Health Care vs. Sickness Care
June 2006
by Ken Savage, DC

Once again, it is important to revisit the difference between these two methods of caring for an individual's health. For over 50 years, “Sickness Care” has been in place as a regular method of treating disease, infection and emergency injuries. Be thankful for “Sickness Care” because it's a great system for treating emergency injuries, crisis and symptoms of body breakdown. I personally carry an expensive “Sickness Care” insurance through Blue Cross of California and keep it in place in the event of a crisis or emergency.

While “Sickness Care” has a place in the medical system for emergency treatments and crisis, it is a broken system for improving wellness, preventing disease and maintaining vital health. The problem in this country is that we've tried to extend health care into the "Sickness Care" model and it doesn't really fit. You cannot get true health from any drug treatment or surgery. At best, all you can ever do is prevent death, stop infection and get the body back to baseline living. When your body is in crisis, this is good! But for day-to-day, vital health, it can never work.

Genuine "Health Care", or, what keeps your body working at an optimal level to prevent disease and maintain energy, is what many people never get to experience after the age of 35, unless they apply vital lifestyle changes. If you want your body to work the way it did in your 20's and 30's, you must put back what you depleted from it for so many years. You must start on the inside.

Chiropractic care is a great start because it improves the nerve system, the essential and central control to everything in your body. By improving spinal function, strength and balance, your body functions, organs, muscles and energy level will improve and you will be ready to begin with the next lifestyle change: exercise and stretching. As the body is meant for motion, you must fuel it properly with proper nutrition, by reducing and eliminating white sugar, fast foods and chemicals and replacing them with whole foods, lean meats, fresh vegetables, fruit and complex carbohydrates. You must fortify your immune system and protect your body from environmental toxins and nutrient depleted foods with a liquid whole food that supplements your nutritional needs such as Body Balance. Finally, you must reduce stress in your life, such as getting out of bad relationships and surrounding yourself with positive, healthy people, like the Chiropractic First team, and getting the proper amount of rest you need to help your body stay well and recover from stress.

Our country has been led to believe that the insurance based system in place is “Health Care.” The reality is that it is “Sickness Care” covering medical crisis, infection and emergency medical situations. It is not designed to actually improve your health and prevent disease. Only the lifestyle changes mentioned above can care for and improve your health.

Both care systems are an important part of your overall health: “Sickness Care” for medical crisis and emergency and “Health Care” to maintain you optimum wellness and prevent disease. But know the difference and take responsibility and add them both into your lifestyle.

Yours in health,

Dr. Ken Savage and the Chiropractic First Team