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 […]
August 4, 2017
Thanks to advancements in many health-related fields, we are staying alive longer. But as life expectancies in developed countries reach new heights, an increasing number of people are asking important questions with regard to maintaining health and quality of life as they age. Indicative of this trend is the growing amount of money the Baby Boomer generation is spending on health. It seems we are increasingly concerned with quality of life, not just living longer. The term ‘quality of life’ refers to a person’s ability to stay independent, and perform activities involved in daily living and participation in life. It […]
August 1, 2017
(And why do we even care? A commentary on the transformative power of the chiropractic lexicon) Urban Legend has it that the Sami people of Norway and Sweden have around one hundred and fifty different words for ice, and about three hundred for snow, compared to the mere fifty-five we have in English. From my desk here on the Sunshine Coast I find it incomprehensible and yes, even distasteful to think of any more than five. I have deliberately placed myself in a location that knows nothing of the nuances of frozen things (unless we are talking about the chinking […]
July 26, 2017
The launch of the 2017-2022 Research Agenda represents a bold step for us here at the Australian Spinal Research Foundation. For the first time in our 40-year history, we will be commissioning research to fit our research agenda – exploring the vertebral subluxation in order to better serve our profession. Also for the first time in our history, we have set forth with a definition of the subluxation that will guide this research into the future. These changes did not come about in a boardroom. They came through an in-depth nine-month consultation process spanning more than 70 individuals, colleges and […]
July 18, 2017
Perhaps it was the birth of the smart-phone and hand-held device that triggered the onslaught of teens suffering from the effects of forward head posture and protracted shoulders. Or perhaps there were other factors at play. Either way, protracted shoulders and forward head posture are two significant postural concerns affecting the younger generations, and epidemiological studies continue to report a high prevalence of the two inter-related conditions. What do we do about it? While ergonomic advice and chiropractic care that locates, analyses and corrects the vertebral subluxation should certainly have roles in mitigating the problem, a new study has measured […]
July 18, 2017
Study Examines Impact of Patient Position & Procedure Selection on Spine Kinematics for the Low Back
Procedure selection is an important part of every chiropractic adjustment. Knowing which procedure will stabilise or mobilise more is a significant consideration, depending on the patient’s needs. But until now, no 3-dimensional angular kinematic analysis had been done for spinal manipulation applied to HVLA for the lumbar spine – only to the cervical spine. A recent study published in JMPT in the March/April edition represents the first important step in filling that knowledge gap. The study saw 24 participants undergo a series of 6 HVLA (High velocity low amplitude) adjustment procedures directed toward the L4 vertebra. The procedures included 2 […]
July 11, 2017
For a long time, the science told us that there was no connection between the brain and the immune system. The brain was supposedly a privileged organ, whose cells did not need immune protection. All that changed in very recent history, due to a discovery that happened almost by accident. There was in fact a channel in the brain that had previously been compressed and then missed largely because of the way brain banks stored their specimens. It was a ground-breaking, textbook-rewriting discovery when Antoine Louveau first stumbled on this lymphatic vessel system in the brain. Previously, this vessel system […]
July 11, 2017
Parkinson’s Disease is one of those complex syndromes for which a definite cause has not yet been pinpointed. With the average age of diagnosis standing at 65 years, Parkinson’s Disease is a key concern for an aging population. Still, at this point in time, there is very little we know about what causes it. Theories include “genetic changes, environmental factors and oxidative stress or a combination of these [1].” A recent study published in the Journal Neurology brings us a breakthrough in the line of investigation on this debilitating condition and interestingly, it heaps more importance on gut health. The […]
July 6, 2017
Many an expectant mother has battled to keep her stress levels down, all with the goal of a healthy, relaxed pregnancy. But it isn’t always possible. Still, questions remain – what are the negative effects of excessive stress on mother and baby? A study emerging from the University of Zurich has shone a little light on the matter, revealing changes in amniotic fluid corticotropin-releasing hormones and giving us a glimpse at the effects on fetal development. The study looked at 34 healthy women in their second trimester of pregnancy who were undergoing amniocentesis. The study examined amniotic fluid corticotropin-releasing hormone […]