TC Online -- Volume 1, Issue 68 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTENTS ‚ Wednesday, July 13, 2001 ** INTRODUCTION ** SITE OF THE WEEK ** HOT NEWS - The latest health-care news ** UPDATE - Chiropractic news ** RESEARCH - Research and other interesting findings ** THE OTHER SIDE - Medical sites and other sources _______________________________________ INTRODUCTION Welcome to the 68th issue of TC Online, a weekly E-newsletter for those interested in chiropractic and alternative health care news. As always, please distribute this to friends, discussion lists and other groups as long as the entire issue is included. Best Regards, Pattie Stechschulte Associate Editor/Webmaster _______________________________________ SITE OF THE WEEK EXPLORE MAGAZINE This magazine is devoted to putting in front of the discriminating public, quality reliable information from the cutting edge of alternative and holistic medicine, nutritional therapies, energy medicine, homeopathy and physics. It is published for the health care profession, scientists and other serious researchers who are interested in these areas. This site gives a glimpse into the magazine's contents on an ongoing basis. ______________________________________ HOT NEWS LAW LIMITS RITALIN RECOMMENDATIONS The state of Connecticut has weighed in on the side of parents with a first-in-the-nation law that reflects a growing backlash against what some see as overuse of Ritalin and other behavioral drugs. The law, approved unanimously by the Legislature and signed by Gov. John G. Rowland, prohibits teachers, counselors and other school officials from recommending psychiatric drugs for any child. GOVERNMENT SUGGESTS WAYS TO REDUCE HOSPITAL ERRORS Dispensing medicines by computer, hiring more nurses and making sure patients better understand their treatments are ways that hospitals can reduce medical errors, the government said Tuesday. The trouble is, few hospitals follow even the most effective ways to cut out mistakes, federal health researchers said. "The nation's health care leaders need to know what the science says about where the opportunities exist to make patient care safer right now," said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. U.S. SCIENTIST: FAT CAN BE HEALTHY A leading scientist has sparked controversy by saying fat people who exercise are at no greater risk from disease than their thinner, lazier counterparts. In a meeting with the Association for the Study of Obesity in London, American scientist Steven Blair said, "There is a misdirected obsession with weight and weight loss, the focus is all wrong. It's fitness that is the key." MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR DR. MICHAEL KALE Dr. Michael Kale passed away on Monday, July 2, 2001 in Landrum, South Carolina. Dr. Kale was a Chiropractor, Inventor, Publisher, Philosopher, Lecturer, Writer, Scientist, Researcher and The World's Leading Authority on Upper Cervical Specific Knee-Chest Technique. _______________________________________ UPDATE DR. MICHAEL HULSEBUS TESTIFIES ON MEDICARE HARRASSMENT OF CHIROPRACTORS BEFORE U.S. HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE ICA¼s Central Regional Director Dr. Michael Hulsebus testified on abuses in the administration of the Medicare system by the Health Care Financing Administration before the Small Business Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on July 11, 2001, in Washington, D.C. In a dramatic hearing that showcased that federal agency¼s abuse of chiropractor and patient alike in the Medicare program, Dr. Hulsebus presented extensive testimony on the arbitrary post- payment review procedures that have been inflicted on so many chiropractic practitioners for no other reason than HCFA¼s desire to reduce chiropractic „utilization.¾ 10 DCS, 7 PATIENTS SUE BLUE CROSS AND CHIRO CHOICE IN NORTH DAKOTA Plaintiffs Allege Monopolistic Control and Denial of Legitimate Claims - North Dakota Chiropractic Association Supports Existing Claims Review Process. Ten doctors of chiropractic and seven chiropractic patients filed suit June 20, 2001 in the U.S. District Court in Bismarck, North Dakota, against Blue Cross/Blue Shield and its independent review consultant, Chiro Choice, a preferred provider organization owned by three chiropractors. LIFE¼S DR. SID SPEAKS TO EAST AFRICA CONFERENCE The Western World and the US in particular have a great responsibility to help bridge the educational gap separating developing nations from the developed world, Dr. Sid E. Williams told delegates to the East Africa Trade Conference. The event was held at the Carter Center in Atlanta. DON'T LET YOUR BACK GET OUT OF WHACK WHEN ATTACKING WEEDS AND LEAVES The state-of-the-art equipment available today for lawn and leaf management can help turn the average homeowner into a lawn specialist overnight. But the use of weed trimmers, leaf blowers and hedge clippers has also been sending many aspiring landscapers to the office of their local doctor of chiropractic. The American Chiropractic Association warns that using this equipment can result in back and neck pain, as well as more serious muscular strains and tears if not used properly. _______________________________________ RESEARCH ALTERNATIVE THERAPY EXPECTATIONS AFFECT RESULTS Patients who expect acupuncture or massage to work wonders for their back pain seem to improve more than patients who have lower expectations, according to a report. Dr. Donna Kalauokalani, of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her colleagues performed a 10-week study of 135 patients who complained about chronic low back pain. At the start of the study, patients were asked to rate how helpful they expected either acupuncture or massage therapy to be on a scale of 0 to 10. Afterwards, they were randomly assigned to receive one of the treatments for up to 10 sessions. WEDDED LIFE BOOSTS HUSBANDS¼ HEALTH A study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, found that blood pressure tends to decrease when you are with your spouse ã it¼s lower than it is while talking to friends, other family members or just being alone, in fact. The second, an analysis by the National Center for Health Statistics, found that young brides are more likely to divorce than older ones. Overall, 43 percent of all first marriages dissolve within 15 years; one in five lasts less than five years. So it¼s fair to assume that all those bereft and bewildered divorcees, deprived of the calming influence of a spouse, will, on average, see a little spike in their blood pressure. HOW TO CREATE A DUST-FREE BEDROOM Dust-sensitive individuals, especially those with allergies and asthma, can reduce some of their misery by creating a "dust-free" bedroom. Dust may contain molds, fibers, and dander from dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as tiny dust mites. These mites, which live in bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpets, thrive in the summer and die in the winter. The particles seen floating in a shaft of sunlight include dead mites and their waste products; the waste products actually provoke the allergic reaction. ______________________________________ THE OTHER SIDE SHARP RISE IN MULTIPLE PRESCRIPTIONS Americans who visited a doctor¼s office in 1999 were far more likely to receive more than one drug than U.S. patients were in 1985, a new government survey of physicians shows. The increasing reliance on prescription medicines spanned all ages of patients and almost all classes of drugs, with the notable exception of antibiotics. HOSPITAL COMPETENCE: WHICH ONES RANK BEST Since 1990, U.S. News has identified the best hospitals to go to for specialized healthcare in such areas as cancer, geriatrics, heart, and kidney treatment. This year, they have looked at 6,116 hospitals and narrowed it down to 168 hospitals which offer healthcare in 17 different services. The Early Show will be looking at the best hospitals which offer treatment of cancer and heart disease as well as which hospitals offer the best specialized care overall. HOPKINS OFFICIALS TAKE BLAME FOR DEATH Officials at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution said Monday they aren't certain what caused the death of 24-year-old Ellen Roche, but they believe it was related to the drug she inhaled as a healthy volunteer in an asthma study. Dr. Edward Miller, CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, told reporters, "We accept full institutional responsibility for her death." On May 4, Roche inhaled approximately one gram of hexamethonium, a drug which constricts airways. She developed a dry cough May 5, flu-like symptoms May 7, and shortness of breath and a fever of 101-degrees May 9. She died June 2 from multi-organ failure brought on by lung damage.