to be from H1N1. See that update after my commentary.

As a doctor, I want to remind my patients and others of a few common sense steps you can take to minimize your exposure and the spread of this flu.

Prevention:

• Wash hands often
• Carry antimicrobial sanitizer with you
• Gargle twice a day with Listerine or warm salt water
• Keep your hands away form your mouth, nose and eyes
• Cough into your elbow
• Stay away from people with cold or flu symptoms
• Get vaccinated if you fall into a risk category listed below
• Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and take 2,000 mg vitamin C/day
• Sit facing the sun for 30 min/day

The key is to keep your immune system strong to fight off the flu or at the least minimize it’s effect on you. The majority of people just feel like the regular flu, but for some reason, there is a small percentage of people who get it and it becomes very severe, very quickly. Most of these cases involve people with compromised immune systems.

If you end up with flu symptoms, take care of it as you normally would, but at the first signs of difficulty breathing, wheezing or any other respiratory distress, go to your family doctor or an urgent care for evaluation.

To keep from spreading the disease, if you get sick;

• Stay Home (don’t take it to work, school or other public places)
• Wash your hands often
• Dispose of tissues in a trashcan with a plastic bag liner and a lid
• Do not allow other family members to touch your tissues or trash bag
• Quarantine yourself from the rest of your family (sleep in another room and stay n that room away from everyone else as much as possible)
• Use antimicrobial wipes on common surfaces touched like telephones, computer keyboards, TV remotes, door knobs, etc)

I pray that you and your family will stay safe and healthy. Spread the word to others so that we may minimize the spread of H1N1.

Waremst regards,

Dr Barry Marks, DC

Here is the latest post from the Health Care Agency of Orange County:

Novel H1N1 Vaccine Update (10/16/09)

The Health Care Agency continues to work with the California Department of Public Health to distribute vaccine in response to the 2009 H1N1 Flu. This is in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which has arranged for the production of an estimated 195 million doses of vaccine before the end of the year. The first shipment of H1N1 vaccine has been shipped to providers in Orange County.

The initial allocation was approximately 29,000 doses of H1N1 FluMist (nasal) vaccine. Because of the short supply and the nature of the vaccine it has been directed to private providers that can reach two initial populations: healthy children 2-18 and healthy caregivers of infants under 6 months. If you, or a family member, are part of these two groups please inquire with your health care provider about obtaining a H1N1 vaccination now.

We anticipate additional vaccine to begin arriving in Orange County as soon as next week in both injectable and FluMist formulations. By mid November approximately 500,000 doses should be available through more than 1,000 Orange County private and public health care providers. Until sufficient supplies arrive to provide vaccinations to all who want it, the CDC recommends the vaccine be directed to the following groups:

• pregnant women
• people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
• healthcare and emergency medical services personnel,
• persons between the ages of 6 months through 24 years of age, and
• people from ages 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza complications because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems

The Health Care Agency is working with community providers to assure rapid access to vaccine by individuals in the priority groups. Providers may still register for free vaccine at CalPanFlu.org.

H1N1 vaccinations will be available through many avenues as supplies increase:

• Approximately 10% of the vaccine supply will be available through Kaiser Permanente to its members
• More than 1,000 private health care providers will receive vaccine, so check with your provider
• Many schools, colleges and universities will be offering onsite vaccinations for school children
• Many Community Clinics will have vaccinations available to the public

• Several hospitals, cities, community service centers, and the Health Care Agency will be offering public vaccination clinics.

Social Commentary, Health, Fitness and Misc Observations
by Dr Barry Marks, Chiropractor, Orange, CA

A Scan of Just A Few Headlines Make Me Think The World is Near the End…

School/State Police Forbid Walking or Cycling to School
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=847190
Our kids have weight issues. They don’t move around enough. So how can you tell kids they can’t walk or ride with their parents on public streets? Since when is it illegal in America to walk or ride in public?

State to Mom: Stop Babysitting Neighbor’s Kids or Else
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090930/ap_on_re_us/us_baby_sitter_backlash_mich
Mom told watching a few neighbor kids in AM at bus stop in front of her house is “unlicensed day care.” Mom’s not allowed to drop off kids before work and have friend watch them.

Dallas Women Sue Neighbor for Smoking in Her Own Home-Judge Allows Restraining Order Against Woman’s Smoking in Her Own Home
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/093009dnmetsmokingfeud.3ed620b.html
I’m no fan of smoking, but this is crazy. Mysterious smell of smoke not detected by anyone else. Two women now eligible for disability…

Head of “Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools” Counseled 15 yr old HS Student OK to Have Sex with Adult (As long as protected)
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/head-of-office-of-safe-and-drug-free-schools-expresses-regret-for-controversial-incident.html
Then young teacher, listens as gay teen student describes sex with an adult and counsels on condom use instead of reporting exploitation of a minor. Now he’s in charge of making schools safe?

Obviously, I am going out of my mind. These things cannot be happening in America. These and thousands more stories are reasons to watch and be invovled with your kids, keep your eyes on politicians and push back when they are stepping over the line. It doesn’t take a village. It takes parents and a public willing to do their job. Just my opinion.

Natural remedies and health to prevent disease
by Dr Barry Marks, Chiropractor, Orange, CA

Remember to Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Everyday!

Many diseases like cancer, arthritis, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and more can be prevented with simple natural lifestyle choices. It’s never too late to start.

How to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet?

• Find the ones you like. There are so many types that you simply don’t need to eat something you do not enjoy. Make sure to find varieties in all colors. Each color represents different nutrients. So keep your diet colorful.
• Next, once a week take about an hour and prepare your fruits and veggies for the week. Place them in baggies and munch on them throughout the day or take along with you when you leave the house. After a while you will begin to get used to eating more and more.
• For another health boost, mix some raw almonds, walnuts or pine nuts with your fruits for added protein and crunch.

Want to watch your kids’ eyes light up?

• Cut up a bunch of fruit into chunks, mix together and stir in some nuts.
• Have the kids scoop the fruit mix into a bowl
• Hand them a can of whipping cream!
• Tell them to go at it and watch the fun.
• And yes, it’s perfectly ok to spray some on their tongues and yours too!)

More health tips, tricks and secrets from Dr Barry Marks are available in his free monthly e-newsletter at http://www.drmarks.com/free_natural_health_newsletter.html

Blood clots, Stroke, Cardiovascular Health Update
Dr Barry Marks, Chiropractor, Orange, CA

My Friend Dawn sent this to me. I found it very informative and information everyone should be aware of. You may not be concerned about your own health because you are young or healthy or maybe you don’t have aging parents or grandparents around, but this is info that could save a life while at a park, the mall or in your neighborhood, so please read this. Teach it to your kids.

– Dr Marks

STROKE:Remember the 1st Three Letters….S.T.R.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured
everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .she said
she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she
appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest
of the evening

Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been
taken to the hospital – (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had
suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs
of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don’t die.
they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3
hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He
said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then
getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is
tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the ‘3′ steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke
victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to
recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three
simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today.)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS…

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency
number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

Another Sign of a Stroke ——– Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another ’sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ’stick’
out his/her tongue.. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or
the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

Now you know how to identify a potential stroke; think “STR” for stroke or “STaRT” to include the tongue sign:

Smile Talk Raise arms Tongue out

Won’t you please share this with a friend or two? This type of community education can save lives and who knows, the life it saves could be yours…

Health Care Reform- My humble opinion as someone who has worked in health care for over 23 years

Pres. Obama went on prime time tonight to take his case to the American people on health care reform. I waited to hear specifics about:

• What his plan is
• Who pays for it
• How it will be implemented
• What will the costs be
• Why do we need an overhaul instead of a tune-up

I did not hear any of these questions answered. I heard platitudes about all the people who are uninsured (disputable numbers), how bad our system is broken (oh really?) and how his plan (yet to be verbalized so anyone an understand it) would actually help our economy (the CBO actually says it will raise spending and deficits and is unsustainable without massive tax hikes).

Reform needs to to take place in the form of allowing people to buy their own insurance and take it with them from job to job. People being able to negotiate fees with their doctors without government interference. People being able to choose whether they are insured or not. People being able to actually access Medicaid if they need it without the hassles of red tape.

What I DID hear was how he believes doctors are greedy SOB’s who do tonsillectomies because it pays more than prescribing drugs. (I don’t believe in tonsillectomies from a philosophical stand point, that’s not the issue. The issue is he thinks doctors do things strictly for the money, not out of good conscience.) I also heard him and saw his face show signs of disgust when he mentioned record profits for insurance companies. Again, I’m no fan of insurance companies, but isn’t this supposed to be a capitalistic society? Shouldn’t for profit businesses make a profit. Doesn’t that profit go back into the economy in the form of more jobs, more equipment and building leases, etc? Lastly, I hear him say he wants thsi massive overhaul of 1/7 of our economy done by summer’s end. What’s the rush? If it’s that a big a deal, shouldn’t it be done carefully? Thoughtfully? My hunch is he knows that the more people learn about it and actually read the plan, the more they will reject it. Like other huge spending plans that were passed this year, he wants congress to seal the deal without actually reading the fine print. A petition was circulated asking all congress persons to sign a pledge to read the bill before voting and very few Democrats would agree to it. That’s very telling.

My suggestion: Let the ink dry, distribute the plan to every congress person, let them take the plan home over the summer to their constituents and allow them to read it and comment on it in town hall meetings. Then when congress reconvenes they can debate it with OUR input.

Here’s another take on health care reform.

http://luxeman.wordpress.com/2009/07/23/healthcare-reform-we-already-have-govt-health-care/

Neck pain information
Dr Barry L Marks, Chiropractor Orange County, Orange, CA

“Ouch my neck hurts when I get up!”

Here’s a recent email I received from someone suffering from neck pain…

“Here’s my specific experience with it: at times my head feels like it is too heavy for my neck. It is more of an ache , radiating from the base of my skull and is directly related to how I slept.”

My reply:

Your neck symptoms sound very much like an imbalance in your musculature due to chronic vertebral subluxation. I will be presumptive in assuming that if I were to take a side view x-ray of your neck I would find the normal curvature, which should be 30-40 degrees and shaped like a backwards “C” with the concave side towards your back, that yours would be reduced in curvature. This is caused by auto accidents, slips and falls, blow to the head, safe or piano falling from a tall building onto your head, etc. 9% of the population have reduced curvature from postural strain or genetics. Figure 2 at right is a neck that has become straightened, otherwise known as “hypolordosis.” The yellow line indicates a normal curve.
 
Symptoms of reduced neck curve are: periodic muscle spasm, muscle pain, neck stiffness, pain in the shoulder blades, and headaches. You may go months with no symptoms ands then something unsettles the condition like sleeping on the wrong pillow when traveling, increased computer or desk work, unaccustomed work or activity with the head held down or up for prolonged periods.
 
Treatment involves 2 stages:

1. Initial Relief Stage- period of therapy to reduce pain, spasm, stiffness. This stage usually takes 1-12 treatments of chiropractic spinal manipulation (adjustments) with physical therapy modalities (heat, electrical stimulation, ice, cold laser). Home care will include heat, specific neck stretches and ice daily. At the conclusion of this period you will feel better, but your neck curve is likely to be unchanged.
 
2. Rehabilitative Stage – a period of therapy to reshape or reconfigure the neck curve. This stage can take from 1-6 months and includes chiropractic adjustments and therapies designed to force the neck into the proper curve while performing exercises. Home care consists of neck stretches and exercises as well as gravity assisted traction to increase the neck curve. At some point the x-ray will be repeated and a new measurement made. The problem is considered resolved and/or corrected once the neck curve reaches the normal measurement.   
 
Dr. Marks’ Pillow Tips
While you sleep, your body moves from back to side, to stomach, to side to back all night long. This is a normal process to keep your body from becoming sore and stiff, which is what happens if you lie in one position too long.

The proper size and shape of pillow depends on which position you favor while sleeping. If you sleep mostly on your side (most people do since around 50% of your unconscious sleeping time is on your sides) then the pillow must be thick enough to cause your head and back to be in the same plane or a straight line when lying down. If your pillow is too thin, your head will tilt downward into your bed and cause necks tress. If your pillow is too tall, your head will tilt up and also cause strain.

Try this trick: lay on your side with your regular pillow. Note if your head is tilted down or up. If you feel like you must put your hand up under your pillow, it is definitely too low. To make pillow thicker, place a folded towel underneath your pillow and try the test again. Once the pillow is high enough your head will be aligned properly and you will feel no neck strain. Once you’ve found the proper height, place the towels into the pillow case so they don’t move at night. Then try to find a pillow that is the same height and density as your pillow/towel combination.

If you spend most of your time on your back, then you need very little pillow at all. You need enough pillow to take up the curve of your neck, but no much that it lifts your head up too much causing strain. 

How to properly lie on your stomach?
There isn’t a way so don’t do it. Seriously, stomach sleeping causes excessive neck strain and should be avoided.

For more information on neck pain ,back pain or other health issues, visit Dr Marks online at http://drbarrymarks.com

Natural Health Update: Anti-Oxidants
Dr Barry L Marks, Chiropractor, Orange, CA

Everywhere you turn you hear about new pills, potions and wonder supplements extracted from the far reaches of the globe to boost your health and allow you to look 25 years old at 80… Let’s be real.

There’s a tremendous amount of hype in the nutrition field, especially online. Here’s my un-hyped opinion regarding nutrition. I truly believe every man, woman and child should be taking:

1. Multivitamin/mineral
2. Probiotic
3. Omega-3

Those are the basic supplements everyone should take daily for best health.

On top of that, there are certain “superfoods” you should also try to make part of your daily intake that will compliment those supplements and hedge your bets against cancer, premature aging, heart disease and other degenerative conditions asscoiated with oxidation.

Powerful anti-oxidant foods you MUST eat regularly:

• Berries (blueberries, black berries, raspberries, etc)
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Wild caught salmon
• Olives and Olive oil
•  Tomatoes
• Spinach

An easy way to get these superfoods into your diet:

2 Fast Breakfasts:

1. Yogurt Parfait
   Yogurt + several blueberries (frozen is ok and very economical) + almonds and/or walnuts
2. Salmon Roll-up
   Smoked salmon + cream cheese + sliced tomato + few green olives sliced + drizzle with olive oil + sprinkle dill and roll

2 Quick Lunches:
 

1. Greek salad
   Diced tomatoe + Crumbled Feta Cheese + Green, Black and Kalamata Olives + Capers + Olive Oil + Balsalmic Vinegar + Sea Salt and Pepper
2. Mediterranean Pocket Sandwich
   Whole grain Pita + Sour cream w/dill and lemon spread + Spinach Leaves + Smoked Salmon (or sardines) + Sliced tomato

People are living longer and wanting to fight against cancer, arthritis, heart disease and other conditions. Making a few easy additions to your lifestyle and diet can help achieve those goals. Try these recipes to boost your health.

www.drmarks.com

Omega-3, Cholesterol, Natural Health
Dr Barry L Marks, Chiropractor Orange, CA

I previously mentioned a study linking natural benefical bacteria supplements (probiotics) to lower cholesterol levels. Now there is another recent study on how you can safely and naturally reduce cholesterol without the risk of drugs. 

 2008 Italian study reported in the prestigious British journal, Lancet, revealed that a daily fish oil supplement containing Omega-3 Fatty acids was superior to a leading cholesterol lowering drug “Crestor.”

The 4-year study encompassed 11,500 particpants in two paralell studies. Participants who took the fish oil supplement showed less risk of hospitalization and death than the Crestor participants.

Among the benefits of Omega-3 supplementation are lowered cholesterol, lowered risk of cardiovascular disease and complication, lowered inflammation and pain in arthritis, and increased mental clarity and focus.

So, if you have high cholesterol levels, and would like to try to lower it without the risk of prescription medications, give probiotics and fish oil a try. The two supplements are compatible and may combine to stabilize your cholesterol levels naturally while also providing other health benefits.

Try this fish oil supplement for Free!