Who's picking up the check?

Recently a story of a man willing to go to jail has hit the media. For those of you who've missed this, here is a quick recap and a link if you would like more info:


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43479572/ns/health-health_care/?GT1=43001


Basically he's not financially stable and has no insurance, and while this may cover a majority of Americans right now, this man believes he has a health problem and needs to get it taken care of. And to get that done for free, he is willing to sacrifice his freedom. 


This isn't the first story someone taking advantage of our current system, nor will it be the last. Although going to jail might seem extreme, others make major sacrifices to get the perks that the government offers. The other day while listening to a popular call in radio show that dealt with personal finance, a lady who was unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with a debilitating disease called in to get financial advice on how to distance herself from her family. She was willing to divorce the husband she loved in order to preserve their nest egg they had grown to retire on. Her idea was to divorce and show no possessions as to be eligible for welfare and medicaid when her disease got so bad that she would need full time care. As heart breaking of a story this is for the family, I think she's missing the point. 


I have also heard stories of inmates in immigration holding facilities getting hip replacements, definitely not a life threatening surgery. Unfortunate things happen in life, and these things happen whether you are prepared or not financially. There is no shortage of sad stories involving health care, natural disasters, or even random violence. These are people that have taken no excessive risk but fall under the consequences. But the ideas that the government should be responsible for them are not only harbored by a few that live below the poverty level, but those that think it is a more attractive option than dealing with it themselves. 


I would love to hear feedback about your ideas or solutions to this problem. Personally from a health standpoint I think it is our own responsibility to stay proactive with our health care. While certain problems arise that we cannot foresee, many chronic health care problems that are extremely costly are avoidable. No matter what health problem you may have, there are many hospitals and clinics that will work with you on cost and payment plans. Many communities have groups that have money available for those that can not afford high medical costs. All of these may take some effort, but still fall in your responsibility. 


Please leave a comment on ideas that you feel would work to help people get the care they need with out having to "cheat" the system, leaving someone else with the bill. Or if you feel that too much of the health care burden is placed on us and we should be getting government support, state that as well! 

In case you lost sleep over it...

How important is sleep for staying healthy? Most of what we know about sleep we have discovered in the past 20 years. Unfortunately it has kept us up at nights! The 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39% get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and more than one in three (37%) are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities. Some studies show that one in six fatal car accidents are due to being sleepy. Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.

So how much is enough? And how do I know if I’m getting enough? Although everyone is different, there are some basic guidelines: Teenagers need as much sleep as small children (about 10 hrs) while those over 65 need the least of all (about six hours). For the average adult aged 25-55, eight hours is considered optimal. As a group, 18 to 24 year-olds deprived of sleep suffer more from impaired performance than older adults. Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.

Some research has shown that even those who aren’t getting enough sleep regularly may not know it. Although they feel the effects early on, their body starts to get used to those indicators and ignores them after a few days. Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day. Ten per cent of snorers have sleep apnea, a disorder which causes sufferers to stop breathing up to 300 times a night and significantly increases the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep.

To drop off we must cool off; body temperature and the brain's sleep-wake cycle are closely linked. That's why hot summer nights can cause a restless sleep. The blood flow mechanism that transfers core body heat to the skin works best between 64 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. But later in life, the comfort zone shrinks to between 73 and 77 degrees - one reason why older people have more sleep disorders.

As we get older, sleep can be disrupted due to pain or discomfort, the need to go to the bathroom, medical problems, medications, and sleep disorders as well as poor or irregular sleep schedules. Establishing a regular bed and wake schedule and achieving continuous sleep helps you sleep in accordance with your internal biological circadian clock and experience all of the sleep stages necessary to reap the restorative, energizing and revitalizing benefits of sleep. At the start of the 20^th century, sleeping schedules were kept with the setting and rising of the sun. In today’s reality, especially with the advent of 24 hour entertainment on the internet, our sleeping schedule is getting smaller and smaller. Night shifts ad to the problem, since a lot of your body’s internal clock runs on the sun’s schedule.

So what steps can you take to improve your sleeping habits? Many of my patients suffer from chronic pain, which is exacerbated by higher stress hormones, which you guessed it, get higher with less sleep. Here are some simple steps I suggest to those who aren’t sleeping great:

• ·         Avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) and nicotine (cigarettes, tobacco products) close to bedtime.
• ·         Avoid alcohol as it can lead to disrupted sleep.
• ·         Exercise regularly, but complete your workout at least 3 hours before bedtime.
• ·         Establish a regular relaxing, not alerting, bedtime routine (e.g. taking a bath or relaxing in a hot tub).
• ·         Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet and preferably cool and comfortable. Do not read or watch TV in bed and regardless of your work or holiday schedule, go to bed and get up at the same time.

Back pain and tightness can decrease quality of sleep, getting adjusted helps you stay relaxed and decreases stress that will keep you up wondering why you didn’t see your chiropractor!