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?

December/January 2001 Feature Articles:
• Chiropractic Care Helps Patient With Parkinson's Disease
• Cervical Adjustments Help Treat Dizziness And Pain
• President Clinton Signs Into Law Chiropractic Benefit For Military
• Steroids Increase Risk Of Spinal Problems
• Adjustments Made at Presidential Headquarters
• National Institutes of Health Funds Chiropractic Institution
• Chiropractor Chosen By President Clinton For Commission

• Chiropractic Care Helps Patient With Parkinson's Disease • According to a study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, chiropractic care helped treat a patient with Parkinson’s disease. A 60-year-old man diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 53 was managed with upper cervical chiropractic care for nine months. The study concluded through X-rays and thermal imaging that upper cervical chiropractic care had a successful outcome for the patient. The study went on to state that further investigation into upper cervical injury, as a contributing factor to Parkinson's disease, should be considered. SOURCE: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2000 October 23(8):573-577. TOP

• Cervical Adjustments Help Treat Dizziness And Pain • In a single-subject experiment undertaken on 14 consecutive patients, The effects of acupuncture, cervical manipulation, no therapy and anti-inflammatory drug application was studied in patients with dizziness/vertigo of suspected cervical (neck) origin. The study presented in the August 2000 issue of Manual Therapy states that cervical manipulation was the only treatment to diminish the duration of dizziness/vertigo complaints during the past seven days and increased the cervical range of motion. The results of this study suggests that spinal manipulation may impact most efficiently on the complex process of dizziness of the cervical origin. SOURCE: Manual Therapy. 2000 Aug;5(3):151-7. TOP

• President Clinton Signs Into Law Chiropractic Benefit For Military • President Clinton recently signed into law historic legislation mandating that chiropractic care be made available to all active duty personnel in the United States armed forces. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 requires access to chiropractic services "which includes, at a minimum, care for neuromusculoskeletal conditions typical among military personnel on active duty." Passage of the legislation required years of effort and occurred powerful opposition by the Department of Defense (DoD) and various medical groups made passage of this legislation difficult. Full implementation of the benefit will be phased in over a five-year period, throughout all service branches of the military. When completed, all active duty personnel stationed in the United States and overseas are to have access to the chiropractic benefit. By March of 2001, the DoD must develop a full "implementation plan" to ensure the benefit is adequately provided. The president's signing of the legislation could result in the commissioning of doctors of chiropractic as officers in the military. SOURCE: American Chiropractic Association TOP

• Steroids Increase Risk Of Spinal Problems • Findings published in the October 23rd issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine say that men and women older than 60 who take corticosteroids for longer than six months are at greatly increased risk of deformities of the bones in the spine. Corticosteroid drugs are commonly used to treat chronic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and have been known to increase osteoporosis risk. The researchers studied 229 patients who had taken corticosteroids for longer than six months and 286 people the same age who did not take the drugs. Patients aged 70 to 79 had five times the risk of vertebral fractures compared with their counterparts who were younger than 60. Also, patients with vertebral deformities had taken corticosteroids for a longer time period than patients who did not have the deformities. The investigators found that loss of bone density alone, however, could not account for the increase in vertebral deformities in these patients. Patients concerned with corticosteroid use should consult with their medical doctor first to determine if this is the proper course of treatment for their condition. SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine. October 23, 2000. TOP

• Adjustments Made at Presidential Headquarters • A few lucky Republicans were treated to chiropractic care at the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. Arlan Fuhr, DC, a chiropractor from Phoenix, Arizona, stopped by the headquarters to give two free days of adjustments to campaign workers. Staff and aides lined up for the adjustments to help get relief for their stress, sore muscles and tense nerves. "We had a great time in Austin and the staff seemed really appreciative of the services," said Dr. Fuhr. "It was exciting to be a part of the political buzz that surrounded this election." SOURCE: Activator Methods International TOP

• National Institutes of Health Funds Chiropractic Institution • The Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research (PCCR) in Davenport, Iowa, received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Services that is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Palmer Chiropractic University Foundation will match the facilities construction grant of more than $1.3 million, bringing the total to $2.68 million. The money will be used to renovate and expand the existing center. The grant marks, "the first time that the NIH has directly funded a bricks and mortar project for research at a chiropractic institution," says William Meeker, DC, research director at PCCR. SOURCE: Eli Research TOP

• Chiropractor Chosen By President Clinton For Commission • Veronica Gutierrez, DC, a board member of the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), has been chosen as the only doctor of chiropractic to serve on the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Formed by President Clinton, the Commission makes recommendations on how public policy can maximize the benefits to the public of complementary and alternative medicine. The recommendations will relate to education, research, information dissemination and appropriate access to and delivery of non-medical healthcare. Dr. Gutierrez practices in Washington state and serves as chair of the WCA Women's Health Council. In addition, she is a founding member of the Council on Chiropractic Practice that developed evidence-based chiropractic guidelines specifically relating to subluxation correction. SOURCE: www.healthmall.com TOP