November 13, 2017
Subclinical neck pain: it might be thought of as a relatively innocuous issue that many people would simply pop a pill for. Many a person may even skip a visit to the local chiropractor until it gets much more severe than the mild neck pain, ache or stiffness that makes up the condition. It is becoming increasingly obvious that pain isn’t the whole reach of the problem though. Recent studies indicate that subclinical neck pain can influence joint position sense (proprioception in upper limbs), cortical and cerebellar motor processing, and mental response times for complex rotation tasks. Best of all, […]
November 8, 2017
A common inclusion in many chiropractic protocols is the leg length inequality assessment. In fact, it would be a rare chiropractor that hasn’t performed them in his/her time in practice. A recent paper published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine has compared two approaches to this task and emerged with results that should be enlightening, perhaps even surprising. The study had a simple aim: to determine the reliability of supine and prone leg length inequality (LLI) assessments. The researchers were also interested in whether the confidence of the examiner played a role in the agreement of the methods. As […]
November 6, 2017
As our patients become older, the wear and tear on their joints begins to take its toll. As joint degeneration progresses, their lives may become restricted to activities which do not cause them pain, and this may limit their ability to exercise. Helping our patients to live the best quality of life possible, to help them to live as independently as possible and play with their grandchildren in the park, is the most motivating goal we can hope to achieve. Providing support to reduce chronic pain and manage joint dysfunction and repair of age-related joint injuries with proven clinical efficacy […]
October 31, 2017
In years gone by, forward head posture was thought to be something brought on by age as older adults gave in to gravity, which increased the cervical hyperkyphosis. Since the era of social media and mobile devices hit its peak, we are now seeing forward head posture emerge in even the young. Still, science has something to reveal about the effects of forward head posture and it’s not something any chiropractor or manual therapist should ignore. Why Does Forward Head Posture And Cervical Kyphosis Matter? Through the years, history has held that proper posture is a “state of musculoskeletal balance […]
October 24, 2017
In our current series, we are examining the evidence behind chiropractic and the senses. From proprioception (our sense of where we are in space), to the more commonly known senses including touch, hearing, and smell. Though we lack RCT’s looking into chiropractic care and each of these, case report data (among other research or hypothesis work) does indicate that restoring optimal function to the nervous system can impact these areas in some cases. Of course, we need to be careful what we claim as we wait the RCT work to confirm and establish the data, but the indications are positive. […]
October 18, 2017
Following part one of our series on chiropractic care and the senses, we are now putting the first of the big five on the agenda: hearing. In the part one, we talked about proprioception – our sense of where we are in space. While its obvious that all the senses work together to give us information about our surroundings, thus all having at least some bearing on proprioception, the sense of hearing also serves a distinct function. Where it all started A quick look into the history books shows what started our profession: a janitor by the name of William […]
October 11, 2017
Inflammation – the Link to All Disease There is no doubt that inflammation is the underlying driver that touches the most number of patients. Every pathological condition in existence, whether it be a joint condition, mood disorders, cardiovascular disease or cancer holds some sort of inflammatory link. These days, all too many patients report chronic pain syndromes as a consequence of uncontrolled inflammation which can be ruling and ruining their lives. Imagine joints so painful you can’t do simply daily tasks such as combing your hair, picking up your newborn baby or carrying a bag of groceries. We are all […]
October 11, 2017
In days gone by, the strongest evidence surrounding chiropractic pertained only to lower back pain or the realms of musculoskeletal complaints. While that might be the definition that the uninformed still hold us to, it’s no longer solely what the evidence illustrates. We are now seeing increasing evidence that chiropractic care can change the structure and function of the brain, offer positive impacts well beyond the realm of musculoskeletal complaints and improve multiple aspects of quality of . In this series we will be shining a little light on how chiropractic can impact the six senses. Before you go thinking the Australian Spinal […]
October 4, 2017
It’s a common, yet misguided, assumption often repeated around the traps: that chiropractic isn’t an evidence-based profession or that it is somehow at odds with traditional medicine. Whilst the former is categorically untrue (just ask the university students who spend thousands of study hours immersed in the evidence), the latter is like comparing apples and oranges. One stream looks at treating problems once they arise. The other looks at protecting, preserving and enhancing nervous system function. Every now and then, a piece of work pops up in a peer-reviewed journal that shows us the two streams aren’t completely at odds. […]
September 29, 2017
Traditionally, chiropractic has been built on a model of segmental subluxation assessment and correction with local impacts and views of possible global affects on the central nervous system and overall health. The structural or biomechanical paradigm of segmental subluxation assessment is not without its challenges. For example, why do assessment findings often poorly correlate with pain and dysfunction? Why are there many patients with damage to musculoskeletal structures but are asymptomatic? Why do some people heal quickly with acute injury, whilst others develop chronic pain and neuromusculoskeletal injury? Finally, why do many patients have persistent sensory abnormalities1-5, like chronic pain, […]
September 21, 2017
Fibromyalgia is widely viewed as a pain syndrome with an unknown cause. To some practitioners, it is a bona fide medical condition. To others, it’s merely psychosomatic. Sufferers will tell you a common truth though: it can be debilitating, distressing, and it’s very, very real. Sadly, the issue of how to treat this pain syndrome is no more straight-forward than finding its cause. Cognitive behavioural therapy, low-dose anti-depressants and mild exercise are often prescribed but “there is no permanent change associated with this form of treatment [1].” This often leaves sufferers feeling frustrated at the apparent permanence of their predicament. […]
September 14, 2017
A randomized controlled trial recently published in the Journal Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has taken on the task of comparing two different cervical manipulation techniques for mechanical neck pain [1]. While HVLA (high-velocity, low-amplitude) cervical manipulation has previously been shown to be effective for neck pain, the jury has still been out as to which technique was most effective for the condition. The study emerged from Australia’s own Macquarie University. Here’s how it went down. Mechanical neck pain is said to be the most common type of neck pain, and is the reason for many a chiropractic visit. Mechanical neck […]
September 13, 2017
Among the increasingly common mental health challenges facing the western world population are panic and anxiety disorders. However, there is a growing body of evidence showing that these so-called ‘mental’ health issues are not purely mental – that nutrition and other areas of health are in fact linked to our mental and emotional state. Imagine that! Proof that perhaps the whole body is linked, rather than separated into distinct ‘brain’ and ‘everything else’ categories. One such piece of evidence emerging from Okayama University, Japan, has shown an interesting link between low serum vitamin B and iron levels, and panic or […]
September 11, 2017
Chiropractic sits at an interesting junction in terms of research. We do indeed possess a strong evidence base when it comes to randomized control trials, especially those related to conditions like low back pain. But the evidence in the bank doesn’t yet cover every aspect of what we do. Furthering research is an expensive and time-consuming investment that is absolutely vital for the future the profession. While we wait for the big studies to hit the journals, there is something else worth our attention though: the humble case report – a clinically relevant tool that is often overlooked. Here at […]
August 30, 2017
Few professions, and few patient populations within that profession, experience the unflinching scrutiny that seems fixed over the area of paediatric chiropractic care. Still, despite the ill-informed and ever-loud shouts of “There’s no evidence for that,” the knowledge bank keeps growing – and it’s full of good news. We now know that, when compared with other modalities, chiropractic care for children and infants is safe, gentle and effective [1]. Academic literature, to date, has never reported an infant or paediatric death due to chiropractic care, and serious adverse events are exceptionally rare [1, 2]. But every chiropractor is an ambassador […]
August 24, 2017
Interview/Commentary: Spinal Research caught up with Dr Wayne Todd, author of the book and practitioner training program “SD Protocol” to talk about a topic that masquerades as a good many conditions, and how that can possibly link to the subluxation. As far as symptom clusters goes, Oestrogen Dominance is a bit of a chameleon. It can look like many things with adrenal exhaustion, anxiety, depression, gut problems, and the obvious menstrual and fertility problems as common candidates for confusion. As chiropractors, our eyes can be firmly on the state of the spine (i.e. subluxation) and not on symptoms. But Dr Wayne […]
August 18, 2017
In modern medical history, a veritable epidemic of hypertensive diagnoses have been handed down with the age-old wisdom that a low-sodium diet should help the cause. However, a study spanning 16 years and looking at some 2,600 hypertensive men and women has found something that will confound that logic: consuming less sodium isn’t associated with lower blood pressure [1]. Currently, dietary guidelines in America and Australia carry a low-sodium recommendation, and while this study hardly suggests we should all go and up our salt intake, it does show that what we thought we knew about hypertension isn’t necessarily true. In […]
August 10, 2017
Spondylolisthesis is a condition that will be all too familiar to chiropractors. Occurring due to overuse, injury or congenital defect (among other factors), the condition ranges in its presentation from asymptomatic to painful and debilitating. Most often, it occurs in the lumbar and sacral areas of the spine (usually at L5-S1) when the lumbar spine slips off the sacrum. Usually, “Spondy” patients are told NSAIDS, discontinuation of contributing activities and (potentially) surgery are their best options in terms of management. But are they the only options? A range of chiropractic case studies suggest that chiropractic care and the correction of […]