Newsletter: February 2004

• Dr. Larry's Reflections on Cuba
• The High Cost of Pain

Dr. Larry sits on the bed of Fidel Castro
at the Model Prison in La Isla de la Juventud.
Fidel's mug shot is in the background.

Dr. Larry's Reflections on Cuba

The 3 amigos pose in front of a chiropractic
poster at the policlinic.
(Note Dr. Larry's Ché Guevara shirt.)

Dr. Smith described the architecture and landscape of Havana Vieja (Old Havana) as truly magnificent. The rich history of the country is evident in "El Capitolio" and the "Morro Castle" but if one looks two meters to the left or right, he sees the harsh reality of Cuba. The buildings and roads of Havana are deteriorating, decaying and decomposing like an old osteoarthritic, osteoporotic spine. There are pot-holes and open manhole covers in the streets that can consume small children.

Dr. Larry and Dr. Jaime with the doctors,
nurses and staff at Policlinico uno in Nueva Gerona
on La Isla de la Juventud, Cuba.

The Cuban people--while desperately poor-- are generous and friendly, to a fault. They opened their homes and their hearts to Dr. Smith and shared everything they had to offer. They were patient and pleased to teach him about their culture and their language.

Many hours were spent with Dr. Jaime Serrano Junco (a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation) discussing chiropractic and health care. He has over 13 years of medical training and receives $20.00 (U.S.) per month salary. A strong supporter of chiropractic, Jaime has presented a conference about chiropractic care to his medical colleagues in Cuba. He stated that "the Cuban people need chiropractic because the results are fantastic. It is much faster and less expensive than traditional medicine for many neuromusculoskeletal problems." He also says that the reaction of his colleagues has been mainly positive. Many are very pro-chiropractic, some are neutral while a few are dead against it.

Dr. Smith also had numerous discussions with Dr. Gerard Belline, a fellow chiropractor from France. Dr. Belline operates two very successful clinics(one in France and one in Italy) and visited Cuba three times in 2003. Dr. Belline is sponsoring the restoration of a natural mineral springs in La Fe (on La Isla de la Juventud, Cuba) which used to be a physical therapy centre for Americans in the 1950's. His involvement in this project has prompted the Cuban government to become interested as well.

From left to right: Dr. Larry Smith,
Dr. Jaime Serrano Juncom and Dr. Gerard Belline

1. He feels confident that the Chiropractic Overseas Relief (CORe) project will re-open because of the tremendous success, popularity and support of the Cuban people.
2. He enjoyed learning to dance 'Cubano' to Latin American music.
3. After hours of passionate discussions with his newly acquired friends about Cuban national heroes Che Guevara, Jose Marti and Camillo Cienfuegos. Dr. Smith inquired why Fidel Castro is received with ambivalence. The answer: "That's because he isn't dead, yet.!";
4. He has fond memories of taking beautiful long, slow runs through Parque Lenin.
5. A new nickname. Dr. Smith grudgingly admits to being "lost several times during my stay in Cuba". Dr. Jaime affectionately dubbed him as "Hombre Perdido" ( Lost Man) .

The good news is that preventive care can significantly reduce pain-related expenses. Dr. Larry asks patients to spread the word about the hidden costs of pain by sharing the following startling information with their employers, co-workers, groups and friends.

The Monster Devouring the Corporate World

Economists and scientists are just now beginning to realize that industries have grossly underestimated the monstrous costs of lost productivity from workers in pain.

"Chronic pain had a larger impact on work performance than has previously been recognized", researchers in Australia determined after analyzing the data from 484 study participants. "When both lost workdays and reduced-effectiveness workdays were summed, an average of 16.4 lost workday equivalents occurred in a six-month period, approximately three times the average number of lost workdays (for non-pain reasons)." (Pain 2003; 103:41-7)

The following is a look at the types of pain experienced by those in the low-productivity group.

• Headache = 5.4 %
• Back Pain = 3.2 %
• Arthritis Pain = 2.0 %
• Muscle and Skeletal Pain = 2.0 %

Prevention Saves Bundles

Dr. Larry helps patients prevent pain and achieve optimal health. As holistic providers of health care, doctors of chiropractic encourage patients to adopt the chiropractic lifestyle, a way of life that focuses on preventing health problems, rather than merely masking symptoms with medication. This lifesyle centers on the correction of dysfunctional areas in the spine called vertebral subluxations. This common condition occurs when spinal movement is restricted or spinal bones (vertebrae) become misaligned.

Vertebral subluxations are linked with a myriad of pain-producing health concerns, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, backaches, sciatica, infantile colic and ear infections. Dr. Larry corrects vertebral subluxations with safe and gentle maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments.

Dr. Larry also offers prevention-oriented programs for local companies, (and other groups) including research-based seminars focused on preventing lost productivity due to pain. Please ask Nancy at the front office for details to share with your human resources person or your group coordinator.

We invite you to sign up for Dr. Larry's newsletter, which is sent out periodically with interesting new health information. When you click below an email will be generated, and then you simply press "send" on your email software.

Contact the office:
Dr. Larry Smith D.C., B.P.E.
Chiropractor

P.O. Box 307
255 Island Highway
Parksville, British Columbia
Canada V9P 2G5