The St Louis Chiropractor to see - Chiropractor St Louis

More Aspirin, Anyone?

They can be found in just about every medicine cabinet. Millions take them without a second thought. One a day is being recommended to prevent heart attacks! What are they? They are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

You may know these drugs, available without a prescription, by many different names. As a practice interested in natural health care solutions, we see two concerns that some of our patients overlook.

The first danger is from the adverse reactions to these drugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 75,000 people each year in the U.S. visit hospitals due to adverse reactions to these convenient, over-the-counter drugs. About 10% of those die. That may seem like a small danger for the convenient relief NSAIDs offer, unless you or a family member become a statistic!

We think an even greater danger is the philosophical implication of taking these drugs. Aches or pains that prompt their use are warning signs. Like flashing lights that we see when driving, warning signs are to be taken seriously. They protect us. They serve a purpose. Popping a couple of pills to silence our body's cry for change shows a profound disrespect for this miraculous, self-healing body we live in!

Worse, using NSAIDs often reflects the belief that being healthy is about how you feel. But numbing the "alarm bells" your body is sending doesn't make you healthy. You may fool your body but you're not fooling your children. What do you teach them when you take drugs to "feel better" or to make the pain of everyday living go away? How will you explain the difference between a "good" drug and a "bad" drug?

NSAIDs may be convenient. They may save time. They may even allow you to ignore your body for awhile. But there is a price to be paid. Maybe not with stomach bleeding, liver damage or some other side effect. But a price, nonetheless.

Instead of reaching into the medicine cabinet, reach for the phone and call us: (314) 647-8811. Let us find the underlying cause and reduce it with a program of safe and natural chiropractic adjustments that honor the wisdom of your body.