TOTAL HEALTH Newsletter - Special Issue No. 5B
HEALTHVIEW NEWSLETTER NO. 13 (1977)
Heart Attacks: Techniques - Part 2
Sam Biser & Steven Lavitan, D.C.
Edited By Tom Harrelson (Revised 6/9/99)
"THIS TEST IS ONE OF THE BETTER INDICATORS OF THE HEART ATTACK DANGER ZONE, THAT I KNOW OF!"

HEALTHVIEW: As you describe it, this is a REMARKABLE and seemingly EASY Self-Test for the Heart Attack DANGER Zone, but how EFFECTIVE is it?
LAVITAN: With my LIMITED personal experience, it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to say how ACCURATE this Test is. I just don't know and frankly, the results, that I've seen do NOT qualify as RIGOROUS Scientific Proof. There's a GENUINE problem in "proving" something like this anyhow, since running a TRULY Scientific Test, the Doctor would have to do a "Double-Blind" Test, including a GOOD number of Patients, whose Left Thumb Pads were SORE!

In other words, the Doctor would have to use Patients, who were in a possible DANGER of a Heart Attack as Guinea Pigs and NOT take PROPER care of them, which obviously the DEDICATED Doctor would NOT want to DO!

HEALTHVIEW: Is that all you look for, a SORE Left Thumb Pad?
LAVITAN: NO, we, Doctors do NOT rely EXCLUSIVELY on that WARNING Sign! There are other WARNING Signs of a POSSIBLE Heart Attack. We always check them out--and look for confirmation--one way or the other--about the condition of our Patient's Health. There are two MAIN additional kinds of WARNING Signs, BOTH Physical and Psychological.

The Physical WARNING Signs involve problems with the Left Side of your Upper Torso. Two COMMON indicators are PAIN in the Left Shoulder and a STIFF Neck on the Left Side. ANY of these, by itself, doesn't mean much. However, if you also have PAIN or NUMBNESS, that is radiating up or down your Left Arm, it begins to look more SERIOUS! In addition, Chest PAINS and SHORTNESS of Breath may occur, and if they do, it's just 2 Indications of a POSSIBLE Heart Attack!
The Psychological WARNING Signs are very HARD to describe precisely, but they generally involve a rather INTENSE sense of NOT feeling WELL! You feel like ALL of your energy is DRAINED-OUT! It's also possible that you'll experience EXTREME ANXIETY and DEPRESSION, as well as a sense of IMMINENT DANGER!
If, on top of ALL of these symptoms, you feel FAINT, or have a Headache, or feel Nausea coming on, you should take Preventive Action IMMEDIATELY, because you may be on the VERGE of a SERIOUS Heart Attack!!
There are a few other ISOLATED WARNING Signs, that sometimes appear, so they're WORTH mentioning. One of them is that your fingernails turn Blue, while another is that you feel that you ABSOLUTELY have to sit up to breathe! This is a WARNING of an oncoming FAILURE on the RIGHT Side of your Heart, but if your Lips or Ear Lobes turn Blue, it's a WARNING Sign of an oncoming FAILURE of the LEFT Side of your Heart!
These last ISOLATED WARNING Signs are NOT so common and ANY of them may NOT be SIGNIFICANT by itself. But when they do appear together with the other WARNING Signs, they're particularly OMINOUS, because they show a TERRIBLE LACK of Oxygen!

HEALTHVIEW: I remember that Dr. Carey Reams mentioned that UNUSUAL Tension or Fatigue, but especially in the Morning, were also WARNING Signs.
LAVITAN: Yes. These symptoms are part of a general Psychological and Physical Malaise, that afflicts people in the Heart Attack DANGER Zone.

It's IMPORTANT to monitor these Psychological WARNING Signs, but don't get the idea though, that you're facing a Heart Attack EVERY time, that you're feeling down, since that's NOT the case at all! All of us feel depressed at ONE time or another, but that doesn't necessarily MEAN that we are on the VERGE of a Heart Attack.

HEALTHVIEW: Now, let's turn to what a person should do, if they are indeed in DANGER of an oncoming Heart Attack?
LAVITAN: They should seek Medical Help IMMEDIATELY! And in transit, they could work on the FLESHY part of their Left Palm. Remember, you can use this Procedure as often as you like or feel that you NEED to do it.

You should also spend at least 6 minutes a day, exercising your Heart, providing your Doctor approves. One particularly GOOD Exercise is BRISK Walking, because Walking STIMULATES your Heart and the Nerves, that regulate it!
Another related Step to do is to sit in a Rocking Chair and ROCK, which might sound ODD, but really isn't, because the GENTLE ROCKING Motion CALMS and SOOTHES the Nervous System!

HEALTHVIEW: What other Steps could a person take, if they're concerned about a Heart Attack and/or if one is IMMINENT?
LAVITAN: Well, they certainly should take every Step possible to make their breathing EASIER. If they make breathing EASIER, the Blood will be more OXYGENATED and the Heart will NOT have to work so HARD to supply Oxygen to the rest of the Body.

Step No. 1: When you're lying down to go to sleep, do NOT lie FLAT on your back, but be SURE to prop-up your Head and Upper Torso with several Pillows. Sitting up in Bed is so IMPORTANT, that FAILURE to do so could lead to CONGESTIVE Heart Failure! Most Cardiologists do this and in my opinion, this simple Step can drastically REDUCE the Death Rate after Heart Attacks.
NOTE: Please see Dr. Shute's book, "Vitamin E for Ailing and Healthy Hearts".

Step No. 2: This Step involves a particular Chiropractic Spine Adjustment, that is called the 5-10-2. It's named after the various Vertebrae, that are involved. This Adjustment releases the Gas trapped in the Intestines and Chest Cavity and makes it EASIER for you to breathe and EASIER for your Heart to BEAT! You'll probably get RESULTS, if you're anywhere within the area of the Contact Points, but if you FAIL to get RESULTS, then you should get some EXPERT Assistance!
NOTE: Please see Diagram No. 5.

Step No. 3: This Step involves LIFTING the Rib Cage. This sounds complicated--I know--but it's NOT! You just get your Fingers under the person's Rib Cage and lift up for 10 seconds. It sounds PAINFUL, but it's NOT, since NOT very much pressure is needed! Even so, this relaxes the Diaphragm and makes it EASIER for the person to catch his/her Breath and then breathe NORMALLY. It's a case of relaxing the Patient to REDUCE the overall Stress Load, not unlike loosening a TIGHT Necktie. Of course, be SURE to seek the NECESSARY Medical Assistance IMMEDIATELY!
NOTE: Please see Diagram No. 6.

"IF THE PSOAS MUSCLE IS IN SPASM, IT CAN PUT THE HEART UNDER GREAT PHYSICAL STRESS, REDUCING IT'S EFFICIENCY BY PERHAPS HALF!"

HEALTHVIEW: Are there any other recommendations?
LAVITAN: Just ONE MORE and this relates to the Psoas Muscles (pronounced "so is"). The Psoas Muscles run down from the middle of the Back to the outside of the Thighs on each side.
NOTE: Please see Diagram No. 7.

These Muscles are among the STRONGEST of all of the Muscles in your Body. They can pull with up to 1200 Pounds of tension per Muscle! If these are in SPASM, then they can pull down the Diaphragm. This stretches the Heart OUT-OF-SHAPE and obviously puts it under GREAT Physical STRESS, reducing it's EFFICIENCY by perhaps HALF!

Step No. 4: We NEED to stretch the Psoas Muscle with a SIMPLE Massage Technique.
NOTE: Please see Diagram No. 8.

I've now described 4 very USEFUL Techniques for helping a Heart Attack Victim and individually, each is quite GOOD, but together, you've got something that's EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE! In conjunction with ALL of these Techniques, a person should also use Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, which is taught by all of the Red Cross Chapters.
NOTE: Please see C.P.R..
"IF YOU NEED THIS INFORMATION JUST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, YOU'LL BE GLAD, THAT YOU KNEW WHAT TO DO!"

HEALTHVIEW: Are there any LIMITATIONS to these Methods?
LAVITAN: Your readers should understand that these Methods are NO Panacea, because there's NO SUBSTITUTE--and there NEVER will be--for taking CARE of your Health! Obviously, if you want to get WELL, you've got to eat WHOLESOME Foods, get REGULAR EXERCISE, PLENTY of REST, and so on!

NO sensible person would want to run themselves down and then RELY on these Methods to SAVE them at the LAST moment! But, let's fact it, regardless of how WELL you take CARE of yourself, you could STILL get struck down by a Heart Attack. For example, people have dropped DEAD of a Heart Attack SHORTLY after being pronounced in so-called "PERFECT" HEALTH! Your readers have to realize that a Heart Attack can occur--despite ALL of their PRECAUTIONS!
HEALTHVIEW: That's why it's so comforting to know, that if one does OCCUR, there is something you can fall back on to SAVE your life or the life of someone, whom you LOVE! One question though, just how RELIABLE are the Procedures, that you showed us?
LAVITAN: Frankly, I don't know. Although the results my fellow Chiropractors have gotten appear to be quite GOOD, we do NOT have ENOUGH experience yet to say how RELIABLE, that they are.
Conceivably, they could FAIL, since NO Method is 100% EFFECTIVE, but from what I've seen, I've been highly IMPRESSED!
For example, one case concerned a woman, who had a Heart Attack during Dinner. She suddenly became FRANTIC and cried out, "My Heart! My Heart!" One of the Dinner Guests raced to her side and DUG into her Left Thumb Pad; she cried out in PAIN--but he kept right on massaging her Thumb Pad for about 15 seconds and then he pounded on the Top of her Back. This brought BACK her Heartbeat CLOSE to NORMAL, which had almost STOPPED!
Then the Guest gave her the 5-10-2 Adjustment to relieve Gas, and it sure WORKED, because she started burping and passing ENORMOUS quantities of FOUL Gas from her Rectum and that relieved a LOT of internal pressure and she felt BETTER IMMEDIATELY afterward!
Finally, the guest went back and massaged her Thumb Pad for several more minutes--until he was SURE, that her Heartbeat was NORMAL! One hour later, the woman was sitting up in bed talking quietly to her guests, but as you'd expect, she was still feeling quite WEAK, but nevertheless, she was ALIVE, and that's what COUNTS!
Then there's another case, which--although NOT as dramatic--still shows how EFFECTIVE these methods can be. It was a woman, who had suffered from SEVERE Angina Pains, which occurred at least once a month. They were so AGONIZING, and came on so suddenly, that she always lived in FEAR of her NEXT Angina Attack!
She was on regular Medication, including Nitroglycerin, but it did NOT really STOP the Attacks or do away with ALL of the PAIN! A colleague of mine examined her and spent 10 minutes doing the Procedures, that I've shown you. That was a 1 1/2 years ago, and she hasn't had a SINGLE Heart Attack, since that 1st Adjustment!
It's cases like this, that tell me, that we've really got some POWERFUL Techniques here, which EVERYONE should KNOW about, but which you may NEVER have to use! I really HOPE, that you DON'T, but then if you need it just ONCE in your life, you'll SURE be GLAD, that you KNEW what to DO!!
I wish I could tell you, that ALL of the Cases would be as SUCCESSFUL as this and that these Methods will ALWAYS work, but our research is in such an early stage, that it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to make such a statement! But then after all, there are over 1 million people a year getting Heart Attacks, so that we are HARDLY in a position to IGNORE ANYTHING,that could really HELP!

HEALTHVIEW: Thanks very much, Dr. Lavitan!!

To see Part 3, please GO TO > Special Issue No. 5C - HEART ATTACKS: Part 3 - Test & Techniques (Diagrams)
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