Most patients in this country feel that if they schedule a sick visit with their physician and they don't come home with a prescription, then they really weren't sick. Those white sheets and the pills that come from the local pharmacy are proof positive that going to the doctor was a wise move. We are a pill freak culture and the drug companies that supply us with our daily doses are laughing all the way to the bank.
Trillions of dollars are made each year by the pharmaceutical companies and there is little reason to wonder why so many drugs are rushed to market each year to keep the cash flowing. After drugs such as Avandia prove to be fatal to many patients, we are often left to wonder who is overseeing drug trials and how are such good results published with such horrible consequences? I attended elementary school with a little girl who was missing an arm as a result of Thalidomide, my daughter-in laws cousin died from a prescription heartburn medication, and I saw the effects of Avandia on my own mother.
One answer lies in the fact that the American public has an insatiable demand for immediate gratification. We feel pain and expect immediate relief, without giving much consideration to the consequences of the medication that we ingest so mindlessly. Over the years, I have consulted with two physical medicine and rehabilitation practices and during my years there, the staff came to realize just how many drug seeking patients are floating around in the general population. These individuals may have started out with a real injury or some form of chronic pain. Instead of seeking some alternative relief after initial doses of medications did not ease their pain, they move instead to a chronic cycle of pills and more pills, using any and all methods to obtain their meds. Drug seeking patients may move from doctor to doctor and try to fill scripts at different pharmacies to avoid detection. Luckily, the larger chain pharmacies are now alerting each other when patients try to fill multiple scripts for narcotics. They will also act to notify the physicians in question, trying to put a stop to what could be a life threatening situation.
More PM&R practices are now using trigger point injections, physical therapy and even acupuncture rather than medication to treat acute and chronic pain. They are examining the patient's lifestyle, work and home environment and suggesting exercise and ergonomic strategies that will promote a healthier lifestyle where the patient is less prone to injury or exacerbation of pain. Patient's are often grateful for a more homeopathic approach to their complaints and find that by making small changes in their daily activities, they can become pain free without medication and its associated risks.
Type II diabetic patient should always be encouraged to change their diet and exercise routines before they become one of the millions of Americans whose blood sugar levels are dependent on medication. The same holds true for those of us who suffer from high cholesterol. There are some homeopathic remedies, such are red yeast rice, which can lower cholesterol without the side effects of most statins and I have seen cardiologists recommend these over the counter drugs to patients who could not tolerate or refused statin treatment.
It is important for our doctors to adequately explain to patients that viral syndromes do not respond to antibiotic treatment so it is not always necessary to receive medication for a cold or sore throat. In cases, where serious illness has been ruled out, patients with such problems as chronic headaches or other chronic pain, should be encouraged to seek help from a homeopathic provider before embarking on a future where medication is the only way to alleviate pain.
We are starting to see some progress towards a blend of allopathic and homeopathic treatments in a number of our medical communities. Physicians and Chiropractors are often working together to treat some chronic pain patients, and many doctors are now embracing the use of acupuncture and herbal therapies with their patients.
All of us are grateful for the extraordinary drugs and vaccines that have kept us healthy and safe from diseases, but we must admit that some of the drugs that come to market may have tragic consequences, and that no drug is without its effect on the human body.
Trillions of dollars are made each year by the pharmaceutical companies and there is little reason to wonder why so many drugs are rushed to market each year to keep the cash flowing. After drugs such as Avandia prove to be fatal to many patients, we are often left to wonder who is overseeing drug trials and how are such good results published with such horrible consequences? I attended elementary school with a little girl who was missing an arm as a result of Thalidomide, my daughter-in laws cousin died from a prescription heartburn medication, and I saw the effects of Avandia on my own mother.
One answer lies in the fact that the American public has an insatiable demand for immediate gratification. We feel pain and expect immediate relief, without giving much consideration to the consequences of the medication that we ingest so mindlessly. Over the years, I have consulted with two physical medicine and rehabilitation practices and during my years there, the staff came to realize just how many drug seeking patients are floating around in the general population. These individuals may have started out with a real injury or some form of chronic pain. Instead of seeking some alternative relief after initial doses of medications did not ease their pain, they move instead to a chronic cycle of pills and more pills, using any and all methods to obtain their meds. Drug seeking patients may move from doctor to doctor and try to fill scripts at different pharmacies to avoid detection. Luckily, the larger chain pharmacies are now alerting each other when patients try to fill multiple scripts for narcotics. They will also act to notify the physicians in question, trying to put a stop to what could be a life threatening situation.
More PM&R practices are now using trigger point injections, physical therapy and even acupuncture rather than medication to treat acute and chronic pain. They are examining the patient's lifestyle, work and home environment and suggesting exercise and ergonomic strategies that will promote a healthier lifestyle where the patient is less prone to injury or exacerbation of pain. Patient's are often grateful for a more homeopathic approach to their complaints and find that by making small changes in their daily activities, they can become pain free without medication and its associated risks.
Type II diabetic patient should always be encouraged to change their diet and exercise routines before they become one of the millions of Americans whose blood sugar levels are dependent on medication. The same holds true for those of us who suffer from high cholesterol. There are some homeopathic remedies, such are red yeast rice, which can lower cholesterol without the side effects of most statins and I have seen cardiologists recommend these over the counter drugs to patients who could not tolerate or refused statin treatment.
It is important for our doctors to adequately explain to patients that viral syndromes do not respond to antibiotic treatment so it is not always necessary to receive medication for a cold or sore throat. In cases, where serious illness has been ruled out, patients with such problems as chronic headaches or other chronic pain, should be encouraged to seek help from a homeopathic provider before embarking on a future where medication is the only way to alleviate pain.
We are starting to see some progress towards a blend of allopathic and homeopathic treatments in a number of our medical communities. Physicians and Chiropractors are often working together to treat some chronic pain patients, and many doctors are now embracing the use of acupuncture and herbal therapies with their patients.
All of us are grateful for the extraordinary drugs and vaccines that have kept us healthy and safe from diseases, but we must admit that some of the drugs that come to market may have tragic consequences, and that no drug is without its effect on the human body.
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