The science behind “man flu”

The science behind “man flu”. Since we are moving into the annual influenza and respiratory distress season, an age-old question has been taken up by the august British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Question: When men act more stricken and helpless than women because of relatively minor respiratory ailments, is this because they are genetically inferior in their immunological response? Or because they are whiny little wimps that just want to lay around and have someone wait on them?The science behind “man flu”

Alternative Pain Therapies Could Help Quell Opioid Crisis

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health have identified both opioid research and pain research as top priorities. Earlier this year, the American College of Physicians released new guidelines for treating lower back pain, urging doctors to first try non-pharmacological therapies that often fall under chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, exercise and acupuncture.
Do you think this is a good change of policy?
Alternative Pain Therapies Could Help Quell Opioid Crisis, but Barriers Remain

Chiropractic Instead of Opioids: Million-Patient Study

A study published last year involving more than 12,000 LBP patients, found that patients who visited a chiropractor were 55 percent less likely to fill an opioid (narcotic) prescription. Another much larger study will be starting shortly and published within 18 months. 
Do you see increased chiropractic utilization helping to decrease the amount of opioid prescribing?

Chiropractic Instead of Opioids: Million-Patient Study

4 Leaf Raking Tips to Protect Your Spine

Leaves are falling late this year, but time to get out the rakes again. Please heed these tips from this chiropractic doctor to help prevent a spinal injury.
I have injured my spine doing lawnwork. Has anyone else injured their spine while doing yardwork?

4 Leaf Raking Tips to Protect Your Spine

Over-the-counter painkillers treated painful injuries just as well as opioids in new study

This new study from JAMA surprised even me. I have known that opioid (narcotic) drugs are little to no better than anti-inflammatories for chronic conditions, but this study done on acute conditions presenting to a hospital emergency department also shows opioids no better than NSAID and acetomeniphen (Tylenol) combo. More reason to try non drug treatments including chiropractic care.
Does this surprise you also?
Over-the-counter painkillers treated painful injuries just as well as opioids in new study

Shilo Harris, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) describes how chiropractic care saved his life.

Sgt. Harris describes how chiropractic treatment helped him get off opioid (narcotic) drugs.

Shilo Harris, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) describes how chiropractic care saved his life

The Best Ways to Beat Pain (That You've Never Tried) Including Chiropractic Care

Most of the patients I treat with headaches have had unsatisfactory results with drug treatmens. This article from Dr. Oz site gives info on non drug treatments including chiropractic care. Anyone have good results with a non drug treatment?

The Best Ways to Beat Pain (That You've Never Tried)

World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day - October 19

It's World Pediatric Bone & Joint Day. Kids and teens suffering from obesity are at much higher risk of developing bone and joint problems. Parents and patients should look for the following problems, as finding them early allows for better treatment and may prevent lifelong problems that can interfere with comfort and the ability to lead an active life.

World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day - October 19

The National Institutes of Health will be providing over $11.2 million for a study to evaluate to test whether early treatment in the acute phase with spinal manipulation or self-management vs usual care can prevent the condition from becoming chronic. This is a very important study as chronic back conditions account for the majority of the disabiity and costs associated with low back pain and presciptions for opioid drugs.
$14 million integrative pain award to Minnesota Center for Spirituality & Healing-led consortium

6 Steps to Prevent a Fall

Today September 22nd is Falls Prevention Awareness Day 2017 sponsored by the National Council on Aging. This is the tenth annual Awareness Day. I treat many patients for injuries for falls and they can reult in very serious injuries.
Please share this with your friends and families.

6 Steps To Prevent a Fall

How to Explain Your Pain to a Doctor

The history is a very important part of the patient evaluation. A more accurate description of the pain can help the doctor to formulate a better diagnosis and treatment plan. 
You may wish to bring this article to your next doctor visit and go over each of the key pain description points outlined below.
Has anyone had trouble explaining their pain?

How to Explain Your Pain to a Doctor An experienced chiropractor has tips to help you get the care you need at your next appointment

Gallup-Palmer Annual Study: Americans Want Drug-Free Pain Relief

Gallup-Palmer Annual Study: Americans Want Drug-Free Pain Relief
Initial findings have been released. "About one in four adults in the U.S. (27%) have seen a healthcare professional for significant neck or back pain in the last 12 months. Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) of Americans "prefer to try other ways to address their physical pain before they take pain medication.
For managing back / neck pain, chiropractic is perceived as "very effective" which is higher than drugs and surgery.
What is your opinion on this topic?

Gallup-Palmer Annual Study: Americans Want Drug-Free Pain Relief

5 signs your back pain is something serious — and when to visit a chiropractor

List of what are commonly called "red flags" in spinal disorders. Pain radiating down the back of your legs; Weakness or numbness in your feet or legs; Loss of control of your bowel or bladder; Deep, boring pain at night; Difficulty walking more than a block.
The biggest problem with back pain is when it becomes chronic, it’s a lot harder to treat. Chiropractors focus specifically on restoring normal function to patients, as opposed to trying to numb existing problems with painkillers.
Has anyone experienced any of these symptoms?
5 signs your back pain is something serious — and when to visit a chiropractor

Spinal manipulation and other non drug treatments now recommended as first line treatments for back pain

Here is a recent article from the Harvard Medical School blog. 
I have been in practice for 27 years and I have for a long time said that if medications worked as well as advertised for back pain, I would have many less patients in my practice. Well the new research is bearing this out as we now know that acetaminophen (Tylenol) is almost worthless, NSAID's including ibufrophen ( Advil and others) are not beneficial for a majority of people, and even opioids (narcotic drugs such as Vicidon are much less effective than previously believed. 
The new guidelines from the American College of Physicians recommends spinal manipulation as with chiropractic care, heat, massage, acupuncture as first line treatments for acute back pain.
Had you heard about the new guidelines?
Here’s something completely different for low back pain

University of Missouri Adds Chiropractic

The Missouri Orthopedic Institute, a branch of the University of Missouri (MU) Health Care System, has added chiropractic to its list of available services and named K. Jeffrey Miller, DC, MBA and Jose Ramirez, DC, MS, CCSP, assistant professors of chiropractic.
The estimated 70,000 patients who visit the institute – the region's largest freestanding orthopaedic center and most comprehensive orthopaedic surgery center – annually are now eligible to receive chiropractic care in an integrated care setting that includes orthopaedic surgeons (including spine surgeons), nurses, rehabilitation staff and other health professionals.
Do you think this is a good addition to the institute's services?

University of Missouri Adds Chiropractic

The Link Between Texting and Back Pain

I now commonly walk into my treatment rooms and I see patients sittiing in the text neck position. Studies have shown that each 10 degrees of forward flexion puts another 10 pounds of stress on the cervical spine...so 60 degrees of flexion can create 60 extra pounds of stress on the neck. Many patients disorders I treat are due to long term low level stress such as this and not specific traumas or incidents.
Best practice is to keep screen as much as possible at eye level and change postions at least every 15 minutes.
Do you sometimes find yourself in the text neck position?

The Link Between Texting and Back Pain

Why ‘Useless’ Surgery Is Still Popular

Most people are familiar with the FDA drug approval process, but do not realize that there is no organization or approval process for surgeries. In most cases high qualilty studies are not done for many years after a new surgery begins to be performed, and in some cases it is later found that the surgery is useless or of little benefit. Unfortunately many of these surgeries then continue to be performed.
This article focuses on 3 common surgeries that have been shown to have little to no benefit... spinal fusion surgeries, knee meniscal cartilage surgeries and vertebroplasty for spinal compression fractures. 
Any thoughts on why useless surgeries continue to be performed?

Why ‘Useless’ Surgery Is Still Popular

What to Expect On Your First Visit To A Doctor Of Chiropractic

We sometimes have people call and ask my staff what is done on the first chiropractic visit. Well, it is very similar to the first visit of any other medical provider. Of course there are the every present intake forms, a medical history is recorded, a physical examination is performed, and further tests are ordered if necessary. 
Here is a whiteboard presentation by the American Chiropactic Association that goes into more detail about the first visit.
Does this surprise anyone?
What to Expect On Your First Visit To A Doctor Of Chiropractic

For Knee Pain, Experts Say Don’t Think About Scoping It

Guidelines published in the British Medical Journal base on 13 research studies recommend against surgery for knee arthritis including meniscal cartilage tears secondary to arthritis. 
Those studies compared the surgery with a variety of options, including physical therapy, exercise and even placebo surgery.
The panel said meniscal tears “are common, usually incidental findings, and unlikely to be the cause of knee pain, aching or stiffness.”
There are 2 million of these types of surgeres performed for $3 billion dollars every year! 
Why do you think surgeons are still performing so many of these surgeries when the research shows they are not effective?
For Knee Pain, Experts Say Don’t Think About Scoping It

It may surprise some, but I treat many patients for knee disorders. Here is a follow up study from the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases showing no benefit of surgery for degerative meniscal cartilage tears of the knee. This type of study with sham (placebo) surgery is not done very often. This showed that after two years there was not significant differences between the surgury group and the sham surgery group. It lends evidence to the evolving consenus that degenerative tears are just part of the arthritis process and not seperate clinical entities.
Anyone have experience with knee meniscus surgery?
Sham Knee Surgery as Good as the Real Thing?

Why you really can’t believe everything you read about your health

Much of the health and medical information reported by the media leaves out important points and/or comes to inaccurate conclusions. This is because most of the writers are not trained in medicine or research methods, and because getting clicks on the articles has become so important. 
Most studies reported are observational studies in which there is no control or placebo group and these types of studies can only show associations but do not give information on causations.
I am a big fan of Gary Schwitzer's Health News Review website which is the topic of this article.
Did you know that association does not equal causation?
Why you really can’t believe everything you read about your health

Poll: Doctors Are Still Prescribing Lots Of Opioids For Low Back Pain

More than half of people say they've suffered lower back pain in the past year, according to the latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics Health Poll. And medical physicians often aren't giving people advice based on the best medical evidence, instead prescribing treatments that don't relieve back pain and can expose people to serious risk, including addiction.
The current research based advice is stay active and try non-pharmaceutical remedies such as a heating pad, chiropractic spinal manipulation, massage, and acupuncture according to clinical guidelines published in April by the American College of Physicians. 
Why do you think it has been so hard to get medical physicians to practice based on the research?


Poll: Doctors Are Still Prescribing Lots Of Opioids For Low Back Pain

Chiropractors Present Themselves As An Alternative To Painkillers

A recent Forbes article reports that there were 18,893 deaths involving prescription opioids (narcotics) in the country in 2014, up 16% from 2013. This is more deaths than caused by all the illegal drugs combined! 
Americans consume over 90% of most narcotic medications in the world and we only about 5% of the world's population. 
The article goes on to state "While efforts are being made to curb opioid prescriptions and develop less addictive drugs, the public needs to be reminded that there are drug-free approaches such as chiropractic that, if tried first, may alleviate their pain and lessen or even eliminate the need for over-the-counter and prescription pain medications."
Does that sound reasonable to you?

Chiropractors Present Themselves As An Alternative To Painkillers