I have heard that once I start chiropractic care, I'll have to continue with it for the rest of my life. Is this true?

Isn't it true that some chiropractic treatments have a significant risk associated with them?

Do chiropractors treat conditions other than back pain?

Feature Articles:

•	Chiropractic Care Of A 6 Year–Old Girl With Head, Neck & Extremity Pain
•	Chiropractic Care Cost-Effectiveness for Musculoskeletal Disorders
•	Aquatic Exercise Effective For Chronic Low Back Pain
•	Broccoli's Artery Cleaning Effects

• Chiropractic Care Of A 6 Year–Old Girl With Head, Neck & Extremity Pain• A recent case study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine reviewed the care and outcome of a 6-year old girl receiving chiropractic care. The 6-year old girl was pushed into a playground slide, hitting her head and resulting in acute complaints of her "neck and brain hurting" and hand, foot, and occasional leg pain. In addition, she had a several-year history of unexplained fatigue, vomiting, and coughing spells. Upon examination, the treating chiropractic doctor found she was suffering from noticeable head tilt, significant loss of the cervical (neck) range of motion as well as tenderness, muscle spasm and edema along her cervical (neck) and thoracic (upper back) regions. After her 5th chiropractic treatment, her symptoms had dissipated and by her 9th treatment, she was able to return to normal activity. At 19 weeks, her neck and back continued to be asymptomatic and full and normal motion had returned to her spine. AUTHOR: ChiroPlanet.com SOURCE: Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. September 2009. COPYRIGHT: ProfessionalPlanets.com LLC 2009 TOP

• Chiropractic Care Cost-Effectiveness for Musculoskeletal Disorders • A new pilot program shows that conservative heath care, including chiropractic, may reduce overall health care costs in patients with musculoskeletal disorders, such as back and neck pain. The pilot, conducted by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield to measure quality of patient care for its members in Iowa and South Dakota, also shows promising outcomes for the patients choosing chiropractic and other conservative care. "The cost-effectiveness and safety of chiropractic has been documented in several studies. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is pleased that insurance companies are starting to recognize the value that doctors of chiropractic and other conservative providers can offer to their members," said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. "Especially during the health care reform debate, it's important that chiropractic and other conservative care methods are taken into serious consideration as a cost-effective alternative to the utilization of expensive surgery and hospital-based care," he added. Wellmark conducted the Physical Medicine Pilot on Quality in 2008 for Iowa and South Dakota physical medicine providers. A total of 238 chiropractors, physical therapists and occupational therapists provided care to 5,500 members with musculoskeletal disorders. According to Wellmark, data from participating clinicians show that 89 percent of the patients treated in the pilot reported a greater than 30-percent improvement in 30 days. The pilot compared data for Wellmark members who received care from doctors of chiropractic or physical therapists with a member population with similar demographics who did not receive such services. The comparison showed that those who received chiropractic care or physical therapy were less likely to have surgery and experienced lower total health care costs, according to Wellmark. Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches and other neuromusculoskeletal complaints. A significant amount of evidence shows that chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective and less costly than traditional medical care. Recent research includes: A study published in the October 2005 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that chiropractic and medical care have comparable costs for treating chronic low-back pain, with chiropractic care producing significantly better outcomes. A March 2004 study in JMPT found that chiropractic care is more effective than medical care at treating chronic low-back pain in patients' first year of symptoms. A study published in a 2003 edition of the medical journal Spine found that manual manipulation provides better short-term relief of chronic spinal pain than do a variety of medications. AUTHOR: American Chiropractic Association SOURCE: ACAToday.com. August 12, 2009. American Chiropractic Association 2009 TOP

• Broccoli's Artery Cleaning Effects • Heart Disease is the number 1 killer in America as well as other parts of the world. Aside from the obvious exercise and physical activity, diet also greatly affects one's risk for developing heart disease. New research indicates that broccoli and other green leafy vegetables can provide a natural defense against heart disease. British researchers recently discovered that broccoli and other brassicas turn on a protective protein in the arteries that in effect, prevent the arteries from clogging with fatty plaques, especially in the most vulnerable parts of the arteries most prone to clogging. While additional research is in the works, these preliminary findings drive home the importance of eating plenty of green leafy vegetables on a regular basis. AUTHOR: ChiroPlanet.com SOURCE: Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. September 3, 2009. COPYRIGHT: ProfessionalPlanets.com LLC 2009 TOP