Thursday, June 25, 2009
Chiropractic Rated Highest in Satisfaction for Back Pain in Consumer Reports Study
In April 2009 Consumer Reports released the results of a patient survey study, that will be published in their May 2009 paper edition, showing that chiropractic rated highest among patients in satisfaction of relief of back pain. Results of the study were reported on in several news articles including an April 6, 2009 WebMD article and an April 8, 2009 CBS news story.
The survey noted that 80% of US adults report having back pain some time in their life. Of those responding to the survey chiropractic received the highest grade with 59% saying that they were "highly satisfied" with their results. Physical therapy and acupuncture rated second and third with 55% and 53% respectively. In comparison, satisfaction with medical specialist and primary care medical physicians rated only 44% and 34% respectively.
CBS News medical expert Dr. Jennifer Ashton commented that the results of this study reflect what she is seeing in her practice. She noted that back pain is the most common ailment in the country and it is difficult to treat. Dr. Ashton stated that her patients are looking elsewhere, "They're staying away from things like medication, prescription drugs and surgery." Dr. Ashton also warned against a "quick fix" to get rid of the pain. She noted, "A lot of times that's prescription narcotics, which is actually probably the worst thing for you." She also warned, "Surgery is another option, but one that should be used as a last resort."
American Chiropractic Association President Glenn Manceaux, DC, responded in a press release, "For the treatment of back pain, few options are better than chiropractic. As shown in this latest survey, chiropractic spinal manipulation is an evidence-based and effective treatment for low-back pain and other musculoskeletal injuries. Coupled with the high levels of patient satisfaction, patients should turn to chiropractic as their first choice."
Dr. John Maltby, President of the International Chiropractors Association added, "For well over 100 years chiropractors have been seeing a large number of patients suffering with back problems. And although chiropractic does not directly treat the pain, we do work to correct the underlying structural and neurological problem that in many cases is causing the problem. This study shows what we have known for a long time. "Chiropractic gets results and helps people lead normal and healthier lives."
Thursday, May 28, 2009
JUNE SPECIAL
During the month of June you can help the community, help a friend, and help improve your own health!
Here's how.
We are collecting donations for the United Food Bank to help feed the hungry in our community.
Any new patient who brings five non-perishable food items to their initial consultation will receive a free exam.
Any existing patient who refers a new patient will get a free adjustment.
Here's how.
We are collecting donations for the United Food Bank to help feed the hungry in our community.
Any new patient who brings five non-perishable food items to their initial consultation will receive a free exam.
Any existing patient who refers a new patient will get a free adjustment.
Friday, January 30, 2009
A Kinder, Gentler Chiropractor
Dr. Andrew Weil M.D was recently asked about an alternative to the twisting and cracking style of adjusting, below is the answer he gave.
Q
A Kinder, Gentler Chiropractor?
I went to a chiropractor years ago, and found the neck-cracking movement uncomfortable and ultimately ineffective. Now, I’ve heard there is something called "low-force" adjustment. What is it, and does it work?
A
Answer (Published 1/29/2009)
There are, in fact, many forms of chiropractic manipulation. All of them focus on correcting structural misalignments in the body to alleviate problems such as sciatica, or pain in the low back, neck or extremities. The method you experienced is known as "dynamic thrust"; a forceful movement to adjust and realign the vertebrae, often accompanied by a popping or cracking sound. This technique may cause discomfort and, rarely, injury.
But there are also low-force chiropractic techniques that can yield positive results. One of these is the Activator method. Practitioners trained in this modality use a low-force, handheld device incorporating a tension spring and plunger that produces a swift pulse of low force at high speed.
Chiropractic sessions using this technique are safer and less painful than those employing dynamic thrust manipulations because the head is kept in a neutral position, not turned or twisted. There is no risk of injury. It is also quick - typically, a patient can be assessed and treated in less than 15 minutes. As with other chiropractic techniques, there may be immediate pain relief, but best results often come from adjustments over two weeks or more.
The Activator method has undergone clinical trials that demonstrate its efficacy. I have found low-force treatments like this one to be reliable and safe, and I recommend them in my clinical practice. I find the Activator method particularly useful for pediatric and geriatric patients.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
Both Dr. Chism and Dr. Iacuone are advanced certified activator doctors, if you are interested in a "kinder gentler adjustment" Please visit us at our Scottsdale clinic or call us at 480-994-8900.
Q
A Kinder, Gentler Chiropractor?
I went to a chiropractor years ago, and found the neck-cracking movement uncomfortable and ultimately ineffective. Now, I’ve heard there is something called "low-force" adjustment. What is it, and does it work?
A
Answer (Published 1/29/2009)
There are, in fact, many forms of chiropractic manipulation. All of them focus on correcting structural misalignments in the body to alleviate problems such as sciatica, or pain in the low back, neck or extremities. The method you experienced is known as "dynamic thrust"; a forceful movement to adjust and realign the vertebrae, often accompanied by a popping or cracking sound. This technique may cause discomfort and, rarely, injury.
But there are also low-force chiropractic techniques that can yield positive results. One of these is the Activator method. Practitioners trained in this modality use a low-force, handheld device incorporating a tension spring and plunger that produces a swift pulse of low force at high speed.
Chiropractic sessions using this technique are safer and less painful than those employing dynamic thrust manipulations because the head is kept in a neutral position, not turned or twisted. There is no risk of injury. It is also quick - typically, a patient can be assessed and treated in less than 15 minutes. As with other chiropractic techniques, there may be immediate pain relief, but best results often come from adjustments over two weeks or more.
The Activator method has undergone clinical trials that demonstrate its efficacy. I have found low-force treatments like this one to be reliable and safe, and I recommend them in my clinical practice. I find the Activator method particularly useful for pediatric and geriatric patients.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
Both Dr. Chism and Dr. Iacuone are advanced certified activator doctors, if you are interested in a "kinder gentler adjustment" Please visit us at our Scottsdale clinic or call us at 480-994-8900.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Energy Boosters
Looking for a way to avoid that mid day enery crsh? Before you reach for one of the many sugar-loaded "energy" drinks that will inevitably send you "crashing" down, try an all-natural approach to boosting your energy. Here are a few simple and natural ways to raise your energy level during an afternoon slump.
Take a brisk walk - Taking a walk outside not only causes your body to produce endorphins for a natural high, but it also allows your skin to soak in vitamin D from the sun's rays. This essential vitamin is associated with maintaining healthy bones, kidneys and immune system.
Drink plenty of water - According to MayoClinic.com, even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. It makes sense, since nearly all of the major systems in your body depend on water including body temperature regulation and cell absorption of nutrients and oxygen.
Take a breather - When we are stressed or tired we take short, shallow breaths, which directly affects our energy level by slowing oxygen flow to our brain and other organs. Try this: Inhale through your nose (filling your lungs to capacity) and hold for three seconds. Then exhale slowly until all air has left your lungs. Repeat and revive.
Get up and stretch - Much like taking a walk, stretching facilitates healthy blood flow. Circulation is a key factor in your body's energy level.
Take a brisk walk - Taking a walk outside not only causes your body to produce endorphins for a natural high, but it also allows your skin to soak in vitamin D from the sun's rays. This essential vitamin is associated with maintaining healthy bones, kidneys and immune system.
Drink plenty of water - According to MayoClinic.com, even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired. It makes sense, since nearly all of the major systems in your body depend on water including body temperature regulation and cell absorption of nutrients and oxygen.
Take a breather - When we are stressed or tired we take short, shallow breaths, which directly affects our energy level by slowing oxygen flow to our brain and other organs. Try this: Inhale through your nose (filling your lungs to capacity) and hold for three seconds. Then exhale slowly until all air has left your lungs. Repeat and revive.
Get up and stretch - Much like taking a walk, stretching facilitates healthy blood flow. Circulation is a key factor in your body's energy level.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Don't let the holidays be a pain in the neck!
Decorating, family gatherings, and shopping, wow can you feel the tension?! The holidays are exciting but can also be difficult for people who suffer from back and neck pain. Always be conscious of the spine while taking part in holiday activities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 5,800 people are injured annually as a result of holiday decorating. The nervousness of preparing for the holidays can actually increase physical pain in chronic pain sufferers. It is important to combat holiday anxiety by talking with friends and family, getting plenty of exercise after eating holiday treats, and getting your regular adjustments. With a renewed spirit and aligned spine, this holiday season can become less of a chore. Here are a few tips to prevent further spine-related pain and keep you in the spirit of the season.
It is a good idea to ask family and friends to help with tree trimming or hanging lights around the house. When decorating your home, secure yourself on the ladder or stepstool and carry lighting and other decorations safely. Again, ask a friend or relative for help with heavy boxes and bulky objects.
Move the ladder frequently and do not reach too far from a ladder/step stool to avoid injury and straining the muscles in your back and neck.
While shopping, wear comfortable shoes and take breaks if walking for long periods of time. Walking on a hard surface for any length of time does not allow proper cushioning for your spine and can cause muscle soreness.
Carry heavy bags close to your body, or use a shopping cart when available to prevent a fall or muscle strain. If you are carrying multiple purchases, distribute the weight evenly then carry a bag in each hand to balance the weight on each side of your body. Buying presents for loved ones can be fun if shopping trips are staggered and gifts are purchased over time. Be sure to drop off packages to your car frequently if the weight gets too heavy.
Organize wrapping and writing holiday cards into a few short sessions to help reduce back and neck pain. When you are wrapping gifts and addressing cards, rotate between a table and countertop as needed to avoid stress on your neck and lower back. Kneeling or sitting on the floor to do these activities causes you to bend and stretch your muscles causing unnecessary stiffness and pain.
Keeping the spine in mind during this time of year will keep pain from interfering with the festivities and fun of the holiday season.
It is a good idea to ask family and friends to help with tree trimming or hanging lights around the house. When decorating your home, secure yourself on the ladder or stepstool and carry lighting and other decorations safely. Again, ask a friend or relative for help with heavy boxes and bulky objects.
Move the ladder frequently and do not reach too far from a ladder/step stool to avoid injury and straining the muscles in your back and neck.
While shopping, wear comfortable shoes and take breaks if walking for long periods of time. Walking on a hard surface for any length of time does not allow proper cushioning for your spine and can cause muscle soreness.
Carry heavy bags close to your body, or use a shopping cart when available to prevent a fall or muscle strain. If you are carrying multiple purchases, distribute the weight evenly then carry a bag in each hand to balance the weight on each side of your body. Buying presents for loved ones can be fun if shopping trips are staggered and gifts are purchased over time. Be sure to drop off packages to your car frequently if the weight gets too heavy.
Organize wrapping and writing holiday cards into a few short sessions to help reduce back and neck pain. When you are wrapping gifts and addressing cards, rotate between a table and countertop as needed to avoid stress on your neck and lower back. Kneeling or sitting on the floor to do these activities causes you to bend and stretch your muscles causing unnecessary stiffness and pain.
Keeping the spine in mind during this time of year will keep pain from interfering with the festivities and fun of the holiday season.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Disk Health
I am frequently asked by patients to explain the meaning of terms to describe disk problems below are some basic definitions of these frequently used terms.
The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist.
Degenerative disk disease: Not really a disease but a term used to describe the normal changes in your discs you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible cushions between each vertebra. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back and the neck.
Herniated disc: When a disc herniates or ruptures some of the jellylike material in the center of the disc is squeezed through tears in the capsule, allowing the fluid into the space that surrounds a nerve root or the spinal canal. A herniated disc can interfere with nerve function, leading to weakness, numbness, or pain in an arm or leg.
Spinal stenosis: The narrowing of the spinal canal caused by excessive bone growth, thickening of cartilage in the canal, or both. This narrowing can squeeze and irritate the spinal cord itself or the spinal nerve roots where they leave the spinal cord. Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs, feet, or buttocks.
If you have any questions about disk health or have been diagnosed with one of these conditions please call us at Chaparral Chiropractic in Scottsdale at 480-994-8900
The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist.
Degenerative disk disease: Not really a disease but a term used to describe the normal changes in your discs you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible cushions between each vertebra. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back and the neck.
Herniated disc: When a disc herniates or ruptures some of the jellylike material in the center of the disc is squeezed through tears in the capsule, allowing the fluid into the space that surrounds a nerve root or the spinal canal. A herniated disc can interfere with nerve function, leading to weakness, numbness, or pain in an arm or leg.
Spinal stenosis: The narrowing of the spinal canal caused by excessive bone growth, thickening of cartilage in the canal, or both. This narrowing can squeeze and irritate the spinal cord itself or the spinal nerve roots where they leave the spinal cord. Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs, feet, or buttocks.
If you have any questions about disk health or have been diagnosed with one of these conditions please call us at Chaparral Chiropractic in Scottsdale at 480-994-8900
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Natural Tips to Prevent a Cold
There are no known cures for colds and flu, so cold and flu prevention should be your goal. A proactive approach to warding off colds and flu is apt to make your whole life healthier.
Wash Your Hands
Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto their hand, and then touches the telephone, the keyboard, a kitchen glass. The germs can live for hours -- in some cases weeks -- only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same object. So wash your hands often or rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands.
Don't Touch Your Face
Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Touching their faces is the major way children catch colds, and a key way they pass colds on to their parents.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
Water flushes your system, washing out the poisons as it rehydrates you. A typical, healthy adult needs eight 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day. How can you tell if you're getting enough liquid? If the color of your urine runs close to clear, you're getting enough. If it's deep yellow, you need more fluids.
Take a Sauna
Researchers aren't clear about the exact role saunas play in prevention, but one 1989 German study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn't. One theory: When you take a sauna you inhale air hotter than 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.
Get Fresh Air
A regular dose of fresh air is important, especially in cold weather when central heating dries you out and makes your body more vulnerable to cold and flu viruses. Also, during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded, dry rooms.
Do Aerobic Exercise Regularly
Aerobic exercise speeds up the heart to pump larger quantities of blood; makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood; and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These exercises help increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.
Eat Foods Containing Phytochemicals
"Phyto" means plants, and the natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost. Check out our Greens First and Red Alert, the next time you are in the office.
Eat Yogurt
Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25 percent. Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.
Get Enough Vitamin A
Research has shown vitamin A to have a natural antiviral effect. Feel free to ask us questions about getting vitamin A in your diet and supplements at your next office visit.
Get your Regular Adjustment and Relax
Getting your regular adjustment helps keep your nervous system functioning allowing you to relax and repair your body. If you can relax, you can activate your immune system on demand. There's evidence that when you put your relaxation skills into action, your interleukins -- leaders in the immune system response against cold and flu viruses -- increase in the bloodstream.
Wash Your Hands
Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto their hand, and then touches the telephone, the keyboard, a kitchen glass. The germs can live for hours -- in some cases weeks -- only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same object. So wash your hands often or rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands.
Don't Touch Your Face
Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Touching their faces is the major way children catch colds, and a key way they pass colds on to their parents.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
Water flushes your system, washing out the poisons as it rehydrates you. A typical, healthy adult needs eight 8-ounce glasses of fluids each day. How can you tell if you're getting enough liquid? If the color of your urine runs close to clear, you're getting enough. If it's deep yellow, you need more fluids.
Take a Sauna
Researchers aren't clear about the exact role saunas play in prevention, but one 1989 German study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn't. One theory: When you take a sauna you inhale air hotter than 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive.
Get Fresh Air
A regular dose of fresh air is important, especially in cold weather when central heating dries you out and makes your body more vulnerable to cold and flu viruses. Also, during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded, dry rooms.
Do Aerobic Exercise Regularly
Aerobic exercise speeds up the heart to pump larger quantities of blood; makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood; and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These exercises help increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.
Eat Foods Containing Phytochemicals
"Phyto" means plants, and the natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost. Check out our Greens First and Red Alert, the next time you are in the office.
Eat Yogurt
Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25 percent. Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.
Get Enough Vitamin A
Research has shown vitamin A to have a natural antiviral effect. Feel free to ask us questions about getting vitamin A in your diet and supplements at your next office visit.
Get your Regular Adjustment and Relax
Getting your regular adjustment helps keep your nervous system functioning allowing you to relax and repair your body. If you can relax, you can activate your immune system on demand. There's evidence that when you put your relaxation skills into action, your interleukins -- leaders in the immune system response against cold and flu viruses -- increase in the bloodstream.
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