This Issue's Feature Articles: • Spinal Manipulation Relaxes Muscle Spasms • Medical Errors Skyrocketing • Olive Oil - A Pain Reliever? • Up In Smoke Spinal Manipulation Relaxes Muscle Spasms Chiropractors have long known that spinal adjustments not only reduce spinal pain, but can also help relax tight muscles of the spine. New research indicates that chiropractors are indeed correct. To evaluate this finding, researchers measured the electrical activity of spinal muscles before and after chiropractic care to the spinal area through EMG (electromyograph) studies. In 31 anatomical sites examined per subject, 28 sites experienced 25 percent or greater relaxation of the muscle activity after the care. According to researchers, “The results of this study indicate that manipulation induces a virtually immediate change, usually a reduction, in resting EMG levels in at least some patients with low back pain and tight paraspinal muscle bundles.” Source: JMPT. September 2005; Vol. 28, No. 7 Medical Errors Skyrocketing Results from a new survey indicate that medical errors and disorganized medical doctor visits are reaching extreme highs. According to the findings, 34 percent of patients in the US received wrong medication, improper treatment or incorrect or delayed test results in the previous two years. These rates were 30 percent in Canada, 27 percent in Australia and 22 percent in Britain. In the case of disorganized care from a doctor’s office, the US came in the highest at 33 percent, then came Canada and Britain and Australia at 24, 19 and 19 percent respectively. Source: Reuters. November 2005. Olive Oil - A Pain Reliever? Researchers have discovered a compound in olive oil that mimics the pain-relieving action of ibuprofen. While the compound, oleocanthal, is not present in large enough levels to provide substantial pain-relief effects, researchers believe long-term consumption of olive oil may help protect against certain diseases such as certain cancers and cardiovascular disease. This discovery also provides an explanation for the well known health benefits of an olive oil-rich Mediterranean diet. Source: Nature, August 31, 2005. Up In Smoke Smoking is not just a nasty, unhealthy habit for smokers. The secondhand smoke generated by smokers has devastating effects for the rest of the population. In an examination of more than 200 studies on the effects of environmental tobacco smoke, researchers estimated the current cost of secondhand smoke in the US to be nearly $10 billion annually. This number includes direct expenses related to the treatment of disease (heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, lung cancer, asthma and other sicknesses) as well as indirect costs such as lost wages, reduced services and disability costs. Source: Reuters. August 2005. Powered by ChiroPlanet.com™ Copyright 2005 © ProfessionalPlanets.com™ All rights reserved. Unauthorized Reproduction Prohibited. |
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