Lancet Medical Journal Points to Chiropractic for Low Back Pain

The Lancet Defines Low Back Pain 

and Calls for Effective Care in Brand-New Three-Part Series

San Jose, Calif. – March 23, 2018 – This week, The Lancet, a peer-reviewed medical journal, published a three-part series on low back pain, which addresses the associated ailment, the disability caused by low back pain and provides call-to-actions to meet the challenges associated with the prevention and management of low back pain. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the value of chiropractic care, notes that Good Morning America – the most watched morning show for most of 2017– referred to The Lancet’s series as the Magnum Opus of low back pain, and referenced spinal manipulation as a recommended approach to manage low back pain.

“Ninety-four percent of spinal manipulations in the U.S. are performed by a doctor of chiropractic,” shares Sherry McAllister, DC, executive vice president, F4CP, who notes that chiropractic care is proven to yield improved clinical outcomes, reduced costs and high patient satisfaction. “With

approximately 80 percent of the population bound to experience back pain at some point in their lives, the Foundation commends The Lancet for publishing a series that accurately communicates the education and action items necessary to establish more effective, patient-centered care, which may include spinal manipulation, surrounding low back pain to a global audience.”

Key findings from each of the three papers published in The Lancet:

• What low back pain is and why we need to pay attention
• Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is common among individuals of all ages, demographics and socio-economic statuses. The burden of low back pain must be addressed through amplified research and global initiatives.
• Prevention and treatment of low back pain: evidence, challenges, and promising directions
• Potential solutions to effectively manage low back pain may include but are not limited to focused strategies that can implement best practice, the redesign of clinical pathways, integrated health and occupational interventions to reduce work disability, changes in compensation and disability claims policies, and public health and prevention strategies.
• Low back pain: a call for action
• One call to action encourages the promotion of living well with low back pain through enhanced, patient-centered care which focuses on self-management and healthy lifestyles as a means of restoring and maintaining function and high-quality of life.

Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) receive a minimum of seven years of higher education and are specifically trained to diagnose, evaluate and provide non-pharmaceutical care and rehabilitation to individuals suffering from acute and chronic back, low back and neck pain, headaches, neuro-musculoskeletal conditions and general health and wellness.

Dr. McAllister continues, “With the number of individuals effected worldwide by low back pain, The Lancet’s new published series should spark an interest among providers across all disciplines to collaborate and provide patients with the safest, most effective care for the management of low back pain.”

About Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) informs and educates the general public about the value of chiropractic care and its role in drug-free pain management. Visit www.f4cp.com; call 866-901-F4CP (3427). Social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube.

Avoid NSAID's, Reduce Inflammation, Live Better

My readers may have seen in past blogs and Facebook posts information regarding the dangers of analgesics (pain reducers), over the counter and prescription.  The question then arises, what can I do to help control pain.  Aside from addressing the body's structural problems, which lead to pain, with chiropractic evaluation and care, one of our recommendations is Turmeric.  Turmeric has been proven to reduce or eliminate pain better than leading prescription medications. [1]

A 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene [2] found that turmeric was an effective alternative to the drugs; aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen and diclofenac and the like, generally considered NSAID's (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories).

Turmeric does not just fight pain and inflammation, it does so much more. [3]

Simple root, Profound action

Most researchers agree that the turmeric’s profound healing abilities can be traced to its powerful anti-inflammatory action.

Full-spectrum turmeric (whole root, as opposed to an isolated curcumin extract) is especially effective because it operates by both mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action.

Most anti-inflammatory foods, work in one of the following ways...

1. They neutralize free radicals in the body which causes inflammation, with a flood of antioxidants or

2. They stop the body from producing the chemicals that initiate inflammation in the first place (this is how aspirin and OTC pain meds work)

What is unique about turmeric is that it combats inflammation through both of these mechanisms.... simultaneously! Its multi-pronged approach allows it to work wonders for aches, pains, and arthritis (by stopping inflammation at the source), while also strongly supporting the immune system with antioxidants.
 

Nearly all diseases and ailments can be traced back to inflammation and oxidative stress…it appears there’s almost nothing that turmeric can’t help.

Not all forms of turmeric are created equal…

Most of the turmeric supplements you see in stores come in the form of encapsulated powders. Many are just the isolated curcuminoids and as we mentioned above the whole root, with complimentary components appear to be most beneficial.

 

The truth is with turmeric powder you may be getting very little actual benefit.  Turmeric powder has a fairly low bioavailability (meaning that a good portion of it isn’t properly absorbed by your body), it often isn’t very fresh, and it’s sometimes made with harsh processes that can destroy or degrade turmeric’s healthful components.

 

Our recommendation;  buy a quality, full spectrum (whole root) supplement or what my family prefers is buying fresh whole root and grate it ourselves as needed. You can crush it or grind it, we purchased an inexpensive "micro grater", it works wonderfully and easy to clean up.  You can also use it for other root foods like garlic and ginger.   It can be difficult to find turmeric root in smaller communities and expensive when you do find it in major chain grocery stores.  We have great luck at Asian markets.  Most usages in cooking or dosing call for a teaspoon or less.  

 

Through experimentation our family has learned to use it in a number of home cooked dishes.  We also enjoy "Golden milk" or "Turmeric tea".   By using turmeric in these ways you can also increase its bioavailability (absorption).  Studies have found that absorption of turmeric components can be increased by either heating the ground up root, adding healthy fats or adding black pepper. Golden milk can do all three.

So, save your liver and kidneys from the abuse of NSAID use and consider giving turmeric a try.  Aside from the pain relieving properties tumeric has also been found to protect the brain, repair the liver, protect the heart after surgery, helps asthma patients and the list could go on and on.  Turmeric has been found to be as effective as 25 drugs, without the side effects.

 

 

 

References:
1. Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Curcuminoids in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials: Pain Med. 2015 Dec 14. Epub 2015 Dec 14. PMID: 26814259
2. Green Med Info: greenmedinfo.com/blog/science-confirms-turmeric-effective-14-drugs
3. Zingiberaceae extracts for pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis: Nutr J. 2015 ;14:50. Epub 2015 May 14. PMID: 25972154

Tomato, tomaato; Could It Be Causing You Problems?

Let food be your medicine and your medicine be food. - Hippocrates

There are certain foods, even those generally considered healthy, that certain individuals should only consume sparingly or in at least moderation. 

Do you suffer from chronic pain and/or inflammation? Studies show that there can be a link between the consumption of nightshade vegetables (such as tomatoes and bell peppers) and chronic pain/inflammation for some people. Find out if you're one of them.

Few people are familiar with the term nightshade vegetables, and many will be surprised to learn that consuming foods from this plant group may be contributing to their pain and inflammation.

Their New "discovery" Is Really Quite Old.

"Conceptually, bioelectronics is straightforward: Get the nervous system to tell the body to heal itself. But of course it’s not that simple. “What we’re trying to do here is completely novel,” - NYT.     

Chiropractic has been helping improve the impulses through the nervous system to the body's tissues to improve all functions of the body since 1897, without the risks of implanted devices.   There is nothing novel about it!  But it is nice that they are finally catching up.

Chiropractic and Young Athletes

Chiropractic is safe and effective approach to improving and maintaining your well being.  Chiropractic is particularly helpful in helping young people maintain and improve athletic performance.

Pregnancy and Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Public health advice(from MDs and hospitals) currently considers Tylenol use safe during pregnancy.

It is also know that about half of all pregnant women consume Tylenol as a solution for their pain and discomfort. 

A study just published out of the Journal of American Pediatrics
 in August of 2016 showed that Tylenol consumption by pregnant
women increased the baby having emotional symptoms by 
29%, hyperactivity by 31%, and total difficulties by 46%. 

This is a problem…and one that few doctors, let alone women and future mothers know about. 


So what if these mothers knew there was a
different solution that did not put their 
unborn baby at risk of having emotional, hyperactive, or neurodevelopmental problems? 

This brings us to a study from the Journal of Spine published in 2003. (references below)

Three groups of patients who were in pain were split up and treated
One group got drugs(vioxx and celebrex), one group 
received acupuncture, and one group received chiropractic. 

The results showed that Chiropractic was 5 times better than the drugs and 3 times more effective than the acupuncture!

And…the patients in the Chiropractic group were considered the worst because they had been in chronic pain for the longest compared to the other 2 groups. 

Think about that, what if pregnant women knew about the effectiveness of Chiropractic and its low-risk no side-effects benefits for her or her growing baby! 

Once again, what the public doesn’t know can and will hurt them. 

Explore and experience the possibilities of chiropractic!

For your better health,

Dr. Heller


References

1) Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. August 15, 2016
Evie Stergiakouli, PhD; Anita Thapar, FRC, PhD; George Davey Smith, MD, DSc

2) Journal of Spine 2003 Jul 15;28(14):1490-502 “Chronic pain: a randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation” 
Giles LG, Muller R.

Chiropractic and Limited Antibiotics for Childhood Ear Infections

Chiropractic has been used for decades by 100's of thousands of people for addressing many common ailments.  One such ailment is childhood ear infections.  The question has always been; is it effective?

One of the biggest problems of childhood ear infections is the use and repeated use of antibiotic therapy.  Antibiotics can help knock out an infection, unfortunately they can also wreak havoc on the the good bacteria which helps buffer the digestive tract which possesses about 70-80% of the body's immune system tissues; thereby making the individual more susceptible to reinfection after a bout of antibiotics.  This is the reason we recommend that parents feed their child "active culture" yogurt while on antibiotics and for one week after, to replace the healthy bacteria that are killed off, if they decide to go the antibiotic route with ear infections

A new study with children 5 years of age and younger, found chiropractic care for childhood ear infections was extremely effective, recommending utilizing chiropractic care and limiting medical intervention.

"93% of all episodes improved, 75% in 10 days or fewer and 43% with only one or two treatments. Young age, no history on antibiotic use, initial episode (vs. recurrent) and designation of an episode as discomfort rather than ear infection were factors associated with improvement with the fewest treatments."

Keep your child's body as healthy as possible by including chiropractic into their well child schedule.

For your better health,

Dr. Heller