More than Low Back Care?

Far too many people still believe that chiropractic care isn't necessary unless they're suffering excruciating low back pain. The millions who do receive regular adjustments know that chiropractic can resolve their back pain, and more and more may also be learning about the potential nonmusculoskeletal benefits.
Take as an example the patients in a recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Twenty consecutive patients from each of 87 Swedish chiropractor's offices (1,504 total patients) completed questionnaires within two weeks of previous treatment. The questionnaires documented numerous reported improvements in nonmusculoskeletal symptoms, including:
· easier to breathe (98 patients);
· improved digestive function (92 patients);
· clearer/better/sharper vision (49 patients);
· improved circulation (34 patients);
· less ringing in the ears (10 patients);
· acne/eczema better (8 patients);
· dysmennorhea (painful menstruation)
better (7 patients); and
· asthma/allergies better (6 patients).
The number of spinal areas adjusted was also related to the number of positive reactions. Fifteen percent of patients reported positive reactions after having a single area adjusted; 35% of patients reported positive reactions after having four areas adjusted. Overall, 23% of chiropractic patients reported experiencing positive changes in symptoms that were not musculoskeletal in nature.
Have you experienced nonmusculoskeletal benefits following chiropractic care, and if
so, have you told your doctor of chiropractic? Always report any reactions (good or
bad) you experience during or following an adjustment.
Leboeuf-Yde C, Axen I, Ahlefeldt G, et al. The types and frequencies of improved nonmusculoskeletal symptoms reported after chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Vol. 22, No. 9, pp559-64.

Back Pain a Question of Weight?

If you're overweight and suffering from back pain, your doctor will probably suggest that you drop the extra pounds. Losing the weight is probably a good suggestion from an overall health perspective, but it might not be the answer to your back pain, at least not according to a recent study. The potential association between excess weight and back pain was examined in 152 patients attending a hospital-based spinal pain unit. Researchers determined the body mass index (BMI) of each patient after measuring weight and height. (The BMI is essentially a scale that determines "appropriate" weight range by comparing weight and height.) Results showed that BMI had no significant effect on the incidence of back pain, except perhaps in cases involving extremely obese individuals. If you're looking to lose some weight, exercise and dietary adjustments are a good place to start. But if you're suffering from back pain, the chiropractic office is the place to go. In fact, your doctor of chiropractic will be able to manage your back pain and also help you design a sensible program to shed those unwanted pounds. Baker PG, Giles LGF. Is excess weight related to chronic spinal pain? Chiropractic Journal of Australia, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp51-54.

Arterial Disease Linked to Back Pain

Atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries, can lead to high blood pressure, chest pain, heart attack or stroke. Evidence suggests that insufficient blood circulation associated with atherosclerosis may contribute to another serious condition: erosion/degeneration of the discs in your spine.

Speaking of spines, a study published in a journal by the same name investigated whether atherosclerotic lesions in the abdominal aorta were more advanced in patients with low back pain (LBP) vs. those without pain. From 1991-1993, 29 patients (21-58 years of age) were evaluated with a diagnostic procedure called CT discography.

Results showed that 55% of LBP patients had atherosclerotic damage visible on CT scan, compared with only 21% of patients without LBP. This difference was further emphasized when examining a specific group of patients (50 years of age or younger): 48% of LBP patients had aortic damage vs. only 8% of patients without low back pain.

Atherosclerosis is so common that many people assume it's a normal consequence of aging, but don't be fooled: overwhelming research suggests that diet and lifestyle can play a major role in preventing this disease. Your chiropractor can provide you with more information on low back pain, atherosclerosis, and how you can avoid both.

Kurunlahti M, Tervonen O, Vanharanta H, et al. Association of atherosclerosis with
low back pain and the degree of disc degeneration. Spine, Vol. 24, No. 20, pp2080-84.

Another Study Shows Back Belts Don't Prevent Low Back Pain

[Note: Using a Low Back support does two things, (1) it gives a false sense of security and (2) it allows you to lift more that you back is made to and (3) compromises your low back muscles to function properly. It is like wearing a cast on your back. The muscles will eventually wither and become weaker. This sets you up for even more injury. The take home message: Don use back supports. - Dr. A.]

The use of back belts for preventing low-back pain (LBP) is a point of hot debate. Now a report in today's Journal of the American Medical Association supports what many previous studies have found: back belts don't avert LBP.

In the largest prospective cohort study of back belt use to date, 6,311 newly-hired material-handling workers were followed for six months. Investigators reviewed injury claims and interviewed the subjects about their back-pain experience at the study's onset, and at six-month follow-up.

Findings showed that "neither frequent back belt use nor a belt-requirement store policy was significantly associated with back injury claim rates or self-reported back pain.

JAMA ;284:2727-32.

Study Looks at Low Back Pain in Kids

What factors predict whether or not a child will suffer from low-back pain (LBP)? To find out, researchers tracked 1,046 youths, aged 11 to 14 years, for 1 year. All subjects were free of LBP at the study’s onset.

Youngsters were more likely to develop LBP if they had trouble relating to peers and teachers, especially conduct problems. Children who reported a high number of other pain disorders at baseline — such as stomachache, headache and sore throat — were also at an elevated risk of LBP.

“In contrast, we have been unable to demonstrate a strong association between daily mechanical load (schoolbag weight) and the short-term risk of new-onset LBP,” note the study’s authors.

Pediatrics – April 9, 2003;111:822-8. http://www.pediatrics.org/

Bed Rest for Aches and Pains? Not an Effective Prescription

Bed rest has been recommended for many conditions, including low back pain and rheumatoid arthritis. The idea of prescribing bed rest for illness perhaps stemmed from a quote by the "father of medicine," Hippocrates: "In every movement of the body, whenever one begins to endure pain, it will be relieved by rest."

Hippocrates' advice was proffered in the 4th century B.C., but the practice of prescribing bed rest remains, despite little evidence of its effectiveness. In a review published in the journal Lancet, authors evaluated 39 different studies on bed rest prescribed for 15 different conditions, involving a total of 5,777 patients.

Results of the analysis revealed that bed rest was not an effective treatment recommendation. In 24 trials investigating bed rest following a medical procedure, no patients improved significantly and eight worsened significantly. And in 15 trials investigating bed rest as a primary treatment, no patients improved significantly, while nine worsened significantly.

Healing involves much more than rest, a fact which this study seems to emphasize but which many doctors seem to ignore. Don't settle for quick medical advice (pills, bed rest, etc.) that may end up doing more harm than good, or no good at all. Consult with your doctor of chiropractic for information on active, noninvasive approaches to managing a variety of health problems.

Allen C, Glasziou P, Del Mar C. Bed rest: a potentially harmful treatment needing more careful evaluation. Lancet 1999: Vol. 354, pp1229-33.