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LifeLines
The Student Publication of Life Chiropractic College West
Friday March 8, 2013
Chiropractic: A Stool with A Short Leg?
By Mo Saito
BJ Palmer’s hope for chiropractic was “to so develop this philosophy and art that it would be made
scientific. Where it would be recognized as scientific by scientific men,
and so proved by the use of scientific
instruments.”
The art, science and philosophy of chiropractic have always
seemed to me to be a three-legged
stool with a short leg at Life West.
Philosophy and technique are taught
from the get-go in the first week of
school, but Drs Murphy and Slosberg do not get a crack at students
until they are seniors, which means
that students spend their earliest,
perhaps most formative years in chiropractic college without the science
of chiropractic on their radar. This
short leg seems to be reflected in the
chiropractic community as a whole.
The ultimate goal of the science of chiropractic, it seems, should
be to give insight into the workings
of Innate itself, unless we are going
to say that Innate is purely a philosophical construct with no bearing
on the human condition. Is such a
science possible? The difficulty of
the task has meant that chiropractic
often sits on an uneven stool, with its
scientific leg shorter than the other
two.
On the penultimate weekend
of January, a group of Life Westers
attended the intermediate/advanced
level seminar for Network Spinal
Analysis in Denver. The highlight
of the trip for me was a demonstration of the long-time collaboration
between Donny Epstein, founder of
NSA, and Dr Edmund Jonchkheere,
author of Algebraic and Differential
Topology of Robust Stability, hardback
edition reduced at Amazon to $199.58.
(I’ll give ten dollars to anybody who can
tell me what the title means.)
It was clear that neither fully understood the other. It was also clear the
each stood slightly in awe of the other.
Dr. Epstein performed an “entrainment,” an NSA adjustment on a
subject, while the readings from four
surface EMGs (cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral) were projected onto the
screen, and interpreted by Dr Jonchkheere.
Dr. Jonchkheere said that what
struck him, when he first started looking at data from NSA, was that the pattern of results in the surface EMGs
during an entrainment was reproducible. How often have we heard that
chiropractic cannot be studied scientifically because each practitioner brings
his or her own blend of skills to the
table, which means that results are not
reproducible? Is this not the holy grail
of chiropractic science?
Dr Jonchkheere can look at an
EMG trace – a jumbled mixture of
scribbles to you and me- and is able to
determine how advanced in care the
patient is, and the type of technique Dr
Epstein is using. In their paper to the
Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, Jonckheere et al wrote, “
The objectively established fact that the
signals become less random and more
predictable can be interpreted to reveal
a better “organization” of the neural
circuitry at advanced levels of (NSA)
care (1.)” Is this not Innate at work?
From the commentary at the
seminar, I understood it had something
to do with the synchronicity of the
wave at different levels of the spine
- the greater the synchronicity, the
higher the level of organization. The
signal is a pattern that is generated intrinsically in the spine, and conscious
movement dampens the signal rather
than adding to it, which means that it
can’t be faked.
I have always been someone
who struggled with anything that I
couldn’t rationalize, and it may seem a
paradox that I am drawn to Network
Spinal Analysis, something that, at first
inspection, lies outside the box. I’ve
learned to let go of the crutch of my left
brain, reminding myself that although
the men who built Notre Dame could
not describe the Newtonian forces
acting on structures, they nevertheless
created the most beautiful building in
the world. It now seems bolder and
far smarter to reach beyond the limitations of my rational mind. It is ironic
that it is through NSA we are being
given tools to quantify the effects of
chiropractic care scientifically.
Watching Donny Epstein and
Edmund Jonckheere working together, it was clear that the two had found
different windows into the workings
of Innate, one
a master of the
art, the other a
doctor of science, both absolutely aligned
with chiropractic
philosophy. I’m
sure BJ would
approve.
Inside This Issue! Paleo Food p.4, Winter Formal p.5, Back Problems p.7, Sustainable Living
p.9, Spring For Life p.10, Exercise With Lance! p.11, Pictures p.13, Sid Williams Memorial p.14,
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
1
LIFELINES
Jeff Boyajian
Sachin Narvekar
Daniel Mutter
John McCarthy
Joshua Pollack
Mo Saito
Addison Bulosan
Sara Chong
Aaron Lyon
Lauren Whittaker
Lance von Stade
Dr. Marc DesChamps
James Evans
Jackie Biron
Editor
Production Manager
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
StaffWriter
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Exercise Writer
Writer
Photographer
Faculty Advisor
POLICIES
LIFELINES is printed twice per quarter
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Health Center.
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Our mission at LifeLines is to remember our purpose in Chiropractic, by
informing the reader on current issues in the field of our profession, promoting
morale and support for the values of subluxation-based Chiropractic care,
and by encouraging writers to produce science-based articles that provide
clarity and foundational understanding for empirical evidence seen during
one hundred plus years of Chiropractic clinical experience.
A Letter From The Editor...
Chiropractic Is Like A Religion
Critics of Chiropractic have claimed that it is like a religion. Philosophers
LIFELINES is the official student news- of religion have noticed that there are as many religions as there are types of
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thinkers in the world. In this way Chiropractic is like religion. There are as
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thought evolves, so too does our practices and therefore our representation
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of Chiropractic changes as well. Change in the profession is inevitable. Being
someone who favors the vitalistic, preventative side of Chiropractic, I tend
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All articles, essays, letters, art, poetry, interthese groups are not open to changes. Where does that leave the profession?
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I have always felt that an adjustment is an amazing thing. I recall as a
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2
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
The Misunderstood Advantage
By Addison Bulosan
This year, 2013 presents as one of
the most exciting and challenging times.
The fiscal cliff has come and gone and
the effects are yet to be seen. Universal
healthcare should be in effect, yet I am sure
the implications of that plan will take awhile
to settle in. If you were expecting student
loans to disappear, classes to become easier,
and everyone all of a sudden signing up for
lifetime chiropractic care, think again. It
seems that the average person in the U.S. is
going to need to work even harder and be
even more successful just to find a little bit
of happiness.
Isn’t that quite interesting? For
some it is disheartening to think we have to
work harder and be more successful to get
the same end result. For others this sounds
enticing and exciting! Somewhere along the
length of our lives someone or something
taught us and indoctrinated a formula
that we utilize regularly. This formula can
be found in all types of people and is not
ethnic-, age-, or gender-specific. Take a
second to recall your teachers or parents
saying to you, “you need to work hard to
be successful because when you work hard,
you will be happy.” They are probably still
pushing you to work harder than ever to be
more successful so you can get a better job
and be happier.
Deep down inside of you in the
core of your being, something doesn’t
resonate with that formula. It seems that
in that formula for success, we actually
put happiness on hold, close our eyes and
charge forward as hard and as fast as we can.
I recall many experiences where I utilized
this formula. Part 1 National Boards snuck
up on me and I pushed happiness away to
work harder and be successful with that
exam. We can all recall many instances
in our lives where we pushed happiness
beyond our horizons so we can work
harder and find more success. If success
causes happiness, then every completed
class, every passed National Boards, and
every successful adjustment should make
you happy. But with each earned victory,
our success expectancy grows further out,
so that happiness is always out of reach.
In the midst of this formula, there
is something that occurs innately. In fact,
I have uncovered that this is one of the
reasons why we come out on top, victorious
and happy. Let me make it clear to you,
the current formula of working harder
and being more successful in order to be
happy is broken. In actuality that formula
is literally backwards: happiness empowers
success. Please allow me to push you out
of your comfort zone to see what Shawn
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage
and his research has been discovering
and utilizing with Harvard students and
fortune 500 companies around the world.
This research is not merely just mantras
and empty promises, but has been the
forefront of an advantage that propels
people to live empowering and gratifying
lives. This advantage in my opinion has
been largely misunderstood or unknown.
What if I told you that choosing to
be happy first would create more success
in your life? The science of Positive
Psychology has been showing that when
we are happy our brains are more creative,
energetic, resilient, and productive. Author
Shawn Achor explains,
“Thanks to this cutting-edge science,
we now know that happiness is the
precursor to success, not merely
the result. And that happiness and
optimism actually fuel performance and
achievement – giving us the competitive
edge that I call the Happiness
Advantage...Waiting to be happy limits
our brain’s potential for success, whereas
cultivating positive brains makes us
more motivated, efficient, resilient,
creative, and productive, which drives
performance upward. The discovery
has been confirmed by thousands of
scientific studies and in my own work
and research on 1,600 Harvard students
and dozens of Fortune 500 companies
worldwide.”1
But before we get started on
this misunderstood advantage we must
understand how they discovered this
data. Below the graph Figure 1 shows us
a beautiful trend. It is beautiful because
this diagram is consistent and predictable.
If you were a researcher, you would be
ecstatic to have this data because you could
statistical trend.
Figure 1: The Cult of the Average
Research and the approach of
understanding human behavior have
been focusing on the average or trends
of outcomes or behaviors. Shawn Achor
explains that this approach is what has
created the ‘cult of the average’. He further
shares
“If someone asks a question such as
“How fast can a child learn how to read
in a classroom?” science changes that
question to “How fast does the average
child learn to read in the classroom?”
We then ignore the children who read
faster or slower, and tailor the classroom
toward the ‘average’ child… If we
study merely what is average, we will
remain merely average…. Conventional
psychology consciously ignores outliers
because they don’t fit the pattern. I’ve
sought to do the opposite: instead of
deleting these outliers, I want to learn
from them.”1
Shawn Achor fell upon this
information by shifting his research on
general trends and the study of average to
the positive outliers that naturally utilize the
happiness advantage. The first challenge
is to step out of the norm and search for
positive outliers and connect with them.
Those are the people that surround you
that seem to be doing things differently.
The second challenge is to recall three
moments in your life where you had
unbelievable and positive growth. I am sure
it has been in times of challenge and not in
times of peace and tranquility. Recognize
those moments and let it empower you to
see the world differently. The last step is to
highlight your daily behaviors that innately
recognize positive actions and
begin to permeate that into areas
of your life that could use that
perspective. Doing these things I
believe will have a positive impact
in your life and give you a chance
to utilize the misunderstood
advantage that others have been
using for quite some time.
The Happiness Advantage,
Shawn Achor
1
probably be published for it. However,
there is one data point in the middle of
nowhere, an outlier. It sits above the curve
and can interfere with you being published.
It is clearly a measurement error that can
be deleted because it is misguiding your
3
Paleo Food Column
By Sara Chong
A couple months ago, Jeff B.
approached me about starting a food
column in the Lifelines newsletter. My
initial reaction of enthusiasm and down
right flattery, was immediately overthrown by hesitation and doubt. Why?
Well, because I’m frankly not much of
a writer.
I wasn’t gifted by the Gods with
the ability to articulate with such eloquence as some of my fellow Life West
extroverts. I’m not one to say much at
all when it comes to my undeniable obsession with food. I let the compulsive
part of the disorder do all the talking.
Isn’t it true that actions speak louder
than words? The novelty in transforming any SAD (Standard American Diet)
meal into a paleo chef-d’oeuvre fuels
my addiction.
What is “paleo” you might ask? Isn’t
that another fad diet?
No, it’s merely a template that outlines
unprocessed whole foods to be eaten
that our bodies were meant to consume,
digest, absorb and thrive from. Paleo
(Paleolithic/Caveman) diet is an ancient
idea that has been revived for the modern person. Reverting back to how our
ancestors ate will not only support our
health but continue to sustain it.
artichokes, okra, lettuce, spinach, collard
greens, kale, beet top, mustard greens,
dandelion, swiss chard, watercress, turnip greens, seaweeds, endive, arugula
(rocket), bok choy, rapini, chicory, radicchio, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips,
rutabaga, sweet potatoes, radish, jerusalem artichokes, yams, cassava, zucchini, yellow summer squash, and yellow
crookneck squash.
cheese or butter
from any animal source even if it is
fermented. The only exception is ghee,
which is clarified
butter, because the milk solids that contain potential allergens have been removed.
Sugar – Do not eat added sugar in any
form. That means no table sugar, brown
sugar, molasses, agave, maple syrup or
honey. You should also avoid eating
artificial sweeteners
in any form such as Splenda, Nutrasweet, Sweet n Low, xylitol or stevia. The
only exception is fruit juice when used
to sweeten a dish – as opposed to drinking glasses of highly caloric and nutritionally sparse fruit juices.
Fruits - Bananas, apples, oranges, berries (strawberry, cranberry, blueberry,
blackberry), grapefruit, pears, peaches,
nectarines, plums, pomegranates, pineapple,
papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, cherries,
apricot, watermelon, honeydew, melon,
kiwi, lemon,
lime, lychee, mango, tangerine, coconut,
figs, dates, passion fruit, and persim- White Potatoes – White potatoes are
mon.
extremely high in carbohydrates. We
tend to rely on them as a filling starch
Nuts/Seeds - Pistachios, Brazil nuts, rather than eating more nutrient dense
sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pump- vegetables and fruits that are lower in
kin seeds (pepitas), pecans, walnuts, carbohydrates and calories.
pine nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts,
cashews, almonds, hazelnuts
So now that the ground rules have been
laid out, I propose a 30 day paleo chalFats - Avocados, avocado oil, olive lenge for everyone to attempt! Get a
oil, coconut oil, butter, clarified butter friend, loved one, or anyone to join so
(ghee), lard,
you can motivate one another through
Here are the basic guidelines:
tallow, duck fat, veal fat, lamb fat, fatty this process. All you have to do is comfishes (sardines, mackerel, salmon), nut mit, cook, and eat! It will change your
FOODS TO EAT
butters, nut
understanding about food and percepoils (walnut, macadamia), and coconut tion with how real food should taste.
Meats - Beef, pork, lamb, veal, rabbit, milk.
This template could quite possibly
goat, sheep, horse, bison, wild boar,
change your eating habits forever. Stay
chicken,
FOODS TO AVOID
tuned for some lip- smacking recipes!
turkey, duck, quail, goose, deer, pheasant, bear, moose, woodcock, elk, duck, Grains - Do not eat cereal grains and
rabbit,
yes, that includes “whole grains” as
reindeer, wild turkey, salmon, tuna, well. This includes but is not limited to
trout, bass, halibut, sole, haddock, tur- wheat, barley, oats, rye, amaranth, quibot, walleye,
noa, rice, corn, millet, bulgur, sorghum,
tilapia, cod, flatfish, grouper, mackerel, buckwheat or any grain products like
anchovy, herring, crab, lobster, shrimps, bran, germ or starch should be avoided.
scallops, clams, oysters, mussels...basically consume proteins from any animal Legumes - Do not eat beans, peas, lenof your liking.
tils or soy of any kind or in any form.
This includes peanuts which are a leVegetables - Celery, tomatoes, bell gume and not a nut. The only exception
peppers, onions, leeks, kohlrabi, green is green beans, snap peas
onions,
and snow peas because they are mostly
eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, as- pod.
paragus, cucumber, cabbage, brussels
sprouts,
Dairy – Do not eat dairy products of
any kind or in any form such as milk,
4
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
Winter Formal!
Lila Baker doing a twirl!
The Drummer of the band
Another shot of the band!
Some 1st Quarter students enjoying
the evening!
Some Good ‘Ole Fashion Line Dancing!
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
Burlesque Show!
5
The Beginning & The End
By Dan Mutter
Here, at the end of my Life
West experience, I find myself at
the beginning. Similar to running a
400-meter race, it would seem that my
displacement is zero. I am going to the
same classrooms I was in first quarter. I
hear the same stories, discussions, and
arguments about technique, philosophy,
and how ridiculous certain aspects of
the experience are. Yet, similar to the
400-meter race, the distance travelled
has seemed at once infinite and small,
grueling and easy, and my body feels
somewhere between exhaustion and
elation.
The 400 is a race that can be
done as an all out sprint, and in many
ways that is what it is. However, the
better you understand its nature, the
more important you see the role that
strategy plays in this race. Conditioning
is essential. But, arguably, what is more
important is heart.
Why are you running this race? Is
it to beat the other team? Are you trying
to achieve a personal best? Or is your
6
inspiration to participate in one of the
most ancient and natural behaviors of
the human being: to run for life?
One of the most important things
I have learned during my tenure at Life
West has been learning to ask better
questions. The caliber of questions we
ask determines the caliber of answers
to which we have access. The ability to
ask questions is a responsibility. As all
language is creative, at all moments we
have the choice of how we frame our
experience with language.
Long before BJ Palmer, Aristotle
was (and still is to some) considered
“The Philosopher”. Although his impact
on Western thought is beyond the scope
of this article, his relevance is clear. In
Nicomachean Ethics (Book 1, Chapter 7),
he wrote, “For the beginning is thought
to be more than half of the whole,
and many of the questions we ask are
cleared up by it.”
This insight is, for me, directly
related to The Big Idea. The one that,
when you get, “all else follows”. The
Big Idea is a Question. It refers to The
Question that you choose to hold in
the forefront of your mind, the one
that informs and influences everything
you do. The quality of this question
is in direct relationship to the quality
of the response you will receive. The
best part is, you have the ability – the
responsibility - to choose a question
worth asking.
So I will end as I began, on
the verge of something I have but an
idea
about,
but with the
knowing that
I’m headed
in the right
direction.
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
LifeLines
The Community Page from Life Chiropractic College West
Friday, March 8, 2013
Providing A Solution For Back Problems
By Aaron Lyon
My father had back surgery instability increases
12 years ago and as a result of that (Hazard, 228).
had over 11 years of no radicular
symptoms into his left leg. Fortunately,
he worked with a chiropractor and
physical therapist before having the
surgery done, and only did it with
many months of conservative care
rendered. This is somewhat of a
success story. Unfortunately, many
other people don’t have it so good.
Here is what I found while doing
some research.
From 1990 to 2001, lumbar
fusion surgeries inceased by 220%
(Ragab, 272). One study done in the
State of Washington found that 19%
of those people having this type of
surgery had to have reoperations for
pain and other complications caused
by the first surgery (Ragab, 272).
Unfortunately some estimates tell us
that there could be up to 80,000 failed
back surgeries each year (Ragab, 272).
It has become so common that the
AMA has created a CDC code for it
called Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
(FBSS). From the 1980s, Failed Back
Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) has come
to be considered chronic disabling
lower back pain without or with leg
pain after 1 or more back surgeries
(Hazard, 228). When someone is
diagnosed with FBSS it is supposed
to denote a poor prognosis for future
surgeries (Hazard, 228). After a
second back surgery success rates
fall from 50% down to 30%, and
with a thrid surgery down to 15%,
and with a fourth 5% (Hazard, 228).
The chances of getting a recurrent
herniated disc. goes way down with
further surgeries but the chance for
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
dramatically adjustments alone. Even after surgery
one successful case study showed
I take these results as a weakness that the patient actively participating
within the medical community. in strengthening muscles and training
Unfortunately, in most cases surgery propeioception. In addition, the
after surgery is their final solution to chiropractor was doing Diversified
this ever growing problem. We can adjustements. All of there things
be make a difference here. We have a resulted in a tremendously good
worthy opportunity. We can intervene outcome (Gluck, 42-46).
in at least three ways. First, we can
be in the front lines of preventative
care by keeping their spines &
pelvises aligned and moving properly.
Second, we can be a force when back
pain becomes disabling but isn’t a
indicated for immediate surgery as
in Cauda Equina Syndrome. A more
medical based article recommends
3 to 6 months of conservative care
before utilizing surgery on nonReferences
catastrophic stenosis cases (Kovacs,
Cox JM, Low Back Pain: Mechanisms,
E1349). Part of that conservative Diagnosis, and Treatment; 7th ed.:
care could be chiropractic. Reduced Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,
trunk flexion and more difficulty in Philadelphia, PA: 2011 (435-436).
NI. Passive care and active
walking are natural history things Gluck
rehabilitation in a patient with failed back
after back surgery (Hazard, 231) so let
surgery syndrome. J Manipulative
Physiol
Ther. 1996 Jan;19(1):41-7.
us help them to keep moving. Third,
Hazard RG. Failed back surgery syndrome:
we can help in the rehabilitation after surgical and nonsurgical approaches.
surgery. Did you know rehabilitation
Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2006
Feb;443:228-32.
can start as soon as 4 weeks after
Ragab A, Deshazo RD. Management of
lower back surgery. Of course it has back pain in patients with previous back
surgery. Am J Med. 2008
to be in one plane, that is, in flexion
Apr;121(4):272-8.
(Cox, 435).
One crucial piece of solving the
problem with back pain is integrating
core stabilizing exercises into our
treatments as chiropractors. Studies
show that chiropractic adjustments
with active participation of the
patient in doing exercises has longer
lasting preservation of function &
abscence of pain (no operator error
of innate going off) than chiropractic
7
LIFELINES
Jeff Boyajian
Sachin Narvekar
Daniel Mutter
Dr. Kathleen Kinney
Lauren Whittaker
Joshua Pollack
William D. Esteb
James Evans
Jackie Biron
Editor
Production Manager
Staff Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Photographer
Faculty Advisor
POLICIES
LIFELINES Community Page is printed
twice per quarter and is distributed free-ofcharge on the Life Chiropractic College West
campus & Health Center and around the
Hayward area.
LIFELINES is the official student newspaper of Life West and is funded by the Student
Body through the Student Council.
Any submissions, advertisements or
articles published herein do not necessarily
reflect the opinions or beliefs of LIFELINES
or LCCW.
All articles, essays, letters to the editor, art,
poetry, interviews, and reviews are welcome.
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LIFELINES
LIFE CHIROPRACTIC COLLEGE WEST
25001 INDUSTRIAL BLVD
HAYWARD, CA 94545
510/780-4500 x2170
All advertising and articles for
The Life Chiropractic Health Center
Main Entrance located at:
25001 Industrial Blvd
Hayward, CA 94545
The Life West Health
Center - Live Life Well
By Dr. Kathleen Kinney
Chiropractors use their understanding and expertise of the body and
brain connection to assist your body to heal itself – without drugs or surgery.
Chiropractic emphasizes wellness, and helps patients achieve and maintain a higher
level of health. People from all walks of life, including athletes like football great
Jerry Rice, utilize chiropractic care to help them perform at their very best.
Doctors of chiropractic are specialists in evaluating the spine for dysfunctional
areas called subluxations. These areas of altered spinal motion or misalignment
can interfere with normal nerve function and overall health. Subluxations are
corrected using gentle and precise chiropractic adjustments. The Health Center at
Life Chiropractic College West offers a variety of adjustive techniques, including
low-force methods. Techniques are chosen after carefully considering each patient’s
individual needs or preferences. Leading-edge diagnostic equipment, including
thermography and advanced x-ray imaging, is available on-site at the Health Center.
Health Care is changing, and so are your expectations. The chiropractic
professionals at the Health Center are dedicated to creating a caring and healing
environment where traditional methods and modern research come together.
Highly accomplished chiropractic clinical faculty and well trained interns understand
your needs and are excited to bring you closer to wellness. This results in a highly
informative and integrative patient care experience.
Since 1981, the Life West Health Center has been the Bay Area’s premier
chiropractic teaching and patient care facility. We are conveniently located in western
Hayward near Interstate880 and Highway 92. The Health Center provides quality,
affordable chiropractic care. Give us a call at 510-780-4567
or visit us at 25001 Industrial Blvd. in Hayward to set up an
appointment. We will assign you an intern who will answer
your questions and make an appointment for your first visit.
the April 2013
issue of LIFELINES must be
submitted by 4/15/2013.
8
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
The Practice of Sustainable Living
By Lauren Whittaker
Sustainability is defined as the capacity to endure. It is
the idea of preserving and creating long-term maintenance and
well being. Bob Cooley is quoted in saying, “The health and
sustainability of the world is a reflection of your personal health
and sustainability.” I believe this to be so true! And what an
amazing profession we are all a part of. We get to spread this
message every day by supporting people towards health and a
more sustainable way of living their lives. When we give care and
help integrate mind and body awareness we have the opportunity
to inform people of the simple message that “a healthy me = a
healthy planet”; they are interconnected.
With the ever-looming reality of our declining environment
put forth by the media it can often times feel overwhelming and
defeating when thinking about what needs to be done. As if there
is so much to do and people may ask, what difference am I to
this larger problem? What difference does it make for one bottle
to go into the recycling bin verse the trash? Someone who is
unclear about the big idea and the larger impact the “practice” of
recycling and composting has on ourselves and our community
might overlook the opportunity to recycle that glass bottle or
compost those avocado peels or coffee grounds. The inspiring
thing is that you do make a difference and you can be apart of
change by participating in the awareness practice of recycling and
composting here at Life West. Through your conscious action a
larger message is generated that affects not only yourself but also
those you interact with, and the people they interact with and so
on and so on. A message of health, endurance and well being is
spread.
The sustainability council has been keeping this ball
rolling and continues to work on projects to generate change
and awareness on campus. The big idea here is that the change
you participate in through your actions will instill long-term
sustainable practices on campus and impact everyone who visits
and receives care at the Life West Health center. Life West is up
and running on so many fronts regarding the green movement.
Everything from providing compost bins located in Sid Square,
the student lounge, and the Bistro to the beautiful Life West
garden which is offering a whole bed of carrots, lettuce, swiss
chard, spinach and more this season. Also, our annual bike to
school day is coming up in May so keepon the look out for that
event. The council is also working on ways to implement some
simple energy saving practices like encouraging students and
staff to turn off lights in rooms that are not being used. If you
are the last one in a room go ahead and turn off the light. A
simple action but this does so much in the long run regarding
energy saving. Watch out for some friendly reminders around
campus for ways you can contribute to the sustainability of Life
West.
Our choices each moment day in and day out are what
shape our experiences. B.J Palmer was a brilliant and inspiring
man when he poetically laid out the power and effect that one
adjustment made by one person has on a nation in his write
up of, “The Big Idea”. B.J has inspired me to carry further
the underlying theme that your actions, when embodied with
clarity, purpose and sustainability in mind, can make change on
a mass level. The only limitations are what we put on ourselves.
So I encourage you to take each opportunity you can to practice
awareness and recycle or compost when available, not only
at school but everywhere. Through your participation each
moment with each choice to live more
sustainably, you are a part of a movement
larger than yourself. A movement towards
greater well being as a collective. You
never know how far reaching your action
can be when done with clarity, purpose
and sustainability in mind. Be Well.
Sustainability Questions
What does sustainability mean to you?
“Sustainability to me is being able to prolong everything in general, in a healthy and productive method.” –
Anonymous
“Sustainability means leaving this world, if possible, better for future generations than you came into it.” –Ryan
Moore
What changes would you like to see on campus to promote a more sustainable lifestyle?
“I would like to see more outdoor spaces that promote community and being outside.” – David Lamson
“I would like to see people not taking more than you can eat on your plate, such as the salad bar in the bistro.” –
Sandeep Bains
What are you doing in your life to promote a more sustainable environment?
“I fuel my body with all natural and organic products and food”. – Paul Ofili
“I want to decrease my consumer demand on the production of food, clothes, and miscellaneous products. By
buying used or good quality clothes, I create less of a demand on unnecessary production. By growing my own
food and buying packaged food from a farmer’s market. I leave a smaller carbon foot print.” – Irina Velichko
Brought to you by the Sustainability Council
Compiled by Heather Bostian
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
9
We’ll Make Great Pets
By Joshua Pollack
Perry Farrell, the legendary rock musician of
Lollapalooza and Jane’s Addiction fame, penned a song called
“Pets.” I always liked that song and resonated with it’s theme.
One line in particular always caught my ear.
“Will there be another race? To come along and take over for
us? Maybe martians could do, better than we’ve done.”
In our constant challenge to discover and perfect ways
to communicate the philosophy and concept of Chiropractic
to those who have yet to be dipped, there is an endless
abundance of metaphors which may hit the spot. Picture this!
Aliens take over the earth. Rather than enslave us or vaporize
us all with laser beams, they use us, mankind, for what may
have been the almighty’s original reason to create us in the
beginning, amusement. We would be pets!
Humans have been living side by side with pets since
the dawn of mankind. For friendship and love, survival, and
entertainment. I think it can be said that some people treat
their pets better than they treat themselves. They will make sure
their pet is walked, well-fed, provided with the best medical
care, and given plenty of our most valuable assets; love and
time. Which brings us to a bigger question of choices, life
choices. The choices that make the difference between health
and dis-ease and between happiness and depression.
If someone told you that the food you feed your pet
would lead to high blood pressure, indigestion, inflammation,
and coronary disease, would you keep buying it for them? If
your veterinarian recommended a brisk walk everyday and
plenty of space to play and run, wouldn’t you go out of your
way to provide that daily exercise for your pet?
It is my hypothesis, that if aliens did take over our
planet and make us pets, that we’d very likely be better off
as a species than we are now. Being an advanced species, our
captors would be physiologically and intellectually advanced
would they not? They would understand the subtle balance
of natural resources and the types of vibrations and energy
required to support a positive life experience. As a species,
we’d eat better, we’d be more physically active, we’d be kept
from unhealthy lifestyles, and most importantly, we’d be
forced to get along with one another.
As we look at our lives and what affects our well-being
and health, why do we make some choices over others? Why
are some decisions so important and others considered so
frivolously? Why would we treat our pets better than we
treat ourselves? Why would we make wiser lifestyle decisions
for our pets than for ourselves? Is it because most pets are
dependant on us for survival? Do we have pity on them? Do
we love them more than we love ourselves? Is it somehow
easier to make wise decisions when we don’t have our own
pleasure and tastes to consider? It’s easy to feed your puppy.
Puppies eat pretty much everything. Cats are likely more
picky but cat food is practically gourmet. You have to base
the choices you make for your pets on their reaction right?
If your pet snake doesn’t like the mice you are getting,
and won’t eat them, you find mice that it will like. If your
hamster gets fat and sick, you make changes to their food
and environment right? But regardless of their reaction, or
how much they like to get up from a nap to take a walk,
you will enforce and impose a certain standard of living on
them. Because you can, and because you know better. Your
pets cannot make these educated decisions for themselves.
The quality of their life is all up to you.
Unfortunately the choices we make for our pets are
subject to the same misinformation and manipulation by
“experts” as the choices we make for ourselves. The doctors
and retailers that provide for our pets are also strongly
supported and lobbied by the pharmaceutical and mass
consumer industries. In America, many of our pets are
over-medicated, overfed, and under exercised, much like us.
It takes diligence in addition to common sense and an open
mind to find the sources of health we all seek. It is difficult
to strike that perfect balance in work, life, and love which
makes a fulfilling life. Don’t beat yourself up about it, you’re
only human.
So, as you ponder the big life choices. The ones
which affect your mind, body, and spirit. Take a moment
and imagine for a moment that you are your own pet. Only
you are responsible wholly for your life and your health.
Only you can discover what’s best
for you, your most valued friend and
compatriot, your pet. Are you going
to settle for average? Are you just
going to take anyone’s advice on how
to treat yourself ? I think not. We treat
our pets well out here.
Are You Ready For Spring?
I know that I am. At this point of the quarter
everyone is sleep deprived and pretty tense but Boards/
Finals will soon be over and we’ll be able to have at least
1 week of down time for our break.
Just when you thought light only came at the end
of the quarter, you thought wrong! Get ready for the
annual Life West celebration at the 2013 Spring For
Life, Thursday May 9th to revive, refresh and inspire .
This year’s theme is Walking Your Talk. The day
begins with a morning of upbeat and informational
speakers to re-energize your WHY and remind you of
what’s possible. Following the inspirational morning
program, we continue the celebration at Lake Elizabeth/
Central Park, Fremont where we mingle, eat, and play
together. Another bonus is that you don’t have to wait
10
to spend quality time with your loved ones until after
your last final at the end of the quarter - you can bring
them along to the picnic to join in the festivities!
Our chance to party may seem far in the distance,
so in the meantime, encourage each other to share your
WHY for being here and feel free to dream big about
what’s possible when you fully connect with your
purpose and deliver it to the world. May you why serve
not only as a guiding light for when you simply need
to make it through the day, but as a means to inspire
others towards their own purpose and visualize the
limitless possibility that lies before us when we truly
walk our talk.
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
Exercise With Lance!
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
11
Clinician’s Corner
By Dr. DesChamps
In a previous issue, I wrote about
a musculoskeletal problem a
former patient of mine suffered
with and how it was mishandled by the
medical model. This issue I would like
to talk about another case but one that
is not musculoskeletal in nature.
The
medical
community
sometimes grudgingly admits that
Chiropractic can help with some
musculoskeletal problems but should
not be used for systemic conditions
and not be used on children. Nothing
could be further from the truth. In my
practice I saw many pediatric cases that
left uncared for would have caused the
patient great distress for many years.
The following is one such case.
Actually, I need to start even
earlier. One afternoon a woman had
scheduled to come start care at our
practice. At the time of her appointment
she appeared but was heavily assisted by
her husband as she was suffering one of
the worst migraines I had ever seen. She
could barely see and had been vomiting.
By necessity, the history was brief and
in a darkened room. The exam was
focused and cervical x-rays were taken.
Briefly, upper cervical adjustments were
performed using the Gonstead method
and she responded steadily over time
and the headaches which had been
quite frequent in the past ceased. She
12
opted for maintenance care and became
quite an advocate of Chiropractic even
though this was her first experience.
One day she told me about her
daughter. The girl was about 14 years
old and suffered with severe asthma.
The pediatrician had her on two oral
medications and one emergency inhaler
yet the parents had to take her to the
emergency room at least a couple
times per month. The mother asked
if Chiropractic could help. I said that
Chiropractic had been known to help in
such cases but I would need to see her
and go through our normal procedures.
We scheduled an exam and took
x-rays. Yes; we x-rayed a 14 year old
because I didn’t want to guess about
something so important.
Finding
subluxations at C1 and T1, adjustments
were performed using the Gonstead
technique. You may have noticed at this
point that I did a lot of upper cervical
adjustments and if you want to get
excellent results you will too. In fact,
whenever I was faced with a systemic
problem I would always check the upper
cervicals. We started with an intensive
care plan and initially saw this girl three
times a week and then twice a week.
She never had another emergency room
visit and her need for the inhaler steadily
decreased. The family took her to the
pediatrician for a regularly scheduled
visit and an amazing thing happened.
The mother told me the pediatrician
was very pleased how well the girl had
been doing and said “the medicines are
finally working”. That’s when the girl
spoke up and said “I’ve stopped taking
them. I’ve been seeing Dr. Marc!”
Both parents were shocked as was I
when they told me because I had never
suggested such a thing. Our scope of
practice does not allow for prescribing
drugs nor does it let us discontinue
them. The girl’s mother told me the
pediatrician mumbled something about
maybe the girl had “outgrown” her
asthma.
There’s a very happy ending to
this story. When I first met this patient
she was very sickly looking and pale as a
ghost. Two years later she was healthy,
tanned and had made the high school
swim team.
So; a couple of lessons to be
learned. First, don’t be afraid to take on
the tough cases and second, if you are
on the right segments with the correct
listings you can work
miracles.
Lastly,
the medical model
doesn’t have all the
answers. Children
need Chiropractic
as much as adults.
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
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LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
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13
Life 101
Come Celebrate the Life of Dr. Sid
Williams
Life West is hosting a Tribute to Dr. Sid Williams,
founder of Life University, Life Chiropractic College West, and DE Seminars.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 in the Life West Auditorium, 6:30pm – 8:00pm.
We encourage all students, faculty, staff, and friends to attend this reception to honor
the passing of one of the most influential chiropractic leaders of our time.
His Declaration of The Lasting Purpose shaped the entire chiropractic community,
and his motivational beliefs and dedicated spirit will live on for years to come.
14
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013
15
“Run my own Show with
Animals in Half Moon
Bay. If I can do some
AO in there as well that
would be great.”
“Open my own office in San
Diego, by the beach focusing on
upper cervical knee chest. seeing
families and I’ll marry a chiro,
with chiro babies everywhere.”
Sarah Schilbach
Sabrina Merry
“I’m taking 2 weeks off then
heading to San Diego to prepare
for total domination :P I’m
starting as an independent
contractor as of April 1st and
will be seeing lots of kids and
pregnant moms. I’ve got a
grand opening party and several
marketing events planned for my
first month.”
-Congrats on graduating
with 581 adjsutments-.
What do
you plan
to do when you
graduate?
Stephanie Williams
Chris Mchugh
“Associate for 2 years in
the Dominican Republic,
and then return home to
open my own practice.”
Jereme Sommers
“Open a family Practice in La
Jolla San Diego, Alot of prego’s
and alot of babies.”
“I plan on doing an
associates program
with one of the
LARGEST, most
successful Doctors
in the nation, from
the new beginnings
group. Serving more
people, making more
money, working less
hours, and having
more fun.”
Jake Barton
Photographs and interviews by James Evans
Students, faculty, and
all those who want
chiropractic to remain
drug and surgery free:
Please join MCQI.org by registering
online. This year will decide what
direction Chiropractic will continue
towards. Be a part of the solution
and help Chiropractic stay a distinct
and non-invasive health improving
modality. Our involvement counts!
Get Paid!!!!
Write for LIFELINES
No Application Required! If it’s on your mind, right it down
and get it in by the 3rd and 7th Friday of every quarter. Email
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[email protected]
16
LIFELINES • MARCH 2013