Chiropractic Related Links
Chiropractic is Safe.
Records from insurance and court cases have constantly shown that chiropractic is the safest portal of entry health care available to the public today. Although no healthcare procedures are 100% safe, chiropractic stands on its record of safety and effectiveness unmatched in healthcare. To learn more about the safety record of chiropractic please visit the website Chiropractic Is Safe at www.chiropracticissafe.org
The American Chiropractic Association
The Chiropractic Resource Organization
Chiropractic History Archive
Joseph C. Keating Jr, PhD
The Chiropractic Profession and Its Research and Education Programs
Chiropractic treatments for back pain
Steven G. Yeomans, DC. A Spine-health.com feature (use menu points on left side)
National Directory of Chiropractic
Listing of Chiropractors and information on education and the profession.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institute of Health Manipulative and Body-Based Practices
The Future of Chiropractic Revisited: 2005 to 2015
Olympic Games Inspire Optimal Athletic Care
Spine Health Website
Chiropractic in the News
The US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality just commissioned the University of Ottawa Evidence-Based Practice Center to analyze the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage therapy. The report relies on . . . [Read more at www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/backpaincam/backcam2.pdf
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2010/08/15/58847/get-year-off-right-with-the-right.html
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2010/06/16/57655/work-in-the-yard-but-take-care.html
What do low back pain and balance have to do with each other? Well, a lot! First (and most obvious), poor balance can lead to falling, which is the number one cause of injuries after the age of 70 (which includes low back pain). Unfortunately, as we age, we lose both balance AND bone density – a double whammy when it comes to falling as this combination can result in fractures of the vertebra which commonly occur in the lower back region. Below is a chart that shows what the “normal” length of time we should be able to stand on one foot (eyes open and eyes closed):
As this chart illustrates, over time, we rapidly lose our ability to balance, especially when we close our eyes. In fact, many of us cannot stand on one leg with our eyes closed for more than a few seconds well before the age of 59! Try it! Stand up in a corner of a room or in a doorway where you can grab onto the wall or door jams if you lose your balance. (We certainly do not want you to fall during this test!) Look at your watch or a clock with a second hand and count out loud in time with each second on the clock, “one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, …..”– you get the idea. Once you have the rhythm down, try counting first with your eyes open for up to 30 seconds and then try it again but with the eyes closed. Quite different, isn’t it? Now switch legs and try it again – eyes open first and then eye closed counting in time with the passing of each second. If you’re not pleased with you performance, try it over again a few times. If you’re like most of us, you may feel a little inadequate right now. Most of us need to start including some “balance exercises” into our daily routine.
So, why is it that we lose our balance so easily as we age? This is mostly because we become less active or, more sedentary as we advance in age, partially because we’re not interested in doing activities that require balance, but also because of fears, like of falling down. Remember, when we were young(er), we romped around and bounce off walls and fell all the time. It was “routine” to come home from school with grass stains on our knees and backyard sports always resulted in falling, sometimes pretty hard! Rolling down a hill to purposely getting dizzy was quite attractive to us as kids – but certainly not now! In fact, getting on the floor to play with the grandkids usually leaves us sore for at least a few days. Now, I’m not suggesting we all run out and start rolling down hills, jump up and down or purposely fall down but, including active “balance” exercises into our daily routine should be THE LEAST we should do. So, go for a brisk walk or a slow jog, ride a bike, walk in the park on uneven ground – it’s good for our “proprioception!”
Next month, we’ll chat about balance exercises! We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services and we appreciate your trust in us!
Related Links
- Obesity Concerns for a Growing American Population
http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/08/why-activists-alone-cant-stop-obesity/62076/
- Do You Shop From Your List or From Your Stomach?
http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/08/the-minds-behind-the-shopping-carts/61341/
http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/08/the-combo-meal-mindset/60950/
- So Why Is Nothing Working?
http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/07/the-invisible-barriers-to-solving-obesity/60509/
Posture
http://www.bodyzone.com/site/about/
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A new study published in Spine demonstrates people with chronic low back pain really do move differently from the rest of us, and also cannot balance as well.
When compared to pain-free individuals, and even in the absence of pain, low back pain patients used their lumbar spine muscles less, impairing their ability to control their posture and balance. The researchers hypothesized that "motion of the lumbar spine is altered in people with chronic LBP, and this would be associated with compromised control of postural stability in response to unexpected perturbation".
Researchers found LBP patients were less efficient at maintaining balance and controlling their posture when they moved their arms, supporting the StrongPostureTM concept that postural disuse atrophy of deep stabilizing spinal muscles like the multifidus weakens balance, leading to falls as well as weak posture. The investigators concluded that "the quality of balance control is compromised in LBP patients and that this is associated with poor use of spinal motion as a component of the postural strategy."Changes in Lumbar Movement in People With Low Back Pain Are Related to Compromised Balance,Mok, Brauer, Hodges,et. al, Spine January 2011
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Doctors know that because the surgery allows young athletes to continue to compete aggressively and put stress on that damaged knee, a significant number will, in as few as 10 years, suffer degenerative osteoarthritis. That is so much more debilitating and painful — and must be endured for the rest of one's life. Some may even require knee replacement. For the full article, click on the link below.
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/19/133025140/for-young-athletes-knee-surgery-opens-door-to-pain
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Partners in Health & Wellness is located at 201 Timberhill Place, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. For appointments, please call (919) 933-8633. New patient paperwork is also available on our site to allow you to fill out your paperwork in the comfort of your own home.
