May 19, 2016
A study recently published in the Journal of Brain, Behaviour and Immunity reveals an interesting link between our view of ourselves and our levels of interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine instrumental in the human inflammatory response. The study took 41 healthy, adult participants and exposed them to some psychosocial stressors that most of us find pretty nerve-wracking: maths and public speaking. After performing the tasks, all undertaken in front of judges, their blood was drawn and analysed for the presence of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 [1]. The findings were interesting: “It turned out that the group with the highest measured levels […]
May 19, 2016
The desire to contribute to something that is bigger than yourself is something that seems hardwired into the human psyche. For as long as history remembers, people have found humanitarian missions an incredible way to answer this need. It opens eyes and instills a deep sense of satisfaction as you make a contribution to a person, a family or a community in need. Yet when looking for opportunities to best serve, it can be easy think ‘What can I do?’ Who would I volunteer for anyway?’ It may surprise some to know that there are very specific ways that chiropractors […]
May 17, 2016
“It’s the best thing since sliced bread!” How many times have you heard that expression? The humble invention of pre-sliced bread seems to have become the benchmark for good ideas in modern times. Perhaps you’d find it interesting to know that for the first 15 years in the life of sliced bread, no one bought it. It was, by definition, a complete failure. It actually took fifteen years for someone to figure out how to get that idea to spread [1]. For generations, marketers have focused on the masses. They targeted their efforts at finding the average customer and making […]
May 17, 2016
In many ways, today’s child is growing up in a vastly different world to that of their parents. The majority of us who spent our childhoods prior to the advent of technology grew up in a world that was rich in play, imagination, activity and nature. It was low on tech and high on all things sensory. If we dreamed of being a chef, we ‘baked mud pies.’ If we dreamed of being an explorer, our backyard was transformed into an untamed wilderness in the world of our imagination. If we dreamed of being a princess, we raided the dress […]
May 12, 2016
Story at-a-glance Negative thoughts result in a heightened sympathetic nervous system. They also increase the tone of the accessory muscles of respiration, affect the head position and the cervical spine and cause vestibular compensation. So, if someone has forward head posture, fixated upper costals, and subluxations throughout their spine, it could affect their respiration, heart rate, and digestive secretions. Adverse stress shifts the focus to a more negative health outcome, with an increase in muscle tone that alters normal joint function – what we call a subluxation. Subluxation can represent the downstream manifestation of negative or adverse stress. As chiropractors, we are driven to find out […]
May 12, 2016
Story at-a-glance First impressions matter. Health practitioners often don’t have a lot of time to spend getting to know a patient. If we don’t know how they best communicate and undestand, information can be lost. There are four main personality types. Understanding them can help us ensure key health messages hit home. Personality types can be masked under stress, but understanding core needs can help us discover what truly makes a person tick. Personalities: we all have them. They all vary. Some we click with, and some we don’t. As health practitioners, the art of communicating effectively with all of […]
May 10, 2016
Story at-a-glance New research reveals that chocolate consumption has benefits to cognitive function. Benefits can include visual-spatial memory, scanning and tracking, abstract reasoning and working memory. Eating the right type of chocolate matters. So you pack your food with high quality fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. You buy the meat that’s been fed the right kind of feed, and you stay away from highly processed foods or anything laden with food additives or sugars. But you’ve still got this one Achilles heel – you just can’t resist the pull of chocolate. Stress less, friend! You are not alone and, as […]
May 10, 2016
Story at-a-glance Since a 2006 study linked flouridated water to lowered IQ levels in children, Harvard researchers have long held concerns around flouridated water and neurotoxicity. A newer study from Grandjean and Landrigan looks at flouride and cognitive disorders such as ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia. There appears to be cause for concern, prompting the researchers to urge a new framework of action surrounding flouride and other neurotoxic substances Fluoride was introduced to water supplies decades ago as a method of battling tooth decay. Since being introduced to Beaconsfield, Tasmania in 1953, the use of fluoride in drinking water has crept […]
May 5, 2016
Story at-a-glance Social media and the internet is making it increasingly easy to access information, both good and bad. This is one reason why it’s more important than ever to pair quality chiropractic research with strong communication skills. Research is helping us understand the underlying mechanisms of chiropractic, so that we can confidently say why and how it works. Communicating these findings, and empowering chiropractors to do the same, is a key focus of newly established Haavik Research. On the day we first sent the Spinal Research blog live, we ran a piece on “Communicating Beyond Pain” with Brandi MacDonald. […]
May 5, 2016
Story at-a-glance Science is showing us that health and personality are linked, but new research shows that the news isn’t all bad for pessimists. There are certain ways in which a healthy dose of pessimism, can actually improve things. A new book, Rethinking Positive Thinking, provides scientific research suggesting that starry-eyed dreaming isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and outlines the ways in which a little pessimism can help us achieve our goals. As science continues to back the connection between mind and body, it might be easy to think that if you tend towards pessimism it’s all bad […]
May 3, 2016
Story at-a-glance For the most part, we are blind to what happens after people leave our practice. Health practitioners are starting to see possibilities in the use of technology like the FitBit to fill this knowledge gap. The FitBit could have multiple possible research applications. The ability to gather and analyse health data may have potential to add insight to clinical practice. Ten years ago, the pedometer was the peak fitness device inspiring people to get moving. It had one function: to measure how many steps you took. This gave people a good, hard look at how much they were […]
May 3, 2016
Story at-a-glance Australian research establishes the neuroprotective factors in curcumin (a compound found in tumeric). This compound may inhibit a type of degenerative brain plaque (found in Alzheimer’s sufferers). It also appears to protect against oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and improve the function of neurotransmitter systems. From a chiropractic paradigm, life should be lived fully, throughout every part of our lives. A number of signs and symptoms of aging are associated with extended life. For those who live in the sickness-care paradigm, the focus remains on minimising the negative effects of aging. For those of us who live and breathe […]
April 28, 2016
Story at-a-glance Contrary to prior thinking, research now shows that there are immune cells present in the brain under normal circumstances. This presents a major shift in theory and reinforces the link between brain and body. It may lead to further research on neurological dysfunction and how it relates to the immune system and the body overall For a long time, the medical and scientific textbooks stated plainly that the brain was the only major organ that lacked direct connection to the lymphatic system. However, that’s not what Antoine Louveau saw when he looked through his microscope. After imaging and dissecting the […]
April 28, 2016
Story at-a-glance David Fletcher discusses the use of technology in chiropractic care, and its role in bringing certainty and objectivity to detection of vertebral subluxations Much of the currently available technology doesn’t just measure the spine itself – it also plays a role in demonstrating that the nervous system is involved further afield. Fletcher illustrates how we can use technology to communicate structure, function and the role of stress in the world we live in.. Following Parker Gold Coast, Spinal Research sat down with a number of our keynote speakers to discuss research, subluxations, and paradigms in practice. David Fletcher was […]
April 26, 2016
Story at-a-glance This Randomized Controlled Trial showed that chiropractic can help improve function in older people, with a possible impact on their overall health and quality of life. We should encourage older adults to get checked! There was a really big improvement in one of the measures as a result of more than 4 weeks of chiropractic care, but not less. Sometimes the improvements in function that we’re looking for just take time Practical Application: 12 weeks of chiropractic care has resulted in improvements in some factors that are important for falls risk (sensory and motor function), as well as […]
April 21, 2016
Concerns around the cost of chiropractic care may possibly contribute to many a person’s objection. For those who don’t quite understand its value, it can appear as a health care practice that eats into the budget, rather than a proactive investment into ongoing health. Recent research is starting to bust that myth, claiming that costs of care for the entire initial episode (of chronic lower back pain), and per episode day were lower for people who used chiropractic care. The study [1] emerges from America, where the cost of medical care is a concern for many citizens. This new research […]
April 21, 2016
Fermented foods seem to have taken the health-world by storm in recent years. Kombucha is no longer an obscure concept, but a health fixture in many households. While many prefer the bottled and purchased variety, others are dedicated in the home-fermentation process and laud the gut-healing effects that the fermented drink yields. But Kombucha is not the only fermented food, and gut health is no longer the only benefit. In truth, fermented foods have been around for centuries. Some of the earliest records show Chinese workers eating acid-fermented vegetables while building the Great Wall of China. Ancient Greek writings include […]