Chiropractic usage by intercollegiate athletes

It's estimated that more than one-third of the American public uses the services of doctors of chiropractic and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers each year. Among those who take full advantage of CAM's benefits are professional athletes; in fact, many pro sports teams now have chiropractors and other CAM providers as part of their medical or training staff. A new study shows that chiropractic and other types of CAM are extremely popular among athletes on the college level as well.

In this study, researchers gave a survey to more than 300 college athletes attending a Division I school in Hawaii. The survey asked the athletes about their use of different types of CAM in the previous year, along with their use of traditional medical care. Fifty-six percent of the athletes reported using some type of CAM within the past 12 months, with more women using CAM than men. Chiropractic was the second most popular form of CAM, just behind massage; 29 percent of the athletes said they had used chiropractic at least once in the past year.

While considerable evidence suggests chiropractic can improve the performance of elite athletes, there's just as much evidence which shows chiropractic care is effective for a variety of everyday problems, too. Back pain, neck pain and migraine headaches are just a few of the many conditions that can be treated by a well-trained doctor of chiropractic.

Source: Nichols AW, Harrigan R. Complementary and alternative medicine usage by intercollegiate athletes. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine May 2006;16(3):232-7.

Dr. David Chen
Chiropractor in Laurel, MD
Laurel Regional Chiropractic

Worst Habits That Hurt Your Back

Back pain sends more patients to doctors than any condition other than the common cold. There are many possible causes of back pain, which means there are also many noninvasive solutions. It turns out that some seemingly insignificant everyday habits can take a big toll on your back over time. Here are some of the mistakes that may be causing your aches:

You're chained to your desk
Did you know that sitting puts 40 percent more pressure on your spine than standing? On a jam-packed day, regular stretching breaks may not seem like a wise way to spend your time. But skipping these habits may cause your back to suffer. That's because back muscles will weaken if you don't use them; inactive joints lose lubrication and age more quickly.
You have a long commute
Just like at your desk, hunching over a steering wheel can tighten chest muscles and cause your shoulders to round.
You've been ditching the gym
Get moving to alleviate aches and pains and fix back pain faster. New research shows that 40 percent of people become less active after back pain strikes—a strategy that's likely to delay healing or even make their condition worse.
You're Addicted to Crunches
Sit-ups and crunches may actually cause more back pain than they prevent. We hear all the time how a strong core protects your back, which is true. But crunches don't work the abdominal muscles that stabilize your back. In fact, they can contribute to pain by causing core imbalance.
You're not the healthiest eater
Finnish research found that people who suffered from back pain were more likely to have clogged arteries to the spine than healthy control subjects. Healthy circulation brings nutrients to the spine and removes waste. If this doesn't happen, inflammation can result, and inflammatory chemicals in the back can trigger nerves to send pain signals to the brain.
You carry your entire life in your purse
A stuffed-to-the-gills handbag may cause back damage that's comparable to a sports injury! When you tote a heavy bag, your shoulders become imbalanced. Your body elevates the shoulder carrying the bag, which throws your spine off-kilter. Doing this every day can cause back muscles to ache over time.
Your mattress is from another decade
A study at Oklahoma State University found that most people who switched to new bedding after five years slept significantly better and had less back pain.
Your bike isn't adjusted quite right
Do you routinely get a sore back after even a leisurely bike ride? You may need to adjust your equipment. Anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent of bike riders experience some form of back pain. You don't need to give up on this great form of exercise, but you should make sure your bike is properly fitted for you.
You have a thing for high heels
Or even flip-flops. Both lead to foot instability, which can in turn affect your back. High heels force you to arch your back, making your spinal muscles work harder. Backless shoes like sandals cause your feet to move from side to side, which distributes your body weight unevenly and can cause pain.

Dr. David P. Chen
Chiropractor in Laurel, Maryland
Laurel Regional Chiropractic
http://www.laurelregionalchiropractic.com/

Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Gamma Linolenic Acid Supplementation plus Physical Rehab Improves Neuropathic Symptoms in Patients with Radicular Neuropathy More Effectively Than Rehab Alone

Keywords:BACK PAIN, RADICULAR NEUROPATHY, CHRONIC PAIN, NEUROPATHIC PAIN, NERVE ROOT COMPRESSION, INTERVERTEBRAL DISC INJURY - Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Gamma Linolenic Acid, Physical Rehabilitation

Reference:“The use of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and rehabilitation in the treatment of back pain: effect on health-related quality of life,” Ranieri M, Sciuscio M, et al, Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol, 2009; 22(3 Suppl): 45-50. (Address: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences Department, Aldo Moro University, Bari 70124, Italy. E-mail: ranieri@neurol.uniba.it ).

Summary:In a study involving 203 patients with back pain including compressive radiculopathy syndrome from disc-nerve root conflict, supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg/d) and gamma-linolenic acid (360 mg), along with participating in a physical rehabilitation program for a period of 6 weeks was found to be more effective than patients who were treated with the physical rehabilitation program alone. Specifically, those who received the ALA + GLA were found to have significantly greater improvements in paresthesias, stabbing and burning pain, Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, Aberdeen Low Back Pain Scale, and improvements in quality of life, assessed via the SF-36, Revised Leeds Disability Questionnaire, and the Roland and Morris disability questionnaire. The authors conclude, “Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) for six weeks in synergy with rehabilitation therapy improved neuropathic symptoms and deficits in pa tients with radicular neuropathy.”

Chiropractic Care May Reduce Surgeries, X-rays. Back Pain Treatment Less Costly With Chiropractic Care.

Chiropractic care cuts health care costs, a new study shows. The study comes from American Specialty Health Plans Inc. of San Diego. The company provides employers with health insurance coverage for complementary medicine, including chiropractic care and acupuncture.
The company compared four years of back pain claims from two groups: 700,000 health plan members with chiropractic care coverage and 1 million members with the same health plan without chiropractic care coverage. It's the largest study yet of how chiropractic care affects the cost of health care.


Costs Down, Patient Satisfaction Up With Chiropractic Care
Compared with doctor-only health plans, the study found that:

• Chiropractic care cut the cost of treating back pain by 28%.
• Chiropractic care reduced hospitalizations among back pain patients by 41%.
• Chiropractic care reduced back surgeries by 32%.
• Chiropractic care reduced the cost of medical imaging, such as X-rays or MRIs, by 37%.
  

The report appears in the Oct. 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Patients often say they are satisfied with the chiropractic care they receive, says Scott Boden, MD, director of the Emory Orthopedic and Spine Center in Atlanta. "A disease like back pain can have a lot of variability in the ways medical professionals approach patient care," Boden says. "The best thing is to have an organized, integrated approach that uses state-of-the-art and cost-effective care. Many -- if not most -- primary care providers have little training in how to manage musculoskeletal disorders. That leads to some of the costs. If you were to match a chiropractic network against trained physicians instead of general medical practitioners, you might get different results."

Chiropractic Care Entering Mainstream

This may be the first study to offer concrete evidence that chiropractic care saves money. But businesses already are getting the message, says George DeVries, president and CEO of American Specialty Health. "Since 1987, we have thousands if not tens of thousands of employer groups that offer chiropractic coverage as a supplemental insurance rider," DeVries tells WebMD. "These range from mom-and-pop groceries to top-10 businesses. The reason they continue to offer these plans is patient satisfaction and low cost." Boden says his institution is opening a new facility that will offer patients integrated medical care that will include chiropractic care. "We have everything under one roof. The finishing piece is going to be a complementary medicine center that will include chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and probably nutrition," he says. "The bottom line is that conservative management of back care is effectively performed by doctors of chiropractic," he says. "In cases where medical intervention is needed, chiropractors are schooled to make the appropriate referrals. It is a cost-effective option for back pain."

Original article written by Daniel J. DeNoon. WebMD Health News. Oct. 12, 2004.

Dr. David P. Chen

Chiropractor

Laurel, Maryland

The importance of sleep habits to pain.

Not too long ago, it was thought that the time of the day was imprinted on our body by a small subset of our genes. In the last few years, the importance of the time of day was increased when it was discovered that just about all of our genes follow circadian rhythms, the patterns of the day. Cortisol, the hormone that is often described as regulating stress, normally follows the clock. It peaks before we wake up and is at it's lowest level around midnight. Given this, it's often questioned if sleep habits effect health. Researchers in Finland found that insufficient quality or quantity of sleep as a 16 year old increased the likelihood of pain. There is a bit of a chicken and the egg issue with the question, as pain can lead to insomnia as well as bad sleep habits leading to bad health and pain. They believe their study sorted this out, and that poor sleep does lead to increases in neck pain, shoulder pain or back pain. Future studies will look at whether changing sleep habits is an effective way of preventing pain.

Poor quality sleep or insomnia due to pain is a common question that the other doctors and I at ABC clinics, located around the Washington DC region, ask about frequently, as it's a common reason for patients to come in. It's considered one of the measures of severity of pain, and a particularly miserable side effect to deal with. Very often your pain may helped by treatment, and there may be postions or techniques that make sleep easier even for quite painful conditions.

Eur Spine J. 2009 Nov 20. [Epub ahead of print]

Is insufficient quantity and quality of sleep a risk factor for neck, shoulder and low back pain? A longitudinal study among adolescents.

Auvinen JP, Tammelin TH, Taimela SP, Zitting PJ, Järvelin MR, Taanila AM, Karppinen JI.

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Aapistie 1, 90220, Oulu, Finland, juhaauvi@mail.student.oulu.fi.

The quantity and quality of adolescents' sleep may have changed due to new technologies. At the same time, the prevalence of neck, shoulder and low back pain has increased. However, only a few studies have investigated insufficient quantity and quality of sleep as possible risk factors for musculoskeletal pain among adolescents. The aim of the study was to assess whether insufficient quantity and quality of sleep are risk factors for neck (NP), shoulder (SP) and low back pain (LBP). A 2-year follow-up survey among adolescents aged 15-19 years was (2001-2003) carried out in a subcohort of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (n = 1,773). The outcome measures were 6-month period prevalences of NP, SP and LBP. The quantity and quality of sleep were categorized into sufficient, intermediate or insufficient, based on average hours spent sleeping, and whether or not the subject suffered from nightmares, tiredness and sleeping problems. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for having musculoskeletal pain were obtained through logistic regression analysis, adjusted for previously suggested risk factors and finally adjusted for specific pain status at 16 years. The 6-month period prevalences of neck, shoulder and low back pain were higher at the age of 18 than at 16 years. Insufficient quantity or quality of sleep at 16 years predicted NP in both girls (OR 4.4; CI 2.2-9.0) and boys (2.2; 1.2-4.1). Similarly, insufficient sleep at 16 years predicted LBP in both girls (2.9; 1.7-5.2) and boys (2.4; 1.3-4.5), but SP only in girls (2.3; 1.2-4.4). After adjustment for pain status, insufficient sleep at 16 years predicted significantly only NP (3.2; 1.5-6.7) and LBP (2.4; 1.3-4.3) in girls. Insufficient sleep quantity or quality was an independent risk factor for NP and LBP among girls. Future studies should test whether interventions aimed at improving sleep characteristics are effective in the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal pain.

Letter to the Editor from an Interactive Newspaper Group

Published Saturday, November 28, 2009
Back surgery isn't only answer
Thank you for the articles on Shasta County's high rate of hysterectomies and spinal surgeries. These articles are a reminder of the importance of being an informed consumer when considering what form of treatment works best for you. And while for some surgery may be the best answer, oftentimes alternative forms of treatment, such as chiropractic care, are the better option in terms of cost and results.
Spinal surgery is expensive, risky and often ineffective. As referenced in the article, patients who turn to spinal surgery to alleviate chronic back pain often see no difference after the surgery. Alternatively, studies conducted by independent researchers and published in respected medical journals affirm what users and practitioners of chiropractic care have long known - that chiropractic care is often the most effective and least expensive treatment for back and neck problems.
In 2004, an informal survey of chiropractic patients in California's workers' compensation system found that one-third of those who responded said that chiropractic treatments enabled them to avoid surgery recommended by a medical doctor at a savings of more than $80,000 per surgery including drugs and rehabilitation.
While surgery may sometimes be needed to alleviate chronic back pain, too often it is the "go to" treatment option. The result is these patients spend thousands of dollars on a treatment that doesn't always provide relief to their pain. It is critical that anyone with back pain research the different treatment options themselves to determine if surgery is a necessity, or if a more cost-effective, less-intrusive treatment such as chiropractic care might be the answer.
Dave Paris, D.C.
Redding


Dr. Aekta Erry

Chiropractor
Temple Hills, MD

Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care for Musculoskeletal Disorders

New Pilot on Quality Shows Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care for Musculoskeletal Disorders


A new pilot program shows that conservative heath care, including chiropractic, may reduce overall health care costs in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, such as back and neck pain. The pilot, conducted by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield to measure quality of patient care for its members in Iowa and South Dakota, also shows promising outcomes for the patients choosing chiropractic and other conservative care.

“The cost-effectiveness and safety of chiropractic has been documented in several studies. ACA is pleased that insurance companies are starting to recognize the value that doctors of chiropractic and other conservative providers can offer to their members,” said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. “Especially during the health care reform debate, it’s important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of expensive surgery and hospital-based care,” he added.

Wellmark conducted the Physical Medicine Pilot on Quality in 2008 for Iowa and South Dakota physical medicine providers. A total of 238 chiropractors, physical therapists and occupational therapists provided care to 5,500 members with musculoskeletal disorders. According to Wellmark, data from participating clinicians show that 89 percent of the patients treated in the pilot reported a greater than 30-percent improvement in 30 days.

The pilot compared data for Wellmark members who received care from doctors of chiropractic or physical therapists with a member population with similar demographics who did not receive such services. The comparison showed that those who received chiropractic care or physical therapy were less likely to have surgery and experienced lower total health care costs, according to Wellmark.

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches and other neuromusculoskeletal complaints. A significant amount of evidence shows that chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective and less costly than traditional medical care. Recent research includes:

A study published in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes.
A March 2004 study in JMPT found that chiropractic care is more effective than medical care at treating chronic low-back pain in patients’ first year of symptoms.
A study published in a 2003 edition of the medical journal Spine found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than do a variety of medications.
The American Chiropractic Association is the nation’s leading chiropractic organization representing more than 15,000 doctors of chiropractic and their patients. To find a chiropractor near you, visit www.acatoday.org.