Chiropractic and High Blood Pressure

This is a very good video about a CBS News piece depicting chiropractic and reducing  high blood pressure.  Chiropractors have been saying for years that chiropractic care is good for much, much more than just back pain.  It is very refreshing to see some formal studies being done by the government and researchers.  Just think of all the money that could be saved if the reliance on hypertension medication could be reduced, not to mention the savings in indirect costs by not having to pay for the consequences of the side effects caused by the medication. 

The basic premise of chiropractic is that chiropractors help remove the interference on the nervous system which then allows the body to better regulate itself. 

If you don't have facebook, you can also look at this video on youtube which is very simular.

Try Chiropractic First - Avoid Costly, Risky Surgery

I read an article in last Wednesday’s San Jose Mercury News that spinal surgery is on the rise for Medicare patients. This was based on a Medicare study that showed spinal fusion surgeries are on the rise and they are often done unnecessary. The main reason state for the operation is for arthritis and aging or just plain old back pain. The focus of the article is that more spinal fusions are being done rather than simple decompression surgeries as in the past. The difference is that decompression costs about $20,000.00 and the fusion costs $80,000.00 plus it is riskier and more challenging leading to more complications, longer hospital stays and even death, the article goes on to say.
The really interesting thing is that the spinal fusion surgery is no more effective than the less costly surgery, and there is “no good evidence that the expensive one is being used appropriately in the majority of cases.” The study goes on to say that the cost to Medicare, just for the hospital charges for the three kinds of back surgery reviewed, is about $1.65 billion per year. The study analyzed 32,000 Medicare patients who had one of the three kinds of surgery in 2007.
When talking about complications the article stated that about 5 in 100 patients who had simple or complex fusions suffered major complications such as stroke compared to 2 in 100 with decompressions. The risk of death within 30 days after surgery was 6 in 1000 for complex fusions, 5 in 1000 for simple fusions and 3 in 1000 for decompressions.
The article also says that patients should ask their doctor about alternatives such as steroid injections or physical therapy.  No mention of chiropractic!!
What bothers me most about this article is that nowhere chiropractic is mentioned! This is outrageous since it has been shown over and over that chiropractic is the safest and most effective treatment for back pain and has the highest levels of patient satisfaction and has the least complications and is the most cost effective of conventional treatments. Additionally, the risk of death is between 3-6/1000 and 2-5/100 for serious complications such as a stroke. The most common complication is from chiropractic is occasionally some temporary soreness. How would like to go to your doctor and have him tell you that you had a 2-5% chance of having a stroke from this procedure and a 0.5% chance of dying!!! Would you not opt to try chiropractic first?

Let’s hope everyone reads this article and uses chiropractic as first choice rather than a last resort.

Expanding Chiropractic in Medicare

I just read an interesting article in Dynamic Chiropractic about expanding the role of chiropractic in Medicare.

The final report for the chiropractic demonstration project by the federal government has finally been released. The purpose of the study was to determine whether it was feasible to expanding chiropractic coverage in the Medicare program. The project was mandated under section 651 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003.

Medicare patients gave chiropractors high marks when rating their satisfaction with care. In a report from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from 2005 through 2007, 87% of patients surveyed gave their chiropractor a score of 8 or higher when asked to rate their satisfaction with care (1-10 scale), and 56% percent rated their chiropractor a perfect 10. Moreover, healthcare costs did not increase significantly with the addition of chiropractic services.

Other key findings in the report included:

· The most frequent reason for care favorable earlier experiences (59%) and insufficient relief of symptoms (39%).

· Clinical problems included back pain 78%, neck pain 50%, hip problems 38% and shoulder problems 32%.

· 60% of respondents indicated that they received “complete” relief of their symptoms or “a lot of relief of symptoms from chiropractic treatments.”

The conclusions are that Medicare is cost-effective and has a high patient satisfaction level and chiropractic benefits should be increased in the Medicare system. Hopefully, chiropractic will play a prominent role in the upcoming healthcare reforms just passed!!

The entire report can been reviewed at www.acatoday.org/pdf/demo_report.pdf

Golf Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Now that spring is here many of us will be hitting the links again, trying to improve our game.  In order to enjoy the game to the fullest, it should be enjoyed pain free.  Unfortunately, injuries are common.  For the amateur golfer the most common injuries involve the lower back, followed by the elbow, wrist, shoulder and knee.  That is a lot of potential injuries from an activity that doesn't even involve contact with the other players - at least it shouldn't!! 

We can break down the golf swing to develop some key exercises in each phase to the swing to prevent injury. In Phase I (take-away) concentrate on the muscles of the wrist, hand and forearm. Wrist exercises include using a 5 lb dumbell and doing flexion/extension exercises and ulnar/radial deviation exercises.

In Phase 2 (impact) which consists of the downswing and impact with the ball - most injuries are caused by stress on the back knee and compression forces acting on the wrists.  Stretching of the legs is essential and exercises involving leg curls and extensions and abduction/adduction exercises.  Massage is also very helpful.  Exercising and strengthening the triceps with stabilize the elbow and help prevent injury. 

In Phase 3 (follow through) of the swing, there is abdominal torque which can cause injury to the lower back.  The best exercises for this phase of the swing is to do core exercises which will stabilize your trunk. 

Warming up with stretches and brisk walk before your round will also help injuries.  Cool down exercises after the round can also reduce injuries. 

The average amateur has no warm up or stretching protocols for golf.  They are swinging the club with violent, intermittent effort - grip it and rip it golf swing - add this to varied amounts of pre-existing postural dysfunction and poor flexibility  it is no wonder so many become injured.

On a brighter note, my future mother in law just got her first hole in one at the age of 71 after only taking up golf 2 years ago!!!

You can read the full article at http://www.toyourhealth.com/.  Also log on to my website for complete videos of exercises.

20 Minute Workout for Conditioning and Fat-loss

I just read this article in the March issue of To Your Health Magazine.  It is a good prgram that you can do at home.  All you need is a stability ball, dumbbells or kettle ball, a step up platform, resistance band and a chin up bar if you want.  All of this stuff is very inexpensive and can be purchased at any sporting goods store - or ordered through my office. 

What I like is that the program focuses on the core which is essential for back health and stability - especially in the lower back.  The article also give you 8 exercise routines to chose from so that you don't get bored. 

The great thing about exercise balls, kettle balls, and restiance bands is that you can develop entire exercise regimens from just those few things.  Check out my website for an entire list of exercises with videos and demonstrations at http://www.doctormacaulay.com/

Pillows and Neck Pain

Neck pain and pillow issues go hand in hand for many patients. Unfortunately, little research is available on this popular topic. However, a recent study in Manual Therapy was just published, comparing the following pillow types: 1. Polyester synthetic fibre filled, 2. Foam regular shape (from high density foam), 3. Foam contour shape (high density foam), 4. Latex rubber, and 5. Feather.
The feather pillow was significantly proven as the worst pillow. The best results were found with a Dunlopillo latex rubber pillow (115mm in depth [height]). Pillow shape did not affect pain levels and contoured pillows were actually found to be more uncomforable than regularly shaped pillows.

Remember, we are all shaped differently; perhaps you are comfortable sleeping on your feather pillow? As long as you are not sleeping on a pillow that jacks your head up into flexion and you are comfortable on the pillow you currently own, keep on sleeping well.

If you are a stomach sleeper… become a back sleeper now! If you are a side sleeper, try to get on to your back too as many individuals who sleep only on one side will encounter shoulder and rib injuries over time.

Gordon SJ, et al., Pillow use: the behaviour of cervical pain, sleep quality and pillow comfort in side sleepers. Manual Therapy 2009; 14: 671-678.




I prefer water based pillows over the foam pillows.  I have found that the foam pillows break down over time and lose their elasticity and their shape.  Water pillows do not have this problem.  You can also adjust the firmness of a water based pillow to your personal preference.
 
There has been significant research into water based pillows.

DID YOU KNOW? On average, there are 12 major body shifts and 50 movements in head and neck position during sleep. With the Mediflow Water Pillow, as you roll from back to side, the water instantly adjusts to constantly maintain correct head and neck support and provide outstanding comfort.


RESEARCH -


In a medical school conducted study, on adults with chronic neck pain, it was found that the Mediflow ® Waterbase ® pillow was associated with reduced morning pain intensity, increased pain relief and improved quality of sleep.
Use of a Mediflow ® Waterbase ® pillow in conjunction with chiropractic care resulted in a reduction in neck pain and disability, and improved quality of sleep in subjects with chronic neck pain. ²
Based on a survey of students, faculty and staff at a chiropractic college, over 68% said their quality of sleep improved after using the Mediflow Waterbase ®. Over 84% rated the Mediflow ® Waterbase ® pillow 8 or better (on a point scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest level of satisfaction). ³

CONCLUSION: Proper selection of a pillow can significantly reduce pain and improve quality of sleep.


¹Cervical Pain: A Comparison of Three Pillows, Lavin RA. Research conducted at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation February 1997. original article

²Chronic Neck Pain Findings, Logan College of Chiropractic. Presented at the International Conference on Spinal Manipulation. October 1996 Bournemouth, England.

³Quality of Sleep Findings, Logan College of Chiropractic. Poster presentation at the Conference of Chiropractic Research and Education, June 1996 San Diego, USA.


Sleep tight and sweet dreams!

FDA Admits that Tylenol is the Number One Cause of Liver Failure in the US

In this article the FDA finally admitted that acetominophen is the leading cause of liver failure in the United States!!  Annually it is reponsible for 456 deaths and 56,000 emergency room visits. 

I also found it interesting that in the nineteen years since data collection began on the harmfulness of acetaminophen, it can be extrapolated that over a million emergency room visits and 8,000 deaths have stemmed directly from the use of this drug. For those who are keeping track, over two and a half times as many people were killed from this drug as were killed on that fateful day in September, 2001. And unfortunately, acetaminophen is but one drug, of many drugs, that cause significant harm to the population - all with the stamp of the FDA.

Read the entire article it is very interesting. 

Remember it is always wiser to try safe and effective chiropractic first.  Even over the counter medications can have very serious side effects even when taken properly.