Issaquah Chiropractic Blog

Ideal Protein, Back Pain, anything....If you fail to plan....You plan to fail!

2012-01-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since my last comments on dieting and I wonder how my weight maintainers are doing. I have been looking at the research on weight maintenance and it is a bit frustruating. The ultimate goal of the successful wieght maintainer should be a healthy relationship with food, regular but enjoyable moderate exercise, and a feeling of empowerment that you can make the right choices and remain at a healthy weight. (The same applies to former back pain sufferers, hopefully you have been empowered to understand how you developed back pain and how to avoid it.) I would love to know our effect as clinicians either way if you wouldn't mind. I would like to share a hopeful article that stresses that steeling yourself for a challenge and anticipating that it will be difficult to achieve your goals actually helps people to do better. The second article deals with the vicious cycle many people find themselves on when it comes to their weight. Please don't be depressed by it but use this information to recognize that your attempts are a difficult challenge that you should acknowledge, in order to have the strength to keep fighting and to understand that many, many people face the same challenges. And don't underestimate the power of habits! We are creatures of habit. Rely on your healthy fallback dinners in times of stress, plan your weekly meals on Sundays(and do your shopping), schedule time for yourself, if its back pain, know your weak points and practice postural awareness, most important....have a plan ...any plan....don't wait until you are ravenous and then just grab whatever is the closest thing. Anyway, read these articles....they are interesting.....and let me know how you are doing. We welcome people to begin Ideal Protein again with no start-up fees, just to get back on track with your healthy lifestyle.

[Acknowledge Your Obstacles - Here’s a counterintuitive little piece of goal wisdom: “Women who imagined that the path to weight loss would be easy lost an average of 24 pounds less than those who imagined themselves having a hard time resisting temptation,” Halvorson tells us.
Fascinating. And it’s not just a fluke in a single study.
“[Gabriele] Oettingen [PhD] and her colleagues have found the same pattern when looking at students in search of high-paying jobs after college, at single individuals looking to form lasting romantic relationships, and at seniors recovering from hip replacement surgery. No matter who they are and what they are trying to do, we find that successful people not only have confidence that they will eventually succeed, but are equally confident that they will have a tough time getting there.”
This is a really Big Idea. I’ve read a lot of goal-setting and general self-development books, and I can’t remember reading one that referenced these studies — perhaps because people don’t like to hear that reaching their goals will be challenging. But apparently, acknowledging likely obstacles is an important element in improving our chances for success.
So grab your pen and paper again and jot down some of the obstacles you suspect you’re going to face on your way to your No. 1 challenging goal.
If you’re already well aware of the obstacles, but lack confidence in your ability to succeed, Halvorson has advice for you: “If you believe that you are having a hard time reaching your goal because you lack the necessary ability, and that you can’t do much to change that . . well, there’s no way to put this nicely: You are wrong. Effort, planning, persistence and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed.”]
http://experiencelife.com/article/succeed-how-we-can-reach-our-goals/

[The Fat Trap By TARA PARKER-POPEFor 15 years, Joseph Proietto has been helping people lose weight.When these obese patients arrive at his weight-loss clinic inAustralia, they are determined to slim down. And most of the time, he says, they do just that, sticking to the clinic’s program and dropping excess pounds. But then, almost without exception, the weight begins to creep back. In a matter of months or years, the entire effort has come undone, and the patient is fat again. “It has always seemed strange to me,” says Proietto, who is a physician at the University ofMelbourne. “These are people who are very motivated to lose weight,who achieve weight loss most of the time without too much trouble and yet, inevitably, gradually, they regain the weight.” Anyone who has ever dieted knows that lost pounds often return, and most of us assume the reason is a lack of discipline or a failure of willpower. But Proietto suspected that there was more to it, and he decided to take a closer look at the biological state of the body after weight loss.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?pagewanted=all
--

Low Carbohydrate Diets will save your life!

2011-12-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

I feel like shouting this information from the rooftops, kicking the media, and shoving it down the throats of general medicine and dieticians. This is not up for debate at this stage of the research.....high carbohydrate diets are killing Americans.

Don't let the healthy, whole grain, all fruit smoothie marketers mislead you anymore. All carbohydrates...breads, rice, smoothies, sweets and treats, milk, etc.. turn to simple sugars in the body. Only a small amount of these sugars can be used in the brain and stored in the muscles, all the rest turns into fat!!!! Consider the health food stalwart Grape-nuts. With 47 grams of carbs per half cup, take away 5 grams of dietary fiber, add a few grams of carbs with your milk, maybe a glass of OJ at 20+ grams of carbs, and you have had a "healthy" breakfast that has more sugar than a milkshake or a donut and is guaranteed to add fat to your body. And who eats just a 1/2 cup of cereal. Now imagine following that up with a latte at 20+ grams of carbs, then a typical lunch...two slices whole grain bread with filling 40 grams of carbs, chips 25 grams of carbs, if you stick to one portion size, maybe a piece of fruit 15 grams of carbs, god-forbid a real soda at 39 grams of carbs per can. I am describing what many people would condsider generally healthy eating and you have ingested nearly twice the carbs you should have safely in an entire day...and you have not even had your afternoon snack yet.

Please read the following article comparing low carb calorie restriction for reducing cancer risk and encouraging weight loss vs. calorie restriction alone. There are many, many other studies like this! Don't let the marketing fool you any longer. http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SABCS/30148

Who could say it better than Deepak Chopra

2011-10-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

The attached article is absolutely fabulous for its forthright explanation of the epidemic of back pain in our country. The huge increase in expenditures for advanced imaging, prescription painkillers, and surgeries have not paid off. They have left us with dramatically increased prescription drug addiction and continued suffering.

There is no longer any doubt.....conservative care and prevention are the only prescription you need for health. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/meaning-behind-back-pain_b_992322.html?ir=Yahoo

Avoiding back pain in the car - Medicine Net article

2011-05-30T22:16:00.001-07:00

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=144882

In addition to this advice, take a look at your posture. If you have deviations from normal - see previous posture blogs - be sure you are not exacerbating the problem.

If you have a shift or translation to the right in your posture, don't lean on the console. Instead lean on the driver's side door.

If you have hip pain, don't let your gas pedal leg twist and contort for long periods of time. Take the time to adjust your seat to an appropriate position.

Don't overlook the power of ICING while on the road. Remember your ice packs and you will virtually guarantee a pain free arrival.

Finally, ask your Chiropractor to take a look at your driving set-up critically, taking your individual posture into account. We never mind stepping out of the office a minute to do this. We want our patients to have a great summer road trip.........or really, just commute pain-free.

Don't trust your health to this...........trust your health to prevention! WSJ -article on drug companies bribery

2011-05-02T20:56:00.001-07:00

http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/

Drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. is in advanced discussions with the SEC to resolve an investigation into potential violations of a U.S. law prohibiting bribery of foreign officials, the company said.

The Indianapolis-based company's disclosure...comes three weeks after health-care giant Johnson and Johnson agreed to pay more than 70 million to settle U.S. and U.K. allegations that it paid bribes to doctors in three European countries, as well as kickbacks to Iraq to illegally obtain business under former leader Saddam Hussein.

U.S. authorities have stepped up enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials to obtain or retain business.

ADHD - Why not try dietary testing first. WebMD

2011-03-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

A recent ADHD study is very exciting news. Researchers have determined that ADHD can be successfully treated in children by modifying their diets. This treatment, which is said to dramatically change children's behavior, has no side effects. Side effects of the current standard, Ritalin, include stunting of growth among others. Read both articles below.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/20/health/webmd/main3082458.shtml
Ritalin Stunts Growth - Research shows that after three years on ADHD medications, kids are shorter and lighter than peers.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/12/134456594/study-diet-may-help-adhd-kids-more-than-drugs
Teachers and doctors who worked with the children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. "In fact they were flabbergasted," the lead researcher says.

This article is also very good because the lead researcher, Dr. Lidy Pelsser of the ADHD Research Centre of the Netherlands makes an important statement. "ADHD, it's just a couple symptoms....it's not a disease." She indicates, when you see these symptoms you should be looking for the underlying cause. Her study, published in The Lancet, attributes the underlying cause to environmental factors, specifically hypersensitivity to certain foods in 64% of cases. This is an important distinction for parents to consider, coming from such an esteemed source. If your child were in pain you would look for the underlying cause. According to Dr. Pelsser, behavioral issues require the same approach.

Being healthy is a revolutionary act!

2011-02-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-carbs-20101220 http://www.drbriffa.com/2009/07/24/does-the-atkins-diet-cause-heart-disease/ http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=124360 http://www.experiencelifemag.com/issues/january-february-2011/wellness/being-healthy-is-a-revolutionary-act-renegade-perspectives-for-thriving-in-a-mixed-up-world.php
I am disgusted by the dietary mis-information in our society and feel it is negatively impacting our kids. I believe the public's confusion is because they are not aware that there are two main camps in the diet industry, both trying to influence government policy. There are the American Dietetic Association who have the calorie in-calorie out, check and balance ideology, along with the low fat, low calorie approach to diet they espouse. On the other hand are the low carb diets of various types; high protien, high fat, high protein-high fat, adequate protein-low glycemic, etc.... After extensive reading for my own edification and to care for my children, I am fully on the side of the low carb diet and low carb lifestyle! The low fat, low calorie craze is clearly not working with more than 60% of our population overweight and obese, but more importantly, it leaves too much room for confusion about what is healthy. The labels of many incredibly unhealthy foods are massaged into being full of low-fat, whole grain goodness. In reality, kids and adults should have 15-20gr of protein with every meal, fill half their plates with vegetables, include no more than 1o0 -120 gr of carbohydrates per day (no more than 40 gr per meal, preferably from fruit, high fiber, and whole grain sources), and don't worry about fat, except trans-fat. If this diet is combined with moderate exercise 3-4 times per week it is a recipe for a healthy life. And from now on, when McDonalds is trying to sell you on an All Fruit Smoothie with 75gr of carbs, choose the Ice Cream cone instead. It has one third the sugar, more protein, and at least they know they are getting a treat. By the way, those carbs are most of what kids would need in an entire day. This is not about kids getting fat, it much more serious. Due to obesity, our children are the first generation that may not live as long as their parents. I hope this has piqued your curiosity enough to do a little more reading.

Three causes of your neck and back pain and how to prevent them.

2011-02-04T22:22:00.000-08:00

Increased curve in the upper back: This position can cause everything from neck pain and headaches to upper back pain, lower back pain, decreased respiratory capacity (you like to breathe, right?), and shoulder, arm, and wrist problems. Overall, individuals with this posture suffer from lowered energy or fatigue. This posture is absolutely preventable or correctable in most people. You can start by avoiding slouching; your ear should always be aligned over your shoulder and your shoulder over your hip. Then you can move into stretching the upper back frequently; including lying backward on an exercise ball, stretching your chest by holding onto a door frame and letting your body pass through, and working your core to keep better alignment. Avoid or look for alternative positions in activities involving significant amounts of flexion. Maybe you could read a book or work your laptop lying on your stomach. Perhaps position your car seat so that your head is in constant contact with the head rest. These small changes can have big benefits over your lifetime.

2) Translation to the side: This position results in the normal center of gravity shifting over to one side. Often it is accompanied by sharp pain right above the hip on the side you shift toward, and you may also experience tightness and muscle spasms on the side you are shifted away from, as those muscles go into overdrive trying to pull you back to center. The long term consequences include increased weight-bearing and wear down through the hip and knee on one side, reduced capacity for rotation, and decreasing balance. Though this position may be due to auto accidents or injuries, long term one-sided sports conditioning, asymmetrical work duties such as working at a grocery store and always shifting over to grab items, or even receptionists who hold the phone to one ear can create these abnormal chronic postures. You will need professional help to correct this but can attempt to mitigate the damages by paying careful attention to your form when working out, working, and doing one-sided activities like shoveling or raking. When possible, always attempt to work both sides of your body equally.

3) Anterior head carriage: Just as holding a bowling ball close to your chest is much easier than holding it away from your body, your muscles struggle to hold your head upright when it juts forward. This position fatigues your muscles, causes headaches, and limits your ability to breathe deeply. Avoid this condition by keeping your ears over your shoulders. Common contributors include; sleeping with too many pillows, poor computer work position, and slumping during your commute.

5 simple ways to help your child avoid backpack related injuries. Banic Chiropractic Clinic

2010-11-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

In a recent study, 84% of children reported discomfort and pain in the shoulders, lower back, upper back and neck from using a backpack. Injuries and bad habits from childhood can set one up for a lifetime of back pain. Here are 5 simple ways to help your child avoid backpack related injuries.

1. Buy the smallest pack that will fit the items to be carried and the child.

2. Backpacks should carry no more than 15% of the child’s body weight. For the average child, in the 40 to 100 lb. weight range, that is only 6 to 15 lbs. of load. A single text book weighs 4lbs.

3. The weight should be as close to the body as possible, stack the heavier items to the inside.

4. The backpack MUST be worn over both shoulders; cinch up the straps so the pack rests in the curve of the lower back, and use a waist belt if possible.

5. Putting the backpack on and taking it off are when most injuries occur. It is these same motions of lifting while bending and twisting that frequently injure adults. It is important to create healthy lifting habits while young.

a) The child should keep the pack as close to the body as possible when taking it on and off.

b) When lifting the pack, squat down and lift with the legs while keeping the back straight.

c) Putting in one shoulder while the pack is on the floor and then lifting and twisting the body simultaneously is a recipe for pain.

d) Dropping the pack back off both shoulders while arching the back is similarly risky.

Following these simple preventative strategies should help to keep your child on the path of wellness.

Chiropractic adjustments are healthy for kids. Watch Video

2010-11-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

To read content regarding the benefits of chiropractic adjustments for children, search this blog with the term Kids, or visit http://issaquahchiropractor.blogspot.com/2010/04/chiropractic-treatment-of-developmental.html

Celebrities caught with bad posture - if chronic it will be much worse than a bad picture - pain and dysfunction will result.

2010-10-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Forward head posture - related to headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel, respiratory weakness and bad pictures.

11 Tips to picking your perfect mattress - Banic Chiropractic Clinic Issaquah, WA

2010-10-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

1. Newer mattresses perform better no matter what the category. Multiple studies have indicated that some 70% of individuals who have replaced their mattress for any reason find that a newer mattress is better. This does not depend on mattress type or cost.

2. Body-conforming foam, air and water were rated best. In studies that did compare mattress types, the foam mattress (Tempur), air mattress, latex mattress, or water mattress usually prevailed over spring-type or cotton mattresses in reducing pain and improving sleep and function.

3. Firm is not better. Though I have heard multiple health-care professionals recommend firm beds, studies indicate on a scale from 1(hard) to 10(soft), patients with medium-firm mattresses (5.6) had less daytime low-back pain, pain while lying in bed, and pain on rising than did patients with firm mattresses (2.3).

4. Cheap beds are related to low back pain. In a comparison that discussed bed cost, subjects recorded back and shoulder pain, sleep quality, and comfort after a month in their own beds and then in new medium-firm bedding systems. The new beds improved all areas of measure. The study found that low back pain was significantly more prominent in those sleeping on the cheapest category of new beds.

5. Test the mattress in your recommended sleep position. There are a myriad of health conditions related to sleep position, and in most of these, lying on the back is the least preferred position. In fact, in a recent study of positional sleep apnea, which makes up 53.8% of all sleep apneas, they found that sleeping on the side instead of the back could reduce waking incidents as much as a prescription CPAP machine. Most other studies on individuals with medical conditions recommend side sleeping for improved health, unless shoulder problems are prevalent. There are no recommendations for healthy asymptomatic individuals to change their preferred sleep position.

6. Apparently no flip mattresses just result in half the life to the mattress. Similarly, pillowtops are very controversial. They are blamed for early indents and lumpiness on multiple mattress types. Websites suggest getting a mattress that can be flipped, with the level of softness you find comfortable and add accessories such as a washable or memory foam mattress topper later if preferred.

7. If you weigh more, expect to spend more to get a mattress that is known for durability. Of the body-conforming type mattresses, latex is described as the most durable, but it is the most expensive. Of the spring-type, you will have to investigate not only the number of coils but also the gauge of the wire thickness that is used.

8. Your attitude is important. In an interesting hotel study, surveys were used to assess sleep quality. Guests were randomly assigned to the old bed or new mattresses of three different qualities and prices. All three of the new beds were favored to the old. The individuals most negatively affected by the old mattress were those traveling for professional reasons and those with chronic low back pain or sleep disturbances.

9. Accessories can make a difference. In the management of waking cervical pain, and to improve sleep quality and pillow comfort in the side sleeping position, rubber pillows performed better than subjects' own pillow in most instances. Subjects' own pillow performed similarly to foam and polyester pillows, and there is no evidence that the use of a foam contour pillow has advantages over the regular shaped pillows in the side-lying position. Feather pillows should not be recommended. Side sleepers will also benefit greatly from placing a pillow between the knees to reduce hip strain. Specialized pillows are made for this purpose. Back sleepers may benefit from the support of a contour pillow and may also find placing a pillow behind the knees to be comfortable.

10. Sleep trials are the only recommended way to buy a mattress. The stores are accustomed to customers spending a great deal of time on the beds to test this major investment. Visit the store, bring your sleep accessories, lie in your preferred sleep position, and take a nap. Then, pay attention to how you feel when you get up.

11. Get a great deal - According to Consumer Reports, haggling for a mattress is common and buying mattress at half off the sticker price is not unheard of. Visit consumer reports for further recommendations, or buy from one of their top-rated stores, right here in Issaquah, COSTCO.

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2008 Apr 1;33(7):703-8. Better backs by better beds? Bergholdt K, Fabricius RN, Bendix T.
Appl Ergon. 2008 Mar;39(2):247-54. Epub 2007 Jun 26. Grouped comparisons of sleep quality for new and personal bedding systems. Jacobson BH, Wallace TJ, Smith DB, Kolb T.
Schmerz. 1999 Jun 11;13(3):205-7. Associations between back pain, quality of sleep and quality of mattresses. Double-blind pilot study with hotel guests. Enck P, Walten T, Traue HC.
Lancet. 2003 Nov 15;362(9396):1599-604. Effect of firmness of mattress on chronic non-specific low-back pain: randomised, double-blind, controlled, multicentre trial. Kovacs FM, Abraira V, Peña A, Martín-Rodríguez JG, Sánchez-Vera M, Ferrer E, Ruano D, Guillén P, Gestoso M, Muriel A, Zamora J, Gil del Real MT, Mufraggi N.
Ergonomics. 2002 Sep 15;45(11):798-815. Physiologic responses during rest on a sleep system at varied degrees of firmness in a normal population. Lahm R, Iaizzo PA.
J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2010 Oct;19(7):989-93. Epub 2010 Jul 24. Subacromial pressures vary with simulated sleep positions. Werner CM, Ossendorf C, Meyer DC, Blumenthal S, Gerber C.
Man Ther. 2009 Dec;14(6):671-8. Epub 2009 May 7.Pillow use: the behaviour of cervical pain, sleep quality and pillow comfort in side sleepers. Gordon SJ, Grimmer-Somers K, Trott P.
Swiss Med Wkly. 2004 Sep 18;134(37-38):543-51. The role of body position and gravity in the symptoms and treatment of various medical diseases. Martin-Du Pan RC, Benoit R, Girardier L.
Harefuah. 2009 May;148(5):304-9, 351, 350. The significance of body posture on breathing abnormalities during sleep: data analysis of 2077 obstructive sleep apnea patients] Oksenberg A, Arons E, Greenberg-Dotan S, Nasser K, Radwan H.
J Clin Sleep Med. 2010 Jun 15;6(3):238-43.Comparison of positional therapy to CPAP in patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea. Permut I, Diaz-Abad M, Chatila W, Crocetti J, Gaughan JP, D'Alonzo GE, Krachman SL.

Headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel, breathing dysfunction - 6 reasons to reduce forward head posture NOW!

2010-10-20T15:33:00.001-07:00

The weight of the average head is 12 pounds. Every inch the head shifts forward, the work of the neck muscles is increased by an additional 12 pounds.* This shift away from normal posture causes muscles to work much harder, zaps your energy, and leads to;

Headaches – Increase in magnitude of head forward posture results in;
Increase in headache frequency
Decrease in neck range of motion
Decrease in neck muscle strength and endurance

Carpal Tunnel – Increase in magnitude of head forward posture causes;
Increase in carpal tunnel symptoms of pain, numbness, and dysfunction
Altered nerve dynamics in response to moving other joints
Decreased function in nerves that supply the arm and hand

Shoulder Pain – Increased forward head posture, and rolled forward shoulders
Decrease in shoulder and neck range of motion
Caused local changes to blood supply
Increase risk of shoulder and arm pain

Respiratory Function – Increase in magnitude of forward head posture is correlated to;
Decreased respiratory muscle strength
Decreased maximal voluntary ventilation

Neck Pain – Increase in magnitude of forward head posture is correlated to;
Increased chronic neck pain
Increased disability from neck pain

AND…….IT LOOKS TERRIBLE!

(Kapundji, Physiology of Joints; Vol. 3)

Prevention is KNOWING when you have a risk factor for disease and CORRECTING where you deviate from normal. Are you at risk for pain?

2010-10-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Preventative health is about managing your risk factors; all the ways you deviate from normal measures. Normal posture is the upright posture that requires the least energy to maintain. Even small shifts away from normal significantly increase the work your muscles must do as you go through your normal activities of living. Over your lifetime, this weakens the body and leads to disease.
The image above represents where the centers of body mass vertically align with gravity, note where the red line intersects the body. Deviation from normal can occur by bending to the sides or shifting forward or back. 9 steps to observing posture:

1. Have the subject close their eyes, nod the head up and down, and march in place.

2. Have the subject stop with their eyes closed, feet facing forward, as if looking to the horizon.

3. Observe the head from the front – is the face turned to the right or left?
-are the eyes level or is the head tilted toward the shoulder?
-is the chin over the center of the chest where the clavicles meet?

4. Observe the chest from the front – are the shoulders / chest turned to the right or left?
-is one shoulder higher than the other?
-is the upper body centered over the pelvis or is it shifted off of center?

5. Observe the hips from the front or back – are the hips twisted away from where the feet point?
-are the hips shifted, with more weight over one of the feet?
-does one leg look shorter? (this can only be determined by X-ray)

6. Observe the head from the side – is the ear in front of the shoulder? How far?

7. Observe the upper back from the side – is it humped? Are the shoulders rolled forward?
-is the upper body shifted forward as if more weight is on the toes?
-is the upper body shifted back in the classic teenager slump?

8. Observe the hips from the side – are they shifted forward or back over the feet?

9. Repeat steps above – Study after study, have demonstrated that an individual’s neutral resting posture is unique, repeatable, and reveals risk factors for disease.

What is wellness? Using simple proven methods to improve your health over a lifetime, and looking great is the bonus.

2010-10-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

There are many many reasons to work to maintain great posture over your lifetime. Though a dramatic improvement in your long-term health is compelling, for many people thier motivation is looking younger and more attractive.

"Common" low back pain procedure is anything but. NPR

2010-07-27T21:53:00.001-07:00

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/07/26/128768735/common-practice-may-prolong-pain-for-arthritic-sufferers

This article is striking in that it describes what should be a totally uncommon procedure. They are basically recommending that with chronic back pain of HOW LONG duration I would wonder, they can just zap the nerves with a little radio frequency and zap you are better. They are talking about obliterating the nerves which are required to send signals to your brain that problems are occurring in the body. Your brain uses this information to fine tune motion and in many other ways. In addition, muscles around the spine can become atrophied with this procedure further reducing motion control thus increasing odds of injury. And also, damage in the sensory dorsal root ganglia can cause repetitive random firing in end organs and tissues those nerves supply. As always, I will say again, please try conservative chiropractic treatment before undergoing any surgical or permanent invasive procedure.

WebMD reports: Exercise May Buffer Effects of Stress - Banic Chiropractic Blog

2010-05-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

Exercise May Buffer Effects of Stress

[So another study that details exactly how little exercise is required to achieve a high level of function and health. Even the most reluctant exerciser should be able to manage 75 to 150 minutes a week. I'm doing it with two young kids, join me at Bally's 9:30am M,W,F without fail!]

In the study, 63 healthy older women were divided into an inactive group and an active group, based on their exercise levels over a three-day period. Many of the women were highly stressed caregivers for spouses or parents with dementia. The women in the inactive group who reported high stress levels had shorter telomeres; the active women in the high-stress group did not have shorter telomeres.

“People know stress is bad for the heart and makes you look tired and haggard and makes us more vulnerable to infections,” Puterman says. “And there is so much accumulating evidence that links stress to health, so to show that there is something we can do when we are stressed that can delay or buffer the impact is exciting.”

As far as a stress-busting exercise prescription goes, Puterman says that the CDC recommendation of 75 minutes of vigorous activity or 150 minutes of moderate activity, plus weight-bearing exercise every week for adults, will suffice.

“That is a great prescription in my mind,” he says.

Herbal Supplements Often Have Contaminants, Study finds

2010-05-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

Herbal Supplements Often Have Contaminants, Study finds

[Because our general patient demographic is the health and wellness crowd, people are often surprised that as chiropractors, we do not sell vitamins and supplements at Banic Chiropractic Clinic. There are just so many issues similar to that described below with anything you eat or drink. I am even afraid of Italian olive oil after recent stories about toxic waste dumping by mafia in the Italian countryside (Trader Joes has great, cheap olive oil from California). I guess I am posting this as a warning and I can not currently make recommendations regarding which supplements are the best quality. I have to take the time to figure it out soon, as my 2 and 5 year olds take multi's and gummy omega 3.]

Half of the nation’s adult population takes vitamin supplements regularly, and about a quarter take herbal supplements at least occasionally. Annual sales are about $25 billion a year, and the growing popularity has led to an increasing number of imported supplements spiked with illegal drugs.

In 1994, Congress passed legislation that allowed supplement makers to sell products without first getting approval from the F.D.A. for their ingredients or for basic health claims. But scientific organizations have warned repeatedly since then that the F.D.A. should do more to ensure that the supplements are safe and that their health claims are substantiated.

In recent years, a vast majority of supplement suppliers have located overseas — principally in China. Nearly all of the vitamin C and many other supplements consumed in the United States are made from ingredients made in Chinese plants. Those plants are almost never inspected by the F.D.A. because the agency is not required to do so, has little money to do so and does not view the plants as particularly risky.

[There will soon be a hearing regarding greater FDA oversight of vitamin and supplement manufacture.]
Among the witnesses at the hearing will be Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab .com, a company that has tested over 2,000 dietary supplements made by more than 300 manufacturers and has found that one in four have quality problems. According to Dr. Cooperman’s written testimony, the most common problems are supplements that lack adequate quantities of the indicated ingredients and those contaminated with heavy metals.

TMJ Temporomandibular joint treatment with chiropractic manipulation and, yes, now even the dentists are trying it.

2010-05-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

[While these first two abstracts did not surprise me, chiropractors have described great success in using jaw manipulation to re-align the temporomandibular joint, improve mouth opening and reduce pain. The third abstract, from 2008, was very interesting. In this study, dentists use jaw manipulation to restore pain free function in an individual suffering from TMJ disorder for three years. Gentle jaw manipulation is a safe and effective procedure to improve some types of TMJ dysfunction. At Banic Chiropractic Clinic, we even have massage therapists trained in intra-oral massage for the relief of TMJ pain.]

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1995 Sep;18(7):476-81.

The dental-chiropractic cotreatment of structural disorders of the jaw and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
Chinappi AS Jr, Getzoff H.

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To present a case demonstrating the concept of integrated dental-orthopedic and craniochiropractic care for treating structural disorders of the jaw, neck and spine. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 33-yr-old woman sought orthodontic therapy for an overbite and severe crowding of the lower teeth. She reported a history of bilateral headaches and jaw popping. Orthodontic examination revealed degenerative changes in the right temporomandibular joint and restricted jaw opening. While in treatment, the patient began to experience severe temporomandibular joint pain and neck/lower back pain, which convinced her to accept chiropractic care. Initial chiropractic sacro-occipital technique (SOT) evaluation found Category II weight-bearing instability of the sacroiliac joint, specific thoracic and cervical vertebral subluxations, cranial sutural restrictions and temporomandibular dysfunction. Cervical X-rays revealed absence of the anterior cervical curve, characterized by parallel vertebral base lines. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: In addition to orthodontic treatment, the patient also received semiweekly (then bimonthly) adjustments of the spine, neck and cranial sutures. The cotreatment approach eliminated pain while improving head, jaw and tooth position. CONCLUSION: The position of the jaw and head and neck are intricately linked. The acute symptoms experienced during the initial dental treatment phase were caused by the inability of the head and neck to adapt to maxillary and mandibular changes. Chiropractic treatments enabled the body to respond positively to the dental changes. As the mandibular position improved, further improvements were indicated by physical testing and X-rays.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1995 Feb;18(2):98-104.

Chiropractic manipulation of anteriorly displaced temporomandibular disc with adhesion.
Saghafi D, Curl DD.

Pacific Coast Faculty Resource Group, Whittier, CA 90609, USA.

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This AB, single-subject case study was conducted to investigate the capability of chiropractic manipulation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in treating unilateral anterior displacement of the articular disc with adhesion to the articular eminence. A specific joint manipulation was designed to reduce the anteriorly displaced and adhered TMJ disc. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 21-yr-old woman suffered from a four year history of right-sided temporomandibular joint pain and clicking, with limitation of mandibular opening. The patient reported previous unsuccessful treatments for her condition. An exhaustive history, a complete review of systems and a physical examination (including, but not limited to, eyes, ears, nose, throat and motor, sensory and reflex neurological tests) were obtained. Relevant or contributory findings are extracted for this article. A clinical diagnosis of left-sided anteriorly displaced TMJ disc with adhesion to the articular eminence was made. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Patient's pain level, presence of joint clicking upon mandibular opening and the amount of mandibular opening were used as outcome measures for capability of treatments. An AB, single-subject study was used where A was the baseline period and B the therapeutic intervention period. The patient was treated twice a week for a total of 19 visits. During the baseline period no treatment was given to the TMJ (3 visits) where the patient received cervical manipulation alone. During the experimental period the patient received both cervical spine manipulation and a specific manipulation to the left mandible. There were no physical therapeutic modalities applied to the jaw. The specific TMJ manipulation used requires a very low-amplitude high velocity thrust parallel to the slope of the articular eminence. The results of this study show mandibular opening distance was returned to normal in addition to the abolition of the patient's TMJ pain and clicking. During the three baseline visits mandibular opening showed no significant change, with an average of 25.3 mm (range 25-26 mm). There was also no change in the patient's TMJ pain or clicking during this baseline period. The patient's TMJ clicking was absent following the third treatment and the patient reported significant subjective pain relief as well. Temporomandibular pain was again reported during the fifth, sixth and seventh post-treatment visits due to exacerbations caused by daily activities. There was no pain reported from the beginning of the eighth post-treatment visit to the end of the study. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study show this specific manipulation of the TMJ may be appropriate for the conservative treatment of adhered anteriorly dislocated disc.

PMID: 7790790 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Appl Oral Sci. 2009 Aug;17(4):350-3.

Joint disorder: nonreducing disc displacement with mouth opening limitation - report of a case.
Corrêa HC, Freitas AC, Da Silva AL, Coêlho TK, Castillo DB, Vinholi GH.

Department of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics, Dental School, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

Abstract
The internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) represents 8% of all cases of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) posing difficulties to establish an accurate diagnosis and treatment because of its low prevalence. This article presents the case of an 18-year-old Caucasian female patient who came to our Orofacial Pain and TMD Outpatient Service with complaints of intense pain on the right TMJ and limitation of mouth opening (maximum interincisal opening of 29 mm) with deviation to right, which she had been experiencing for the past 3 years. After a detailed clinical interview, a diagnosis hypothesis of nonreducing disc displacement with mouth opening limitation was established. The proposed treatment consisted of intra-joint infiltration with anesthetic in the right TMJ followed by jaw manipulation to recapture the articular disc, which was impeding the complete translation movement of the affected TMJ. After jaw manipulation, a new evaluation was done and showed the re-establishment of jaw dynamics with mouth opening and closing without deviation to the right side, clicking, opening limitation or pain. The patient was followed up at 6 months intervals. Two years after treatment, the patient was reevaluated and her mandibular range of motion without aid increased to 54 mm with no clicking, deviation to right, trismus or pain on the TMJ, indicating success of the treatment approach without recurrence of the pathology.

PMID: 19668996 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free Article

Spinal Manipulation / Chiropractic cures Irritable Bowel Syndrome PubMed MedLine

2010-05-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Fibromyalgia Gets Worse During Menstruation
Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, and a painful bladder condition called interstitial cystitis (IC) seem to get worse in some women right before and during menstruation, researchers report.

[I took note of this study because the researchers describe a relationship between three syndromes characterized by pain of unknown orgins. All three syndromes can be related to a hypersensitivity to stimulus that develops in sensor nerves that tell the brain what is happening in the body. When the brain gets this misinformation from these faulty sensors it can then lead to a reaction that causes disease. Spinal manipulation has been shown to be beneficial in all these conditions with this recent study from a hospital in China providing the most exciting news of all. That chiropractic can cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome.]

Relationship between irritable bowel syndrome and unstable thoracolumbar vertebrae
Article in Chinese
Qu LX.
The Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China. quliuxin@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the cause and mechanism of irritable bowel syndrome, and to study the relationship between irritable bowel syndrome and unstable thoracolumbar vertebrae. METHODS: From 2004 to 2006, 82 patients with irritable bowel syndrome were treated with manipulation thoracolumbar vertebrae without any drug using. Among the patients, 24 patients were male and 58 patients were female, ranging in age from 15 to more than 61 years. RESULTS: After the treatment, 75 patients were cured and 7 patients improved. CONCLUSION: Unstable thoracolumbar vertebrae is the cause of irritable bowel syndrome. It is a simple and effective way by manipulation on thoracolumbar vertebrae to release compression and stimulation on peripheral nerve and vascular for treating this disease.
PMID: 19594048 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1990 Sep;13(7):406-11.

Mechanically induced pelvic pain and organic dysfunction in a patient without low back pain.
Browning JE.

Abstract
Previous reports have identified mechanical disorders of the lumbar spine as a cause of pelvic pain and organic dysfunction (PPOD) in patients with low back pain. Less common however, are reports of mechanically induced pelvic pain and organic dysfunction in patients without accompanying low back pain. This report details the examination findings and treatment response of a patient with pelvic pain, organic dysfunction and clinical evidence of lower sacral nerve root compression (LSNRC) in whom low back pain was not an accompanying finding. Despite the absence of low back pain however, clinical evaluation revealed the characteristic findings of mechanically induced pelvic pain and organic dysfunction secondary to lower sacral nerve root irritation or compression as a result of a mechanical disorder of the low back. As in long standing cases of mechanically induced pelvic pain and organic dysfunction in which low back pain is present, this case also exhibited severe and widespread involvement of the pelvic organs. In spite of numerous failed attempts at treatment directed at the symptomatic component of the patients disorder, complete resolution of symptoms was achieved by manipulative treatment directed at the mechanical disorder of the lumbar spine.

PMID: 2212886 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

WebMD What a Bad Lifestyle Does to Your Life Span. Practice prevention.

2010-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

What a Bad Lifestyle Does to Your Life Span

[Here is the article in its entirety. Think of what you could do with 12 more healthy years of life.]

What a Bad Lifestyle Does to Your Life Span
Smoking, Drinking, Poor Diet, and Lack of Exercise Combined Greatly Increase Risk for Early Death
By Katrina Woznicki
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACCApril 26, 2010 -- People who smoke, don’t exercise, eat poorly, and drink alcohol are three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and nearly four times more likely to die of cancer, a new study finds.

Such people also have an overall premature death risk equivalent to being 12 years older, when compared with people who do not engage in these four behaviors, according to the study, reported in the April 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Many studies have examined the individual effects of smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, and drinking alcohol, and have established that they are independently associated with poorer health. However, few studies have examined the combined influence of these behaviors. This is important because people often engage in multiple poor lifestyle choices that could shorten their life span.

“To fully understand the public health impact of these behaviors, it is necessary to examine both their individual and combined impact on health outcomes,” Elisabeth Kvaavik, PhD, of the University of Oslo in Norway and her colleagues write in the study.

The researchers interviewed 4,886 randomly selected people aged 18 or older in 1984 to 1985 who lived in the United Kingdom. A health behavior score was calculated by giving one point for each unhealthy behavior: smoking; eating fruits and vegetables less than three times a day; exercising less than two hours a week; and drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week for women, and more than 21 units per week for men.

The average age of the participants was 43.7 years at study entry, and the group was split about equally between men and women. The participants were then tracked for the next two decades. Over the course of 20 years, 1,080 participants died -- 431 from cardiovascular disease, 318 from cancer, and 331 from other causes. The researchers found that compared with participants who did not have any unhealthy behaviors, the risk of death from all causes as well as from each cause increased substantially with each additional unhealthy behavior.

When looking at the behaviors individually, the study also showed that smoking was more strongly associated to cancer and other deaths, whereas physical inactivity was more strongly associated with death from cardiovascular disease.

“Modest but achievable adjustments to lifestyle behaviors are likely to have a considerable impact at both the individual and population level,” the researchers conclude.

Patient Money - Caring for Hips and Knees to Avoid Artificial Joints - NYTimes.com

2010-04-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Patient Money - Caring for Hips and Knees to Avoid Artificial Joints - NYTimes.com

Although the human body has an amazing capacity to repair itself, our joints are surprisingly fragile.

When the cartilage that cushions bones wears away, it does not grow back. Thinning cartilage contributes to osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, a painful and often debilitating condition.

Over time, arthritic joints can become so sore and inflamed that they need to be replaced with mechanical substitutes. A result: more pain, at least in the short term, and big medical bills.

Fortunately, you can act to protect your joints now, to reduce your chances of needing to replace them later.

And protect you should. The cost for a new hip or knee — the joints most commonly replaced — is $30,000 to $40,000. If you have insurance, your total out-of-pocket costs will be much less, but may still be $3,000 to $4,000. And don’t forget to factor in all those days of work you will miss before you get your new prosthetic.

Creaky joints are a growing national problem. The population is getting older, more people are overweight, and an increasing number of children and young adults are playing serious sports and getting seriously injured — all factors that contribute to osteoarthritis.

[This article contains great advice that we have discussed before. To avoid all joints aging before their time; lose weight, get fit, and use your body appropriately. This means low impact SYMMETRICAL use of your joints. Recent studies, discussed in previous blogs, have demonstrated that a short leg or poor posture can cause increased stress on one side of your body, wearing down the joints and leading to early aging and degeneration. This is true for the joints of the back just as the knees and the hips. And back pain or neck pain can be just as debilitating and neck surgery or back surgery much, much more expensive, with much higher side effects and danger than hip or knee replacements.]

May is National Correct Posture Month: Did You See Your Chiropractor Today?

2010-04-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

May is National Correct Posture Month: Did You Do Your Posture Exercise Today?

[This is a great article on the importance of posture in maintaining health. I particularly like that they emphasize that even doing good things, like vigorous exercise, with a poor posture results in uneven and accelerated wear on your body over time. Unfortunately, the exercises recommended in the article would be minimally effective at best in creating sustained postural improvement. In reality and according to multiple studies, chronic abnormal postures result in contracted ligaments and soft tissues and often abnormal bone growth. Correcting this condition is more like putting braces on your teeth. It requires sustained force over time. It is possible though, and its worth it.]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1840024/?tool=pmcentrez

It is known that spinal function is directly related to spinal structure, as has been proven for the cervical and lumbar spinal regions.80–84 With mal-alignment in neutral posture, static and especially dynamic function from this mal-alignment dictates altered stress/strain relationships of associated spinal structures, including the bones,85–87 intervertebral discs,88–91 facet joints,92 musculotendinous tissues,93 ligamentous tissues,94 and neural elements.95–100Postural alterations are known to be associated with a plethora of human afflictions from general pain syndromes,101–109 to problems with specific joints such as the hip110–111 and the knee,112 to problems with specific spinal regions such as the flat-back syndrome,113 and cervical kyphosis,109 to local organ ailments such as uterine prolapse,114–115 gastric herniation,116 and respiratory function,117–119 to thinking,118,120 and even to morbidity and mortality.121–125 Improved posture alignment has been one of the most sought-after goals in the treatment of human ailments for ages; this continues today in all medical arenas, such as dentistry, physiotherapy, physiatry, surgery, and chiropractic.126–134Since traditional SMT has not been found to be associated with routine improvement in spinal alignment, its therapeutic effects are thought to be in reducing pain and facilitating increased spinal motion.135 Of interest, however, many monotherapies, have been found to have either limited effectiveness or complete lack of success in treating chronic low back pain. Bogduk136 has discussed that these monotherapies include analgesics, NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, physiotherapy, surgery, and manipulative therapy. In contrast, Gross et al.137 have reported that the multi-modal care of exercise combined with cervical manipulation provides better results than either procedure used alone. The criticism of monotherapies is taken into consideration by CBP® technique as it uses a multi-modality care regimen of SMT as well as mirror image® exercises, mirror image® adjusting and mirror image®/extension spinal traction procedures, other stretching procedures, and ergonomic counseling.

Prioritizing low-cost, simple health measures would save 2.5 million child lives a year - Science Daily

2010-04-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Prioritizing low-cost, simple health measures would save 2.5 million child lives a year

[Sorry for including this article as it has nothing to do with chiropractic, but, it is really inspiring. Researchers have determined that very low cost interventions could prevent up to 1/3 of child deaths. As a fan of World Vision and the sponsor of World Vision children, I was excited to hear about their newest initiatives, discussed in the article.]

ScienceDaily (Nov. 16, 2009) — Almost a third of the children under age five who die each year could be saved if governments rebalance health spending to ensure low-cost, simple interventions such as safe water and hygiene, bed nets and basic maternal and newborn care, aid agency World Vision said. Currently, 8.8 million children a year die before age five, most of preventable causes.....

More Kids Falling Prey to Sports Overuse Injuries - Chiropractic care cuts sport injuries - ScienceAlert

2010-04-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

More Kids Falling Prey to Sports Overuse Injuries
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20101904-20861.html

[Here is the good news, chiropractic can help.]

A new Macquarie University study involving two semi-elite Australian Rules football clubs has found that chiropractic treatment can significantly reduce the risk of players succumbing to hamstring injuries and lower limb muscle strain.

The study was undertaken by sports chiropractor Wayne Hoskins as the basis for his PhD project on hamstring injuries and has just been published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.

"Hamstring and lower limb muscle strains are the most common injuries in the AFL," Hoskins said. "The AFL's injury survey shows no change in injury rates in the last 15 years and management of these injuries has remained a source of frustration for players, clubs, medical staff and fans alike."

"The study lasted an entire season and involved 59 players from two VFL clubs," Hoskins said. "The group which included chiropractic management had a four per cent chance of a hamstring injury and a four per cent chance of a lower limb muscle strain. The group which received the traditional management only had a 17 per cent chance of hamstring injury and a 28 per cent chance of a lower limb muscle strain."

In addition, the chiropractic group missed just four matches during the season through hamstring or lower limb muscle strains. The group not receiving chiropractic treatment missed 14 matches through hamstring injury and 21 matches through lower limb muscle strain.

The group receiving chiropractic treatment also had significant reductions in non-contact knee injuries, low back pain, and improvements in physical components of health, although this was not the goal of treatment.

[Here is the bad news, the incidence of sports injuries in children is increasing for a variety of reasons, see article. One thing that seems obvious is that coaches have to be made aware of ways to minimize injury through more balanced training, literally, of both sides of the body equally, and of how to prevent the most common injuries of their particular sport. Chiropractic can help prevent sports injuries and chiropractors can provide advice on ways to minimize risks of particular sports.]

"There are a lot of factors behind the increase in overuse injuries, but the number one thing is specialization. Kids are being forced to choose one sport and they're playing it year-round," said Dr. James Andrews, an orthopedic surgeon, president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and co-chairman of the Stop Sports Injuries campaign.

According to the Stop Sports Injuries campaign, the sports with the highest risk of overuse injuries for children are: baseball, basketball, cheerleading, dancing, football, gymnastics, running, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. Orthopedic surgeons are now seeing two trends: a rapid increase in the number of youth sports injuries and a drop in the age of young athletes with overuse injuries.

Signs that parents should look for that might indicate an overuse injury include:

Favoring one side of the body over the other.
Appearing to be in pain when using a certain body part.
Trouble sleeping.
Headaches.
Stiffness in muscles or joints.

"Parents need to get involved and to listen to their kids. They also need to be knowledgeable about their child's sports and what the risks are," advised Andrews. He said parents also need to realize that a minor injury when a child is young can lead to a major one as the child grows older.

Leg length inequality can bring on joint pain and back pain- Kilgore News Herald

2010-04-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Leg length inequatlity can bring on joint pain - Kilgore News Herald

[Here is a succinct answer to a great question. We frequently see individuals with leg length difference so large that uneven joint degeneration can be observed. Many abnormal postures caused by unequal leg length then lead to degeneration in the spine. At Banic Chiropractic, we measure the leg length difference, provide very inexpensive custom height heel lifts and/or orthotics to correct the problem. Then we fix the posture through our unique treatment of chiropractic adjusting, postural exercise, and traction - which is like the way braces realign the teeth.]

Leg length inequality can bring on joint pain
YOUR HEALTH DR. DONOHUE

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I've been jogging with a group of men, all of whom are in their 50s, for a couple of years. This year, my knees have been giving me trouble. In talking with the other joggers, some say it could be that there's a difference in the length of my legs. Is this for real? How do I get them measured? What do I do if they aren't the same size? -- B.B.

ANSWER: Everyone has legs of slightly different size, just as arms are not the same length. If the difference causes no pain, you can ignore it.

However, it can cause problems. It can lead to low back pain, arthritis of the knees and hips, and hip bursitis. The unequal legs cause the generation of great pressure when the feet strike the ground, and the abnormal pressure load exists for both the longer and the shorter leg. The inequality also causes the pelvis to twist and brings on back pain. Furthermore, when standing, unequal legs distort posture, and that can produce back and joint pain.

The inequality doesn't have to be all that great. In a recently published article on knee osteoarthritis, a difference of 1 centimeter (twofifths of an inch) was linked to knee arthritis. I have to let you know that other authors define significant inequality at half an inch to four-fifths of an inch.

To measure your legs, you need an assistant. Make a mark on the top part of both legs in exactly the same place. Make another mark at the same place on the ankles. Lie down and have your assistant do the measuring with a tape measure. For a really precise measurement, X-rays of the legs provide reliable figures.

If there is a difference between your legs, you can even things out with a heel lift, a shoe lift or specially made orthotics.

Let's not go overboard with this. The causes of knee pain are many, and a better approach to your knee pain would be a consultation with your family doctor.

Knee Braces Ease Osteoarthritis Knee Pain WebMD - At Banic Chiropractic Clinic we use this principle to alleviate back pain.

2010-04-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Knee Braces Ease Osteoarthritis Pain

Knee braces basically help realign the knee; taking pressure off of damaged areas to relieve pain and restore function. Bracing is one of a number of noninvasive ways to treat knee OA and/or delay the need for joint replacement surgery.

New research presented at a media briefing Tuesday in New York City suggests that Peterson is not the only one to find relief from knee bracing. In a new study, 49 people with knee OA aged 45 to 87 who wore a knee brace had less pain, stiffness, and disability after six months of use.

Benefits of a Brace

Thirty-one percent of study participants said they took fewer over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory drugs, and 35% were taking fewer prescription anti-inflammatory drugs after six months of wearing the brace. Researchers plan to follow up on these individuals for up to two years to see who goes on to have joint replacement surgery.

But so far, so good. "The less knee misalignment the patient had, the less disability they experienced, and they saw an improvement in pain, stiffness, and function," said study researcher J. Richard Steadman, MD, founder of the Steadman Phillipon Research Institute in Vail, Colo., at the media briefing.

[The statements above are no surprise, studies have found the exact same results in the spine. Large misalignments of the spine and posture lead to predicable patterns of Osteoarthritis OA over time. The OA occurs, not only in spinal joints, but in hip and knee joints also. This is due to unequal loading through the joints as they carry the weight of the body each and every day of your life. And the greater the weight, the faster the OA will appear. At Banic Chiropractic, we use the only proven method to realign the posture, sustained mechanical traction. This method is like wearing a brace, or braces on your teeth, in that it stresses the body into a normal position and holds that position long enough to make a permanent change. After repeated times doing this, this posture is more balanced, leading to less stress on the joints of the spine and legs. My biggest pet peeve is when people tell me they BELIEVE in Chiropractic. You don't have to BELIEVE in it, there is AMPLE scientific evidence.]

USA Today 'Very little progress' made against serious hospital infections

2010-04-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

Report: 'Very little progress' made against serious hospital infections

[I feel bad continuing to post about this subject but the studies just keep rolling out, this time from the US Department of Health and Human Services. This is yet another reminder that our health must be our highest priority. Small healthy choices everyday create a lifestyle of health which you will benefit from now and 30 years from now. One of the essential components of healthy living is maintaining balanced upright posture to reduce wear on your spinal discs and the joints of your entire body. Balanced posture will also reduce aberrant nerve signaling throughout your body as your brain sends strength and energy out to all the tissues of the body and receives messages in response. See your chiropractor, care for body with diet and exercise, and don't take elective surgeries lightly.]

The nation's hospitals are failing to protect patients from potentially fatal infections despite years of prevention campaigns, the government said Tuesday.

The Health and Human Services department's 2009 quality report to Congress found "very little progress" on eliminating hospital-acquired infections and called for "urgent attention" to address the shortcomings — first brought to light a decade ago.

Of five major types of serious hospital-related infections, rates of illnesses increased for three, one showed no progress, and one showed a decline. As many as 98,000 people a year die from medical errors, and preventable infections — along with medication mixups — are a significant part of the problem.

Chiropractic treatment of developmental delay syndromes, dyspraxia, dyslexia, and ADHD / ADD - Research from JMPT PubMed

2010-04-12T20:58:00.001-07:00

[While there are a few case studies already in the literature that describe amazing results in children for syndromes such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the following study has a very large sample size. After chiropractic treatments, all157 kids participating in the study were found to improve concentration and performance at school and home, control impulsivity, and to maintain focus and attention. We have also had terrific results in pediatric patients we have cared for. Please read the abstract below for more details. As a mother, I can imagine how difficult it is to watch your child struggle with a developmental delay. I have done some reading on the current medical regimen required for many of these kids and found it quite depressing. Ritalin was found to cause growth restrictions and to control symptoms only in the short-term while not providing long-term benefits. The chiropractic case studies I have read resulted in complete elimination of symptoms. Thank god my kids are healthy in this regard but based on the science I have seen, I do not think I am holding up false hope regarding Chiropractic care. See the article at the very bottom for an explanation you might share with your medical doctor. The authors of the second article are esteemed in medicine and chiropractic, personal friends, and perform their chiropractic treatments the exact same way we do.]

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009 Oct;32(8):660-9.

Developmental delay syndromes: psychometric testing before and after chiropractic treatment of 157 children.
Cuthbert SC, Barras M.

Chiropractic Health Center, Pueblo, CO 81004, USA. cranialdc@hotmail.com

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study presents a case series of 157 children with developmental delay syndromes, including the conditions such as dyspraxia, dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and learning disabilities who received chiropractic care. CLINICAL FEATURES: A consecutive sample of 157 children aged 6 to 13 years (86 boys and 71 girls) with difficulties in reading, learning, social interaction, and school performance who met these inclusion criteria were included. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES: Each patient received a multimodal chiropractic treatment protocol, applied kinesiology chiropractic technique. The outcome measures were a series of 8 standardized psychometric tests given to the children by a certified speech therapist pre- and posttreatment, which evaluate 20 separate areas of cognitive function, including patient- or parent-reported improvements in school performance, social interaction, and sporting activities. Individual and group data showed that at the end of treatment, the 157 children showed improvements in the 8 psychometric tests and 20 areas of cognitive function compared with their values before treatment. Their ability to concentrate, maintain focus and attention, and control impulsivity and their performance at home and school improved. CONCLUSIONS: This report suggests that a multimodal chiropractic method that assesses and treats motor dysfunction reduced symptoms and enhanced the cognitive performance in this group of children.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2004 (Oct); 27 (8): e14 ~ FULL TEXT

Bastecki AV, Harrison DE, Haas JW

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case of a patient who was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by a general practitioner and was treated with chiropractic care.

CLINICAL FEATURES: A 5-year-old patient was diagnosed with ADHD and treated by a pediatrician unsuccessfully with methylphenidate (Ritalin), Adderall, and Haldol for 3 years. The patient received 35 chiropractic treatments during the course of 8 weeks. A change from a 12 degrees C2-7 kyphosis to a 32 degrees C2-7 lordosis was observed after treatment. During chiropractic care, the child's facial tics resolved and his behavior vastly improved. After 27 chiropractic visits, the child's pediatrician stated that the child no longer exhibited symptoms of ADHD. The changes in structure and function may be related to the correction of cervical kyphosis.

CONCLUSION: The patient experienced significant reduction in symptoms. Additionally, the medical doctor concluded that the reduction in symptoms was significant enough to discontinue the medication. There may be a possible connection that correction of cervical kyphosis in patients with ADHD may produce a desirable clinical outcome.

From the Full-Text Article:

Discussion

There exists in the current biomedical literature an ideal cervical spinal model, [17] which was used as a goal of care in this case study. It is generally known in neurosciences and anatomy that the central nervous system is the master control system of the human body. It controls and coordinates all body and cellular functions. When we look at the literature today, there has been a significant amount of information published about the mechanical forces and tension placed on the spinal structures and cord tracts in various postures. [25-36]

Breig [26] showed the changes in spinal cord biomechanics from abnormal postural positions. We propose that these changes in spinal canal and thus spinal cord position can cause such pathologic states as edema, hypoxia, blood loss, and cellular death. [28-36] It has been reported by some researchers that abnormal putamen and lenticular magnetic resonance imaging and positron-emission tomography have been observed in children with ADHD. [37, 38] The previous refrences [28-36] may give insight to these abnormal scans. The underlying cause of the mechanical and thus physiologic changes in the spinal cord, brainstem, and higher brain centers are related to the abnormal static postural positions of the skull relative to the thorax. [26]

Mechanical compression of nerves can result in microvascular permeability changes in the endoneural capillaries and lead to neural edema and changes in impulse propagation. [28-36] Additionally, it has been shown that gradual decompression of nerve roots can restore the intrinsic blood flow. [36] Because the parents reported no other major traumatic injuries to the child other than a difficult birth, we propose that the cause of the abnormal spinal configuration was a result of difficult labor. Because of the vast amount of information concerning abnormal nerve function caused by mechanical stress in neck flexion (kyphosis), [26, 39, 40-45] it stands to reason, because his neck configuration was kyphotic, that the child's nervous system was not functioning properly. Through the restoration of normal biomechanical structure and curvature, these abnormal stresses and strains were removed from the cord, which led to the improvement in function.

There exists a large amount of literature on ADHD. This literature is generally pharmacologic and behavioral in nature. Many theories of causality and subsequent treatment have been put forth. However, because chiropractors are not authorized in most states to prescribe drugs, the pharmacologic information has little bearing for chiropractors. The chiropractors who treat patients with ADHD should, however, familiarize themselves with the current diagnostic and treatment protocols used by physicians. Medication may have an effect on treatment outcomes and may be an important factor in proper management of this condition. [1-15] It should be noted that these references are nowhere near a complete review of the literature on ADHD.

It is possible that the farther we move from the Harrison ideal spinal model, [17] the greater the neurologic stress from abnormal stress and strain on the spinal cord. [26] Restoring the cervical lordosis could be the most critical aspect of any chiropractic care protocol or clinical intervention. With specific mirror image adjusting, mirror image traction, and mirror image postural exercise, cervical curve restoration is now a possible outcome. [18-21]

Several limitations of this study include: (1) a possibility that there was spontaneous remission of the ADHD symptoms and that chiropractic care had no relevance to the symptom remission; (2) the patient may have been misdiagnosed by the medical doctor; and (3) the patient's parents may not have been reporting the retrospective symptoms accurately, giving a false sense of improvement. Because this is a case report, further research is needed to determine the true effects of CBP protocol on patients suffering with ADHD.

Conclusion

This case study shows that spinal correction using the CBP approach may have effects much greater than relief of musculoskeletal conditions. Altered spinal biomechanics associated with abnormal posture clearly relate to significant neurological stress and malfunction. This is particularly evident when considering the effects on the brainstem and the autonomic nervous system. Thus, even in obscure cases with systemic, organic, or chemical dysfunction like ADHD, we suggest optimal spine equals optimal health.

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Statewide effort slashes number of early induced and caesarean scheduled births

2010-04-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Statewide effort slashes number of early scheduled births

[I was very interested to see this statewide effort centered around one of my biggest pet peeves. I know multiple women who took great care of themselves during pregnancy but then chose to have scheduled delivery around their due date because their doctor was "going out of town" or they had relatives coming into town. These are all people that live in the Seattle area and this was just recently. I was completely aghast that the medical professionals would endorse inducing labor before the body is naturally ready. Well thankfully, I am not the only one that feels this way. In the study below, they find "Elective induction leads to more unplanned Caesarean sections in first time birth women and to increased postpartum complications for both first time and multiple birth women. Elective Caesarean section has increased maternal and neonatal risks." The entire state of Ohio has finally responded to studies like this and "successfully reduced the number of scheduled near-term births—either by cesarean delivery or induction of labor—without a medical or obstetric indication from 1 in 4 to less than 1 in 20. You are likely to know someone offered a scheduled birth. Tell them the facts or send them to me!]

Jay Iams, MD, for the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative unveiled the details of a statewide effort in Ohio that successfully reduced the number of scheduled near-term births—either by cesarean delivery or induction of labor—without a medical or obstetric indication from 1 in 4 to less than 1 in 20 (P<0.05).

Using a variety of education and intervention tools, 20 level 2 and 3 maternity hospitals—which handle about half of the state's births—shared their methods during the 14-month study. As a result, the rate of scheduled births between 36.1 and 38.6 weeks without medical necessity declined from 25% to below 5%. Inductions without medical necessity also declined from a 12-month mean of 13% to 8% (P<.0027), and fewer infants born at 36 to 38 weeks' gestation were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.

The Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative; Iams J. A statewide initiative to reduce scheduled births without appropriate indication [abstract]. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009;201(6 suppl):S19. Abstract 33.

J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2009 Dec;31(12):1124-30.

Outcomes of elective labour induction and elective caesarean section in low-risk pregnancies between 37 and 41 weeks' gestation.
Dunne C, Da Silva O, Schmidt G, Natale R.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal and neonatal outcomes after elective induction of labour and elective Caesarean section with outcomes after spontaneous labour in women with low-risk, full-term pregnancies. METHODS: We extracted birth data from 1996 to 2005 from an obstetrical database. Singleton pregnancies with vertex presentation, anatomically normal, appropriately grown fetuses, and no medical or surgical complications were included. Outcomes after elective induction of labour and elective Caesarean section were compared with the outcomes after spontaneous labour, using chi-square and Student t tests and logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 9686 women met the study criteria(3475 nulliparous, 6211 multiparous). The incidence of unplanned Caesarean section was higher in nulliparous women undergoing elective induction than in those with spontaneous labour (P < 0.001). Postpartum complications were more common in nulliparous and multiparous women undergoing elective induction (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) and multiparous women undergoing elective Caesarean section, (P < 0.001). Rates of triage in NICU were higher in nulliparous women undergoing elective Caesarean section (P < 0.01), and requirements for neonatal free-flow oxygen administration were higher in nulliparous and multiparous women undergoing elective Caesarean section (P < 0.01 for each). Unplanned Caesarean section was 2.7 times more likely in nulliparous women undergoing elective induction of labour (95% CI 1.74 to 4.28, P < 0.001) and was more common among nulliparous and multiparous women undergoing induction of labour and requiring cervical ripening (P < 0. 001 and P < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Elective induction leads to more unplanned Caesarean sections in nulliparous women and to increased postpartum complications for both nulliparous and multiparous women. Elective Caesarean section has increased maternal and neonatal risks.

Empower your patients through education!

2010-04-01T21:46:00.001-07:00

[Thank you Ann for helping me to clarify my thoughts on interventions by medical professionals. You could say my biggest issue is the continuing paternalistic attitude that is shrouded in this new holistic movement. A couple of examples, in regard to Vitamin D supplementation, which every doctor has gotten on the bandwagon about, including mine. Here is what they should be sharing with you instead of just selling you the supplement;] Many scientists now believe we need 1,000 IU per day of vitamin D (IU = international units, a measure of vitamin potency) to avoid deficiency. For reference, a salmon serving contains about 360 IU, a glass of fortified milk about 100 IU, an egg 25 IU, and a tablespoon of cod liver oil 1300+ IU.

In comparison, full-body sunbathing for a period of time that will just make you turn pink will produce 10,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D, equivalent to 100 to 200 glasses of fortified milk. Given such copious production, relatively casual sun exposure (arms, etc) should meet vitamin-D needs.

Remember, however, that no vitamin D will be generated in short-daylight months above certain latitudes. In these periods to avoid vitamin-D deficiency - especially if you don’t like oily fish or are lactose intolerant - you will need to consume a supplement or use a UVB-emitting tanning bed. Studies have shown that individuals who use such a tanning bed in winter have serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the marker for vitamin-D status) that is 90% higher than controls.

The importance of solar-produced vitamin D was underscored in a study that evaluated vitamin-D status in a submarine crew after two months of acute sun deprivation. Although the crew consumed a vitamin-D fortified diet, their levels of this nutrient plummeted.)

[Here is another example; I have heard frequently of women discussing a family history or personal risk of Osteoporosis with their physician. Often they are prescribed a myriad of Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D supplements, told to eat Calcium rich food, recommended expensive prescription medications, etc... They should be empowered to really take control of their health with advice like the following]; Nonpharmacological approaches to improve bone health and reduce osteoporosis. Schwab P, Klein RF.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With an aging population, osteoporosis has become a public health concern and an area of increased awareness among both patients and medical practitioners. Timely screening and pharmacologic treatment of low bone mass effectively reduces fracture risk. Nonpharmacologic interventions, however, deserve equal emphasis both in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent advances in bone biology have established that exercise in the form of short, repetitive mechanical loading leads to the greatest gains in bone strength. As demonstrated by both observational and randomized exercise intervention trials, these gains are best achieved in childhood but can be maintained in adulthood with continued regular weight-bearing exercise. In the later years, evidence supports the implementation of balance training to decrease fall risk, especially in elderly patients with low bone mass. Following an osteoporotic fracture, a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program with an emphasis on early mobilization, fall prevention, use of orthoses, and noninvasive surgical procedures is emerging as a promising approach. SUMMARY: Clinically, these findings should imply greater emphasis on high impact exercise during skeletal growth and on maintenance of weight bearing and balance training in the later years. Future research should examine the effect of these interventions on fracture prevention.

[There are many, many more examples where individuals seeking advice receive a diagnosis or magic bullet type pill/ supplement when what they could really benefit from is to be empowered by education, after all, why seek out an expert]

Chiropractic Wellness - Picking our brains: How strong is the mind-body link? New Scientist

2010-04-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Picking our brains: How strong is the mind-body link?

[A central tenant in chiropractic care is that the treatments influence parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves to the organs as well as the sensory and motor nerves to the musculoskeletal system. As research continues to demonstrate the influence of Chiropractic on blood pressure (decreases it), gastric motility, immune function and more, we will surely hear more and more about the influence of the Chiropractic adjustment on the vagus nerve.]

Picking our brains: How strong is the mind-body link?
01 April 2010 by Linda Geddes
Magazine issue 2754.

Could we ever learn to think ourselves well?

Many of these effects seem to be mediated by the immune system. Severe stress has been shown to reduce immune cell activity, both in the test tube and in people. There seem to be several ways in which the brain influences the immune system, from chemical mediators to direct neural control. One branch of the vagus nerve connects the brain to a key regulator of immune functioning, says Kevin Tracey of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York. "Signals that originate in the brain travel down the vagus nerve where they change the behaviour of immune cells in the spleen," he says (Nature, vol 420, p 853).

Tracey's team has since found that electrically stimulating the vagus nerve decreases inflammation, a state of immune system high-alert implicated in a large number of diseases, including cancer. They suspect there may be other nerve-immune links that have the effect of "turning up" inflammation.

If we can't consciously control the immune system, we might at least be able to manipulate it with drugs or perhaps via the vagus nerve.

http://www.planetc1.com/cgi-bin/n/v.cgi?c=1&id=1169752898

There is a nerve that runs from the lower part of your brain (the brainstem) down to your heart. This nerve is called the vagus nerve or the pneumogastric nerve (cranial nerve X). It is the only nerve in your brain that extends down through your neck and into your abdominal region. You certainly don't want to have spinal stress anywhere in your neck. Would you believe that medical doctors use to cut the vagus nerve out of the body for treating things such as peptic ulcers? You'd think maybe they would have been doing that a long long time ago, in the dark ages of medicine, but the procedure was popular up until the mid-1990s as a treatment for peptic ulcers. The procedure was called a vagotomy and it became obsolete after was discovered that Helicobacter pylori, a microorganism that can thrive in the highly acidic environment of the stomach, was responsible for most peptic ulcers. It makes you wonder how many other surgical procedures will become obsolete as we continue to discover new things about the human body.

Unequal leg length tied to osteoarthritis (ample chiropractic research already links joint misalignment to pain and arthritis.) Science Daily

2010-03-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Unequal leg length tied to osteoarthritis, study finds

[The type of arthritis they are discussing here is the "normal" arthritis associated with aging. They are recognizing that by eliminating or improving joint misalignment's, they can eliminate or reduce osteoarthritis. Chiropractic BioPhysics as practiced at Banic Chiropractic Clinic can improve even large joint misalignment's such as head forward posture, loss of cervical curve, increased thoracic curve/ dowagers hump, and sway back or increased pelvic tilt. We can also improve asymmetry when viewing from the front such as head tilt, unlevel shoulders, and shifting of the torso relative to the pelvis. These improvements will improve your overall and long term health.]

"Most pediatricians adopt a 'wait and see' attitude for children with limb misalignment when they're growing," says Dr. Cooke. "If we can spot factors creating changes in alignment early in bone development, theoretically we could stop or slow down the progression of osteoarthritis."

The data was collected using x-ray images from more than 3,000 adults aged 50 to 79 who either had knee pain or risk factors for knee osteoarthritis as a part of the Multi Centre Osteoarthritis Study (MOST). Subjects were reassessed after a 30-month period and the researchers found that osteoarthritic changes in the knee were most significant in individuals with pronounced (more than 1 cm) leg length inequality, the shorter leg being most affected.

Regimens: How Much Exercise Will Prevent Weight Gain? Now you know courtesy of the New York Times

2010-03-31T21:28:00.000-07:00

Regimens: How Much Exercise Will Prevent Weight Gain?

[Here is the article in its entirety. It is inspiring yet challenging to avoid the mid-life weight gain. I am still losing my after baby weight, unfortunately, my daughter is turning two in a week. I guess I am going to need to get up above 7 hours per week of exercise.]

Losing weight is difficult, and keeping it off may be even harder. So Harvard researchers set out to determine exactly how much physical activity women need in midlife to avoid gaining weight as they age.

The researchers found that an hour of moderate activity a day — including such recreational activities as brisk walking, leisurely bicycling, ballroom dancing and playing with children — prevented women of normal weight from gaining more than five pounds over any three-year period. Half that amount of vigorous activity, like running, jogging or fast biking, will do the trick as well, they said.

Women who got the same amount of exercise but were heavier to start with were not able to avoid gaining weight, however. Neither were women of normal weight who got less than seven hours a week of moderate activity, according to the study, published in the March 24 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The average weight gain over the course of the 15-year study, which followed 34,079 healthy women with an average age of 54 at the beginning, was just over five pounds. The researchers did not take diet into account.

“It’s so hard to lose weight and maintain the loss, so whatever weight you are, you should try to stay that weight — that is a success,” said the paper’s lead author, Dr. I-Min Lee, an associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health.

But any amount of exercise is beneficial, she emphasized. “People shouldn’t just throw up their hands and say, ‘Sixty minutes? I can’t do that,’ and give up. Health is more than weight.”

Breast fed and formula fed babies not getting enough vitamin D - CNN Health.com reports on Pediatrics journal and Center for Disease Control studies

2010-03-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

Babies not getting enough vitamin D

[Here I was patting myself on the back for my all natural approach to mothering, and now I find out the 9 of 10 breast fed babies are Vitamin D deficient. That is totally shocking to me. I truly believed that breastfeeding would ensure my child had all the nutrients they need. Well, now you know, supplement or sun is required for babies.]

Very few infants who consumed breast milk alone - between 5 percent and 13 percent - met the current or former recommendation for vitamin D intake. Among the formula-fed infants, 81 percent to 98 percent met the former recommendation, but just 20 percent to 37 percent of the same infants would have met the current recommendation.

Most babies did not receive vitamin D supplements. No more than 13 percent of the breast-fed infants were given supplements, and fewer than 4 percent of the formula-fed babies received them.

The results - especially concerning formula-fed babies- are eye-opening, says Carrie Drazba, M.D., a pediatrician at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago. "I don't think a lot of us realized that formula-fed babies are not meeting their vitamin D requirements," she says.

Although the most obvious health problem associated with vitamin D deficiency in babies is rickets, or soft bones, pediatricians are increasingly mindful of respiratory infections and chronic diseases (such as type 1 diabetes) that have been linked to inadequate intake of the vitamin in that age group, Drazba says.

A pair of studies published last year, for instance, found that children with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have several risk factors that contribute to heart disease, including high blood pressure, high blood glucose, and low HDL (or good cholesterol).

"We're finding out that there are other risks associated with vitamin D deficiency besides rickets," says Drazba. "A lot of cells in our body have receptors for vitamin D."

Chiropractic decreases back pain in pregnancy, 94% had clinically important pain relief in 4.5 days. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2006

2010-03-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

[Our pampering combination of full spine chiropractic care and therapeutic massage has made those last months of pregnancy bearable for so many women, including myself. The great thing is that it is natural. I was afraid to even take a single Ibuprofen while pregnant and breastfeeding, leaving Chiropractic the safe and sensible alternative.]

J Midwifery Womens Health. 2006 Jan-Feb;51(1):e7-10.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series.
Lisi AJ.

University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic. anthony.lisi@med.va.gov

Low back pain is a common complaint in pregnancy, with a reported prevalence of 57% to 69% and incidence of 61%. Although such pain can result in significant disability, it has been shown that as few as 32% of women report symptoms to their prenatal provider, and only 25% of providers recommend treatment. Chiropractors sometimes manage low back pain in pregnant women; however, scarce data exist regarding such treatment. This retrospective case series was undertaken to describe the results of a group of pregnant women with low back pain who underwent chiropractic treatment including spinal manipulation. Seventeen cases met all inclusion criteria. The overall group average Numerical Rating Scale pain score decreased from 5.9 (range 2-10) at initial presentation to 1.5 (range 0-5) at termination of care. Sixteen of 17 (94.1%) cases demonstrated clinically important improvement. The average time to initial clinically important pain relief was 4.5 (range 0-13) days after initial presentation, and the average number of visits undergone up to that point was 1.8 (range 1-5). No adverse effects were reported in any of the 17 cases. The results suggest that chiropractic treatment was safe in these cases and support the hypothesis that it may be effective for reducing pain intensity.

Spinal manipulations (chiropractic) significantly benefit sciatica with disc herniation and acute low back pain. Spine Journal

2010-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

[Spine Journal is a very prestigious medical journal. They performed this study to determine the efficacy and safety of spinal manipulation (chiropractic) in caring for patients with evidence of disc protrusion accompanied by sciatica and low back pain. The researchers found that spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustments) increased the number of pain free days, reduced radiating symptoms - pain into the leg, and reduced overall pain. There were no adverse effects of the treatment. Anyone suffering from the debilitating effects of sciatica and disc herniation should consider a course of conservative chiropractic treatment before discussing surgical options. See WebMD post on deaths from elective surgery associated with medical errors.]

Spine J. 2006 Mar-Apr;6(2):131-7. Epub 2006 Feb 3.

Chiropractic manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion: a randomized double-blind clinical trial of active and simulated spinal manipulations.
Santilli V, Beghi E, Finucci S.

Direttore Cattedra Medicina Fisica e Riabilitativa, Università di Roma La Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, Roma, Rome, 00185, Italy.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Acute back pain and sciatica are major sources of disability. Many medical interventions are available, including manipulations, with conflicting results. PURPOSE: To assess the short- and long-term effects of spinal manipulations on acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Randomized double-blind trial comparing active and simulated manipulations in rehabilitation medical centers in Rome and suburbs. PATIENT SAMPLE: 102 ambulatory patients with at least moderate pain on a visual analog scale for local pain (VAS1) and/or radiating pain (VAS2). OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain-free patients at end of treatment; treatment failure (proportion of patients stopping the assigned treatment for lack of effect on pain); number of days with no, mild, moderate, or severe pain; quality of life; number of days on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; number of drug prescriptions; VAS1 and VAS2 scores; quality of life and psychosocial findings; and reduction of disc protrusion on magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: Manipulations or simulated manipulations were done 5 days per week by experienced chiropractors, with a number of sessions which depended on pain relief or up to a maximum of 20, using a rapid thrust technique. Patients were assessed at admission and at 15, 30, 45, 90, and 180 days. At each visit, all indicators of pain relief were used. RESULTS: A total of 64 men and 38 women aged 19-63 years were randomized to manipulations (53) or simulated manipulations (49). Manipulations appeared more effective on the basis of the percentage of pain-free cases (local pain 28 vs. 6%; p<.005; radiating pain 55 vs. 20%; p<.0001), number of days with pain (23.6 vs. 27.4; p<.005), and number of days with moderate or severe pain (13.9 vs. 17.9; p<.05). Patients receiving manipulations had lower mean VAS1 (p<.0001) and VAS2 scores (p<.001). A significant interaction was found between therapeutic arm and time. There were no significant differences in quality of life and psychosocial scores. There were only two treatment failures (manipulation 1; simulated manipulation 1) and no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Active manipulations have more effect than simulated manipulations on pain relief for acute back pain and sciatica with disc protrusion.

PMID: 16517383 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

WebMD reports on back pain and neck pain risks for kids.

2010-03-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

[Heavy back packs, texting, and in my opinion, playing video games and lack of education about proper posture and body mechanics are all wreaking havoc on children's backs. We see more and more pediatric cases with symptoms that would be more typical in an adult. Please, take the time to learn proper sitting and standing posture and teach them to your children. When standing, the ear should be over the shoulder, shoulder over hip, and hip aligned with knee and ankle. When sitting, slumping and slouching forward with your shoulders curved in and your head jutting out are horrible for your body. When poor postures are held over long periods of time, eventually the body maintains that position leaving the child on the road to having a "bad back".]

Texting may be preferred over phone jabbering by many young people, but too much text messaging may increase the risk of neck or shoulder pain, a new study shows. "What we’ve seen so far is very similar to what we see with office workers who’ve spent most of their time at a computer," Gold says. "The way the body is positioned for texting -- stationary shoulders and back with rapidly moving fingers -- is similar to the position for typing on a computer. They used body maps for the students to indicate areas of discomfort. The students were asked how many text messages they sent per day.
The researchers say they found an association, only in male participants, between shoulder discomfort and the number of messages punched out.

Texting Can Be a Pain in the Neck, Shoulders

A new study shows heavy backpacks place significant strain on children's spines and may lead to back pain.

Researchers say it's the first study to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to document compression of the spinal discs and spinal curvature caused by a typical school backpack load on children.

"Backpack loads are responsible for a significant amount of back pain in children, which in part, may be due to changes in lumbar disc height or curvature," write researchers Timothy B. Neuschwander, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, in Spine.

"Over 92% of children in the United States carry backpacks that are typically loaded with 10% to 22% body weight," write the researchers. "Thirty-seven percent of children aged 11 to 14 years report back pain, the majority of whom attribute the pain to wearing a school backpack."

In the study, researchers used an upright MRI scanner to image the spines of eight children, average age of 11, while standing first with an empty backpack and then backpack loads representing 10%, 20%, and 30% of the children's body weight (9, 18, and 26 pounds, respectively).

The results showed two key spinal measurements changed as the weight of the backpack increased. Heavier weights caused compression of the discs that act as a cushion between the bones of the spine.

Researchers say that disc compression was especially great in the lower spine at heavier backpack weights.

Heavier backpack loads were also associated with increased curvature of the lower spine. Half of the children had a significant spinal curve even with the 18-pound backpack. Most of the children had to adjust their posture to adapt to the heaviest, 26-pound backpack load.

The amount of back pain reported by the children also increased as backpack load increased. At the heaviest load, the average pain score was nearly 5 out of 10 for the children.

Researchers say the results show heavy backpacks cause compression of the spinal discs and increased spinal curvature that are related to the back pain reported by children.

In the study, children wore the backpacks with the straps over both shoulders, but researchers say the spinal curvature could be even worse if the backpack were carried over one shoulder as many children do.

http://children.webmd.com/news/20100203/heavy-backpacks-strain-kids-spines?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Back pain accounts for 1/3 of work place injuries. Can A Vibrating Mouse Prevent Computer-related Injuries?

2010-03-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

[Don't wait for your body to break down, learn how to stop it. We offer a course on workplace ergonomics and have provided public speaking on ergonomics and workplace safety at many eastside businesses.]

Back injuries also account for one-third of all workplace injuries. A decade ago most of these were associated with heavy lifting. Today they are mostly caused by people sitting for longer periods of time -- often in front of a computer.

The younger onset of computer use makes the current rate of compensatory damage claims the canary in the coal mine. There is typically a 10- to 15-year latency before injuries start to develop, Hedge has found. In the early 1990s he showed that the average age of workers reporting carpal tunnel syndrome was late 30s to early 40s; last year, he found the average age of onset had dropped to the mid-20s and even younger for some people.

Can A Vibrating Mouse Prevent Computer-related Injuries?

Do you need a mechanic or a chiropractor? - Danbury News Times

2010-03-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

[I love how this doctor writes about chiropractic, and he is being interviewed by a registered nurse.]

What I want you to do is put your arm in a sling and come back and see me in two weeks. What do you think will happen with the shoulder?" asked Danbury chiropractic physician Dr. Ronald G. Manoni.

I imagined my arm in a sling, immobilized for weeks and answered, "You'd get a frozen shoulder."

"You'd get a frozen shoulder," he affirmed. "Atrophy of the musculature. So what happens to the spine is you get these small muscles that atrophy... You get joints that get locked or semi-locked, that can't move.

"You take a perfectly healthy joint and immobilize it, and you get destruction of the joint. Patients come to me and say, "I bent over wrong, I did this, I did that, and I say, "Look, if someone is walking up the stairs and has a heart attack, you wouldn't say the stairs caused it, would you?

"It was cumulative factors. It was hereditary, he smoked, drank alcohol, didn't exercise, was overweight... So the same process happens on an ongoing basis with the spine through injuries, improper bending, lifting, prolonged posture.

"It's cumulative. All those things combined, just as in heart disease, can cause a problem in spinal functioning and the overall health of a person."

Manoni referred to the National Safety Council's estimate of 1,500 spinal traumas from falls that a child has by the time he is 10 years old.

He said chiropractic can be very effective in relieving asthma symptoms. "If you have a diminishment of function in the nerves going to the bronchioles, they don't function as well, but by relieving the irritation on the nerve root, asthmatics can get relief."

"That's an interesting thing," I mused. "So little by little we get out of alignment?"

"The out of alignment," he sighed. "You're not the front end of a car. It's a neurological dysfunction. It's cumulative -- there are falls, prolonged postures, abnormal stresses and strains.

"You know, our bodies were not meant to sit at desks all day and that only a couple of generations ago we were an agrarian culture.

"Add that to the approximately 500 chemicals a day we're exposed to today, the toxins we have in our foods, in our environment, and it all causes our bodies not to function as well or causes disease in many instances."

"My understanding was that chiropractors realign the spine and the bones that have shifted," I persisted.

Manoni patiently explained there are 24 joints in our spines through which nerves pass from the spinal cord to just about every part of our bodies.

He described subluxation, defined as an incomplete or partial dislocation, as a blocked nerve root or blocked functioning in any joint. "If you have this in your wrist, you call it carpal tunnel syndrome; in your shoulder, maybe a bursitis...

"But if it's in your spine, it affects so much more because it affects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system."

The sympathetic nervous system is active during stress or danger. It is involved in regulating pulse and blood pressure, dilating pupils, and changing muscle tone.

The parasympathetic nervous system controls involuntary, unconscious functions like slowing the heart rate, constricting pupils, relaxing the bowels.

"For example, if there was a subluxation of a joint in the lower back," Manoni continued, "some people would get sciatica from that. But those same nerve roots in your lower back go to your leg, and they also go to your organs of digestion and your urinary tract, so these can be affected, too."

"What's the goal of an adjustment?" I asked, having finally given up on getting an alignment.

"Ah, yes, adjustment...," he smiled with approval. "By adjusting with your hands and improving the function of the spinal joints, you improve the function of the nervous system."

Chiropractic is a holistic approach that enhances the function of the entire body, and Manoni equated this to taking supplements: "Are vitamins good for just one organ or for your whole body? You're eating nutritionally well, why? Because you want your pancreas to be healthy?

"No, because you want your entire body to be healthy. So having a properly functioning nervous system, taking care of where the nerves emanate from the spine, enhances the function of the whole human being."

For more information go to www.manonichiropractic.com or call 203-792-9582.

Linda Napier is a registered nurse and independent patient advocate who lives in Southbury. She is the author of the book "Tender Medicine." You can contact her at lindanapier@netzero.com

Do you need a mechanic or a chiropractor? - Danbury News Times

Shocking statistics on hospital errors - Natural health care and wellness should be the first choice.

2010-03-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Errors made by doctors, nurses and other medical caregivers cause 44,000 to 98,000 deaths a year. Hospital infections, many considered preventable, take another 100,000 lives. And mistakes involving medications injure 1.3 million patients annually in the U.S., according to the Food and Drug Administration.
[Do these numbers shock you?]
New Focus on Averting Errors: Hospital Culture - WSJ.com

Developing standards to document effect on organ function of spinal cord injury - Chiropractic philosophy in a nutshell

2010-03-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

[This article is so amazing. It really drives home how traditional medicine has been missing the forest for the trees. Published just last year, the best scientists from around the world said, wait a second. In spinal cord injury we are documenting loss of motor function (weakness), loss of sensory function (pain, tingling)but we have not been looking at the expected effects on organs. That is strange because bidirectional nerves at all levels of the spinal column carry nerve signals from the spinal cord, through the bones of the spine, into large groups and out to the organs. What I'm saying is, why can chiropractic help with sciatica but some don't believe it can help with blood pressure, digestive problems, etc.. If there is strain or inflammation at the level of the spinal cord or nerve root, how can only the motor and sensory nerves be affected while the nerves to the organs just float through unaffected? That's right, they can't!Hopefully these scientists will complete this interesting research, basically chiropractic philosophy, over the next decade and further the profession of chiropractic even more.]

Spinal Cord (2009) 47, 36–43; doi:10.1038/sc.2008.121; published online 28 October 2008

International standards to document remaining autonomic function after spinal cord injury
M S Alexander1, F Biering-Sorensen2, D Bodner3, N L Brackett4, D Cardenas4, S Charlifue5, G Creasey6, V Dietz7, J Ditunno8, W Donovan11, S L Elliott9, I Estores10, D E Graves11, B Green12, A Gousse4, A B Jackson1, M Kennelly13, A-K Karlsson14, A Krassioukov9, K Krogh15, T Linsenmeyer16, R Marino8, C J Mathias17, I Perkash6, A W Sheel9, G Shilero18, B Schurch7, J Sonksen19, S Stiens20, J Wecht18, L A Wuermser21 and J-J Wyndaele22

1University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA
2Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
3Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
4University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
5Craig Hospital, Englewood, CO, USA
6Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
7University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland
8Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
9International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
10James A Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
11Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
12Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
13McKay Urology, Carolinas Healthcare, Charlotte, NC, USA
14Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
15Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
16Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange, NJ, USA
17Imperial College, St Mary's Hospital, London, UK
18James J Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
19Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
20Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care, Seattle, WA, USA
21Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MS, USA
22University Hospital Antwerp, University Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
Correspondence: Dr A Krassioukov, ICORD/Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4. E-mail: krassioukov@icord.org

Received 19 June 2008; Revised 29 August 2008; Accepted 31 August 2008; Published online 28 October 2008.

Top of pageAbstract
Study design: Experts opinions consensus.

Objective: To develop a common strategy to document remaining autonomic neurologic function following spinal cord injury (SCI).

Background and Rationale: The impact of a specific SCI on a person's neurologic function is generally described through use of the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of SCI. These standards document the remaining motor and sensory function that a person may have; however, they do not provide information about the status of a person's autonomic function.

Methods: Based on this deficiency, the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) commissioned a group of international experts to develop a common strategy to document the remaining autonomic neurologic function.

Results: Four subgroups were commissioned: bladder, bowel, sexual function and general autonomic function. On-line communication was followed by numerous face to face meetings. The information was then presented in a summary format at a course on Measurement in Spinal Cord Injury, held on June 24, 2006. Subsequent to this it was revised online by the committee members, posted on the websites of both ASIA and ISCoS for comment and re-revised through webcasts. Topics include an overview of autonomic anatomy, classification of cardiovascular, respiratory, sudomotor and thermoregulatory function, bladder, bowel and sexual function.

Conclusion: This document describes a new system to document the impact of SCI on autonomic function. Based upon current knowledge of the neuroanatomy of autonomic function this paper provides a framework with which to communicate the effects of specific spinal cord injuries on cardiovascular, broncho-pulmonary, sudomotor, bladder, bowel and sexual function.

Keywords: autonomic nervous system, spinal cord injury, human, international standards

Article describes relationship between minor curvatures of the spine and diseased organs.

2010-03-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.danmurphydc.com/Article_48-03.Winsor.pdf

[This article has a great chart if you go to it. The documented relationship between spinal health and organ disease is nothing less than amazing. It definately supports chiropractic philosophy and further validates the sentiment, an ounces of prevention is worth a pound, more like a ton, of cure.]

“The object of these necropsies was to determine whether any connection existed
between minor curvatures of the spine, on the one hand, and diseased organs on
the other.”

Importantly, the types [of disease] documented include:
Larynx cancer, fatty degeneration of the thymus, pleural adhesions, pleural
effusions, pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary edema, pulmonary congestion, lung
fibrosis, bronchitis, enlarged lymph nodes, influenza, heart endocarditis, heart
dilatation, heart muscle degeneration, pericarditis, aortic aneurysm, liver cirrhosis, liver swelling, liver tumors, enlarged spleen, atrophied spleen, inflamed spleen, pancreas degeneration, cystic kidneys, appendicitis, uterine adhesions, prostate hypertrophy, prostate atrophy, cystitis, hydrocele, osteomyelitis of the tibia, etc.

“In general, we found the ordinary diseases of adult life.”

“Therefore, in 50 cadavers with disease in 139 organs, there was found curve of the
vertebrae, belonging to the same sympathetic segments as the diseased organs
128 times, leaving an apparent discrepancy of 10, in which the vertebrae in curve
belonged to an adjacent segment to that which should supply the diseased organs
with sympathetic filaments.”

Medicare Patients Give Chiropractic High Marks - 87 percent of patients surveyed gave their doctor of chiropractic a score of 8 or higher when asked

2010-03-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

Medicare Patients Give Chiropractic High Marks - Dynamic Chiropractic> www.acatoday.org/pdf/demo_report.pdf.

[Great news for Medicare patients everywhere. The positive results coming out of this two year study may improve access to chiropractic services and to more affordable healthcare overall.]

The long-awaited final report on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) chiropractic demonstration project, conducted from April 2005 through March 2007, is good news for chiropractic, with 87 percent of patients surveyed giving their doctor of chiropractic a score of 8 or higher when asked to rate their satisfaction with care (1-10 scale), and 56 percent rating their chiropractor a perfect 10.

Key findings from the summary report, relative to patient experiences with chiropractic care and analysis of chiropractic-specific Medicare costs during the project, include the following. To review the report in its entirety, visit www.acatoday.org/pdf/demo_report.pdf.

■"Medicare beneficiaries reported good relief of symptoms and high degrees of satisfaction with the chiropractic care they received."

■"The most frequent reasons given for seeking care from chiropractors were favorable earlier experiences (59 percent) and insufficient relief of symptoms by prior treatments of other health professionals (39 percent)."

■"Clinical problems involved the back in 78 percent, neck in 50 percent, hip in 38 percent, and shoulder in 32 percent. Pain was the most frequent symptom, followed by difficulty walking. ... Sixty percent of [survey] respondents indicated that they received 'complete' or 'a lot of' relief of symptoms from their chiropractic treatments."

■"Chiropractic care was felt to be easily accessible, and nearly 95 percent of respondents indicated that they had to wait no more than one week for appointments. Similarly high proportions reported that chiropractors listened carefully and spent sufficient time with them."

■"The types of prior treatments received from other health care professionals differed strikingly from those received by chiropractors, including pain pills in 58 percent, pain injections in 30 percent, both pain pills and injections in 22 percent, and surgery in 12 percent. ... The high reported use of pain medications and surgery in treatments received from other types of health care professionals suggests the potential for achieving cost offsets [by using chiropractic care]."

COSTCO Executive Business Member of the Month - Banic Chiropractic Clinic

2010-02-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone at the Issaquah COSTCO for inviting Banic Chiropractic and Massage to be your Executive Business Member of the Month! It means a lot to us, and as with all our sources of referral in the Issaquah community, we do not take this responsibility lightly. The trust you have shown in referring your clients, friends, and family is deeply appreciated and we will provide the best technology, most current evidence-based care, and caring customer service possible.

Another incentive for wellness care - Hospital Infections Kill 50,000 Annually

2010-02-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

Study: Hospital Infections Kill 50,000 Annually

[I am sure you have heard these statistics before, but have you thought about them? NPR hosted a great story on this subject February 23rd, 2010. One of the points the study author drove home was that these were not individuals already at risk of dying. These were individuals who "were there for elective surgery and were given a mechanical airway that had not been washed." I am shocked at how eager some of our patients are, to jump into surgery for conditions like disc herniation, sciatica, and back pain, when a conservative course of the type of Chiropractic care we provide has been studied and found to be 85% effective. It takes longer but....we pay the lowest malpractice insurance of any health care profession. Why, because the risk of serious adverse events from Chiropractic care is unbelievably small. So please remember, elective surgery is very very risky. It is much better to stay healthy through using your body correctly - healthy weight, good biomechanics, good ergonomics, etc...and if you do have an illness or injury, try conservative Chiropractic care first!]

Each year nearly 300,000 U.S. patients get serious cases of pneumonia and sepsis -- bloodstream infections -- during their hospital stays. Almost 50,000 of them die.

Pneumonia and sepsis make up a large fraction of hospital-acquired infections.(iStockphoto.com)

That's the bottom line of a new study that its authors say is the first truly national look at the stubborn problem of hospital-acquired infections. It's based on 69 million hospital cases in 40 states.

These potentially avoidable infections result in longer hospital stays, costing more than $8 billion a year.

The researchers found the death toll from avoidable pneumonia and sepsis is bigger than from traffic fatalities. It's more than three times higher than that for AIDS, and roughly twice as much as annual deaths from firearms.

The authors consider the 48,000 death estimate an underestimate, since it counts only those from infections acquired and diagnosed during the same hospitalization. But many hospital-acquired infections are not diagnosed until after discharge.

The study is part of an ongoing project called Extending the Cure funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (The foundation also funds NPR health programming.)

Dr. David Murphy and Dr. Peter Pronovost of Johns Hopkins say the new data are "disconcerting." "The knowledge that patients continue to experience harm from their interactions with the health system is unconscionable," they write in an accompanying editorial.

The new data focus attention, once again, on how to reduce avoidable hospital infections. Laxminarayan says Medicare's 2008 decision to stop paying for care associated with "never" events -- infections that should "never" happen -- won't do much. So far, he notes, Medicare's policy covers only three types of infections -- those related to vascular catheters, urinary catheters or surgical sites following coronary bypass grafts.

Is Chiropractic care safe for children?

2010-02-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

[Children suffer from a myriad of musculoskeletal pain conditions that can be related to anything from falls to birth trauma. Chiropractic care has been demonstrated to benefit these conditions, and without the side-effects associated with Aspirin, Acetaminaphen, and other medications. In addition, a wide range of non-pain conditions; such as Autism (improved symptoms, not a cure), Infantile Colic, Chronic ear infections, some forms of bed wetting, and more have been reported on in the literature. As you consider what interventions to take for your child, know that Chiropractic care is an extremely safe and effective treatment to release subluxations and improve your childs pain and the way their body grows and functions. In fact, we adjust our own children frequently and they are magnificent, hardly a scientific statement, so I have included the following articles.] - Six hundred ninety-seven children received a total of 5242 chiropractic treatments, with 85% of parents reporting an improvement. Seven parents reported an adverse effect.[Adverse events are usually a little stiffness and no serious complications were reported. And the other article (one of many, I should add)] [Pediatric]Patients responded favorably to chiropractic management, and there were no reported complications. [This article also reported "important" improvements in as many as 87% of participants.]

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2008 Jul-Aug;31(6):419-23.

Adverse effects of spinal manipulative therapy in children younger than 3 years: a retrospective study in a chiropractic teaching clinic.
Miller JE, Benfield K.

Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, Bournemouth, UK.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to identify any adverse effects to chiropractic care occurring in the pediatric patient and to evaluate the risk of complications arising in the pediatric patient resulting from chiropractic care. METHODS: A 3-year retrospective study of pediatric case files from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC) (Bournemouth, England) teaching clinic practice in Bournemouth, England. All files (n = 781) of pediatric patients younger than 3 years of age were selected manually in sequential order from current files stored in the AECC clinic presenting to the AECC clinic during a specific period. Most (73.5%) patients presenting were 12 weeks of age or younger (n = 574). RESULTS: Six hundred ninety-seven children received a total of 5242 chiropractic treatments, with 85% of parents reporting an improvement. Seven parents reported an adverse effect. There was a reaction rate of approximately 1 child in 100, or one reaction reported for every 749 treatments. There were no serious complications resulting from chiropractic treatment (reactions lasting >24 hours or severe enough to require hospital care). CONCLUSION: This study shows that for the population studied, chiropractic manipulation produced very few adverse effects and was a safe form of therapy in the treatment of patients in this age group.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2003 Jan;26(1):1-8.

Evaluation of chiropractic management of pediatric patients with low back pain: a prospective cohort study.
Hayden JA, Mior SA, Verhoef MJ.

Institute for Work and Health, 481 University Avenue, 8th Floor, Toronto M5G 2E9, Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Recent epidemiologic studies have estimated that the lifetime prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in children is approximately 50%, with almost 15% of children experiencing frequent or continual pain. A literature search revealed no published studies addressing conservative treatment of childhood LBP. OBJECTIVE: To describe chiropractic management of LBP in patients between the ages of 4 and 18 years, as well as outcomes and factors associated with the outcomes. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of consecutive pediatric patients with LBP seeing randomly selected chiropractors within the cities of Calgary, Alberta, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Follow-up data collection included the type and extent of treatment rendered and its outcome, which was measured with a 5-point subjective rating scale and a self-report pediatric visual analogue scale. RESULTS: Fifteen chiropractors provided data on 54 consecutive pediatric patients with LBP. The average age of the patients was 13.1 years, 57% were male, 61% were acute, with 47% attributing onset to a traumatic event (most commonly sports-related); 24% reported an episode duration of greater than 3 months. Almost 90% of cases presented with uncomplicated mechanical LBP, most frequently diagnosed as lumbar facet dysfunction or subluxation. Patients were managed with manipulation, with a minority (7.7%) receiving some form of active management. "Important" improvement was seen in 62% and 87% on the visual analogue and subjective scales, respectively, within a 6-week course of management (Kaplan-Meier survival analysis). Patients with chronic LBP were less likely to respond within the median number of treatments (relative risk = 2.1). CONCLUSIONS: Patients responded favorably to chiropractic management, and there were no reported complications. Future investigations should establish the natural history and compare chiropractic management with other forms of treatment to gain knowledge about the effectiveness of chiropractic in managing pediatric LBP.

Increased respiratory capacity from chiropractic adjustments may benefit migraine sufferers.

2010-02-21T20:28:00.001-08:00

[Recently, I discussed an article in which migraine number and headache intensity were decreased through an indoor cycling program designed to improve maximal oxygen uptake. The risk of the program, according to the researchers is that exercise can trigger migraines. Another recent study may also point to a treatment that can give the same relief to migraine sufferers. "[Chiropractic] Manual therapy appears to increase the respiratory function of normal individuals." Wow, exciting stuff!]

Exercise Program Reduces Migraine Suffering
ScienceDaily (Mar. 29, 2009) — While physical exercise has been shown to trigger migraine headaches among sufferers, a new study describes an exercise program that is well tolerated by patients. The findings show that the program decreased the frequency of headaches and improved quality of life.

The study used a sample of migraine sufferers who were examined before, during and after an aerobic exercise intervention. The program was based on indoor cycling (for continuous aerobic exercise) and was designed to improve maximal oxygen uptake without worsening the patients’ migraines.

After the treatment period, patients’ maximum oxygen uptake increased significantly. There was no worsening of migraine status at any time during the study period and, during the last month of treatment, there was a significant decrease in the number of migraine attacks, the number of days with migraine per month, headache intensity and amount of headache medication used.

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2007 Sep;30(7):509-13.

The effect of combining manual therapy with exercise on the respiratory function of normal individuals: a randomized control trial.
Engel RM, Vemulpad S.

Department of Health and Chiropractic, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. rengel@els.mq.edu.au

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the effect of combining manual therapy with exercise on respiratory function in normal individuals. METHODS: The study design was a randomized control trial. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) were measured in 20 healthy, nonsmoking individuals before and after 3 interventions: exercise only, chiropractic manual therapy only, and manual therapy followed by exercise. The participants, 18 to 28 years of age, were randomly allocated to a control and 3 intervention groups. Each participant underwent 6 sessions of interventions over a 4-week period. RESULTS: The exercise only group showed a significant decrease in FVC (P = .002, generalized linear model [GLM]) and FEV1 readings (P = .0002, GLM). The manual therapy only group showed a significant increase in FVC (P = .000, GLM) and FEV1 (P = .001, GLM). The group that received both manual therapy and exercise showed increases in FVC and FEV1 immediately after manual therapy followed by an additional increase after exercise. The overall increase in this group was not statistically significant. Participants in the control group showed no change in FVC or FEV(1). CONCLUSIONS: Manual therapy appears to increase the respiratory function of normal individuals. The potential for this intervention administered before exercise to permit additional tolerance within the respiratory system that could allow an extended exercise program than was previously possible is discussed.

PMID: 17870419 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) commenting on consumer reports recommendations to avoid muscle relaxers for muscle and back pain.

2010-02-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

Check out the options before you use muscle relaxers for muscle pain - Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog) [Great article from a local - I plan to visit the blog.] Check out the options before you use muscle relaxers for muscle pain
Although more than $1 billion is spent in U.S. annually for potent muscle relaxant drugs, Consumer Reports recommends over-the-counter drugs as the best first option for relief from these conditions.

Muscle relaxants are no better than the nonprescription pain relievers acetaminophen (Tylenol and generics), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil and generics), or naproxen (Aleve and generics), according to Consumer Reports. And they don't carry dangerous side effects, such as addiction, weakness or fatigue, dizziness, and sedation.

Consumer Reports also suggests trying massage, yoga, or a heating pad, or for lower back pain, a chiropractor instead of muscle relaxers.

If you do need to take a muscle relaxer, you might want to try the cost-effective Cyclobenzaprine or Baclofen, the researchers recommend. Avoid "Soma" because it has a risk of addiction. Talk your doctor first for recommendations.

See "Drugs to Treat Muscle Spasms and Spasticity" for details.

The video with the article "Are Muscle Relaxers the Best Choice for Muscle Pain?" also provides useful information.

For more information for boomer consumers, see my blog The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.

Will she lose her tooth or won't she?

2010-02-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

[Certainly it is futile to try to change the outcome now, but we are trying to help Kate keep her tooth after she fell on a step and crushed it into her gum/maxilla. In an attempt to reduce swelling around the tooth and to reduce nerve injury, we are giving her ibuprofen 7mg/kg and omega-3 supplements based on the following article. We won't know for a couple weeks if she will lose the tooth and, as with all preventative treatments, we may not know if our active interventions really changed her future.]

Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2007 Nov-Dec;77(5-6):295-300. Epub 2007 Nov 26.

Omega-3 fatty acids and neurological injury.
Michael-Titus AT.

Neuroscience Centre, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Queen Mary, University of London, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2AT, UK. A.T.Michael-Titus@qmul.ac.uk

Studies with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have shown that these compounds have therapeutic potential in several indications in neurology and psychiatry. Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is an event with devastating consequences, and no satisfactory treatment is available at present. The pathogenetic mechanisms associated with SCI include excitotoxicity, increased oxidation and inflammation. We review here our recent studies, which suggest that omega-3 PUFA have significant neuroprotective potential in spinal cord trauma. In a first study, we administered an intravenous bolus of alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 30 min after spinal cord hemisection injury in adult rats. The omega-3 PUFA led to increased neuronal and glial survival, and a significantly improved neurological outcome. In subsequent studies, we tested DHA in a more severe compression model of SCI. We also explored a combined acute and chronic treatment regime using DHA. Saline or DHA was administered intravenously 30 min after compression of the spinal cord. After injury, the saline group received a standard control diet, whereas DHA-injected animals received either a control or a DHA-enriched diet for 6 weeks following injury. We assessed locomotor recovery and analysed markers for cell survival and axonal damage, and we also investigated the effects of the treatment on the inflammatory reaction and the oxidative stress that follow SCI. We showed that the acute DHA treatment is neuroprotective after compression SCI, even if the treatment is delayed up to an hour after injury. The DHA injection led to an increased neuronal and glial cell survival, and the effect of the DHA injection was amplified by addition of DHA to the diet. Rats treated with a DHA injection and a DHA-enriched diet performed significantly better at 6 weeks in terms of neurological outcome. The analysis of the tissue after DHA administration showed that the fatty acid significantly reduced lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and RNA/DNA oxidation, and the induction of COX-2. Parallel studies in a facial nerve injury model in mice also showed pro-regenerative effects of chronic dietary administration of DHA after nerve lesion. These observations suggest that treatment with omega-3 PUFA could represent a promising therapeutic approach in the management of neurological injury.

PMID: 18036801 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS electric stim) used to treat chronic back pain not effective, medical group says - Workers Comp Forum

2010-02-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

Device used to treat chronic back pain not effective, medical group says - Workers Comp Forum

A device that is widely used to treat chronic back pain is not effective, according to a study.

For years, employees who suffer from chronic low back pain have been treated with a transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, a portable device that applies a mild electrical current to the nerves through electrodes. The theory behind the treatment was that nerves can only carry one signal at a time. Physicians believed that transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation confused the brain and blocked the real pain signal. However, according to a guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology, this method is not recommended.

[I remember observing a big formal debate at Palmer College of Chiropractic about this subject. Many physical therapists and chiropractors in other states choose to employ these methods in their practice. However, even almost a decade ago, it was known that there was controversy about how effective these treatments are. If someone suggests this treatment for you it may be time to get a second opinion.]

Chronic Migraine Sufferers Sicker, Poorer and More Depressed - try Chiropractic which has been found to confer benefits in a variety of ways.

2010-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Chronic Migraine Sufferers Sicker, Poorer and More Depressed Than Episodic ... - Science Daily (press release)

The results showed that those with chronic migraine had significantly lower levels of household income, were less likely to be working full time, and were almost twice as likely to have a job related disability than their peers with episodic migraine.

They were twice as likely to be depressed, anxious, and experiencing chronic pain. And they were significantly more likely to have other serious health problems.

These included asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. They were also around 40% more likely to have heart disease and angina and 70% more likely to have had a stroke.

[These recent studies linking Migraine to a variety of lifestyle diseases make me wonder if lifestyle is playing a part in these Migraine conditions. The bronchitis and COPD mentioned in the study are clear signs that the individuals are smoking or exposed to smoke or toxic chemicals. The high blood pressure and diabetes are related to obesity. I am betting the Migraines did not make them smoke and gain weight, rather they may be associated with the myriad of disorders linked to chronic inflammation. Diet, exercise, postural stress reduction, relaxation techniques, supplementation, and cleansing of the body may eventually be the key to eliminating these headaches.]

A fun little article on wine headaches from the Pour Fool]

2010-02-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

The Wine Headache: Help Is On The Way - Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)

[This article hit home as my poor winery owning Dad, www.MilbrandtVineyards.com, gets splitting headaches and trouble sleeping when he tastes. No, he is not a Chiropractic or massage patient, he is an old stubborn farmer.]

Botulinum Toxin Injection May Help Prevent Some Types of Migraine Pain - Science Daily (press release)

2010-02-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

Botulinum Toxin Injection May Help Prevent Some Types of Migraine Pain - Science Daily (press release)

[I also read a study that found botox injection into the glabella to remove the furrow between the brows reduced depression equal to major brands of seratonin re-uptake inhibitors.]

Child 'mini-marketeers' paid by junk food firms to secretly push products among their friends

2010-02-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

[I guess this was inevitable - but it is still horrific]

Children are being paid up to £25 a week to promote sugary soft drinks and other products through social networking sites and playground chat.
Products including Fanta and Cheestrings are at the centre of stealth marketing campaigns.
Firms are turning to the controversial tactics after moves to crack down on TV advertising of unhealthy products.
The Dubit website, set up by a British entrepreneur, recruits thousands of children from seven upwards to take part in surveys that are used by big business to shape products and policy.
Now it is trying to get the youngsters to promote brands to their friends in return for money-off vouchers, which can be worth £25 a week, and free samples.
Children and teens are recruited as 'brand ambassadors' by the site. This involves performing a range of tasks including putting up flyers, posting on message boards and social networks such as Facebook and Bebo and hosting parties for friends.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250931/Child-mini-marketeers-paid-junk-food-firms-secretly-push-products-friends.html?ITO=1490&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailymail%2Fhome+%28Home+%7C+Mail+Online%29#ixzz0fg9H1sVR

Systematic review of the literature finds spinal manipulation/ chiropractic care benefits chronic headache equal to prescription medications

2010-02-15T22:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11562654?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=8

[This article is a review of the literature, meaning multiple studies have been performed on various groups and various types of headaches and the reviewers pooled all the studies to increase the number of participants and look at overall trends. This allows reviewers to discount unusual findings, like if only one study found a benefit and all the others found no difference compared to control groups, that would be revealed in a literature review. Anyway, this found both massage and spinal manipulation (chiropractic care)to be beneficial in short term headache relief and longer term headache prevention and improvement.]

Efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic headache: a systematic review.
Bronfort G, Assendelft WJ, Evans R, Haas M, Bouter L.

Department of Research, Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies, Northwestern Health Sciences University, Bloomington, MN 55431, USA. gbronfort@nwhealth.edu

BACKGROUND: Chronic headache is a prevalent condition with substantial socioeconomic impact. Complementary or alternative therapies are increasingly being used by patients to treat headache pain, and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is among the most common of these. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy/effectiveness of SMT for chronic headache through a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized clinical trials on chronic headache (tension, migraine and cervicogenic) were included in the review if they compared SMT with other interventions or placebo. The trials had to have at least 1 patient-rated outcome measure such as pain severity, frequency, duration, improvement, use of analgesics, disability, or quality of life. Studies were identified through a comprehensive search of MEDLINE (1966-1998) and EMBASE (1974-1998). Additionally, all available data from the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Chiropractic Research Archives Collection, and the Manual, Alternative, and Natural Therapies Information System were used, as well as material gathered through the citation tracking, and hand searching of non-indexed chiropractic, osteopathic, and manual medicine journals. DATA EXTRACTION: Information about outcome measures, interventions and effect sizes was used to evaluate treatment efficacy. Levels of evidence were determined by a classification system incorporating study validity and statistical significance of study results. Two authors independently extracted data and performed methodological scoring of selected trials. DATA SYNTHESIS: Nine trials involving 683 patients with chronic headache were included. The methodological quality (validity) scores ranged from 21 to 87 (100-point scale). The trials were too heterogeneous in terms of patient clinical characteristic, control groups, and outcome measures to warrant statistical pooling. Based on predefined criteria, there is moderate evidence that SMT has short-term efficacy similar to amitriptyline in the prophylactic treatment of chronic tension-type headache and migraine. SMT does not appear to improve outcomes when added to soft-tissue massage for episodic tension-type headache. There is moderate evidence that SMT is more efficacious than massage for cervicogenic headache. Sensitivity analyses showed that the results and the overall study conclusions remained the same even when substantial changes in the prespecified assumptions/rules regarding the evidence determination were applied. CONCLUSIONS: SMT appears to have a better effect than massage for cervicogenic headache. It also appears that SMT has an effect comparable to commonly used first-line prophylactic prescription medications for tension-type headache and migraine headache. This conclusion rests upon a few trials of adequate methodological quality. Before any firm conclusions can be drawn, further testing should be done in rigorously designed, executed, and analyzed trials with follow-up periods of sufficient length.

PMID: 11562654 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Migraines and cardiovascular events, a common thread and treament that may help.

2010-02-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

Migraine may double risk of heart attack

[Good information for migraine sufferers. And following is a look at improved migraines after aerobic exercise designed to maximize oxygen uptake.]

Exercise Program Reduces Migraine Suffering
ScienceDaily (Mar. 29, 2009) — While physical exercise has been shown to trigger migraine headaches among sufferers, a new study describes an exercise program that is well tolerated by patients. The findings show that the program decreased the frequency of headaches and improved quality of life.

The study used a sample of migraine sufferers who were examined before, during and after an aerobic exercise intervention. The program was based on indoor cycling (for continuous aerobic exercise) and was designed to improve maximal oxygen uptake without worsening the patients’ migraines.

After the treatment period, patients’ maximum oxygen uptake increased significantly. There was no worsening of migraine status at any time during the study period and, during the last month of treatment, there was a significant decrease in the number of migraine attacks, the number of days with migraine per month, headache intensity and amount of headache medication used.

Individuals with headache and migraine typically are less physically active than those without headache. Patients with migraine often avoid exercise, resulting in less aerobic endurance and flexibility. Therefore, well designed studies of exercise in patients with migraine are imperative.

“While the optimal amount of exercise for patients with migraine remains unknown, our evaluated program can now be tested further and compared to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments to see if exercise can prevent migraine,” says Dr. Emma Varkey, co-author of the study.

5 Ways Therapeutic Massages can help Fight off the Flu

2010-02-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

Here are five ways that therapeutic massage can benefit your health:

Eliminate harmful toxins. Negative toxins consistently build in our body, resulting in pain, fatigue and an overall feeling of gloom. Massage helps stimulate your lymphatic glands, which is the natural way your body gets rid of the negative toxins.
Improve your circulation. Massage helps encourage the flow of blood, essential nutrients and oxygen to your body and your brain, improving the overall circulation in your body. This can be especially helpful for the elderly and the sick.
Reduce your chance of becoming ill. By improving your circulation through massage, you are benefiting your entire body by helping ward off incoming germs that could make you sick. Massage can help your antibodies fend off germs by improving the circulation of your lymphatic system.
Improve the function of your immune system. Stress can lead to a suppressed immune system, which in turn, makes you more susceptible to illness. With regular massages, your immune system can regain the balance it needs to keep your health in check.
Reduce stress. While a massage can help relax the body and soul, medical studies have shown that anything that promotes relaxation can help reduce stress. Stress can lead to many negative health aspects, including illness and disease, so regular massage appointments can help reduce stress, and thus, lessen your chance of getting sick.

Soft Drinks Could Boost Pancreatic Cancer Risk

2010-02-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

Soft Drinks Could Boost Pancreatic Cancer Risk

[Wow, I have never seen an article written in such a careful way. The author was clearly very concerned about drink industry statements. I am going to research the other published articles because I have to admit, Diet Pepsi is my vice.]

How to fight childhood obesity in 3 steps

2010-02-08T22:54:00.000-08:00

How to fight childhood obesity in 3 steps An excerpt from the article: Just 14.5% of the children were exposed to all three of the study behaviors on a regular basis: Eating the evening meal as a family five or more nights a week, getting more than 10.5 hours of sleep per night, and watching less than two hours of TV, video or DVDs a day. [This is pathetic, why can't a four year old get at least 10.5 hours sleep and less than 2 hours of TV a day, any parent can accomplish that, there is no excuse.]

Kids Born Early in Year More Likely to Be Athletes?

2010-02-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

Kids Born Early in Year More Likely to Be Athletes?

[This is hardly news, this subject was thoroughly discussed in Gladwell's awesome book, Outliers. Many people even "redshirt" their kids in everything from sports to kindergarten, which is holding them back until they are one year older than their peers.]

Debate over blood samples from babies

2010-02-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Debate over blood samples from babies

[This article is so interesting because it never occurred to me to wonder what they did with the leftover from newborn screening blood samples. But really, imagine the amazing research they could do with this extensive collection. It would be fascinating to read about.]

The Miracle of Vitamin D: Sound Science, or Hype?

2010-02-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

The Miracle of Vitamin D: Sound Science, or Hype?

[This is a great article that really sums up my confusion about vitamin supplements. For example, knowing that all vitamins and minerals are important to health, in our family we eat a lot of salmon, go out and play everyday, and take Vitamin D supplements. Some researchers would say, they are healthy because they take Vitamin D. Others would say, they have a healthy lifestyle and also happen to take vitamin supplements, how much of that health should we really attribute to the vitamins. Of course that is oversimplifying because good research studies should be set up so that the two groups being compared are the same and I am certain there must be quite a few good studies but...... am I totally convinced? No, but I still give my kids a multi and Vitamin D just to be sure.... and I hope I am not doing them harm.]

5 Questions Find Hidden Celiac Disease in Kids

2010-02-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

5 Questions Find Hidden Celiac Disease in Kids

[Don't go crazy with this information. It seems like everybody thinks they have gluten intolerance. Celiac Disease is relatively rare, but as indicated in this study, early recognition of symptoms can help parents help their doctors to diagnose the condition. This could help some little guys get bigger, taller and happier, with less pain and discomfort.]

Feb. 1, 2010 - Five simple questions can help you find out whether your child needs a gluten-free diet, Danish researchers suggest.

Many children have celiac disease, a disorder that causes damage to the intestines when food containing gluten is eaten. Such kids do much better on a gluten-free diet. Foods containing wheat, oats, and barley give them trouble.

But at least half of kids with celiac disease never get diagnosed, and thus needlessly suffer symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and behavior problems.

There's a blood test that tells doctors which kids likely have celiac disease. But it's impractical to give all kids the blood test. Might it be easier to test only kids who have one or more symptoms of celiac disease?

To find out, Peter Toftedal, MD, of Odense University Hospital, Denmark, created a questionnaire for parents. The five items elicit information on recurrent abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, constipation, and lack of height and weight gain:

Has your child ever suffered from abdominal pain more than twice during the last three months?
Has your child ever had diarrhea lasting more than two weeks?
Does your child have a tendency to firm and hard stools?
Does your child gain enough weight?
Does your child gain enough height?
How well does it work? Toftedal and colleagues tested the questionnaire on Denmark's County of Funen. They mailed it to the parents of 9,880 8- and 9-year-olds. Before giving the questionnaire, 13 Funen kids were known to have celiac disease.

Of the 7,029 parents who filled out the questionnaire, 2,835 reported at least one symptom. All of these kids were invited for a blood test. Of the 1,720 children tested, 24 were positive for the antibodies characteristic of celiac disease.

Further tests identified 14 kids with celiac disease. That means that in Funen, only half of the kids with celiac disease had been diagnosed.

"A number of preclinical and low-grade symptomatic patients with celiac disease may be identified by their responses to a mailed questionnaire," Toftedal and colleagues conclude.

The findings appear in the March issue of Pediatrics.

Editor earned more than $20m in royalties from device manufacturer

2010-01-31T22:29:00.000-08:00

Editor earned more than $20m in royalties from device manufacturer

[I just had to post this since, I have a relative selling spinal implants for Medtronic. The funny thing is my relative is always complaining that another company, Stryker, is unethical in their research. Please try conservative chiropractic care for back and leg pain first. Widely accepted medical and chiropractic guidelines recommend spinal manipulation as the first line treatment for acute low back and leg pain.]

A medical journal editor who received millions of dollars from a medical device manufacturer wrote and edited articles favourable to the manufacturer without stating his conflicts of interest to readers.

Thomas Zdeblick, a University of Wisconsin orthopaedic surgeon who took over as editor in chief of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques in 2002, received more than $20m (12.4m; £14m) in patent royalties and $2m in consulting fees from Medtronic for spinal implants sold by the company during his tenure as editor. The amount of money Dr Zdeblick received became public in January 2009 as a result of an investigation into spinal device products launched by the US senator Charles Grassley (http://policymed.typepad.com/files/grassley-letter-to-university-of-wisconsin-january-12---2009.pdf).

Now a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, newspaper, the Journal Sentinel, has conducted a review of all articles published by the medical journal during Dr Zdeblick’s tenure as editor in chief

Parents' perceptions of their child’s competence linked to physical activity

2010-01-31T22:09:00.000-08:00

Parents' perceptions of their child’s competence linked to physical activity

[Of course we perceive our children as gifted, in the sports of bed jumping, living room basketball, and wrestling daddy DOWN!]

The study by Oregon State University researchers Stewart Trost and Paul Loprinzi, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, studied 268 children ages 2 to 5 in early childhood education centers in Queensland, Australia. Of these children, 156 parents or caregivers were surveyed on their parental practices, behaviors related to physical activity and demographic information.

What they found is that parents' level of physical activity is not directly associated with their children, but instead that the direct link was between parental support and a child's level of physical activity.

"Active parents may be more likely to have active children because they encourage that behavior through the use of support systems and opportunities for physical activity, but there is no statistical evidence that a child is active simply because they see that their parents exercise," Trost said.

Trost, who is director of the Obesity Prevention Research Core at the new Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families at OSU, is an international expert on the issue of childhood obesity.

His study found that parents who think their children have some sort of athletic ability were much more likely than other parents to provide instrumental and emotional support for young children to be physically active.

"I think this underscores the need for parents to provide emotional support, as well as opportunities for activity," Trost said. "Regardless of whether a child is athletic or is perceived to be physically gifted, all children need opportunities and encouragement of physical activity."

However, Trost said parental support of physical activity did not translate to a child's behavior once they were not in the home and were in a childcare setting. He said this adds to the body of research showing that both parents as well as childcare providers must provide support for physical activity.

Scientists find survival factor for keeping nerve cells healthy

2010-01-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

Scientists find survival factor for keeping nerve cells healthy

[This will certainly not lead to clinically useful materials for years, if it ever does. It may be worth a read for those with Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimers, or other motor neuron diseases.]

Inside Medicine: Samples of drugs aren't free - Sacramento Bee

2010-01-31T08:44:00.000-08:00

Inside Medicine: Samples of drugs aren't free - Sacramento Bee

[Main points as written by the author;]
1)A huge part of pharmaceutical companies' budgets goes to promotion and advertising rather than research and development of new drugs. A large part of the drug-promotion budget goes to free drug samples given to doctors – over $15 billion a year worth at the last count.
2)What happens when the few days' worth of free samples given to a patient runs out? Studies show the doctor rarely writes a prescription for the same drug the patient has always used. Instead, since the patient started a new medicine, the doctor continues to use that expensive drug – and it is likely it's not even covered by the patient's insurance company.
3)Also, the free samples the doctor gets from the sales reps are not samples of inexpensive drugs or drugs that have been on the market for a long time and are known to be safe and effective. Rather, the samples are of the newest drugs on the block – ones that have limited safety records, are extremely expensive and are usually no better than drugs that cost one-fourth or sometimes one-tenth as much.

Physical activity associated with healthier aging: Links between exercise and cognitive function, bone density and overall health

2010-01-29T20:53:00.000-08:00

Physical activity associated with healthier aging: Links between exercise and cognitive function, bone density and overall health

[It doesn't take a doctor, or multiple good concordant studies, to tell you that exercise provides amazing short term and long term benefits. Read the full text of this article for some serious motivation!]

"Drug marketing is a very sophisticated system which corrupts every part of the scientific and medical network,"

2010-01-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

"Drug marketing is a very sophisticated system which corrupts every part of the scientific and medical network,"

[Yet another totally horrifying article about drug industry marketing. There is another one it seems like everyday. I don't know if I should keep posting them.]

In Pain? Early Intervention is Essential

2010-01-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

Patient Money: Migraines Force Sufferers to Do Their Homework

“What might be a miracle drug for one person could be a dud for another,” explained Dr. Joel Saper, director of the Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute, a treatment and research center in Ann Arbor. “There is no universally effective therapy.”

If that sounds murky, one thing is not: early intervention is important. If you get a migraine every few months and can cope by taking an over-the-counter med, great — you’ve got the problem somewhat under control. But if recurring pain is not responding to your own efforts, seek expert help.

“Some early data suggests that if you let headache pain go without treatment it can lower your threshold for pain down the line,” Dr. Saper said. In other words, untreated headaches can make you more vulnerable to pain.

[This article illustrates maybe the most important concept about the development of chronic pain, that doctors know but often forget to share. Early intervention is essential. The old saying that the brain is fully formed by childhood and thats all you get is absolutely untrue. In actuality the brain can still form all types of new connections and connections that are not used become weaker. Therefore, through what's known as Neural Plasticity, the mind gets better and more efficient at something that is practiced. Constant or frequently occuring pain teaches the body to get better at experiencing pain. The small nerves that carry pain signals proliferate. One of the best ways to counteract this happening is motion. Chiropractic moves joints in a safe way near their end range. This sends floods of signals through large nerves that overpower the pain signals and diminish their importance. This is an example of an effective and safe way to prevent or improve hypersensitivity to pain.]

Heavy Backpacks Affect Children's Spines

2010-01-28T22:17:00.000-08:00

Heavy Backpacks Affect Children's Spines

[Whole article follows, chiropractors are experts in measuring maximum weight load for children and customizing backpack fit. Additionally, educating the kids is of huge importance, as they often further strain their spines by carrying the pack off one shoulder or not tightening straps and allowing it to hang down the body. We offer backpack safety checks in our clinic and I know other chiropractors do also]

Heavy Backpacks Affect Children's Spines
Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience; Back Pain
Article Date: 28 Jan 2010 - 3:00 PST

Heavy backpacks place a measurable strain on the spines of children, with heavier loads causing greater spinal strain and increased back pain, reports a study in the January 1 issue of Spine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans show compression of the spinal discs and spinal curvature caused by typical school backpack loads in children, according to Dr. Timothy Neuschwander of University of California, San Diego, and colleagues.

Backpacks' Effects on Disc Height and Spinal Curve Linked to Back Pain

The study included eight children, mean age 11 years. A special upright MRI scanner was used to image the children's spines in standing position-first with an empty backpack, then with increasing weights of 9, 18, and 26 lb. These weights represented about 10, 20, and 30 percent of the children's body weight.

Two key spinal measurements changed as the backpack load increased. Heavier weights caused compression of the intervertebral discs, which act as a cushion between the vertebrae (bones of the spine). Especially in the lower spine, the disc height became smaller (reflecting greater disc compression) at heavier backpack weights.

Heavier loads were also associated with increased curvature of the lower spine, either to the right or the left. Half of the children had a significant spinal curve even with the 18 lb weight. Most of the children had to adjust their posture to bear the 26 lb backpack load.

As backpack weight increased, so did the amount of pain reported by the children. At the heaviest load, the average pain score was nearly five (on a ten-point scale).

More than 90 percent of U.S. children carry backpacks, typically with weights equal to 10 to 22 percent of their body weight. Parents are increasingly concerned about the heavy backpacks their children have to carry. The new study is the first to use imaging techniques to see how backpacks affect children's spines.

The results suggest that heavy backpacks cause compression of the spinal disks and increased spinal curvature, both of which are related to back pain reported by the children. Although the children were wearing the backpack straps over both shoulders when the MRI scans were performed, the researchers note that spinal curvature could be even greater if the backpack was carried over one shoulder-as many children do.

"Low back pain in children may be worsened by discogenic [disc-related] or postural changes," Dr. Neuschwander and colleagues write. This could have long-term implications, as children with back pain are at increased risk of having back pain as adults. The researchers call for similar studies to examine the effects of heavy backpacks in children with existing back pain.

About Spine

Recognized internationally as the leading journal in its field, Spine is an international, peer-reviewed, bi-weekly periodical that considers for publication original articles in the field of spine. It is the leading subspecialty journal for the treatment of spinal disorders. Only original papers are considered for publication with the understanding that they are contributed solely to Spine. According to the latest ISI Science Citation Impact Factor, Spine ranks highest among subspecialty orthopedic titles. Visit the journal website at http://www.spinejournal.com

Lead may be the culprit in ADHD / STEM for kids

2010-01-28T22:10:00.000-08:00

Lead may be the culprit in ADHD

[Excerpt from article] ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is among the costliest of behavioral disorders. New research suggests that the culprit may be an old villain -- lead -- and what's more it explains the causal pathway from exposure to disability

[Another article] Survey Reveals Ways to Enhance Teens' Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

[I have been doing my own strange experiment on my son, or we do experiments together, which is my experiment. It is really easy to set up science experiments for kids. Like today he asked what swelling was. I told him we would see and put different types of cereal on a plate with a little water in it. Of course the cereal soaked up the water and we compared its characteristics to dry cereal and also talked about why certain cereals might swell more. Anyway, as he is only four it may take awhile to determine if these moments actually help him to excel in STEM subjects.]

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2010) — The nation is hoping for a bright future. Many believe the key to strengthening the U.S. economy and competing globally lies in fostering an innovative culture and educating America's youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). According to this year's Lemelson-MIT Invention Index , an annual survey that gauges Americans' perceptions about invention and innovation, teens are enthusiastic about these subjects, with 77 percent interested in pursuing a STEM career.

Take your pills, please

2010-01-27T23:11:00.000-08:00

Take your pills, please

[This is a fabulous product. Not that I love meds but the only thing worse than too many meds is not taking your prescriptions as directed.]

This pillbox has an embedded cellular phone that can send reminders by phone call, text message, or email. It also has lights that blink and sound alerts that beep. You can program it to send reminders in any or all of these formats -- but not just to the patient. The reminders can also go to a trusted family member and/or the provider. These can be easily programmed on the company website. You load up a month's worth of medications, and on you go. Or, if you forget to load up the medicines, you can have an alert about that.

Study: Higher Co-Pays Mean More Trips to the Hospital

2010-01-27T22:39:00.000-08:00

Study: Higher Co-Pays Mean More Trips to the Hospital

[This study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at more than 900,000 people. Now that is a nice sample size. The conclusions are intuitive but depressing. In chiropractic care especially, we feel the primary goal of a doctor is to keep patients healthy rather than to heal them once they are hurting. That is why we provide education, rehabilitation and strengthening exercises, and maintainence wellness care. We do not want our patients getting sick, hurting themselves, and aging without vitality. Unfortunately, once again, insurers are not on our side - or yours!]

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine has a provocative finding: Bigger co-payments for primary-care and specialty doctor visits were tied to more in-patient hospital time for elderly patients.

The implication is that people avoided the doctor’s office to save money, then ended up in the hospital when their problems weren’t detected or treated in their early stages. The apparent effect seemed stronger among people living in low-income areas, and for those with high blood pressure, diabetes or a history of heart attack, among other groups.

The bottom line was that raising co-pays “may be a self-defeating cost-containment strategy and may have adverse health consequences,” says Amal Trivedi, the study’s lead author and a professor at Brown’s Alpert Medical School.

The result is generally consistent with a number of other studies, many focused on patients’ out-of-pocket costs for drugs. They’ve linked higher co-pays to reduced use of medications, and vice versa. Here’s one of those and here’s another. Advocates of so-called value-based benefits design point to them as evidence for why insurers and employers should try to align patients’ financial incentives with the care they most need, particularly preventive treatment for chronic conditions.

Doubts Build On Glaxo's Antiaging Drugs - Forbes.com

2010-01-27T22:29:00.000-08:00

Doubts Build On Glaxo's Antiaging Drugs - Forbes.com

GlaxoSmithKline shocked the pharmaceutical industry in 2008 when it dropped $720 million to buy Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company working on drugs based on resveratrol, a chemical in red wine thought to combat the effects of aging.
The drugs are thought to enhance the activity of SIRT1, a key enzyme involved with the aging process. Glaxo hopes the drugs will lead to myriad new treatments for diabetes, cancer and other diseases.
But now researchers at rival companies are openly questioning whether the compounds will work. They say they are unable to replicate key laboratory experiments backing the drugs' promise.

[As you know my family is in the wine business so I thought this article was interesting. Reservatrol and other supposedly beneficial compounds can be found in the pomace and lees of red and white wines. You would think that Red would yield more of these compounds but studies indicate that the lees and pomace of white wines actually have more potential to be used in this sort of capacity. Of course any success of these compounds would be major for the wine industry. Currently the lees and pomace are considered waste products and just a few progressive estate wineries, meaning they have their own vineyards, compost the material and use it in fields.]

Mayo Clinic is refusing to see Medicare patients

2010-01-25T21:17:00.001-08:00

This is a great article from the KevinMD blog. First problem - Primary Care Practitioners (PCP) can not cover their costs with Medicare, Second problem - they are not graduating enough PCP's, everyone wants to go into surgery (cosmetic, orthopedic, SPINAL) where the money is, Third problem - Medicare supplements are expensive, can force you into managed care, and they often base their pay scale off of Medicare. I guess this will result in less PCP visits for seniors and probably a continuing spike in adverse drug events and deaths.

Why the Mayo Clinic is refusing to see Medicare patients
January 25, 2010

by Toni Brayer, MD

Medicare, the government insurance company for everyone over age 65 (and for the disabled) pays fees to primary care physicians that guarantee bankruptcy.

Additionally, 70% of hospitals in the United States lose money on Medicare patients. That’s right, for every patient over age 65, it costs the hospital more to deliver care than the government reimburses. That is why Mayo Clinic has said it will not accept Medicare payments for primary care physician visits. Mayo gets it. Nationwide, physicians are paid 20% less from Medicare than from private payers. If you are not paid a sustainable amount, you can’t make it up in volume. It just doesn’t pencil out.

Mayo lost $840 million last year on Medicare. Since Mayo is considered a national model for efficient health care, if they are losing money it doesn’t bode well for the rest of us who are much less efficient and who have fewer resources for integrated patient care. Instead of Medicare payments for clinic visits, Mayo will start charging patients a $2,000 fee for patients to be seen at their Glendale, Arizona clinic. Much like a “retainer”, this fee will cover an annual physical and three other doctor visits. Each patient will also be assessed a $250 annual administrative fee.

Primary care physicians are on the front line of patient care and senior patients are the most time consuming. The average Medicare patient takes 11 different medications. Just refilling and coordinating the medication can take up an entire office visit, without addressing other health concerns. I grant all Medicare patients a 1/2 hour visit because I would be chronically behind if I didn’t. After paying office overhead, I am broke with Medicare.

I do not welcome the 65th birthday of my patients, but I continue to see them because I love my senior patients. No kidding, I really love being their doctor. They are grateful and respectful and have interesting health conditions. I am able to see them because I make my income from my administrative position and I have private pay patients.

Sad but true. Unless we have true payment reform that values primary care and pays for coordination of care, I fear Medicare patients will not find enough willing physicians who accept Medicare in the future.

Poll: Coffee Lowers Brain Cancer Risk

2010-01-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

Poll: Coffee Lowers Brain Cancer Risk

Being a major coffee drinker myself, I am loving the huge benefits they are discovering coffee conveys, like decreased diabetes risk, decreased cancer risk, and improved overall health.

Play, Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains at School

2010-01-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

Play, Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains at School

I have seen this article a few times and it totally makes sense. When the kids are excited for recess they can't settle down and enjoy lunch.

FDA Warns Drug Companies On Faulty Ads

2010-01-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

[Please, please, please consider using conservative methods of care before going the pharmaceutical route. Especially for poorly understood issues like Fibromyalgia. These people may not have your best interests at heart]

FDA Warns Four Drug Companies Regarding Faulty Ads
MELLY ALAZRAKI
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to four drug companies, saying their promotional materials for four drugs make inaccurate or incomplete statements. The FDA demands Bayer, Eli Lilly (LLY), Cephalon (CEPH) and Amylin Pharmaceuticals (AMLN) stop using ads the agency says exaggerate the efficacy of a drug or downplay its risks.

The letters on Tuesday were sent to Eli Lilly regarding its ads for the antidepressant Cymbalta and to Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals regarding their co-marketed diabetes drug Byetta. Cephalon got a letter regarding its lymphoma and leukemia treatment Treanda while Bayer received one for its intrauterine device (IUD) Mirena.

Drugs With Potential Adverse Effects

While in some cases the FDA may be quite picky in its scrutiny, generally these are serious drugs with potentially adverse effects that should be fully disclosed. For example, the Lilly letter notes that the print ad for Cymbalta for fibromyalgia "entirely omits risk information," while the WebMD's Little Blue Book ad minimizes risk information and overstates efficacy.

In response, Lilly said it "is committed to providing clinically accurate and balanced promotional materials to healthcare professionals and patients. We are taking immediate steps to stop using the two pieces in marketing tactics and we are reviewing all Cymbalta promotional materials."

With the diabetic drug Byetta, the ads broaden indication and promote unapproved use, the FDA says. The letter continues to note how a Lilly representative also overstated the efficacy of Byetta and "misleadingly exaggerate the weight loss demonstrated in clinical trials," while Lilly and Amylin reps state different efficacy claims.

Amylin and Lilly in response said they have "a strong track record of compliance around education and promotion of Byetta." They added they "take this letter very seriously" and that they "will take action as needed in order to ensure all product communications adhere to regulatory requirements."

Misleading Information on Cancer Drugs

Of particular concern is misleading information for cancer drugs. The lymphoma and leukemia treatment Treanda letter says that "The dosing card [a pocket-size flash card containing prescribing information doctors use] includes an extremely limited risk presentation under the header "Important safety information" (ISI) on the back cover," and "omits important material information related to the dosing claims on the front of the card."

Upon receiving the letter, Cephalon immediately informed its organization and stopped using the cards. The safety of patients is of utmost importance to Cephalon, spokesperson Jenifer Antonacci said, adding the company has initiated a review and revision of all its Treanda promotional material.

Finally, perhaps somewhat amusing, is the claim in Mirena's ad that "the use of Mirena instead of other means of contraception will result in increased levels of intimacy, romance, and by implication, emotional satisfaction." The FDA knows nothing about such effects, however, saying "These claims misleadingly overstate the proven efficacy of Mirena."

The FDA also isn't happy about the claim the IUD could help women "look and feel great." The FDA continues, in its serious, dry tone, to say it hasn't heard of "any evidence suggesting that women who are using Mirena for birth control look great or feel great." Omission and minimization of risk information, as well as out right false and misleading statements are also mentioned in the Mirena letter.

Consumers Must Be Wary Of Drug Ads

Ads for drugs are tricky. Just a day before these letters were sent, BNet wrote about the new ad from AstraZeneca (AZN) for its antipsychotic drug Seroquel, which is already being fought in court in different suit. The ad, which was likely written by lawyers, BNet quips, has five pages containing "nothing but small print, warning of the drug's side effects."

These letters represent one more example of how the FDA has been trying to increase its oversight on such matters ever since the new administration has taken over. As these four letters are just a few of the many such letters the agency has sent in the past year, it's important for consumers to still be very careful when considering drug ads.

Drug companies market and promote drugs to increase sales. They have to play a fine balancing act with relaying all the proper information a user might need. No doubt, this can lend itself to omitting more than one or two side effects while pushing the boundary of efficacy claims. Consumers need to understand that and find drug information at unbiased sources such as the FDA.

United Health Care vs. You - Reading this will make you sick

2010-01-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/health/policy/25insure.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[I find this article very interesting because Swedish in seattle recently went through something very similar with United. What basically happens in these situations is that you end up not being able to use your insurance benefits at these hospitals because the hospitals won't accept the low rates and intrusion into your care decisions by the insurance company. The problem is that you lose either way. If the hospital refuses United patients, many will just choose not to get care and go home or put off a procedure = more money for United. If the hospital backs down and accepts lower rates and restrictions on patient care and procedures, you get worse care, still = more money for United. This trend is SCARY]

The article is worth reading: front in the national health care battle has opened in New York City, where a major hospital chain and one of the nation’s largest insurance companies are locked in a struggle over control of treatment and costs that could have broad ramifications for millions of people with private health insurance.

Dr. Gary Burke said warnings that coverage with some doctors could be cut off left some of his older patients panicked.

The fight is between Continuum Health Partners, a consortium of five New York hospitals, including Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, both major teaching hospitals, and UnitedHealthcare, which includes Oxford health plans and has 25 million members across the country, one million of them in New York.

While Congress has been haggling over covering as many as 15 million uninsured Americans, the prestigious hospitals and the major health insurer have been in bitter contract negotiations, not just over rates but also over UnitedHealthcare’s demand that the hospitals notify the insurance company within 24 hours after a patient’s admission. If a hospital failed to do so, UnitedHealthcare would cut its reimbursements for the patient by half.

UnitedHealthcare says the proposed rule is meant to improve the quality of care and cut costs by allowing insurance case managers to jump in right away. The hospitals say that having their reimbursement cut in half is too much to pay for a clerical error, and that the revenue drain would ultimately hurt their patients.

UnitedHealthcare is negotiating or imposing similar rules at hospitals across the country, and often meeting fierce opposition. Tennessee passed a law saying the penalty would not apply on weekends or federal holidays, when hospitals are short-staffed. Florida hospital officials said that the new rule could play a role in coming contract negotiations there, and that the state hospital association had asked Florida’s insurance regulators to monitor the situation.

The dispute signals a “ratcheting up” of a long tradition of insurers trying to cut costs, said Jeffrey Rubin, an economics professor at Rutgers University.

But Dr. Rubin said UnitedHealthcare’s approach is particularly aggressive and might be part of a wave of pressure insurance companies feel from employers to cut costs and to keep premiums lower to avoid penalties, like the “Cadillac tax” on expensive insurance plans.

“It’s an example of the insurance company getting between you and your doctor,” Dr. Rubin said.

Disputes between insurers and providers have flared up before, and it is rare for them to ultimately part ways. But the negotiations in New York have become especially tense. UnitedHealthcare has sent letters over the last few weeks to tens of thousands of patients, warning that they could be cut off from coverage at Continuum hospitals and affiliated doctors, and advising them to start shopping for new ones. Last year, 85,000 UnitedHealthcare customers received treatment from Continuum.

The hospital system went to court and got an injunction preventing the insurance company from cutting access to Continuum doctors until the matter could be arbitrated. And the Greater New York Hospital Association, a trade group, has complained to the state attorney general that the 50 percent penalty would be “confiscatory.” The attorney general’s office said it was reviewing the matter.

Health care analysts say that such battles could become more common if federal policy promotes competition among insurance companies, perhaps including insurance exchanges, as an important engine for driving down health care costs.

The fate of health care reform in Congress is unclear now that Democrats have lost their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. The House and Senate have not reconciled their disparate bills, but both proposals would prevent health insurers from excluding people with pre-existing conditions, which is one way they hold down costs.

So the insurers will need to find other ways to control expenses, said Sean Cavanaugh, an analyst for the United Hospital Fund, a New York-based research institute. “That means you try to negotiate price reductions and control utilization, which is the hardest way for insurers to hold down costs,” he said.

The UnitedHealthcare-Continuum dispute may also be a sign of the times, a showdown between corporate oligopolies reminiscent of the recent fight between Time Warner Cable and the Fox Broadcasting network, only with the spoils being doctors and patients rather than cable television subscribers and “American Idol.”

UnitedHealthcare’s New York chief executive, William Golden, said in an interview that the tension had been fanned by a greedy and intransigent hospital system that had been seeking unseemly rate increases of more than 40 percent. Mr. Golden said it was the toughest negotiation he had seen in 13 years.

“This negotiation is really coming down to affordability,” Mr. Golden said. “These are kind of unique circumstances for all of us involved. It’s probably not surprising in this economic climate. There are tremendous pressures on all of us to make health care more affordable.”

Kristin Binns, a spokeswoman for WellPoint, which runs Blue Cross plans in more than a dozen states and has more subscribers than any other company, said, “We are not enforcing any sort of penalty” like UnitedHealthcare’s, and a spokeswoman for the American Hospital Association said that it knew of no other major insurer that did so.

Officials from Continuum Health Partners acknowledge that they are looking for rate increases to pay for rising costs of technology, drugs, overhead and union contracts.

The hospital chain said that after initial tough-guy posturing — including a demand from UnitedHealthcare for a 7 percent to 10 percent cut — both sides have narrowed the gap in their demands. But Continuum says the crux of the standoff is its refusal to bend to UnitedHealthcare’s notification rules.

Some plans already ask patients and hospitals to notify their insurance companies of hospital admissions, but officials at Continuum and some other hospital systems say the penalty for noncompliance is either minimal or rarely enforced. In memos outlining the new policy, UnitedHealthcare officials have said that patient compliance with notification rules is erratic.

Dr. Sam Ho, UnitedHealthcare’s chief medical officer, said the company wanted to work with hospital staff to reduce the amount of time patients stay in the hospital, which is associated with complications like infection, and to prevent readmission, a major cost.

“If you had a car that needed to be repaired and then it had to go back in the garage within a week, then a month, then again in two months, then perhaps the original quality of the work that was done was substandard,” Dr. Ho said. He said that UnitedHealthcare’s push for notification was not motivated by money and that it would be happy if it never had to impose a penalty.

“Absolutely, honestly, sincerely, this is a genuine attempt to try to improve outcomes for patients,” he said.

But Ruth Levin, Continuum’s chief contract negotiator, said that the hospital chain did not believe that UnitedHealthcare could do a better job of reducing readmissions than its own medical staff could. Her account of negotiations on this point shows just how caustic they have become: “When we say, ‘Show me where you went to medical school,’ then they back down,” she said.

”It’s the ridiculous punitive nature of this,” she said. “If we provide a medically necessary service, we should be paid at the medically necessary rate.”

UnitedHealthcare has been rolling out a similar policy across the country since 2007, but has repeatedly postponed deadlines and penalties in the face of opposition. Most recently, it postponed a Jan. 19 deadline to begin imposing the 50-percent penalty. (UnitedHealthcare documents suggest that in some cases, the full penalty would kick in only after 72 hours, but Continuum officials say that UnitedHealthcare is forcing them to negotiate such terms.)

Integris Health, an 11-hospital system based in Oklahoma City, has tried to meet the notification requirement and has been frustrated by the administrative burden, even using electronic notification, said Greg Meyers, vice president for revenue integrity. “That doesn’t feel to us like cost control, it feels like a revenue stream enhancement to the insurance companies,” Mr. Meyers said.

Continuum officials say that cutting reimbursement in half would mean the loss of at least $25,000 for a patient who had bypass surgery and $15,000 to $20,000 for elective joint replacement.

Dr. Gary Burke, a doctor affiliated with St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, said the letters warning that coverage with Continuum doctors could be cut off left some of his older patients panicked at the prospect of losing a long-term relationship with a doctor they trusted.

“They’re kind of like, ‘If I get sick, does this mean I can’t see you?’ ” Dr. Burke said.

Continuum says it believes that some larger hospital systems have been able to negotiate immunity from the penalty. UnitedHealthcare officials refused to say whether that was true, saying that their contracts were subject to confidentiality agreements. Likewise, several other hospital systems, including the city’s Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs its public hospitals, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, declined to discuss the terms of their contracts with UnitedHealthcare.

“When all the other hospitals are doing it, we’ll do it,” Ms. Levin said. “If you go out there and succeed with NewYork-Presbyterian, we’ll do it. Then I think it’s unreasonable for me to stand out there and say, ‘Well, I can’t.’ ”

Soccer moms take note

2010-01-24T21:26:00.000-08:00

Soccer Injuries: Cleat-Natural Grass Combination May Be Less Likely to Result in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
ScienceDaily (Jan. 23, 2010) — Athletes put less strain on their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while making a cut on a natural grass surface while wearing a cleat.
"Our model looks at how forces travel up the kinetic chain, and that is something that should be looked at more closely, meaning you can't just look at the knee injuries by looking at the knee in isolation," Dr. Drakos said.

The investigators found that the natural grass/cleat combination placed a statistically lower maximum strain on the leg than any of the remaining three groups. All other combinations placed a greater amount of strain compared to the natural/grass cleat combination. The Astroturf shoe was 80.2 percent greater, modern playing turf/turf shoe was 47.5 percent greater, and the modern playing turf/cleat was 45.1 percent greater.
[I don't really have anything to add, just thought it was an interesting study. I do think I will shy away from involving my kids in gymnastics or football as I feel they are extremely hard on the body.]

Migraines

2010-01-20T22:44:00.000-08:00

http://medicalnewstoday.healthology.com/hybrid/hybrid-autodetect.aspx?content_id=4099&focus_handle=headache&brand_name=medicalnewstoday

Good video on dealing with migraines. They do not specifically mention chiropractic but discuss ergonomic modification, improved posture, massage therapy, and reducing stress though biofeedback and exercise. Below is a study performed comparing spinal manipulation (chiropractic) to the best available medication, Amitriptyline, in the treament of migraine. Chiropractic resulted in a comparable reduction from baseline pain levels vs. medication.....short term relief. In post-treatment follow-up only those patients who had received spinal manipulation continued to have the same reduction in symptoms.....so with no further treatment, they were still doing better.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9798179
The efficacy of spinal manipulation, amitriptyline and the combination of both therapies for the prophylaxis of migraine headache.
CONCLUSION: There was no advantage to combining amitriptyline and spinal manipulation for the treatment of migraine headache. Spinal manipulation seemed to be as effective as a well-established and efficacious treatment (amitriptyline), and on the basis of a benign side effects profile, it should be considered a treatment option for patients with frequent migraine headaches.

Death of the Drug Rep

2010-01-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

I found this article at PharmaGossip. What I found shocking was that drug reps had such unfettered access to physicians until now. I have often gone into my M.D. and seen her talking to these reps, but I did not realize it is because they are there so often. I know reps personally and they are the nicest people you could ever meet. You can't help but love them. I guess that is the nature of sales...

In one of the largest industry restructurings in years, just about every one of the nation's major drug makers is shrinking its sales force. The move is a stark turnaround from years of bulking up their sales ranks and blitzing doctors' offices with samples, literature and free lunches.

Increasingly, doctors have gotten tired of the nonstop sales visits, which have cut into their time to see patients. These days, more than a third of medical schools require sales reps to have an appointment before calling on physicians or residents, according to the American Medical Association. About one in four physicians works in a practice that refuses to admit sales reps. Of those who do see reps, nearly half require an appointment, up about 23 percent from 2008.

"It just got out of hand, with the number of people calling on these doctors every week," said Linda Bannister, a drug analyst for Edward Jones in St. Louis. "It wasn't a good use of resources anymore for the drug companies."

To compliment this article read:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2318/9/5
Inappropriate prescribing and adverse drug events in older people - Conclusion
Ultimately, the high prevalence of IP and preventable ADEs in older people is unacceptable, and represents a public health hazard likely to grow in tandem with ageing populations. Improved undergraduate and postgraduate training in geriatric pharmacotherapy is crucial. Though valid IP screening tools are desirable, they should enhance, not replace, clinical judgement. These screening tools need to be tested as an intervention in order to assess their impact on the incidence of ADEs in this vulnerable population.

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122588361/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Rise in antiobesity drug prescribing for children and adolescents in the UK: a population-based study
CONCLUSIONSPrescribing of unlicensed antiobesity drugs in children and adolescents has dramatically increased in the past 8 years. The majority are rapidly discontinued before patients can see weight benefit, suggesting they are poorly tolerated or poorly efficacious when used in the general population. Further research into the effectiveness and safety of antiobesity drugs in clinical populations of children and adolescents is needed.

etc,etc

Annals of Internal Medicine Systematic Review of the Literature finds spinal manipulations (chiropractic adjustments) among most effective treatments

2010-01-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17909210?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=14

When people talk about evidence based medicine, this is what they mean. Have the methods utilized in your practice been studied in a randomized controlled trial and found efficacious? Read the conclusion of the following abstract below; this study was performed to provide guidelines for the American Pain Society and American College of Physicians. If you have chronic low back pain, has your physician recommended the following therapies to you? If they havn't, maybe they are not up to date with current guidelines in the treatment of the low back.

Being an evidence-based clinic we utilize - spinal manipulation, exercise, rehabiltation, aspects of CBT, heat and ice - in the treatment of low back pain.

Ann Intern Med. 2007 Oct 2;147(7):492-504.

Nonpharmacologic therapies for acute and chronic low back pain: a review of the evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians clinical practice guideline.
Chou R, Huffman LH; American Pain Society; American College of Physicians.

Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center and Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA. chour@ohsu.edu

Erratum in:

Ann Intern Med. 2008 Feb 5;148(3):247-8.

Comment in:

Ann Intern Med. 2008 May 20;148(10):790-1; author reply 791-2.

Summary for patients in:

Ann Intern Med. 2007 Oct 2;147(7):I45.

BACKGROUND: Many nonpharmacologic therapies are available for treatment of low back pain. PURPOSE: To assess benefits and harms of acupuncture, back schools, psychological therapies, exercise therapy, functional restoration, interdisciplinary therapy, massage, physical therapies (interferential therapy, low-level laser therapy, lumbar supports, shortwave diathermy, superficial heat, traction, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and ultrasonography), spinal manipulation, and yoga for acute or chronic low back pain (with or without leg pain). DATA SOURCES: English-language studies were identified through searches of MEDLINE (through November 2006) and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2006, Issue 4). These electronic searches were supplemented by hand searching of reference lists and additional citations suggested by experts. STUDY SELECTION: Systematic reviews and randomized trials of 1 or more of the preceding therapies for acute or chronic low back pain (with or without leg pain) that reported pain outcomes, back-specific function, general health status, work disability, or patient satisfaction. DATA EXTRACTION: We abstracted information about study design, population characteristics, interventions, outcomes, and adverse events. To grade methodological quality, we used the Oxman criteria for systematic reviews and the Cochrane Back Review Group criteria for individual trials. DATA SYNTHESIS: We found good evidence that cognitive-behavioral therapy, exercise, spinal manipulation, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation are all moderately effective for chronic or subacute (>4 weeks' duration) low back pain. Benefits over placebo, sham therapy, or no treatment averaged 10 to 20 points on a 100-point visual analogue pain scale, 2 to 4 points on the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, or a standardized mean difference of 0.5 to 0.8. We found fair evidence that acupuncture, massage, yoga (Viniyoga), and functional restoration are also effective for chronic low back pain. For acute low back pain (<4 weeks' duration), the only nonpharmacologic therapies with evidence of efficacy are superficial heat (good evidence for moderate benefits) and spinal manipulation (fair evidence for small to moderate benefits). Although serious harms seemed to be rare, data on harms were poorly reported. No trials addressed optimal sequencing of therapies, and methods for tailoring therapy to individual patients are still in early stages of development. Evidence is insufficient to evaluate the efficacy of therapies for sciatica. LIMITATIONS: Our primary source of data was systematic reviews. We included non-English-language trials only if they were included in English-language systematic reviews.

CONCLUSIONS: Therapies with good evidence of moderate efficacy for chronic or subacute low back pain are cognitive-behavioral therapy, exercise, spinal manipulation, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation. For acute low back pain, the only therapy with good evidence of efficacy is superficial heat. (You will see in the article that spinal manipulations also provided benefit for the acute low back.)

Even WebMD Back Pain Center recommends Chiropractic Care

2010-01-16T23:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20090406/relief-from-back-pain?src=RSS_PUBLIC

If you have back pain read this article carefully, especially the part about getting a SECOND OPINION if you are recommended surgery! Sorry Mike, my brother sells the equipment used in spinal surgeries.

Back Pain Health Center
From Massage to Acupuncture, People Favor Hands-on Therapies to Treat Back Pain
By Bill Hendrick
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

April 6, 2009 -- Back pain can be a big pain in the neck. To deal with it, many U.S. adults favor hands-on therapies such as chiropractic manipulation, massage, and physical therapy, a new survey says.

Consumer Reports says in its May issue that 80% of adults in the U.S. report having been bothered by back pain at some point in their lives. The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center surveyed 14,000 subscribers who reported experiencing back pain in the past year but who had never undergone back surgery. More than half said the pain severely limited their daily routines for at least a week, and many said it interfered with sex, sleep, and weight control.

It found that:

88% of respondents said back pain recurred through the year.
35% said they’d never consulted a professional to help with lower back pain.
Of those who’d sought help:

58% said chiropractic manipulation had helped a lot.
48% said massage had eased their pain.
46% said physical therapy had benefited them.
The respondents were also asked about their satisfaction with various treatments. Of those reporting they were highly satisfied:

59% had seen chiropractors
55% had seen physical therapists
53% had seen acupuncturists
44% had seen physician specialists
34% had seen primary care doctors

Consumer Reports says most respondents had tried five or six different treatments and that many with prolonged pain said they hadn’t seen a health professional because they didn't believe anything could help.

The survey also found that:

45% of people who took prescription drugs said they helped a lot.
55% of people given a prescription drug received an opioid pain reliever, even though the publication says there’s little research to support the use of such medications for acute low-back pain.
“There are almost always better solutions than opioids for low-back pain,” says Orly Avitzur, MD, a neurologist and medical advisor to Consumers Union. “They have numerous adverse effects, such as drowsiness, respiratory depression, constipation, and nausea.”

Also, she says, overdose is a major concern.

Consumer Reports advises people with low back pain to:

Discuss the problem with a primary care doctor.
Consider seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist.
Use caution when considering surgery.
Get a second opinion before deciding on surgery.
It conducted a separate survey of about 1,000 people who’d had back surgery in the past five years and found that only 60% were completely or very satisfied with the results. And more than 50% reported at least one problem with recovery.

“Patients should be aware that significant problems during recovery may be underestimated,” Consumer Reports says in a news release.

Ridiculous - Unfair- Actually probably saving lives by making prescription drugs to expensive to use them.

2010-01-16T23:19:00.000-08:00

Patent deals between generic and branded drug makers have been getting lot of attention lately on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, Pfizer took a turn in the spotlight.

The world’s largest pharma company said it was among those asked Tuesday by European regulators to disclose their patent agreements with generic makers. Pfizer said that its record is clean and that it’s cooperating with European Union officials, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

The EU’s regulatory arm has been upset that cheaper generic drugs aren’t getting to consumers faster as they come off patent and it wants to know if branded makers are making payments to generic rivals to delay the competition. As we noted yesterday, the EU also sent requests for information to AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis.

U.S. regulators are stoking the pay-for-delay issue as well. The FTC said this week that payments in patent settlements typically delay generic competition by 17 extra months, compared with deals when there are no payments.

Nation of Chronic Disease - Break the Cycle

2010-01-16T22:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/nation-people-multiple-chronic-diseases.html
http://www.worldhealthcareblog.org/2009/11/18/new-poll-finds-71-percent-of-americans-favor-investing-more-in-disease-prevention-as-central-to-health-reform/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Worldhealthcareblogorg+%28The+World+Health+Care+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

This first article succinctly states the obvious, prevention is the key to health. Doctors should be focusing on keeping you healthy, not medicating you to treat the symptoms of sickness. The second article makes clear that, over 70% of Americans want increased focus on prevention to be a key component of health care reform. Chiropractors are already considered primary health care providers and covered by insurance in all 50 states and would be perfect guides along this path to optimal health.

Over the holidays, we were very busy. My son began with a dry cough that ended up lasting for a month. By January, he was fully ill and I took him to his pediatrician. The pediatrician examined him and though he had no obvious signs, diagnosed a bacterial sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics. I have never given Marko medications and was not about to start, but I did realize something from the visit. First, we should have been adjusting him regularly and not allowed the busy holidays to hinder our wellness care. Second, why was the M.D. not concerned about why he became susceptible to an infection. A healthy body, even a child, should have an immune system that can fight off infections. It is when other factors in life, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, etc.. interfere that we become susceptible to illness. Whenever I seek advice about my children having symptoms of illness, I am always seeking to understand if there is an UNDERLYING condition leading to reduced immune system functioning. Anyway, good articles....and we gave Marko chiropractic adjustments the next three days in a row. He had no further symptoms after the first night... without meds (another time I will talk about antibiotic side-effects).

Excerpt: Dr. Dana King of the Medical University of South Carolina recently published two papers on the erosion of American lifestyle habits between 1988 and 2006. Here’s a summary of what he found:

1. The prevalence of obesity increased from 28% to 36%.
2. The percentage of people getting minimal amounts of exercise fell from 53% to 43%.
3. Smoking remained unchanged at about 26% of the population.
4. The percentage of people eating at least five or more fruits and vegetables per day fell from 46% to only 26%.
5. Moderate alcohol consumption increased from 40% to 51% of adults.

It appears the only public health message resonating with Americans is that moderate alcohol consumption may have some health benefits. It’s the easiest of the five habits to adopt, and the most dubious.

There is nothing else in medicine that has the power of these simple habits to prevent the most common chronic diseases plaguing our society. The World Health Organization has stated that a healthy lifestyle can prevent 90% of all cases of type 2 diabetes, 80% of all cases of coronary heart disease and about a third of all cancers.

Dr. King found that declining lifestyle habits have been associated with increasing rates of chronic diseases, and our use of prescription drugs to treat these chronic diseases has exploded by 121%. Death rates from coronary heart disease are declining, but the actual prevalence of coronary heart disease is increasing.

New Years Resolutions

2010-01-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-easily-achieve-your-goals-in-2010/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+stronglifts+%28StrongLifts.com+-+Build+Muscle%2C+Lose+Fat+%26+Get+Stronger%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

This link offers great advice on actually achieving your goals this year. Similar to the cook "The Beck Diet Plan", it is based in concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy, something we will all hear more about over the years. This methodology is common sense and should be successful, assuming you follow the steps regarding, writing out your goals and reviewing them each day. Lets see if I can stick to my goal of getting a monthly massage, for wellness, and to accomplish my other resolution, being peaceful rather than letting the kids drive me crazy.

Its as safe as taking an aspirin...........hmmm.

2010-01-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

NOT TO START OUT NEGATIVE BUT....
JOHNSON & JOHNSON & THE BEST INTERESTS OF YOUR FAMILY

Johnson & Johnson issued a massive recall Friday of over-the-counter drugs including Tylenol, Motrin and St. Joseph's aspirin because of a moldy smell that has made people sick.

It was the second such recall in less than a month because of the smell, which regulators said was first reported to McNeil in 2008. Federal regulators criticized the company, saying it didn't respond to the complaints quickly enough, wasn't thorough in how it handled the problem and didn't inform the Food and Drug Administration quickly.

The recall includes some batches of regular and extra-strength Tylenol, children's Tylenol, eight-hour Tylenol, Tylenol arthritis, Tylenol PM, children's Motrin, Motrin IB, Benadryl Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. Joseph's aspirin.

The FDA and Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare Products said they did not know the number of bottles recalled. It included caplet and geltab products sold in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates, and Fiji.

Consumers should check the full list at http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com to identify the recalled batches.

Wait there's more!

Also on Friday, federal prosecutors in Boston said Johnson & Johnson paid tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks so nursing homes would put more patients on its blockbuster schizophrenia drug.

The government's complaint states that J&J gave special rebates to Omnicare Inc., the country's biggest dispenser of prescription drugs to nursing homes, in return for recommendations from its pharmacists that patients be given Risperdal, in many cases when it was inappropriate.