Feature Articles:
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• Chiropractic versus Acupuncture versus Medication •
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Chiropractors are experts with spinal problems. This is supported by much research, including a new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. In this study, researchers compared the long-term benefits of medication, needle acupuncture, and spinal manipulation (the most popular form of treatment delivered by chiropractors) for the treatment of chronic (>13 weeks) spinal pain syndromes. The comparisons of initial and subsequent follow-up questionnaires revealed spinal manipulation to be far superior. Out of 7 main outcome measures to determine overall treatment success, spinal manipulation showed significant improvement in 5 outcome measures, while the acupuncture and medication groups showed improvement in only 1 of the 7 outcome measures. Researchers stated, “In patients with chronic spinal pain syndromes, spinal manipulation, if not contraindicated, may be the only treatment modality of the assessed regimens that provides broad and significant long-term benefit.”
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| SOURCE: JMPT. January 2005; Vol. 28, No. 1 |
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• Back and Leg Pain – Stay Active •
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Evidence continues to grow regarding the negative effects of bed rest for low back pain sufferers. In a review of randomized studies up to March 2003, a group of researchers re-evaluated findings for studies comparing bed rest to staying active in patients with low back pain and/or sciatica (leg pain). Their findings: For people with acute low back pain, advice to rest in bed is less effective than advice to stay active. For patients with sciatica (leg pain), there is little or no difference between advice to rest in bed and advice to stay active.
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| SOURCE: Spine. 30(5):542-546, March 1, 2005. |
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• St. John’s Wort Successful For Depression •
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An all too common problem with prescription drugs is their high degree of side effects, some of which are very serious. Natural remedies, such as St. John’s Wort, can often be as effective as prescription drugs, but without all the nasty side effects. A recent study in the prestigious British Medical Journal compared the success of hypericum extract WS 5570 (St. John’s Wort) with the popular antidrepressant drug Paroxetine (brand name Paxil®). Researchers concluded, “In the treatment of moderate to severe major depression, ‘St. John’s Wort’ is at least as effective as paroxetine and is better tolerated.” If you feel St. John’s Wort might be right for you, please consult your health care professional.
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| SOURCE: British Medical Journal. 2005;330:503 |
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• Caffeine - A Pain In The Head •
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Many of us rely on that coffee-caffeine kick to get things rolling in the morning. New research indicates all that caffeine could also bring us to a screeching halt. It appears that dietary and medicinal caffeine consumption is associated with chronic daily headaches. These new findings indicate this to be true, regardless of the type of chronic headache the person is suffering from. If you consume moderate to high quantities of caffeine and suffer from chronic headaches, consider lowering your caffeine intake. We also recommend scheduling an appointment to have yourself checked out. Chiropractors have great results with many types of headaches, including the most common, muscle tension headaches.
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| SOURCE: Neurology. December 14, 2004; Vol. 63, No. 11 |
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