Articles

Consumer Reports: Relief For Your Aching Back

About 80 percent of the adults in the U.S. have been bothered by back pain at some point. The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center recently surveyed more than 14,000 subscribers who experienced lower-back pain in the past year but never had back surgery. More than half said the pain severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.

Lower-back pain disrupts many aspects of life… Read more

Chiropractic Care May Reduce Anxiety

The above headline appeared on the October 1, 2004, “Newswise”, and the October 6, 2004 “News-Medical.net”. These news stories stemmed from a published report appearing in the September 20, 2004 issue of the peer-reviewed periodical, “Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research” (JVSR). The report was a case study of a 19-year old female diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) who suffered from psychiatric symptoms as well as other problems for two years.

This case study noted that this patient’s previous medical treatment had included multiple emergency room visits; private specialists; and a rotation of drug therapies… Read more

Clinical Trial Shows Chiropractic Helps Migraines

A clinical trial reported in Medical-News.net on May 22, 2005 showed that 72% of migraine sufferers experienced either ‘substantial’ or ‘noticeable’ improvement after a period of chiropractic care. The study was a randomized clinical trial completed over a 20 year period. Dr. Peter Tuchin, was the chief researcher and presented his results in a thesis at Macquarie University in Australia.

Flu Season Wellness Plan Should Include Chiropractic Care

CHANDLER, ARIZ, Nov. 8, 2004 — The World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) is recommending that people of all ages add chiropractic to their strategy for warding off and fighting the flu and its effects this season.

Spinal adjustments can have a positive effect on immune function, the WCA asserts, citing a growing number of researchers who are exploring the common denominators in disease processes, and the role of the nervous, immune, and hormonal systems in development of immune related illnesses,

Chiropractic Can Reduce High Blood Pressure

The US Food and Drug Administration has a standard for determining the efficacy of new hypertension drugs: it requires “a blinded design with a placebo-subtracted reduction in diastolic BP of 5 mm Hg or more and be free of serious side effects to be approvable.”

With that guideline as their standard, a group of researchers from the University of Chicago set out to determine if chiropractic adjustment of the atlas could reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The authors summarize the relationship between the first cervical vertebra (C1) and hypertension:

What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Specific spinal adjustments are the hallmark of chiropractic care. An adjustment is a gentle force introduced into the spine intended to release a vertebral segment from its abnormal motion and/or position thereby reducing the vertebral subluxation.

Repetitive Tasks Tax the Bones

SUNDAY, Dec. 7 (HealthDayNews) — Highly repetitive work tasks, which are a risk factor for such musculoskeletal disorders as carpal tunnel syndrome, cause bone damage, says a Temple University study.

Good Posture Equals Good Health

Stories from each side of the Atlantic Ocean have highlighted the benefits of good posture and its relationship to good overall health. One of the articles found in the May 4, 2005 PR Newswire highlights the problem that many people spend all day tapping away on a keyboard at the office only to come home and slouch in a recliner for hours while watching TV. This article points out that 80 percent of Americans have not only endured back pain, but contribute to it in the way they sit, exercise, work and sleep.

Chiropractors Can Be Alternative to Surgery

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a science, art and philosophy that concentrates itself with the relationship between the nervous system and the function (health) of the body.

Early Egyptian Hieroglyphics show crude spinal manipulation techniques. Hippocrates of ancient Greece knew of the importance of the spine for good health. During medieval times, “bonesetters” were quite successful in relieving pain and many other health complaints.

Chiropractic (Greek: treatment from hand) arose in the 1890′s as a separate profession by a Canadian from Port Perry, Ont. D.D. Palmer, in 1895, began an alternative discipline with the use of specific spinal adjustments instead of general manipulation of spinal joints. Many of the very first chiropractors were medical doctors, moving away from conventional medicine, which was very crude… Read more

31 Simple Ways to Prevent Cancer

Consider this number: 10 million. That’s how many cases of cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year. Now consider this number: 15 million. That’s how many cases of cancer the World Health Organization estimates will be diagnosed in the year 2020 — a 50 percent increase — if we don’t get our act together.

Most cancers don’t develop overnight or out of nowhere. Cancer is largely predictable, the end result of a decades-long process, but just a few simple changes in your daily life can significantly reduce your risk… Read more

New LBP Guidelines Encourage Conservative Approach

Practice guidelines published in the October 2007 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine1 and targeted toward “all clinicians caring for patients with low (lumbar) back pain of any duration, either with or without leg pain” recommend spinal manipulation for patients whose pain does not improve with self-care.

The stated purpose of the guidelines, co-authored by the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Pain Society (APS), was “to present the available evidence for evaluation and management of acute and chronic low back pain … in primary care settings.” Data gathered to formulate the guidelines were derived from MEDLINE studies (1966-2006), the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE. The literature search included randomized, controlled trials of non-pregnant adults with low back pain (alone or in connection with leg pain) of any duration and reporting on back-specific function, generic health status, pain, work disability and/or patient satisfaction as an outcome.

A multidisciplinary panel guided the evidence-gathering process, reviewed its results and formulated… Read more

Bad Back Linked to Driving Posture

From the October 10, 2003 BBC News comes a report that urges people to be aware of their posture while driving. Whether in Britain or in the United States, people spend much of their lives driving. The article notes that poor posture while driving contributes to spinal problems. According to the British Chiropractic Association, (BCA), 32,000 people each month visit one of the BCA members with a back problem related to poor driving posture.

Postural Changes in Pregnancy

During the course of pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes innumerable changes biochemically and structurally which can create postural strain and neck and back pain. A brief look at the anatomy of the spine provides insight as to why chiropractic adjustments can facilitate a healthier, more comfortable pregnancy.

Chiropractic Care and TMJ Problems, a Case Study

In the January 2002 edition of the peer reviewed scientific journal, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, (JMPT) appeared a case study on a 41-year-old woman who sought chiropractic care with complaints of pain at the TMJ on both sides, ear pain, ringing in the ears, vertigo, decreased hearing ability, and a sensation of pressure or fullness in both ears. She also reported that movements of her jaw while talking or chewing provoked pain at the TMJ.

Before seeking chiropractic care she was treated for her TMJ by two medical doctors. She was also referred to an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist, who diagnosed her with TMJ syndrome. Additionally, she was referred to a dentist for the problem. Medical recommendations were to apply heat to the area, reduce talking and yelling, and change her diet to a soft diet. Even with all this medical and dental care her symptoms steadily continued to get worse.

Laptop Slouch

With BBC’s Panorama this week pointing to the supposed dangers of wi-fi technology, back experts are pointing to a much more immediate danger from laptop computers. They say that they are creating a nation of slouch potatoes.

Chiropractic for Chronic Ear Infections

More and more parents are beginning to look to chiropractors to complement their children’s health care. Chiropractic care involves diagnosing spinal misalignments and correcting them by adjusting the spine. A slight pressure is most commonly used with children rather than the more forceful manipulation sometimes used with adults.

Many Foods Serve Up Health Benefits

SATURDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDayNews) — Recent studies have given every chocolate lover reason to rejoice: Chemicals known as flavonoids — found in abundance in dark chocolate — loosen up the arteries and promote heart health.

This revelation may have many people wondering if other favorite foods might also provide similar health benefits. If America’s scientific community is right, the answer might just be a resounding, “You bet your life!” Literally.

Asthma and Chiropractic Care

There is abundant evidence to suggest that proper nerve flow may help relieve or prevent the occurrence of many respiratory ailments, including asthma. In addition, here are the findings of several published research studies…

When Yoga Hurts

Amy Toosley was standing in a split pose when her yoga instructor gave her leg a little prod. “I heard the loudest pop I’ve ever heard, and the instructor said, ‘Ooh! Good release, huh?’” Toosley recalls. “Not really–I could hardly walk.” With her hamstring muscle snapped, Toosley, 32, avoided yoga for the next three months, and almost a year later, she is still in pain.

7 Myths on Muscle Building

The guy lifting beside you looks like he should write the book on muscle. Talks like it, too. He’s worked out since the seventh grade, he played D-1 football, and he’s big. But that doesn’t mean he knows what he’s talking about. Starting now, ignore him.

The gym is infested with bad information. Lies that start with well-intentioned gym teachers trickle down to students who become coaches, trainers, or know-it-all gym-rat preachers. Lies morph into myths that endure because we don’t ask questions, for fear of looking stupid.

How to Pick an Ergonomic Chair

By now you’re probably familiar with the age-old advice about proper seating posture for computing in comfort: feet flat on the floor, forearms at a 90-degree angle, head up, back straight. So why is it we’re always leaning, craning, bending, or slouching? Mostly, it’s the body’s natural reaction to being in the same position for long periods of time. The solution: a good chair and regular stretch breaks.

A good chair can be costly, but if you’re lucky, you may be able to find one for less than $200 at your local office-supply store. Just make sure all its critical parts are adjustable. You should be able to… Read more