Knowledge is power. In healthcare, that phrase is especially true. That's why we've put together some information of the most common, and not so common, problems our patients face. We invite you to browse our library and become a better informed, more knowledgeable patient.
Acupuncture is an alternative medicine methodology originating in ancient China that treats patients by manipulating thin, solid needles which have been inserted into acupuncture points in the skin.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized primarily by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone".
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. It is the displeasing feeling of fear and concern.
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints. There are over 100 different forms of arthritis.
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm.
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior.
Back pain (also known as dorsalgia) is pain felt in the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine.
Carrying a heavy backpack can be a source of 'chronic, low-level trauma,'and can cause chronic shoulder, neck and back pain in children.
Nocturnal enuresis, commonly called bedwetting, is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control usually occurs.
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side.
Cancer, known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a broad group of various diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement.
Chest pain may be a symptom of a number of serious conditions and is generally considered a medical emergency.
Throughout pregnancy, birth, and childhood, the chiropractic lifestyle offers choices and benefits for greater health and well-being.
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced
Substance dependence, commonly called drug addiction is defined as a drug user's compulsive need to use controlled substances in order to function normally.
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function.
Otitis, or ear infection, is a general term for inflammation or infection of the ear, in both humans and other animals.
Gardening can provide a great workout, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, your body and back may not be ready for exercise of the garden variety.
For the first time in the VA's history, veterans will be able to receive certified chiropractic care at 26 selected Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities.
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck.
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness (a state of health and well-being), and specific fitness (the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations).
If you suffer from a hearing loss, especially on the right side, you may want to consider chiropractic care; you may notice an improvement in your hearing almost immediately.
Hypertension (HTN) or high blood pressure, sometimes called arterial hypertension, is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated.
Chiropractic care is not just for adults and children. Infants can benefit from chiropractic care too!
Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term.
Learning disability is a classification including several areas of functioning in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring.
Neck pain (or cervicalgia) is a common problem, with two-thirds of the population having neck pain at some point in their lives.
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body.
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a collection of physical and emotional symptoms related to a woman's menstrual cycle. Medical definitions of PMS are limited to a consistent pattern of emotional and physical symptoms.
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute, viral, infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route.
During pregnancy, there are several physiological and endocrinological changes that occur in preparation for creating the environment for the developing baby.
Sciatica is a set of symptoms including pain that may be caused by general compression or irritation of one of five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic nerve.
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. The spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C", rather than a straight line.
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain".
An important advantage for seniors receiving chiropractic care is an increased range of motion in both the spine and limbs.
If you are having trouble sleeping at night, you are not alone. More than one-quarter of the U.S. population report they occasionally do not get enough sleep.
Spinal stenosis is an abnormal narrowing (stenosis) of the spinal canal that may occur in any of the regions of the spine. This narrowing causes a restriction to the spinal cord, resulting in a neurological deficit.
Playing sports can cause all kinds of injuries for children as well as adults. Chiropractic care is critical to keep you on top of your game and performing at your best.
Contemplating surgery? It's a big decision. Chiropractic care is a non-invasive and safe alternative for some forms of surgery. Explore all your options before you commit to surgery.
TMJ is used to refer to a group of problems involving the temporomandibular joint and the muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and other tissues associated with them.
Vertigo (from the Latin vertō "a whirling or spinning movement") is a subtype of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary.
The visual system is the part of the central nervous system which enables organisms to process visual detail, as well as enabling several non-image forming photoresponse functions.
Whiplash is a non-medical term describing a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck associated with extension.
The case of a 3-year-old boy with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) was documented in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal, & Family Health on Nov. 8, 2012.
A 3-year-old boy was brought to a chiropractor by his mother after the boy had been diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, as well as possible Einstein syndrome which indicates an extreme intelligence coupled with delayed speech.
Sensory processing disorder is a neurodevelopment disorder in which the person has problems processing sensory information. Normal touch, sound, and movement can cause extreme stress, and the 3-year-old boy’s symptoms included head banging, lack of pain response, hiding under the crib or in a corner, rubbing himself against the wall, and chewing holes in his clothes.
The child's development was mildly delayed, and the childcare provider discussed a possible diagnosis of autism with the mother when the child was 16 months old. At 24 months, the child had a MMR vaccination and had a severe reaction. He developed a fever, total body rash, swollen glands, and pock marks.
A chiropractic examination was performed and subluxations were detected by asymmetries in the head and neck regions, as well as shoulder level, foot/leg level, and other indicators of subluxation. A care plan was created and initiated with specific chiropractic adjustments for the child’s subluxations at a rate of two adjustments weekly.
The child’s improvement with touch and vibration, social skills, and gross motor skills were noted in the initial phase of care when he began to receive specific chiropractic adjustments. During this time, the child’s language skills improved immensely. “Meltdowns” were still present, as well as teeth grinding, but were reduced in frequency and intensity.
Continued chiropractic care resulted in improvements in communication with the child stating opinions for the first time, as well as showing signs of increasing imagination, affection, engagement, and attention span. The child is sleeping better, and his gross and fine motor skills have improved.
The parents see great improvement in their son as a result of chiropractic care and adjustments. The 3-year-old boy is continuing under chiropractic care with the expectation of increased improvement and a lessening of symptoms of SPD.
A study published in the July / August 2004 peer-reviewed scientific journal, "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics", compared the effects of chiropractic adjustments to muscle relaxants in a group of patients with subacute low back pain.
This study defined subacute low back pain as lower back pain (LBP) with a duration of 2 to 12 weeks. The study noted that in the United States the incidence of low back pain is as high as 75% to 85% of the population being affected at some time in their lives. On a yearly basis, the study noted that between 15% to 20% of the adult population can expect to experience LBP in any given year.
In the study, conducted at Life University in Georgia, 192 subjects with LBP from 2 to 6 weeks were separated into three groups. One group received Chiropractic adjustments with placebo medication. The second group received muscle relaxants with sham (fake) adjustments. The third group was a control group and received both placebo medication as well as the sham (fake) adjustments. Care was rendered to the group for a 4 week period with evaluations being done at the 2 week and 4 week marks.
Results were measured in terms of patient reported pain, severity, disability and depression, as well as measured flexibility and the patients self usage of over the counter acetaminophen (Tylenol). The results of this short study showed that for the two primary indicators of pain and severity, the chiropractic group did better than the other two groups. No significant differences were seen for disability, depression, flexibility, or acetaminophen usage across groups in a study of this short a period of time. All three groups showed improvement in the areas of depression, disability and drug usage.
The authors of the study did note that a longer study could have yielded more differences in recovery. However, in the area of pain, a primary patient concern in subacute LBP cases, the group that received the chiropractic adjustments faired the best. Their comments were: "Statistically, the chiropractic group responded significantly better than the control group with respect to a decrease in pain scores."
Research published in the January 2005 issue of the scientific periodical the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, (JMPT) showed that patients with chronic spinal pain syndromes did markedly better than patients who received either medication or acupuncture.
Participants in this study were those who had pain for more than 13 weeks. These participants were divided into three groups who exclusively received one type of care. One group got medication, one group received acupuncture and one group received chiropractic care. The participants were evaluated using standardized questionnaires. These questionnaires were given initially when the participant entered the study, then again 9 weeks after the initiation of care. These results were then compared to repeat questionnaires given to the same patients 12 months later.
Researchers were extremely careful to exclude patients who were receiving multiple forms of care for their problem. Their intent was to have the results only reflect benefits from a single type of care. In this way outside factors could be minimized and the results should be attributed exclusively to the type of care the patient received.
Results showed that 12 months later, only the group that received chiropractic care was still experiencing significant improvement. Researchers noted that all three groups had experienced some short term benefits from their various care. They also noted that the patients who got acupuncture did better than those who were in the group that received medication. However, they noted that the group receiving chiropractic are showed the best results. The authors concluded "Overall, patients who have chronic mechanical spinal pain syndromes and received spinal manipulation gained significant broad-based beneficial short-term and long-term outcomes."
Research published in the January 2005 issue of the scientific periodical the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, (JMPT) showed that patients with chronic spinal pain syndromes did markedly better than patients who received either medication or acupuncture.
Participants in this study were those who had pain for more than 13 weeks. These participants were divided into three groups who exclusively received one type of care. One group got medication, one group received acupuncture and one group received chiropractic care. The participants were evaluated using standardized questionnaires. These questionnaires were given initially when the participant entered the study, then again 9 weeks after the initiation of care. These results were then compared to repeat questionnaires given to the same patients 12 months later.
Researchers were extremely careful to exclude patients who were receiving multiple forms of care for their problem. Their intent was to have the results only reflect benefits from a single type of care. In this way outside factors could be minimized and the results should be attributed exclusively to the type of care the patient received.
Results showed that 12 months later, only the group that received chiropractic care was still experiencing significant improvement. Researchers noted that all three groups had experienced some short term benefits from their various care. They also noted that the patients who got acupuncture did better than those who were in the group that received medication. However, they noted that the group receiving chiropractic are showed the best results. The authors concluded "Overall, patients who have chronic mechanical spinal pain syndromes and received spinal manipulation gained significant broad-based beneficial short-term and long-term outcomes."
A study published in the July/August 2002 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) shows that a chiropractic technique known as the "Webster Technique" for managing the musculoskeletal causes of intrauterine constraint, is effective in cases of pregnancy with women experiencing breech presentation which can lead to a cesarean section birth.
According to the published study, "Intrauterine constraint is defined as any force external to the developing fetus that obstructs the normal movement of the fetus." Intrauterine constraint can prevent the developing fetus from moving into the normal head-down position needed for a normal vaginal birth. When this happens this is called a "breech presentation". This situation plays a critical role in how the mother delivers her baby. According to the statistics published in the article, in the United States 86% of all infants with breech presentation are delivered by cesarean section.
According to the JMPT article, the Webster Technique is a chiropractic technique designed to relieve the musculoskeletal causes of intrauterine constraint. This technique is also known by names such as as Webster's In-Utero Constraint Technique or Webster's Breech Turning Technique. The Webster Technique was developed by Dr. Larry Webster in 1978. Dr. Webster was often referred to in the Chiropractic profession as "The Grandfather of Chiropractic Pediatrics." Additionally, the technique is presently taught in many chiropractic colleges and postgraduate chiropractic education seminars.
The study was done by surveying a large number of doctors of chiropractic who use the technique to see the percentage of results they obtain on real patients. The survey required detailed information to verify the accuracy of the responses. The results showed that 82% of the doctors surveyed reported a high rate of success when using the Webster Technique. The results from the study suggested that it may be beneficial to perform the Webster Technique in the 8th month of pregnancy, if it has been determined that the child is in the breech position. This timing is important because from the 8th month on, a breech presentation is unlikely to spontaneously convert to the normal head down position.
The study concludes by saying, "when successful, the Webster Technique avoids the costs and risks of cesarean section or vaginal trial of breech. In view of these findings, the Webster Technique deserves serious consideration in the management of expectant mothers exhibiting adverse fetal presentation."
A study published in the September 2006 issue of the scientific journal, The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, (JMPT), showed that a single chiropractic adjustment helps neck pain. Although most chiropractors will recommend more than a single adjustment for their patients, this study was designed to see if one adjustment only could have an immediate effect on neck pain.
In this study 70 patients with neck pain were tested using standardized tests for neck range of motion and pain. These subjects were randomly separated into two groups. One group then received a chiropractic adjustment which the study defined as a "high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation." While the other group received a "control mobilization procedure." The subjects in both of these groups were then re-tested 5 minutes after the procedure for range of motion and pain.
The results showed that both groups experienced improvements in both range of motion and pain when comparing the pre and post testing. However, the researchers discovered that those subjects that received the chiropractic adjustment (HVLA) had far superior results than the group that had just mobilization. Researchers also noted that it did not matter if the subject was male or female. Essentially, the group that had the chiropractic adjustment had less pain and a better range of motion when tested 5 minutes after the procedure was performed.
This study intentionally did not look at the long term effects of just a single adjustment. Most chiropractors believe that a series of adjustments are needed to create a lasting change in the spine and nervous system. However, this study does confirm that even a single specific adjustment does create an immediate positive change. This study also points out that a chiropractic adjustment is much more effective than random mobilization, such as was received by the control group in this study.
The researchers stated in their conclusion, "A single cervical high velocity-low amplitude manipulation was more effective in reducing neck pain at rest and in increasing active cervical range of motion than a control mobilization procedure in subjects suffering from mechanical neck pain."
A study published on August 2, 2004 in the peer reviewed "Journal of Vertebral Subluxation", showed that the onset of both Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis were statistically related to trauma to the head and or neck. The study also showed that a high percentage of the patients in this retrospective study benefited significantly from chiropractic care.
This study reviewed the cases of 81 patients with either Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis. Of the 81 patients 78 recalled that they had experienced at least one head or neck trauma prior to the onset of their disease. Of the patients in this study, 39 reported that they were involved in auto accidents, 29 noted that they had been involved in some sort of sporting accidents, such as skiing, horseback riding, cycling, and football and 16 were involved in falls such as on icy sidewalks or down stairs. The length of time between the traumatic event and onset of their disease varied from two months to 30 years.
All 81 patients received specific chiropractic care for correction of vertebral subluxations. The results of this care on the patients were then monitored and recorded. Of the 44 Multiple Sclerosis cases, 40 (91%) reported improvement from the chiropractic care. Of these, 28 showed “substantial†improvement; 8 showed “moderate†improvement; and 5 showed “minor†improvement. No further progression of Multiple Sclerosis was noted in the improved cases during the care period, which ranged from one to five years depending on the patient. Four cases reported “no change†in their condition.
Of the 37 patients with Parkinson's Disease, 34 (92%) reported improvement. Of these patients, 16 showed "substantial" improvement; 8 showed "moderate" improvement; and 11 showed "minor" improvement. As with the MS patients, no further progression of Parkinson's Disease was noted in the improved cases during the care period, which ranged from one to five years depending on the patient. Three cases reported “no change†in their condition.
The conclusions published in the Journal showed that a causal link exists between trauma-induced upper cervical (neck) injury and disease onset for both Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease. Correcting the injury to the upper cervical spine with chiropractic seemed to arrest and reverse the progression of both of these diseases in the patients in this study. These results offer hope to patients who suffer from these debilitating diseases.
In the September 2001 issue of the peer reviewed, "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics" comes a case report study titled, "Chiropractic care of a patient with vertebral subluxations and unsuccessful surgery of the cervical spine". This was a report of a 55-year-old man who had neck pain along with radiating pain down both arms after unsuccessful cervical (neck) spine surgery.
The man's history was similar to many seen in chiropractic offices. While responding to an auto accident during an ice storm, the 55 year old highway patrolman slipped getting out of his car and fell backward, landing on his upper back and neck. After a few days he began to experience pain in his neck. Two months later he consulted a medical doctor, who referred him to a neurologist. During the neurological examination, the patient experienced a seizure that eventually led to a diagnosis of a tumor of the adrenal gland. Several weeks later, the patient had surgery to excise the tumor which resulted in temporary relief of the neck pain.
He returned to work, and 6 weeks after surgery he began to experience neck pain again, which he described as sharp, along with pain, numbness, and tingling in both arms. His condition worsened, for about 6 to 7 months, and he was was referred to a neurosurgeon. The patient eventually consented to neck surgery, and an anterior cervical diskectomy (disc removal) was performed.
When he returned to the surgeon for a postsurgery check-up and had continuing complaints, he then asked when the surgeon wanted to see him again. The reply was, “I never want to see you again. This answer was devastating for the patient, and he assumed that he was destined to live with these problems for life.
Approximately 3½ years after surgery, the patient started chiropractic care. The chiropractic care began and after receiving the first set of adjustments, the patient indicated that his ability to raise his left arm had increased by 50% and that his neck pain and arm complaints were also relieved. He was astonished and excited by the results of the care he received. Within 2 weeks of starting care he was able to fully abduct his left arm and to loop his belt to his pants. A year after the onset of chiropractic care, the patient was working on his small ranch performing various odd jobs and has, on occasion, had some problems because of over activity.
This documented and published case is not unfamiliar to chiropractors world wide. The unique aspect of this case is the fact that it was published in a peer reviewed scientific journal. The authors of the study summed this situation up with the following; "This is the first description in the indexed literature of the chiropractic care of a patient with vertebral and sacroiliac subluxations with a history of unsuccessful cervical diskectomy of the cervical spine. "In our experience, allopathic (medical) practitioners usually do not offer patients the option of chiropractic care before surgery. Perhaps more rarely is chiropractic care considered a viable option in instances of unsuccessful surgical care."It is obvious from this study that chiropractic should have been considered first.
In the September 2001 issue of the peer reviewed, "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics" comes a case report study titled, "Chiropractic care of a patient with vertebral subluxations and unsuccessful surgery of the cervical spine". This was a report of a 55-year-old man who had neck pain along with radiating pain down both arms after unsuccessful cervical (neck) spine surgery.
The man's history was similar to many seen in chiropractic offices. While responding to an auto accident during an ice storm, the 55 year old highway patrolman slipped getting out of his car and fell backward, landing on his upper back and neck. After a few days he began to experience pain in his neck. Two months later he consulted a medical doctor, who referred him to a neurologist. During the neurological examination, the patient experienced a seizure that eventually led to a diagnosis of a tumor of the adrenal gland. Several weeks later, the patient had surgery to excise the tumor which resulted in temporary relief of the neck pain.
He returned to work, and 6 weeks after surgery he began to experience neck pain again, which he described as sharp, along with pain, numbness, and tingling in both arms. His condition worsened, for about 6 to 7 months, and he was was referred to a neurosurgeon. The patient eventually consented to neck surgery, and an anterior cervical diskectomy (disc removal) was performed.
When he returned to the surgeon for a postsurgery check-up and had continuing complaints, he then asked when the surgeon wanted to see him again. The reply was, “I never want to see you again. This answer was devastating for the patient, and he assumed that he was destined to live with these problems for life.
Approximately 3½ years after surgery, the patient started chiropractic care. The chiropractic care began and after receiving the first set of adjustments, the patient indicated that his ability to raise his left arm had increased by 50% and that his neck pain and arm complaints were also relieved. He was astonished and excited by the results of the care he received. Within 2 weeks of starting care he was able to fully abduct his left arm and to loop his belt to his pants. A year after the onset of chiropractic care, the patient was working on his small ranch performing various odd jobs and has, on occasion, had some problems because of over activity.
This documented and published case is not unfamiliar to chiropractors world wide. The unique aspect of this case is the fact that it was published in a peer reviewed scientific journal. The authors of the study summed this situation up with the following; "This is the first description in the indexed literature of the chiropractic care of a patient with vertebral and sacroiliac subluxations with a history of unsuccessful cervical diskectomy of the cervical spine. In our experience, allopathic (medical) practitioners usually do not offer patients the option of chiropractic care before surgery. Perhaps more rarely is chiropractic care considered a viable option in instances of unsuccessful surgical care." It is obvious from this study that chiropractic should have been considered first.
Published in the January 2003 issue of the peer-reviewed periodical, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), is the results of a study on lower back pain in children. The journal article starts off by noting that about 50% of children suffer from lower back pain at one time or another. It also notes that about 15% of children experience frequent or continual pain.
The study was conducted on 54 children between the ages of 4 and 18 in the cities of Calgary, Alberta, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In the study the children with lower back pain received chiropractic care from a variety of volunteer chiropractors in Canada. The children were tracked regularly during the study to monitor their progress. Results were obtained in several ways including responses from the patients themselves on how they felt their progress was coming.
Results of the study showed improvement over the follow-up period was observed in 46% to 92% of the children for various criteria. In a period of 30 days 82% of the children reported that they were "much improved."
The researchers conclusions were, "Patients responded favorably to chiropractic management, and there were no reported complications."
Published in the January 2003 issue of the peer-reviewed periodical, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), is the results of a study on lower back pain in children. The journal article starts off by noting that about 50% of children suffer from lower back pain at one time or another. It also notes that about 15% of children experience frequent or continual pain.
The study was conducted on 54 children between the ages of 4 and 18 in the cities of Calgary, Alberta, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In the study the children with lower back pain received chiropractic care from a variety of volunteer chiropractors in Canada. The children were tracked regularly during the study to monitor their progress. Results were obtained in several ways including responses from the patients themselves on how they felt their progress was coming.
Results of the study showed improvement over the follow-up period was observed in 46% to 92% of the children for various criteria. In a period of 30 days 82% of the children reported that they were "much improved."
The researchers conclusions were, "Patients responded favorably to chiropractic management, and there were no reported complications."
A pair of stories from the October 26, 2002 Dallas Morning News and the October 28, 2002 Fort Worth Star-Telegram, report how chiropractic care is helping professional football players such as Emmitt Smith, play longer with less injuries. The story notes that Smith is only five foot nine inches and weighs only 212 pounds but has missed only seven regular season games, and only four on account of injury. Because of this longevity and ability to remain relatively injury free Emmitt Smith has become the National Football League's all-time leader in yards rushing.
Early in his career Smith did not have the work ethic that the team though he should have. He was also suffering from a nagging hamstring injury. He then decided to turn things around. He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, " After that season, I decided to invest in me, to keep me going."He went on to say, "You can have a Ferrari body, but your wheels need balancing. I felt if I took care of my body, I could still function when I got older."
Smith now believes so much in chiropractic that he asked his chiropractor to relocate his practice closer to the practice field. Presently Emmitt sees his chiropractor, Dr. Rob Parker two or three times per week. His chiropractor even flies with the team to take care of Emmitt, and a number of other players right up till game-time.
Emmitt Smith, a professional athlete who has first hand knowledge of the benefits of chiropractic concluded by saying, "Some of it may seem hokey to some people, but if you traveled where I've traveled, done what I've done and seen the results that I've been getting, then you'd understand where I'm coming from."
The below comes from a study published in the November 22/29, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA). The study was also reported on in an Association Press (AP) story of November 22, 2006. The report comes from two large US government funded studies on patients suffering from sciatica.
In this study 472 patients with an average age of 42 were assigned to either have surgery or watchful waiting. However, many of the patients assigned to one of the two groups switched groups and decided to go against the group they were assigned to. However these subjects were still followed for 2 years to see how they responded from whichever group they ultimately wound up in. Those that had the surgery were compared to those that did not for both bodily pain and physical function.
The study shows that patients who have been diagnosed with herniated disks creating sciatica had "no clear-cut reason to choose an operation over other treatment." According to the researchers in this study patients who suffered from these problems showed significant improvement over two years time regardless of whether they had back surgery or not.
Dr. James Weinstein of Dartmouth Medical School and lead author of the study suggested that based on the findings of this study patients should choose whether they want to get the surgery or not based on their own desires. He stated. "If you don't want the risk of surgery, you can do watchful waiting."
The article notes that about 250,000 Americans go under the knife for herniated disks each year. However, they also report that an equal number choose not to have surgery, which costs $6000 on average, and instead choose other types of care.
Much controversy surrounds using medications to control hyperactive children. Drugs designed to control these children are dangerous, unpredictable and are not getting to the cause of the child's problem. One question that should be asked is this. Why are so many more children today being diagnoses with ADHD over just a decade or two ago? Are their really that many more problem children today over a few years ago?
Many contemporary researchers and authors are suggesting that the rise in diagnosis of ADHD is due to several factors. These factors include dietary factors, long term adverse results of medications and immunizations, and neurological factors from interference to the nervous system. All of these suggestions negate the use of chemicals to correct the fundamental malfunction. In other words, many experts are suggesting other means of dealing with the problem rather than drugging the child.
Diet is an important component in children who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Sugar seems to be identified by many as a main contributing factor. Many breakfast cereals contain high concentrations of sugar, as well as other preservatives.
Chiropractors have long maintained that neurology plays a strong part in hyperactive children. The medical approach often consists of drugs to affect the function of the nervous system. The chiropractic approach is removal of interference from the nervous system to allow proper function. Chiropractors recognize this interference comes from factors such as diet and subluxations. It is the subluxation aspect of interference to the nervous system that chiropractic is most concerned with in a hyperactive child. Chiropractors work to remove subluxations, thereby eliminating interference to the nervous system and allowing the hyperactive child to neurologically function normally. With this approach, as well as attention to diet and other toxins, chiropractic has offered many families and alternative to potent and dangerous drugs for the hyperactive child.