Alternative Medicine…
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Last week, I woke up one day almost unable to walk because my back was so sore. I could barely stand straight up without incurring incredible pain. I’d love to say this was a first time for me - but hey, I’m 50, I played basketball for years, and while I’ve taken fairly good care of myself, I’m quite sure I’ve inherited the same hips and back my father has - which means issues, etc., blah, blah, blah for the rest of my life.
So I did what I usually do when my back is killing me: I called my friend, Dr. Ann the chiropractor, and went to see her. She had me lay face down on her bench and said, “yup, it’s a mess,” and she then proceeded to “adjust” it. This hurt, and I was still in serious pain when I left her office some 20 minutes later. But I could stand straight up, and I knew that once the muscles started to realize that my spine was properly in place, the spasms would stop, which they did. I went back to see her again a few days later, and she mucked around with it some more - and now I feel fine, more or less (I’m still 50).
I paid out of pocket for her services - which I always do - and I pay gladly, because she knows what she’s doing, and what she does works for me. I am one of the millions of Americans who believes in and spends their own money on alternative medicine. So much, in fact, that Americans spent more of their own money last year on alternative medicine than they spent on primary care.
Some alternative medicine - like chiropractic care - is covered by health insurance, and some is not. Harvard Pilgrim generally leaves that decision up to the purchaser/employer to decide. And I’m okay with that (we do offer discounts). I’ll visit Dr. Ann somewhere between 20 and 30 times a year; the cost of an appointment is not that expensive, and figuring out how to “price” alternative medicine as part of a traditional health insurance plan is not easy to do. Generally, plans presume a fixed number of visits, and price the coverage based on that, and go from there. I don’t know any other way to do it.
But with that said, I do believe that my inevitable hip replacement(s), presuming I follow in my father’s footsteps, will happen later, or hopefully not at all, because I spend some time every couple of weeks or so with Dr. Ann.
I know many “traditionalists” in health care think alternative medicine is not, well, medicine - although this has been changing over the past decade or so. But many consumers - folks like me - are already past that. We think it works, because it works for us. I don’t believe health plans should be mandated to offer it, because I don’t know how to manage and/or price and/or regulate it if it were, and it’s still a fairly discretionary service. But it’s a big part of the grand scheme of things for many consumers, and I’m willing to bet its influence on traditional health care will continue to expand over time.
Another suggested approach from your non-doctor colleague. Do crunches and other abdominal strengthening exercises every day of your life. They will help avoid back issues.
Check the ergonomics of your computer, too, now that you are on-line more often (doing this blog!) Being a tall guy, most likely you are tiliting your head forward when you are using you computer and putting bad stresses on your back.
Come visit our outpatient PT department, and I will set you up with the right person to help you avoid these problems. Not alternative medicine, but alternate medicine! And, our rates are lower than the competition.
And, have I got a deal for you when you finally need that new hip . . . .
And seriously, whatever you do, do not allow your chiropracter to manipulate your neck. http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2002/02/06/neck_chiropractic020206.html
Nice posting. However, I think the term “complementary” medicine is better than “alternative” since most options that fall under that umbrella are not choice that must be made at the exclusion of “traditional” medical interventions. For example, although you didn’t state it, I’m guessing that you might have also taken some anti-inflammatory or pain medicines? And on the subject of back pain, yoga, focused stretching and strengthening exercises (beyond just the “crunches” noted in another comment) can be very effective - but should of course be individualized - and have not only helped keep my back relatively pain free, but also helped my golf game.
oh please, you’re annoying me today - both of you. Charlie, you’ll pay for the chiropractor because it’s worth it. I would too, only I can’t afford it.
Paul, you kind of sound like you are wary of alternate medicine.
Been there, done that, got all the tee shirts. Knee, hip and back “things” are in the family.
Old as I am, I do crunches and walk every day and yes, I truly believe my back is better for it, and that when it does act up, I’m not down as long as I might be. I have also been to PT and do those exercises as well.
However, I would love to return to a chiropractor because that also worked wonders. I just simply can’t afford to.
I also feel I have to remind you Mr. health care man and Mr hospital man, that the way it works today - most of us have to be a lot worse off than just having a bad back day to get an appointment and referral any where near the time we are still in pain, and coverage for any kind of physical therapy is usually measured in numbers of visits.
So while everything you mentioned - chiropractic, physical therapy etc - are good for our backs. they are not always
available to everyone.
Hi Charlie, sorry to hear you are having back problems - I took a Svaroopa yoga class once a week for a couple of years and it really helped my problems. This type of yoga is focused on the lower back / hips / sacrum (sp?) area. It’s wonderfully relaxing as well - which would also be great for someone like you with so many irons in the fire.
Separately, I have much missed your Friday emails to the staff since I left, so I was glad I came across the link to your blog from Mr. Levy’s blog.
Regards,
Kimber B.
Yoga. I have heard that yoga helps - a lot. Hard to see me in the Lotus position, but I’ll take it under advisement. And Maxine, I appreciate the fact that every plan doesn’t cover every service, and that some services are covered more than others. This is a function, to some extent, of our employer based system, which puts the responsibility (some might say “burden”) of selecting the plan design on the employer or the government. Some people value some things more than others, and if we had an individual market for health insurance instead of a group market, that might improve the situation. It will be interesting to see what plan designs individuals who are purchasing health insurance through the new MA State Connector choose to sign up for.
Right for sure, Maxine.
But in Charlie’s case, he just really does need more exercise . . . .
I’m a believer that complementary medicine can significantly reduce the costs of health care, but here’s another part of the issue- There are some aspects of complementary medicine that your provider will never tell you about, so unless you are smart enough to research on your own you’ll end up back in the system.
7 years ago I was diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, where my neck bones are degenerating and pinching a nerve causing major pain or numbness in my left arm. After a few treatments of PT I was told “You’re all set”.
Thank goodness I knew better! I would have thought I was cured, but I knew I had exhausted my PT benefit for that condition so I sought out ways to prevent it from happening again. I asked my doctor for a home cervical traction unit. She sent me to a neurosurgeon who readily prescribed it.
And Paul, I’ve had many chiro’s offer to manipulate my neck, but I’ve always politely declined - but I didn’t know stroke was a risk so thanks for that info. I always had a suspicion that there was probably some risk and the traction was working just fine.
But if I had not been using it once every week or two for the last 7 years, along with upper back exercises, I always wonder if I would have ended up with surgery, because I know people who approached the same issue with painkillers and ended up in surgery and out on long term disability. I know every case is different, but I still wonder.
I also have inflammation in my hip (I’m not 50, but I’m not too far behind) that comes and goes and I know that whether it acts up or not can be directly linked to what I have eaten and how much I move around. DrWeil.com has been one of the better resources I’ve found for that kind of info.
I think that the approach to medical care of treating the symptom without addressing how to manage or prevent the issue when possible through complementary medicine, diet and exercise is sad. Isn’t there a saying “an ounce of prevention….”
I agree that yoga, pilates, and “yogilates”, are great ways to stay flexible and pain-free in combination with some aerobics (swimming is also a great complementary activity),but I think a lot of men need more encouragement to participate, and perhaps they need a version of yoga which is custom made for men. Whether it is in a health club or a local high school adult ed class, women almost always outnumber men. While you can easily do these activities at home with a DVD or tape, a class motivates people to get started. I think men have heard the “yoga is great” message; maybe men find it frustrating to start yoga with instructors who don’t emphasize the need to slowly build up to a certain level. It’s getting past those first few sessions which can really make a difference!
This topic brings Jack Lalanne to mind, and it is incredible to read about what he’s up to now (well into his nineties and working out every day). Although he didn’t call it “yoga” or “pilates” way back when, Jack’s ideas of fitness seems quite relevant today.
It would be great if more employers included fitness benefits in their health plans. A high rate of fitness participation among employees is bound to create a healthier workforce.
One great thing about the Svaroopa yoga is that you don’t have to be limber for it to be beneficial. And there are no “contortion” type of positions. After taking this type yoga for a while I took a class at my gym. Well that was very interesting… I found it difficult and completely uninteresting. I never took another one…
Dori, I agree with you that men, in general, haven’t jumped on the yoga bandwagon. But knowing Charlie, he wouldn’t be as self-conscious as some other men if he were the only one in the class. (Charlie, this is a compliment)
Charlie - FYI, there are many, many versions (or as I like to say “flavors”) of yoga. I have a friend with long-standing back problems who has even done some informal yoga mostly sitting in a beach chair. Like all exercises, the key is finding what is appropriate and helpful for the individual. We’re all not running marathons, standing on our head or certainly sitting in the lotus position wrapped in a wet sheet on the top of a mountain.
So I talked to my friend Dr. Anne about the neck/stroke thing. She had three pretty interesting comments…
1) If there was a significant risk of stroke associated with neck manipulation by chiropractors, their malpractice insurers wouldn’t let them do it (which they do).
2) Strokes can be caused by many medical interventions, including medications.
3) There might be a diagnostic issue that needs further investigation (i.e., was the person who sought chiro services someone presenting symptoms that would imply the beginnings of a stroke in the first place?).
Pretty good observations - off the top of her head - while she was working over my hip.
When going through each of the topics on the blog, I was excited to see the topic of alternative medicine was broached. However, one piece of that puzzle was not mentioned, Chinese medicine doctors.
After going through 5 years of Prednison and Methotrexate therapy, I had major problems with nauseau and lack of appetite. After several visits to MD specialists and invasive testing, the MDs were unable to locate a problem and were unable to provide me with any relief from my symptoms. Since I was only in my 30s, I was determined not to go the rest of my life with these issues. Fortunately, I knew a very practical, knowledgeable coworker who recommended a Chinese medicine doctor that she had seen for her dietary and arthritis problems. I also found out that this particular Chinese medicine doctor was also an MD who worked with a reputable hospital regularly. Once hearing that, I was convinced to go and see him.
Well, let me tell you, going to a Chinese medicine doctor is a whole lot different than a Western doctor. One of the major differences is the patient questionnaire that I had to fill out. I was asked questions about my physical health that I had never been asked by a Western doctor before.
When I went to this doctor’s office for the first time, I was impressed to see that the herbal medications were stored behind the receptionist desk and could not be bought without a prescription by the doctor. The doctor himself looked at my whole health and prescribed several herbs that I would need to take for 2-3 months. At the end of just one month, I was seeing notable changes. After 3 months, my symptoms were gone. My relief was great. The only negative was the cost of the herbs, because they were not covered by my insurance.
From having that experience, I definitely believe alternative/complementary medicine should be a regular part of patient treatment. Fortunately, for me, my Western MD was very encouraging of this treatment and has even referred some of his patients to the Chinese doctor after hearing my experience.
I believe what is lacking in our current healthcare system is complemented well by alternative medicine. However, finding a reputable alternative medicine doctor is very difficult and risky. If hospitals, the government and insurance companies started to certify these practioners and their treatments as strictly as our current Western medicine doctors, people could start to have a better chance at finding solutions for their care that minimize high cost surgeries and life long prescriptions.
I have spent the last three weeks dealing with my husbands neck pain. This is one of those ‘what did I do” injuries. He took the maximum dose of ibuprophen for a week. Then the pain became so great that he begrudgingly went to his PCP and was told that the pain is a neck muscle injury. He gave him naproxin and a muscle relaxor. After three more days of increasing pain, I took him to the urgent care clinic on Saturday. The on call physician told him to try to do exercises and changed his muscle relaxor to a “stronger” one. My father in law suggested a chiropractor and we obtained a referral to the one that practices at Harvard Vanguard. Yesterday, we saw the chiropractor. He examined my husband in ways that indicated that he new what he was doing. He was able to explain how he came up with his diagnosis and his justifications seemed plausible. His neck was adjusted and he gave us a neck brace to use. While my husband is still in some pain, he is much more mobile on much less ibuprophen. My opinion of the two PCP’s is that they didn’t think, ” Why is this person getting worse?” I wonder how bad the pain would have had to get before they would have done anything else? Oh and by the way, A MRI was mentioned with the caveat that we should wait because that is an expensive procedure. How much would an MRI have cost?
Charlie,
I love your post about alternative / complementary approaches to health issues. What a breath of fresh air!
Americans are spending hundreds of millions out-of-pocket per year on these types of treatments, because they get results.
Although not purported to be “scientific” we need to consider this fact: studies show that it takes at least 50 years for new scientific discoveries to be integrated into our standard ways of doing things. Physics has already demonstrated the power of “vibrational” or “energy” in healing, but it will take the established medical community a while to get around to it….What do we do in the meantime? I love the fact that you are raising these issues in your post. As you say, there are lots of challenges around managing / pricing & regulating, but the only way to begin solving these problems is to start talking about them. Thanks for your courage in speaking up! Oh, by the way, have you read John Robbins new book: Healthy at 100? If not, it’s worth the read.
Karen C is right. Acupuncture and Chinese herb medicine is amazing! Many states have a licensing board so you can check to make sure you go to someone licensed.
As for yoga, etc…If you’re a newbie, just make sure the yoga instructor is educated and seasoned. Some forms of yoga and some instructors don’t understand proper ranges of motion. My hands started going numb after doing Bikram yoga religiously (3xweek) due to over-extension of my neck. I don’t do Bikram anymore.
after reading through all the blogs- and having worked for both a chiropractor and massage therapist i am in definite favor of alternative medicine. But if this is considered a policy issue in our healthcare system what are some proposed solutions or suggestions?
It’s nice to see open discussion of alternative, complementary health care. I have long felt that a mojor problem is the A.M.A. Although I sure the organization does a lot of good things, they are also a polically powerful monopoly. And they display all the faults that such entities tend to exhibit: stifling competition, silencing dissention, jealously guarding their power and influence. And they tend to behave like petty, third-world dicatotors whenever anyone dares to suggest that they have too much power and influnce.
I would like to see the insurance companies do more to try to level the playing field, and bring more positive balance into this situation.