CHIROPRACTIC AND THE BRAIN

I have noticed that many people report increased feelings of wellbeing following chiropractic adjustments (not just because their back pain has gone!).
Why is this ?
A recent experience from my distinguished colleague Dr Nick Hodgson may give us a clue:

“In May I was privileged to be invited to train a group of Chiropractors in Johannesburg in Torque Release Chiropractic Technique. The organiser had struck up a conversation with a PhD Psychologist who specialises in Brain EEG mapping, and when he had suggested to her that he believed that a chiropractic adjustment changed brain function, she had politely snubbed him based on her scientific experience.
When he asked me what to do I suggested that he invite her to our program and ask if she would be willing to do pre and post exams on the Chiropractors that were adjusted at the end of a long day of training. She happily accepted the challenge. We only had time to do a limited (“statistically insignificant”) number of trials, and afterward when we asked her what she had observed she commented that each participant had experienced a “shift” in their brain function.
Most of us being EEG novices we pressed her further to explain this – apparently it usually takes approximately 6 months of neurobiofeedback to achieve this phenomenon – not bad response to the carefully selected delivery of 1-3 primary subluxation adjustments?
Her response was to demand that I adjust her before she left – I think her scientific opinion had been shifted”.

There is published research that supports the observation that chiropractic adjustments change brain function…

So our comprehension of the spine as being “ligaments, muscle, discs, joints and biomechanics” needs to mature to “neurones, neuropeptides, and brain holography” . In other words our understanding of chiropractic and the spine needs to shift from a “bone/back focus” to a “nerve/brain focus”.
Share and Enjoy!
follow the websites to see the research…

(1) The effect of the Chiropractic adjustment on the brain wave pattern as measured by QEEG. A Four Case Study. Summarizing an additional 100 (approximately) cases over a three year period. (Richard Barwell, D.C.; Annette Long, Ph.D; Alvah Byers, Ph.D; and Craig Schisler, B.A., M.A., D.C.) http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2008/jun/n.htm

(2) New Science Behind Chiropractic Care http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0711/S00116.htm(Altered sensorimotor integration with cervical spine manipulation. Haavik Taylor H and Murphy B. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Feb 2008. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=18328937)

(3) New Technique Introduced – EEG Confirms Results: (Jay Holder. ICAC Journal, May 1996.) http://www.torquerelease.com.au/ICAC-EEG-Confirms-Results.pdf

this looks like a step in the right direction:

Patients with persistent low back pain should be offered chiropractic and acupuncture on the NHS, says NICE
It is the first time the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has explicitly backed the use of complementary therapies.
The rationing watchdog said evidence suggests they help and will be cost effective if doctors stop providing less proven back services like X-rays.
The move was welcomed by some charities and experts.
Patients whose pain is not improving should have access to a choice of different therapies including acupuncture, and chiropractic.
According to Professor Peter Littlejohns of NICE,
“Low back pain is a very common problem affecting one in three adults in the UK each year, with an estimated 2.5 million people seeking help from their GP.
For many people the pain goes away in days or weeks. But for some, the pain can persist for a long time and become debilitating.”
NICE says anyone whose pain persists for more than six weeks and up to a year should be given a choice of several treatments, because the evidence about which works best is uncertain.
In addition to painkillers and regular advice to stay active and carry on with normal activities as much as possible, patients, together with their doctor, can decide to opt one of three complementary treatments.
This includes up to eight exercise sessions or 10 sessions of acupuncture over 12 weeks, or a course of manual therapy, which includes up to nine sessions of chiropractic.

The costs to the NHS would be minimal – in the order of £77,000 – because they are offset by the savings in terms of reducing future disability and healthcare needs and moving away from treatments with little supportive evidence.
The guidelines, which apply to England and Wales, say doctors should no longer offer spinal x-rays or MRI scans or injections of therapeutic substances into the back for non-specific low back pain.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy welcomed the guidelines, as did Dr Dries Hettinga of the charity BackCare.
He said: “This offers a real choice for patients.
“This guideline will help patients understand what treatment and care can help them with their back pain and shows that there can be a positive outlook for treating this condition.”

I have acquired the technique and the equipment to correct Dowagers Hump with Koren Specific Technique.
My goal is to eliminate the hump, improve your posture and restore your health.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Vol. 52 Issue 10 Pp. 1662- October 2004,
Hyperkyphotic Posture Predicts Mortality in Older Community-Dwelling Men and Women: A Prospective Study.
Deborah M. Kado, MD, Arun S. Karlamangla, MD, Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, MD and Gail A. Greendale, MD
Objectives: To determine the association between hyperkyphotic (Dowagers Hump, hump back) posture and rate of death and cause-specific death in older persons.

Participants: There were 1,353 participants from the Rancho Bernardo Study who had measurements of kyphotic posture made at an osteoporosis visit between 1988 and 1991.
Measures: Kyphotic posture was measured as the number of ¾ inch blocks that needed to be placed under the participant’s head to achieve patient’s head position when lying supine on a radiology table. Participants were followed for an average of 4.2 years, with mortality and cause of death confirmed using review of death certificates.
Results: Hyperkyphotic posture, defined as requiring one or more blocks under the head to achieve a neutral head position while lying on their back, was more common in men than women (44% in men, 22% of women). In age and gender adjusted analyses, persons with hyperkyphotic posture had a 44% greater rate of mortality. The increased rate of death associated with hyperkyphotic posture remained significant. The hyperkyphotic posture was specifically associated with an increased rate of death due to heart disease.
Men were more likely to be hyperkyphotic than were women. Patient had difficulty in bending, walking and climbing, measured grip strength, and ability to rise from a chair. For example, the odds ratio of having to use the arms to stand up from a chair increased by 60% for individuals defined as hyperkyphotic by 1 block to 190% for individuals defined as hyperkyphotic by 2 blocks to 270% for individuals defined as hyperkyphotic by 3 blocks compared to those who were not hyperkyphotic.
Conclusion: Older men and women with hyperkyphotic posture have higher death rates.

Can my Chiropractor Help With Fibromyalgia?
Posted on February 26, 2012 by Dr. Michael Weir 

Do you wake up feeling tired, washed out, and dragged down? Do you have generalized pain throughout your body that doesn’t seem to respond to anything you’ve tried? Do you wake up multiple times a night and fight getting back to sleep? These are classic symptoms of fibromyalgia (FM). However, when caught early and treated appropriately, FM can resolve or at least be controlled. As a  chiropractor I have found that chiropractic care and management of fibromyalgia is very effective and is becoming increasingly popular among FM sufferers. The goal of managing FM is to return you to a productive, enjoyable lifestyle allowing you to function and perform all of your desired activities.

Did you know that chiropractic is one of the most popular forms of alternative care, and 20% of American men and women utilize chiropractic at one point or another in their lives. Did you also know that chiropractic has been found to have an 80% satisfaction rate with people reporting significant pain relief, their function and overall increased sense of well-being. With all this being said I like to share with you some of the science behind chiropractic, and what it is exactly that chiropractors do.

As a chiropractor my main is to bring balance to the musculoskeletal system and reduce stress on the nervous system. This balance helps the body achieve a pain-free environment and may also help with many of your other symptoms. I achieve balance within each of my patients by the use of the pro-adjuster system, and it’s computerized technology to allow me to diagnose and treat the specific problems that my patients come to my office with. I also retrain each my patients muscle system through exercises rehabilitation and soft tissue work including massage. Some of my patients may also need nutritional and diet counseling.

Many of my patients who come to see me with fibromyalgia have pain or tender spots that travel throughout their entire body many times in their back in their neck, or arms and legs. They may also have headaches as a result of these tender spots. Chiropractic is a great way to reduce the pain that many fibromyalgia sufferers have by bringing alignment back to their spines, bringing relaxation to their muscles, and restoring normal posture. Many fibromyalgia sufferers also find that diet and nutritional counseling are also very beneficial. Research shows that chiropractic care for patients suffering from fibromyalgia is very supportive.

At Back in Action Chiropractic we know the importance of including chiropractic into your treatment plan and realize you have a choice of providers here in Bellevue. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, or have a friend or family member that requires care we appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward to serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Dr. Weir is a local bellevue chiropractor. You can contact his chiropractic chiropractic clinic at 425-635-0495.