A week ago, Tylenol was being discussed by the Health and Human Services Secretary and our president as a likely reason for the uptick in autism spectrum disorders. The problem, if you read my post a few days ago, was the evidence they used to support the idea that this is the reason so many people are now being diagnosed with the disorder. As most doctors do not want their patients to take any medication while pregnant, the likelihood of Tylenol and Autism being related is remote. The missed opportunity for the MAHA movement. MAHA is an acronym that stands for Make America Healthy Again. The idea suggests that if we eat better, exercise regularly, and adopt healthier habits, we will experience fewer health problems. While some food colorings and chemicals used as insecticides may be harming us, and fluoride in the water may or may not be beneficial, the Tylenol conversation overlooks the harm caused, and it has little to do with autism. When we look around the world, the United States citizens consume more drugs than any other country does, according to World Population Review. Opioid use was and is more of an American problem due to pain and the lack of access to better solutions to why we hurt, which we have in the USA. Tylenol is a symptom of our willingness to take a pill vs. getting appropriate care for our painful problems. While this medication, NSAIDS, and other pain medications. Long-term use of medications is known to damage the kidneys, liver, and other organs, while our bodies are also mechanically damaged over time. Chronic pain is caused by medication use that has no curative value. The chronic pain epidemic is caused by drugs like Tylenol, which are readily available. This should have been the MAHA movements discussion, not Autism, which has causes, the least of which is probably linked to Tylenol usage. Most medical providers lack the training or understanding of how the musculoskeletal system works, and wouldn’t recognize it when they say it because they only consider 45% of the body, which are our organ systems. 55% of the body consists of the musculoskeletal system, and all the systems communicate through the fascia, nervous system, hormonal systems, and other systems we hardly understand yet. Our healthcare system is a mess, and that mess is worsened when people develop chronic problems such as back pain and damaged knees, hips, and other joint issues because the medical doctors know so little. When doctors do not know, they test. Better care would reduce most cases of arthritic knees, hips, shoulders, necks, spines, and even extremities if the problems were addressed years prior. The one profession that does know how to improve these outcomes is the Chiropractic profession. So many medical providers do not refer regularly to the profession and instead keep patients in-house so they do not lose the business. Often, to prevent patients from going to chiropractors, they scare them with the idea that visiting a chiropractor may damage something. As I pointed out to one patient recently who had a similar tactic used, I told her our malpractice insurance is about 2k per year. I said, “Ask your doctor what his premium is, and this is based on safety.” The irony here is that bad advice affects how we move months and years later. It is hard to be healthy without physical fitness, which is part of what the MAHA movement wants to see improve in our American populace. The truth is, I every doctor is a public servant. We work for the patient, but often, it does not seem that way. Better care earlier on in life may reduce the need for surgeries, injections, knee and hip replacements later on, but this is in line with keeping us healthy, while reducing the costs and risks in healthcare. Perhaps, the MAHA movement may realise that keeping America Healthy requires keeping them drug-free and mobile. This must include chiropractic care, the one profession that is performing primary care for the musculoskeletal system. They are even second-guessing drug ads on television, which I support. Openly supporting reducing the cost for musculoskeletal care for chiropractors and other providers of musculoskeletal care. Rewarding providers for results rather than procedures would make sense as part of MAHA. Insurers are a huge part of the problem, as people wait and become chronically ill due to high deductibles and copayments. This is short-sighted, and this approach is costing us more yearly in premiums. Medicare still does not fully cover doctors of chiropractic, but less effective and more expensive care that can cause risk to older patients is fully covered. Covering chiropractic care fully to the extent of their state license would improve chiropractic access and cost for older Americans and is in line with the MAHA idea. Fortunately, seeing a chiropractor is more affordable than you would think. Life is full of choices. The Health and Human Services Secretary and our president may have missed an opportunity to address the epidemic caused by medication instead of appropriate care, but you don’t have to. Think Chiropractic first. Think holistic, natural care that is healthy for us. Need help today? Book online. Check out this recent article from the American Chiropractic Association on how you can stay healthy and drug-free for a better quality of life.