Hands-On Therapies among Top-Rated Treatments for Back Pain

Consumer Report  

A study in the May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports shows that hands-on therapies were tops among treatments for relief of back pain. The study, which surveyed more than 14,000 consumers, was conducted by the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center.

According to the report, those involved in the survey tried a variety of different treatments and rated the treatments on how helpful and satisfied they were with the results. The report concluded that hands-on therapies were the top-rated.

The report states that, “eighty-eight percent of those who tried chiropractic manipulation said it helped a lot, and 59 percent were ‘completely’ or ‘very’ satisfied with their chiropractor.”1

1. http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2009/04/consumer-reports-survey-hands-on-therapies-among-top-rated-treatments-for-back-pain.html

Chiropractic for Acute and Chronic Pain

For Acute and Chronic Pain
“Patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors showed greater improvement and satisfaction at one month than patients treated by family physicians. Satisfaction scores were higher for chiropractic patients. A higher proportion of chiropractic patients (56 percent vs. 13 percent) reported that their low-back pain was better or much better, whereas nearly one-third of medical patients reported their low-back pain was worse or much worse.”
– Nyiendo et al (2000), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
In a Randomized controlled trial, 183 patients with neck pain were randomly allocated to manual therapy (spinal mobilization), physiotherapy (mainly exercise) or general practitioner care (counseling, education and drugs) in a 52-week study. The clinical outcomes measures showed that manual therapy resulted in faster recovery than physiotherapy and general practitioner care. Moreover, total costs of the manual therapy-treated patients were about one-third of the costs of physiotherapy or general practitioner care.
 -- Korthals-de Bos et al (2003), British Medical Journal
~http://www.acatoday.org/level3_css.cfm?T1ID=13&T2ID=61&T3ID=150

Patient satisfaction and Chiropractic

Patient Satisfaction

“Chiropractic patients were found to be more satisfied with their back care providers after four weeks of treatment than were medical patients. Results from observational studies suggested that back pain patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than with medical care. Additionally, studies conclude that patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than they were with physical therapy after six weeks.”

-- Hertzman-Miller et al (2002), American Journal of Public Health

Cell Phones and Cancer

"On May 31, 2011 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced their classification of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted from cell phones as "possibly carcinogenic," and more recently published the evidence and rationale supporting their conclusion.[1] Medscape recently spoke with National Institute on Drug Abuse Director (and BlackBerry® user) Nora D. Volkow, MD, about the implications of both the WHO statement and her own research showing that cell phone usage directly affects brain glucose metabolism.[2]" (1)
To read more go to http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/746281?src=mp&spon=17
or go to Susan Mackey, D.C. on Twitter

1.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/746281?src=mp&spon=17

Long Island Chiropractor: How to Apply Sunscreen

Long Island Chiropractor: How to Apply Sunscreen: "1.Fifteen to 30 minutes prior to going outdoors, apply sunscreen to areas of the body that will be exposed to the sun. You need to give the ..."

How to Apply Sunscreen

1.Fifteen to 30 minutes prior to going outdoors, apply sunscreen to areas of the body that will be exposed to the sun. You need to give the product time to be absorbed into the skin.
2.Enlist the help of a friend to apply sunscreen to the areas of the body that you may not be able to reach like the back.
3.Don't forget to apply sunscreen to areas that are commonly neglected, like the ears, face, hands, neck, and feet.
4.Every two hours, reapply sunscreen. Reapply after going into the water, even if sunscreen is "waterproof" or "water resistant." Waterproof and water-resistant sunscreens only offer 40 to 80 minutes of protection. It is essential to read the sunscreen label for exact times because every manufacturer is different.
5.Use sunscreen daily in all types of weather. The skin is still susceptible to the damaging rays of the sun during cloudy days as well. It needs to be applied during winter months, too.

Manipulation Under Anesthesia

Manipulation Under Anesthesia-MUA
Careful selection of those most likely to respond positively to MUA has produced enthusiastic patients grateful for the procedure.

We offer Manipulation Under Anesthesia, or MUA, to help patients who do not respond to more conservative forms of chiropractic care, or whom we believe, could benefit from greater joint mobility than we can achieve during a conventional visit. While there are always some potential risk associated with any form of anesthesia, the temporary form of sedation we use produces a type of “twilight sleep” that is noted for its safety and patient comfort. Relaxed Muscles Allow Greater Motion. MUA is often recommended for chronic pain patients or acute neck pain, back pain, joint pain, muscle spasm, adhesions and long-term pain syndromes. Many candidates of the MUA procedure are those who consciously or unconsciously are unable to relax and “guard” fixated or hypomoble spinal joints. Once the patient is relaxed, involved joints are gently stretched and restricted motion is released.

How It Works

MUA is commonly performed in a hospital or community surgical center. The attending team includes an anesthesiologist, the primary physician or chiropractor who performs the manipulation and an assistant experienced in MUA procedures. Using a series of specific short lever manipulations, MUA relies on a combination of passive stretches and specific joint maneuvers to reduce fibrous adhesions and scar tissue surrounding the specific spinal joint and surrounding soft tissues.

Patient Satisfaction

As an alternative to more invasive surgery or pain medication, MUA has produced excellent results for those who are carefully screened as good candidates for the procedure. Certification courses are offered through accredited chiropractic college post-graduate departments and are a covered service by malpractice insurance carriers.

For More Information on Manipulation Under Anesthesia please contact Susan Mackey, D.C.