Chiropractic Research
Read the latest news and research on how chiropractic care can benefit you and your family!
Feeling vs. Function
Today’s world is incredibly focused on feelings. Self-awareness, emotions, and heartfelt communication are all the rage, and while these things aren’t bad in and of themselves, if we focus on nothing but feelings, we’re left in an erroneous state. How many times have you felt a certain way, only to realize your assumptions and feelings were completely incorrect? While this can result in minor frustrations in our emotional and mental lives, confusing physical feelings with physical function can have a detrimental effect on your health. If I Feel Good, Am I Healthy? Simply feeling good physically is not a good indicator that you are in good health, as anyone who has received a shocking diagnosis can attest to. The sensory nerves make up only a small part of the central nervous system, meaning that you only feel a small percentage of what is actually occurring within your body. In fact, your body contains over 41 miles of nerves, and only 18% of them feel pain. This means that there is a whole lot going on in your body that you are unaware of, both in terms of what is functioning well and what is not. So unfortunately, simply feeling good [...]
Whiplash
Long term damage to the spine and head is especially common in auto accidents. Doctors of chiropractic have for years recognized the need for neuro-structural integrity in these areas and that most victims of automobile injuries do not fully recover under medical care; they may continue to have problems for years after the accident. This is especially the case of those who have whiplash and concussion injuries. This of course underscores the need for chiropractic care for accident victims. New medical terms acknowledging the chronicity and incomplete healing of accident victims have recently arisen. The terms used are: Postconcussion Syndrome (PCS), Whiplash Syndrome (WS), Post Whiplash Syndrome (PWS), Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (MTBI), and mild head injury (MHI). The chiropractic profession owes a debt to Arthur Croft, DC of San Diego, California who taught of, and researched the need for the caring of patients who had the above conditions years before these conditions were acknowledged in the medical literature. The detection and management of pediatric whiplash injuries. Ben Eliyahhu, DJ Proceedings of the National Conference on Chiropractic & Pediatrics, Oct. 1993, Palm Springs, CA, November 1993, Palm Beach, Florida. This paper presents case studies on the detection and management of [...]
Wellness Research
Many turn to chiropractic for backaches and neck pain, but the benefits of chiropractic care extend far beyond simply alleviating pain. When a sickness or ailment occurs, many people don’t seek treatment until the symptoms manifest themselves in the form of pain. However, prevention before symptoms arise can lessen the illness time or even prevent sickness from occurring in the first place. Chiropractic care is not just for specific aches and pains, but rather a way to manage the overall health and wellness of the body. Chiropractic Is Corrective First and foremost, chiropractic care can help alleviate pain in the body. Pain is usually a sign that something is wrong, but there is an issue within the body long before pain arises. The first several visits to a chiropractor include corrective care, which focuses on treating pain and correcting any major issues. Because chiropractic focuses on the whole body, chiropractic care looks at the central nervous system and seeks to remove spinal misalignments that block nerve communication to other systems of the body. These nerve interruptions are often the root cause of pain or dysfunction, whether it be digestion issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, earaches in children, or [...]
Subluxation
WHAT IS SUBLUXATION? Often described in practice as a partial dislocation, a subluxation is when the vertebrae move slightly out of alignment causing pressure or irritation to the nerves. The spine loses normal motion and/or position and can have an affect on the nerves involved and vertebrae around the subluxated area. As the vertebrae are not functioning properly this can cause wear and tear on the discs and associated ligaments, muscles and other spinal tissue. This nerve interference results in the body operating at a reduced rate. Pain, inflammation and tenderness often follow. Once the nervous system has been impaired via a subluxation, the overall health and wellbeing of the person is at reduced. Chiropractors locate Subluxations which cause interference to the nervous system. They then correct the interference through gentle movements of the spine. This is usually done with the hands, which relieves the pressure to the nerves therefore assisting in correction and improving the health of the nerves. WHAT CAUSES SUBLUXATIONS? Subluxations are caused through varying ways. They can be responses to physical, emotional, chemical or genetic factors. Physical Birth process, slips, falls, car accident, poor sleeping habits, repetitive motions, sports injuries, bad postural habits etc. Emotional Stressful [...]
Stress Research
You’ve always been told to “reduce the stress in your life” because it can be detrimental to your health to sustain high levels of stress on a consistent basis. According to a study done by the AADA, “Compared to the low-stress group, both the moderate and the high-stress groups showed excess mortality …” Stress is not only unpleasant to deal with on a regular basis but is also important for a healthy life. Stress and the Nervous System The nervous system is responsible for all of the vital functions in the body and one of those vital functions is the management of stress. More precisely, the nervous system produces testosterone during its fight-or-flight response. Arousal from an experience or within mental thought patterns can cause the adrenal glands to release the cortisol hormone, which is released when you’re stressed. The nervous system has two primary forms of operation: the sympathetic nervous response (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic response (rest and digest). When the body activates the parasympathetic mode of the nervous system, the body calms down and has an improved capacity to heal the body. When the nervous system is in a sympathetic state, it has to shut down [...]
Sciatica
Non-operative treatments for sciatica: a pilot study for a randomized clinical trial. Bronfort G, Evans RL, Anderson AV et al. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics October 2000, Vol. 23 No. 8. This is a prospective, observer-blinded, pilot randomized clinical trial of 20 patients aged 20-65 with low back-related leg pain. Patients were divided into three groups. One group was given medical care, one group chiropractic care and one group steroid injections. All groups showed substantial improvement at the end of the 12 week study. Lack of effectiveness of bed rest for sciatica. Patrick CAJ, Vroomen MD, Marc CTFM, et al. The New England Journal of Medicine. 1999;340:418-423. Many medical doctors prescribe bed rest for sciatica, yet according to the authors: “For low back pain, bed rest has traditionally been considered effective, although there is little objective data to support this view. In recent years evidence of the ineffectiveness of bed rest for low back pain has accumulated, but bed rest continues to still be widely used for treatment of sciatica.” From the conclusion: “Among patients with symptoms and signs of a lumbosacral radicular syndrome, bed rest is not a more effective therapy than watchful waiting.” From Mobilization of the [...]
Pregnancy
CHIROPRACTIC STUDIES It is a common observation that birthing seems to be more comfortable for women who were under chiropractic care during pregnancy. The following studies mention how common spinal problems are resolved during pregnancy (up to 90%) and best of all how Chiropractic is safe, effective and most of all a drug free approach which is ideally suited for the health and well being of both mother and child. The role of chiropractic in pregnancy. Vallone S. Int’l Chiropractic Assn. Review Summer 2002. p 47-51. “By encouraging regular chiropractic and maternal self care (which includes good nutrition, regular stretching and exercise and stress management) we can improve our patient’s probability of a successful natural delivery.” Complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy: a survey of North Carolina certified nurse-midwives. Allaire AD, Moos WK, Wells SR. Obstet Gynecol 2000;95(1):19-23. In this survey of 82 certified nurse-midwives, 93.9% reported that they recommended patients to alternative health care providers. 57.3% said they referred women to chiropractors. Follow-up of patients with low back pain during pregnancy. Brynhildsen J, Hansson A, Persson A, Hammar M. In: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Feb 1998; 91(2): 182-6. Women with severe low back pain during pregnancy have an extremely high [...]
Neck Pain
CHIROPRACTIC STUDIES Cervical mobilization: concurrent effects on pain, sympathetic nervous system activity and motor activity. Sterling M, Jull G, Wright A. Man Ther (Manual Medicine) 2001;6(2):72-81. In this paper, 30 patients with middle or lower neck (cervical) pain had “spinal manipulative therapy” (SMT) and their pain reduced after care. Spinal care was found to have a pain fighting effect (“a hypoalgesic effect) as pain thresholds increased. It was also found that the sympathetic nervous system, which affects the functions of the internal organs, was affected: The authors wrote: “The treatment technique also produced a sympathoexcitatory effect with an increase in skin conductance and a decrease in skin temperature.” Chiropractic treatment of post surgical neck syndrome utilizing mechanical force manually assisted short-lever spinal adjustments. Polkinghorn B and Colloca CJ Manipulative Physiol Ther November/December 2001. Vol 24 No. 9. This is the case of a 35-year-old female who, after having neck surgery two separate times (a discectomy at C3/4 and a fusion at C5/6) suffered from chronic neck pain for over 5 years. She had originally undergone the surgeries to resolve neck pain. Her surgeon suggested a third surgery but she decided on chiropractic care. Within 30 days of chiropractic care all her [...]
Menstrual Health Research
Menstrual cycles do not just cause discomfort, but may also cause back pain, lethargy, bloating, or severe cramps. The nerve bundles that control your endocrine (hormonal) and reproductive systems are protected by the spine. Because they work in conjunction with one another, problems such as spinal misalignments (or subluxations) may cause more severe menstrual symptoms during a cycle. Chiropractic adjustments can relieve symptoms of menstrual cycles, as well as regulate the frequency of menstrual cycles. Chiropractic care is also a natural, drug-free way to relieve bladder and bowel pain caused by PMS. Women who experience infertility issues may also benefit from regular chiropractic care as the reproductive system is so closely associated with the spine. Chiropractic adjustments have been effective in treating issues such as amenorrhea (abnormal lack of a period during reproductive years), premenstrual syndrome, and dysmenorrhea (painful abdominal cramps during a period). While it is normal to not have a period during pregnancy or when breastfeeding, the lack of a menstrual cycle at any other time can be a sign of more significant health issues. Studies have shown that spinal health affects overall health. Lithia Springs chiropractic care is a solution for achieving optimal menstrual health. Menstrual Health [...]
Leg Length
Purpose: To determine if there is an association between a test commonly used by chiropractors as a sign of subluxation/joint dysfunction – supine leg length alignment (LLA) asymmetry – and health-related quality of life as measured by the SF-12 questionnaire, in a non-clinical population. Design: Volunteers answered the SF-12 and background questionnaires and were then examined for supine LLA by a chiropractor blinded to their answers. Setting: Gatherings of people in the general population. Participants: Fifty-five unscreened volunteers. Examiner: Chiropractor with approximately 20 years of clinical experience. Main Outcome Measures: The association of supine LLA asymmetry with general health based on the two summary scores – physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) – of the SF-12. Results: There were 27 volunteers with LLA asymmetry, they had a mean PCS of 49.6 and a mean MCS of 47.9. In the no – LLA asymmetry group (n=23) the mean PCS was 50.8, and mean MCS of 54.0. A multiple regression analysis found that of the variables gender, age, back pain (current/former) and LLA asymmetry, the only factor to approach significance with the SF-12 MCS/PCS was the presence of LLA asymmetry. A t-test found there was a significant difference (p=0.017) in the MCS between [...]