March 17, 2016
Robert Waldinger has presided over a 75 year Harvard study that looked at a simple yet oh-so-complex topic: what keeps us healthy and happy over the course of our lifetime? The results throw an interesting light on health, happiness, relationships and priorities. At a recent Ted Talk, Waldinger spoke of a survey of millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996). The survey asked them what their most important life goals were. An astounding 80% of respondents said one of their major life goals was to get rich. Another 50% said it was to get famous. “We are constantly told to […]
March 17, 2016
Enter the term ‘superfood’ into a search engine and you’ll get a plethora of slick articles telling you all about the ten superfoods you need to be eating to cure all your health issues, the fifty must-have superfoods you need in your pantry, and the list goes on. These antioxidant rich foods are praised for their detoxing properties and praised for their ability to help you slim down, bulk up, get pregnant, recover from inflammation, cut your risk of cancer and diabetes and much more. But nestled in amongst the ‘ten easy steps’ type blogs are some valid questions: are […]
March 15, 2016
Leading nutrition sources have some good news for us. Studies suggest that consuming a handful of nuts per day may reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 30-50% and reduce the risk of death from heart disease by around 20%. “This is based on the high proportion of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in nuts, and the low proportion of saturated fats, and is the results of studies comparing heart disease rates among people who eat nuts with those who do not [1].” In addition to this, there is preliminary evidence that suggests nut consumption of around 30 grams […]
March 15, 2016
A couple of years ago, Spinal Research got an exciting funding application that we were all too keen to get behind. At the time, debate was raging around the use of chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy and infancy. Dr. Heidi Haavik and her co-investigators, Dr. Jenny Kruger and Professor Bernadette Murphy were keen to investigate whether adjusting vertebral subluxations would alter pelvic floor muscle function. The results are in and the research report has been approved for publication, but as these things take time we thought you’d like the scoop. This is big news for women and chiropractors alike! The study […]
March 11, 2016
Many of you were lucky enough to have been at DGC 2016 and experience a powerful demonstration by Dr Michael Hall. As a part of Spinal Research’s quest to support our tribe to incorporate Spinal Health Checks or Health Education events into their practice philosophy, we asked Dr Hall if he would show attendees how they might integrate Neurological Screenings into practice and perhaps utilise some of the techniques to conduct Spinal Health Check Events. It was a fantastic demo! Dr Hall demonstrated some of the most popular tests that can be done by chiropractors. In simple terms, these tests […]
March 10, 2016
Sometimes you encounter a story that feels eerily like a movie, with a plot that’s unfolding right before your eyes. This one involved a chance meeting in Addis Ababa, the Capital of Ethiopia, when Australian Chiropractor Dr Bronwyn McNamara dropped in to a local clinic while on a humanitarian trip. At the time the chiropractor was treating someone so Bronwyn left her card and left, thinking nothing more of it. But the phone rang that night, with Dr. Selam Aklilu on the other end of the line saying, “You should have interrupted me!” Two years later, that chance meeting has […]
March 10, 2016
Sleep matters. This statement alone will cause gasps of surprise from … absolutely no one. But the degree to which sleep matters has been a topic of intense study for years. A recent study turned up some rather concerning findings – that the total amount of sleep has shrunk to around seven hours per person, per night [1]. We are, year by year, traipsing further and further away from the brain’s primal instinct – to sleep when the sun goes down and wake when the sun comes up. Sure, this ideal is impossible for shift workers, new parents, insomniacs, students […]
March 10, 2016
Over the last decade or so, the world of genetics has undergone quite a paradigm shift. The new science of epigenetics has emerged, and with it our health realities have started to change. We were no longer doomed to the health pitfalls that lurked in our family tree. In fact, there are many things we could do to influence our health, wellness and genetic expression. This is all well and good. But often the question lies in the ‘how’. How do we change our health future? How do we target the hypertensive gene, or the diabetic gene? What specific actions […]
March 8, 2016
The British Journal of Sports Medicine recently released a paper on exploring the impacts of sedentary offices, highlighting the problem of sitting all day. The study urged employers to change the culture of their workplaces in order to increase the health and wellbeing of their employees. The findings put forth in the paper (titled The sedentary office: an expert statement on the growing case for change towards better health and productivity [1]) brought together current evidence including long-term epidemiological studies in order to present employers with guidance on the important issue. The crux of it is this: workers need to […]
March 3, 2016
Can you sit down on the floor and then get back up again without using your hands or other supports? It might seem like an odd question, but a study in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology has found that this simple exercise may predict longevity. The study took 2,000 respondents ranging in age from 51-80, observed their performance in the ‘sitting-rising test,’ and subtracted a point every time they used hands, knees or forearms as a support to help them stand again. The resulting score was able to predict longevity in many cases. “6.3 years later, 159 people died—the […]
March 3, 2016
Say the word “meditation” to practice members and you’ll get different reactions every time. Typical responses range from “I’m too busy for that” to “that religious nonsense? Not for me.” For generations, meditation’s strongest associations were with yoga, Buddhism and the like. However, research emerging over the last few years is showing that meditation has many positive impacts for health and longevity. Innovators in mind-body practices are increasingly finding ways to bring meditation out of the realm of the religious and into the realm of health and healing. It could be more important than we thought. Among the findings in […]
March 1, 2016
Autism diagnoses seem to have sky-rocketed in recent history. At present, autism is thought to affect four times more boys than girls and current statistics estimate that in Australia alone, 1% of people are on the autism spectrum [1]. To some this might sound like a low percentage but it represents some 230,000 Australians and amounts to a massive cost for families. Authorities on the disorder claim that it is a lifelong developmental condition. However, encouraging studies could place a question mark over the idea that, in all cases, it is lifelong. We are learning more and more about […]
March 1, 2016
We are excited to announce that another project that received funding from the Spinal Research Foundation has won international acclaim. The study, undertaken by Heidi Haavik, Kelly Holt, Bernadette Murphy and the amazing team from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic, took out first place in the Parker Las Vegas Research awards and will soon be published in the Journal of Neural Plasticity. The journal, which boasts an impact factor of 3.5, is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes on a range of neural plasticity related disciplines. These include basic neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, biological psychology, and biological psychiatry [1]. […]
February 25, 2016
Online learning for chiropractors has radically changed the way we develop ourselves and our practices. Podcasts, YouTube videos and online seminars mean that we can learn from home, in our underwear, what we used to have to go to seminars to learn. So why is it that thousands of people choose to travel to Las Vegas every year to attend Parker Las Vegas? Quite simply, because Parker is more than its content, it’s an immersive experience. It’s like the difference between listening to a CD of your favourite band and going to see them live. Sure, you could read the […]
February 25, 2016
Spinal Research Partnership enables breakthrough study. “Research shows that Chiropractic care can increase strength, decrease fatigue and improve the brain’s ability to drive muscles.” “What we can say based on this study is that when we adjust subluxations, we improve strength, we prevent fatigue and we change the way the brain drives our muscles. That’s pretty cool” said Heidi Haavik, one of the brains behind a recent study examining changes in H-reflexes and V-waves following spinal adjustments. Haavik isn’t referring to ‘subluxations’ in terms of the now out-dated bone out of place, squashing a nerve view. Instead, she is viewing […]
February 23, 2016
Most of us have heard of the term work-life balance. It’s a concept that gained popularity during the 1990’s before becoming very much embedded in the practice of today’s professional. It is commonplace for organisations to advise their workers to take their time-off-in-lieu, to ensure they have happy and healthy lifestyles outside the office, and of course to take their four weeks leave every year. These aspects of balance are backed by research that says those who take their leave are healthier, happier and more peaceful. “Personal benefits have been found to include: rest and recuperation from work; provision of new […]
February 23, 2016
At this point in time, we don’t know for sure what causes Rheumatoid Arthritis. Researchers believe there may be a familial link in the disorder, but they still search for reasons as to why the body has decided to attack its own joints. For sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis, often the first line of defence is the use of Corticosteroids, pain-relievers or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (or DMARDS). The role of the corticosteroid is to mimic adrenal hormones and assist in handling inflammation, whereas DMARDS are designed to stop the body from attacking and destroying its own tissue [1]. But is pharmacology […]
February 18, 2016
For many people, the first sign of pain sees them reaching for the medicine cabinet. Among the drugs that so often line these shelves are a class of medications known as ‘Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs’ or NSAIDS. Naproxen, Ibuprofen and Diclofenac are three common members of the NSAID family. Used to treat inflammation and other ailments such as migraines or period pain, these drugs have become a common fix for the pain problem. Inflammation is part of the body’s innate intelligence, a method by which damage is repaired. But when this gets painful, it can be difficult for some people […]