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Michelangelo's David was sculpted out of an "undesirable" block of marble rejected by all of his contemporaries. The artist said that when he looked at a blank slab of stone, Read more

Children, ADHD, and Sensory Disorders


It is any parent’s greatest wish to see their children happy and healthy. There is nothing more joyful than seeing a carefree, innocent smile light up your child’s face. Read more

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$30,000 a year

August 31, 2011 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Healing, Medicine, Research, Wellness Leave a comment  

That is how much a family of four, on average, pays for medical care each year. Not completely out of pocket, however. These costs also come from insurance premiums and tax-funded government entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. With our high-tech diagnostics and expensive medical procedures, it is not surprising that the United States leads the world in spending money on diagnosing and treating disease. What is surprising is our pitiful return on investment! We rank 37th in global health status, behind Canada and most of Europe.

Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, states the not-so-obvious in his book Why Our Health Matters. “If any other major industry had functioned as badly as the American disease management industry has, people would have stopped spending their money on it.” He also notes that the numbers show we have misplaced our faith in medicine to cure chronic illness. Seventy-five percent of chronic illness is due to lifestyle factors that are under individual control.

Our current habits shape our future health. Consider that between 1900 and 2000, the average American’s lifespan increased by over 30 years. That’s great! Most of the gains came from improved public health measures: cleaner food, water, and air, and safer workplaces. Medical interventions were found to only add 5 years to the average lifespan.  Being proactive about our health gave us 25 extra years to enjoy a productive life. Compared to hanging your hat on medical intervention, prevention delivers five times the return on your investment!

Choose prevention. Choose wellness. For life.

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.


Does the government decide for you?

August 3, 2011 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Chiropractic, Wellness Leave a comment  
  • What do you think of these goals for health care?
  • Prevent disease
  • Promote health
  • Prolong and enhance quality of life
  • Maintain or prevent deterioration of a chronic condition

Sounds fantastic, right? Isn’t that why you started making healthy changes in the first place?

The thing is, Medicare explicitly denies coverage of chiropractic care for these important goals. Health insurance companies have followed the government’s lead and restricted coverage to acute musculoskeletal conditions. Once you’re “feeling good,” with less back and neck pain, your coverage ends. The truth is, health insurance is only good for several visits of relief care, not for the release care that people are most excited about! Release care often results in:

  • Longer attention span (kids and adults!)
  • More powerful mental focus
  • Increased physical endurance
  • Sleeping more soundly
  • Fewer colds and infections
  • Easier, more regular digestion
  • Increased sense of well-being

You are the ONLY one who has to live in your body and control your life’s choices. Don’t let a faceless institution dictate your quality of life!