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HOURS:
There will be regular hours for the month of March. Our next day off will be April 18th for Good Friday.
Dear Bright Light Chiropractic Family,
As we welcome March, a month dedicated to embracing healthier lifestyles, we're excited to share our latest newsletter filled with insights to support your well-being.
March is National Nutrition Month, a time to reflect on our dietary habits and make informed food choices. I think we can all agree that there is as profound a link between nutrition and overall health as there is between Chiropractic adjustments and overall health.
I'll touch on both of those in this month's articles. I'm also going to risk touching the third rail as I share Just The Facts about measles since I'm told that this is a hot button topic in the news cycle. I don't watch the news except for one news show a week called Thehighwire.com with Del Bigtree. I think that once a week is enough for 'the news' and I always check the sources for the information that I'm given. I think that's a good practice.
The Power of Vitamin D in Supporting Immune Health
Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin” because our bodies naturally produce it when exposed to sunlight. However, during the colder months, when daylight is limited and people spend more time indoors, vitamin D deficiency becomes more common. This essential nutrient plays a crucial role in maintaining a strong immune system, supporting bone health, and reducing inflammation, making it a vital component of overall well-being.
A well-functioning immune system relies on vitamin D to help regulate immune responses and defend against infections. Research has shown that individuals with sufficient vitamin D levels tend to experience fewer colds, flu cases, and respiratory infections. In fact, studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to a weakened immune response, making individuals more susceptible to illness. Ensuring optimal vitamin D levels can help your body stay resilient throughout the year.
Beyond immunity, vitamin D is essential for bone health, as it aids in calcium absorption and supports strong, healthy bones. Without adequate vitamin D, bones can become brittle, increasing the risk of fractures, osteoporosis, and other musculoskeletal issues. This is especially important for older adults, who are more prone to bone density loss. Additionally, vitamin D has been linked to improved muscle function and reduced inflammation, which may help alleviate joint and muscle pain.
Although some foods naturally contain vitamin D, dietary intake alone is often insufficient to meet the body’s needs. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are excellent sources, as well as fortified dairy products, egg yolks, and mushrooms. However, even with a well-balanced diet, many people, particularly those living in northern regions or with darker skin, struggle to maintain adequate vitamin D levels without supplementation.
Vitamin D supplements provide a convenient and reliable way to support overall health, particularly for individuals who receive limited sun exposure. Choosing a high-quality supplement ensures that your body gets the correct form of vitamin D for proper absorption and utilization.
To help you maintain optimal health, we’re offering 25-30% off high-quality vitamin D supplements through our partnership with FullScript. This is where I buy my Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D 25 (1000IU) that I take daily and have taken daily for the last 5 years. Take advantage of this opportunity to support your immune system, strengthen your bones, and enhance your overall well-being **. Click [here] to order your vitamin D and all your other supplements at a significant discount today and take a proactive step toward better health!
** This is where I need to put the disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated these claims. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Having said that, a quick search on PubMed will reveal 108,677 results with corresponding studies regarding Vitamin D that brought me to my conclusions. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=vitamin+D
The Benefits and Importance of Chiropractic for Maintenance of Health and Prevention of Dis-ease
When most people think of chiropractic care, they often associate it with pain relief, whether it’s for back pain, neck pain, or headaches. While chiropractic is highly effective in alleviating discomfort, its true power lies in maintaining overall health and preventing dis-ease by ensuring that the nervous system functions optimally.
Your nervous system controls every function in your body, from movement to digestion, immune responses, and even mental clarity. When the spine is misaligned (subluxated), it creates interference in nerve communication, reducing the body's ability to function at its highest potential. Over time, this interference can lead to imbalances that contribute to fatigue, poor digestion, weakened immunity, and overall decreased well-being, long before symptoms of disease appear.
Regular chiropractic adjustments correct spinal misalignments, allowing the nervous system to communicate freely with the body. This not only helps prevent pain but also enhances the body's natural ability to heal itself. Many patients report improvements in energy levels, better sleep, reduced stress, and a greater sense of overall vitality after receiving regular chiropractic care.
One of the most overlooked benefits of chiropractic is its role in prevention. We don’t wait for our teeth to rot before brushing them, and we shouldn’t wait for our bodies to break down before getting adjusted. By incorporating chiropractic care into your wellness routine, you’re giving your body the best opportunity to function at 100%, reducing the likelihood of developing chronic conditions down the road.
Chiropractic is not about treating disease; it's about restoring and maintaining balance in the body so it can work as God designed it to. When the spine is aligned and the nervous system is free of interference, the body has an incredible ability to adapt, repair, and thrive.
Whether you’re already feeling great or dealing with minor aches and pains, chiropractic care is an essential part of staying healthy and preventing dis-ease. If you haven’t had your spine checked recently, now is the perfect time to schedule an adjustment and keep your body functioning at its best. Your health is your greatest asset, invest in it today!
PS: Did you know that you get a $5 discount if your last visit wasn't more than a month ago? Get Back On Track. See you soon. -Dr. Jay
The Truth About Measles: Separating Fact from Fear
Measles is back in the headlines again, with media outlets warning of outbreaks and urging the public to be concerned. But how dangerous is measles really? Has the narrative around this once-common childhood illness changed over time? Let’s take a look at the actual statistics, historical context, and the truth about natural immunity.
Since I know that this can be a hot button topic, I'll just do as Joe Friday would have done in the show Dragnet and present "Just the facts Ma'am, just the facts with references" and allow you to formulate your own conclusion.
A Common Childhood Illness or a Crisis?
Decades ago, before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, measles was widely considered a mild and routine childhood illness. In fact, popular TV shows like The Brady Bunch (Season 1, Episode 13: “Is There a Doctor in the House?”) and The Flintstones depicted children getting measles as an inconvenience, not a deadly threat.
Upon watching these shows, it seems clear to me that there would have been a public outcry if the Brady Bunch or The Flintstones (a children's cartoon) made light of a deadly threat. It's also interesting to note that the Measles vaccine came out in 1963 yet the Flintstones episode was in 1961 and the Brady Bunch episode was in 1969.
Children would typically stay home for a few days, recover, and develop lifelong immunity. This is not to say complications never happened—just like with any illness—but the overwhelming majority of cases were mild.
What the Data Shows:
Measles deaths had already dropped by 98% before the vaccine was introduced due to improved sanitation, nutrition, and healthcare (CDC data, 1960).
From 1959-1962, before the vaccine was available, the CDC reported an average of 450 deaths per year out of 3-4 million measles cases in the U.S. – meaning a death rate of roughly 1 in 6,667 cases or 0.015% (CDC, "Vital Statistics of the United States").
By the time the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, measles was already on the decline due to improved public health infrastructure. (see the graphs from the American Journal of Public Health, 1962)
The Measles Mortality Rate: The Real Numbers
Today, the media often focuses on the number of cases rather than severity or actual deaths, leading to unnecessary fear. But let’s put this into perspective:
The estimated measles death rate before 1963 was about 1 in 1,000 people based on this source: (CDC, April 16, 2019). OR 1 in 6.667 or 0.015% based on the actual data from the CDC Vital Statistics of the United States from 1959-1962 (prior to the vaccine, see reference link above).
Before the vaccine, over 90% of children caught measles by age 15, and virtually all of them recovered fully with permanent immunity (American Journal of Public Health, 1962). Of interest look at the graphs from this study covering 1912-1959.
Severe complications were rare, and when they occurred, they were usually in people with underlying malnutrition or immune system deficiencies.
This paints a very different picture than the fear-driven messaging we often see today.
Natural Immunity vs. Vaccine Immunity
One major distinction that gets overlooked is the difference between natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity.
Natural immunity from measles is lifelong and provides robust protection, even being passed from mother to baby through breast milk. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8189124/
Vaccine-induced immunity wanes over time, requiring multiple booster shots. This is why vaccinated individuals can still get measles in outbreaks (Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics, 2021 Jan 27;17(7):2078–2084.)
In fact, outbreaks today often begin in highly vaccinated populations, showing that vaccination does not eliminate the disease entirely.
The Shift in Narrative: Why the Fear?
So, if measles was once seen as a routine and non-threatening illness, why is it now portrayed as a public health emergency? Several factors contribute to this shift:
Pharmaceutical Influence – Since vaccines are a multi-billion-dollar industry, fear-based messaging increases compliance with vaccine schedules Journal of Vaccines, 2024 Jun 12;12(6):653
Media Sensationalism – Fear sells. Headlines about “outbreaks” sound terrifying, but they rarely mention that the cases are mild and self-limiting. How The news media cause and cure an epidemic of fear.
Loss of Historical Context – Many younger generations never experienced measles firsthand, so they only hear about it through modern fear-based narratives.
Another Possibility
According to recent reports from people with "boots on the ground", this form of the measles is unlike anything from history. This virus appears to have become more virulent and remains just as contagious. There are many speculations but among the possibilities are that it's 1- affecting a population that has more toxins in the environment, 2- it is affecting a population that is not has healthy, 3- vaccination has pressured the virus to gain function and mutate to a more virulent strain, 4- based on recent history, this virus may have a laboratory origin. We can speculate all we want but we'll have to see what happens as time passes and we learn more about it.
Conclusion: Informed Decisions Based on Truth
Measles, for most healthy individuals, is not a life-threatening disease. It was once considered a common and benign childhood illness, with mild symptoms and lifelong immunity as the natural outcome. The dramatic shift in how measles is portrayed today is largely due to media and pharmaceutical narratives rather than a genuine change in its severity.
However, we should be mindful that if our child was the 1 in 1000 or 1 in 6,667 or even 1 in 500,000 deaths from the complications of measles, we wouldn't be as quick to acknowledge that it was a 'common and benign' disease. We should be respectful of parents' rights to make an informed decision about the risks and the benefits of vaccination and to make that difficult decision for their child.
Being informed means making decisions based on facts, not fear. Whether someone chooses vaccination or trusts in natural immunity, it should be a personal choice based on real data, not scare tactics.
If you’re interested in building a strong immune system naturally, focusing on proper nutrition, chiropractic care, adequate sleep, daily exercise, a positive mental attitude as being integral to a healthy lifestyle is the best defense against any illness although there is no approach which guarantees that we will be perfectly healthy indefinitely.
** Note that boots on the ground (medical doctors who have treated people with this form of the measles) in Texas have advised supportive care including fever reduction with fever reducers, taking down the inflammation in the lungs with a nebulizer using medication prescribed by the doctors and an antibiotic prescribed by the doctors to treat the pneumonia that they are seeing being related to the primary measles infection.
References & Sources: (all are hyperlinked where they are not, refer to the original article at https://mailchi.mp/dc5151f36ed0/march-2025-bright-light-chiropractic-newsletter)
-CDC, "Vital Statistics of the United States," 1960-1962 – www.cdc.gov
-American Journal of Public Health, 1962 – “Measles: A Historical Perspective”
-CDC, "Measles and Waning Immunity," 2023 – www.cdc.gov/measles
-The Brady Bunch, “Is There a Doctor in the House?” (1969) – IMDb
-1962 United States Vital Statistics
-1960 United States Vital Statistics
-Long-term immunogenicity after measles vaccine vs. wild infection: an Italian retrospective cohort study
-CDC Slideset for Measles Data and Statistics
-Message Effectiveness of Fear Appeals in Vaccination Communication Campaigns: A Systematic Review
-How the News Media Cause and Cure an Epidemic of Fear
OK, how about something to lighten the mood and bring a smile to your face?
And Now A Prayer for March
Heavenly Father,
As we step into the month of March, we thank You for the changing seasons and the promise of renewal that comes with them. Just as the earth begins to awaken from winter’s grasp, we ask that You awaken our hearts, minds, and bodies to Your healing presence.
Lord, we lift up every patient who walks through the doors of Bright Light Chiropractic. May Your hand be upon them, guiding them toward greater health, strength, and vitality. Bless their bodies with alignment, their minds with peace, and their spirits with joy. Let every adjustment not only bring balance to their lives but also serve as a reminder that You have designed our bodies to heal, restore, and function as You intended.
We pray for those struggling with pain, fatigue, or worry. Let them find rest in Your presence and trust in Your perfect plan. May this month be a time of renewal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Fill our hearts with gratitude for the gift of health and the ability to serve one another in love.
Father, we also ask for wisdom and discernment in caring for ourselves and our families. Guide us to make choices that honor the bodies You have given us, that we may be strong and equipped to fulfill the purpose You have placed before us. Let our lives reflect Your light, and may we be a source of encouragement to those around us.
In all things, we give You the glory and place our trust in You. We thank You for the blessings of today and the hope of tomorrow.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
May this month bring you health, peace, and abundant joy. Blessings to you all!
Dr. Jay Korsen & the Bright Light Chiropractic Team
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