Erickson Family Chiropractic in Richfield, WI

We are constantly being bombarded with news about the flu.  We are even being told that we should avoid handshakes.  Maybe we should just wrap ourselves in isolation bubbles and eleminate all direct contact with other human beings.  To me this is simply fear driven marketing.  Realistically the flu is a rather benign infection.  People rarely die from the flu.  The CDC says that approximately 36000 die annually from seasonal flu. The cdc has only 593 confirmed deaths as of Sept 10.  That may seem like a lot of people but that is out of a population of over 300,000,000.  That is less then  0.00019% of our population.  In my opinion there are a lot situations that pose a much greater threat to our countries well-being.  The amount of money that our country is spending fighting the flu seems ridiculous when you consider the real threat that it poses.  Believe it or not, our bodies are supposed to experience occasional sickness. 

There are easy ways to boost immune function.  Vitamin C, zinc, Vitamin D, increased fluid intake, reduce stress, exercise and get adjusted by a chiropractor.  Beware of a poorly tested mass-produced vaccination that may or may not be effective.  Make sure to cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze and stay home if you are sick.  Wash your hands routinely throughout the day.  These are simple things that you can do now that are proven to be effective in preventing the flu. 

Dr. Michael D. Erickson DC