The saga of my back injury continues. Not healing fast enough, I started hankering for a good Chiropractor. Note: I was not wishing for an AMA-licensed drug-pusher or knife-wielder as neither seemed the right prescription for what I am pretty confident is a badly bruised or squished disc and muscular-skeletal reaction to it.
I was much more interested in someone who would actually LISTEN to me rather than TELL me. I have plenty of experience with both types calling themselves “Doctor”. One can be quite useful, but the other is worse than useless as they are simultaneously annoying, incorrect and expensive.
Speaking of expensive… it will all be out of pocket for me (I’m one of THOSE that your presidente’ is trying to cure) … and my pockets aren’t deep. Not to put too fine a point on it, but $105 for an initial visit was, uh, uninspiring. “Oh, but it includes an X-Ray, exam and treatment plan.” I was very slowly working up to finding that in my budget when friends dropped by and tossed me a recommendation that got me to go right away.
Dr. Daniel Wolf, DC, runs a one-man show in a modest 3rd Street Hamilton store front. A great guy with a quick, easy laugh who shares my love of practical, pragmatic and good old common sense in things social, political and, happily, medical.
For example, I filled in what I considered to be the relevant portions of his new patient form. He didn’t even comment on the places I left blank… such as that number our government promised would NEVER be used for personal identification … and insurance-“NONE”, medicare-“NONE”.
He listened to my tale of how the injury came to be, and its progress since. He believed I knew what I was talking about. He did some poking, prodding and manipulation.
He used is X-Ray mind and X-Ray hands to figure it all out. Then began a treatment that I suspect already of heading my back in the right direction. He described things I should do regularly like the ice I’ve been using, but also some specific twisting, stretching, relaxing techniques.
He didn’t prescribe or predict the next step, the next visit, but said, “Call me Friday (two days away) and tell me how its going. Phone calls are always free. We can decide what to do from there.” Oh yeah, and the uninsured pensioner’s price: twenty bucks!
Here’s a guy that is good at what he does – and what he does is good… regardless of what the politicians and ruling elite do to their government sanctioned corporate medical monopoly that has far too few tools in their tool kit and a completely unsustainable business plan.
It is certainly possible that the disaster currently unfolding to the government takeover of mainstream medical could be the greatest thing to happen to health care in the USofA since the AMA climbed in bed with the rulers to put their competition [nearly] out of business.
Imagine their medical system, currently the 3rd leading cause of death in the USofA, losing their market share; their grip on our society. People who aren’t connected, not made-men, cannot or do not go to the AMA medicine man’s tent.
They go to chiropractors, herbalists, acupuncturist, nutritionists, masseuse, faith healers, and if we add in veterinarians, barbers and others free to do good, we can turn our backs on this monster they created. We can focus on an unapproved economy – a culture of delivering Health Care instead of practicing medicine.