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HEALTHBEAT SHOW NOTES .... Episode #75 - Recorded December 15, 2006

Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of HealthBeat, Chiropractic OnLine Today’s Health, News and informational Podcast.

In this week’s news:  We’ll Look At –  

• Chiropractors as the Spinal Health Care Experts

• Prevalence and Distribution of Spinal Osteoarthritis in Women

• Use of the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory

• New Research Into Optimal Spinal Posture

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #75, recorded December 15, 2006.  HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories.  Please surf to our web site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

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And Now for some news ….

Chiropractors as the Spinal Health Care Experts

At a conference in Cancun , Mexico held October 26-28, 2006 leaders from chiropractic colleges throughout the world reviewed then voted to support the World Federation of Chiropractic market identity of chiropractors as the spinal health care experts within mainstream health care.

Approximately 100 delegates from 30 schools in 13 countries were attending a Conference on Identity and Curriculum sponsored by the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC), the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) and the Universdad del Valle de Ecatepec (UNEVE), the state university in Mexico City that houses Mexico’s one school of chiropractic.

In 2005, after a lengthy consultation process, the WFC member associations in Assembly unanimously agreed upon a market identity to be adopted by the profession worldwide to promote a consistent message to the public, and as a result produce better awareness, acceptance and use of chiropractic services. Full details of that identity appear in a Task Force Report prepared by the WFC’s 40-person Task Force and available online at www.wfc.org

This WFC-agreed market identity has been broadly accepted by the WFC’s 87 member national associations but there were criticisms from some in the educational community that the identity might be too narrow. “The main purposes of the Cancun Conference,” says ACC President Dr Frank Zolli, also President of the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic in Connecticut , “were to better understand the purposes and full content of the WFC-agreed identity and to see how that identity compared and fit with the goals and content of chiropractic education.”

Other elements of the identity, linked to the primary concept of spinal health expertise within mainstream healthcare, include ability to improve function in the NMS and overall wellbeing and quality of life, no use of drugs or surgery, and collaboration with other health professionals.

The Conference also cited the Straighten Up America (www.straightenupamerica.org) daily spinal health routine developed by the chiropractic profession, and recently adopted by the US Bone and Joint Decade and the President’s Council of Physical Fitness and Sports, as an excellent example of how the WFC-agreed identity can be translated into public education.

For an understanding of the WFC identity, its importance and the thorough process of research and consultation that led to it – including an electronic survey replied to by nearly 4,000 chiropractors in 56 countries – visit www.wfc.org to read the Task Force Report and related documentation.

Prevalence and Distribution of Spinal Osteoarthritis in Women

A study in the November 15 issue of the journal Spine, presented a retrospective review of lateral spinal thoracolumbar radiographs, obtained to rule out spinal injury after trauma, and were scored for osteoarthritis.  The objective of the study was to find the extent, prevalence, and distribution of spinal osteoarthritis in women aged 20-80 years was determined.

The study found that the extent of osteoarthritis is weakly associated with age, while the prevalence of osteoarthritis increases with age. Two peaks in osteoarthritis prevalence are apparent: in the mid thoracic and lower lumbar spines.

Although few younger women have high average scores, some older women have no radiographic sign of osteoarthritis, while others are severely affected. While the peak in osteoarthritis in the lumbar spine parallels the clinical symptom of low back pain, the more pronounced peak in the mid thoracic does not have a reported corresponding clinical symptom.

For more information, surf to our Show Notes for a link to this study - http://www.spinejournal.com/pt/re/spine/abstract.00007632-200611150-00016.htm;jsessionid=FnyFT0gn6vv0tFWmmg6zbycqsGFC66rTS2Vw18T0qPhvgtyCMghF!1057067369!-949856144!8091!-1

Use of the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory

Little is known about the strategies that older adults use to cope with persistent pain.  A study in the November 2006 issue of the Journal of Pain, was to describe strategies used by older, retirement community–dwelling adults to cope with persistent, noncancer pain, as assessed by the Chronic Pain Coping Inventory (CPCI).  Further, the study examined the associations of these strategies with disability and depression, and to compare the 65-item and 42-item versions of the CPCI in this population.

The most frequently reported strategies, as assessed by the CPCI, were Task Persistence, Pacing, and Coping Self-Statements. The least frequently used strategies were Asking for Assistance and Relaxation. Regression analyses demonstrated that coping strategies explained 26%, 19%, and 18% additional variance in physical disability, depression, and pain-related interference, respectively, after controlling for age, gender, comorbidity, and pain intensity.

This study clarifies strategies used by older adults to cope with persistent pain and provides preliminary validation of the CPCI in this population.

Findings from this study on pain coping strategies in older adults might suggest potentially useful coping strategies clinicians could explore with individual patients. Investigators can use study findings to design trials of interventions to help older adults cope more effectively with pain.

Surf to our Show Notes for a link to this study - http://www.jpain.org/article/PIIS1526590006007620/abstract?browse_volume=7&issue_key=TOC%40%40JOURNALSNOSUPP%40YJPAI%400007%400011&issue_preview=no&select1=no&select1=no&vol=

New Research Into Optimal Spinal Posture

Researchers are using a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show that sitting in an upright position places unnecessary strain on your back, leading to potentially chronic pain problems if you spend long hours sitting. The study, conducted at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen , Scotland , was presented recently at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

According to one of the study's authors, "Sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential, since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity and chronic illness."

As Chiropractors well know, back pain is the most common cause of work-related disability in the United States , and a leading contributor to job-related absenteeism, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. By identifying bad seating postures, people are able to take preventative measures to protect the spine.

The researchers studied 22 healthy volunteers with no history of back pain or surgery. A "positional" MRI machine was used, which allows patients freedom of motion--such as sitting or standing--during imaging.  The patients assumed three different sitting positions.  Measurements were taken of spinal angles and spinal disk height and movement across the different positions.

Make sure that you discuss these findings with your Back specialist, such as your Doctor of Chiropractic to find out more about correct body posture positions.  For more information about this study, surf to our Show Notes - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061127112844.htm

Vertigo Helped With Chiropractic According to Study

A research report from the November 8, 2006 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research shows the benefits of chiropractic care for patients suffering from vertigo. In this study 60 patients who were diagnosed by their medical physicians as having various forms of vertigo, received chiropractic care and the results were documented and published.

Vertigo is a condition characterized by dizziness with a sensation of spinning. Because of the feeling of movement or rotation, many sufferers also feel nausea and can experience lightheadedness and balance problems. The diagnosis of vertigo is typically based on the symptoms of the patients as there are not specific lab tests and the patients may have a variety of situations that seem to be related. In this study, the nervous system was looked to for a causal relationship.

Of the 60 patients in this study, 56 reported having some form of physical trauma prior to the onset of their vertigo. Of these 25 had reported having automobile accidents, 16 had suffered a sports injury including skiing, bicycling, or horseback riding, and 6 slipped and fell on ice. It was noted that all of these individual's suffered trauma to either their head or neck area.

Upon initial examinations of the subjects, it was reported that vertebral subluxations were found in all 60 patients. Analysis procedures using paraspinal digital infrared imaging and laser-aligned radiography, were performed in order to have a consistent means of measuring subluxation findings and progress of correction.

Specific chiropractic care for the correction of subluxations was rendered to all 60 subjects in this study. The results showed that all of the patients in this study responded positively to the chiropractic care. The time frame for the responses varied from between one and 6 months. Of the original 60 patients, 48 were totally symptom free within six months. The remaining 12 patients had also shown good improvement by either decreases in severity or frequency in episodes of vertigo.

In the conclusion, the author of the study noted, "A causal link between trauma-induced upper cervical (neck) injury and the onset of vertigo appears to exist. Correcting the injury to the upper cervical spine through the use of IUCCA protocol (a form of chiropractic care) appears to improve and/or reverse vertigo disorders."

Surf to our Show Notes for a link to this study - http://www.jvsr.com/abstracts/index.asp?id=276

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropractiRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember - COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

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For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

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