Chiropractic Proof for Low Back Pain

In 1993 the Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned a Canadian research program that showed chiropractic to be more effective than other forms of treatment for low back pain. Important findings in the study were that chiropractic care for low back pain was safer than medical management and that injured workers were able to return to work faster. Based on these studies, the researchers recommended that chiropractic services should be fully covered under the Ontario government’s health care plan.

Findings such as these are common and should be an indication to anyone thinking about seeking care for low back pain.

Additional information can be obtained by visiting the Ontario Chiropractic Association website and looking under the "Manga Study" performed by health economist Pran Manga. The name of the study is, "The Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain."

Children at Perry Hall Chiropractic and Physical Therapy

In New Zealand, children are labeled as a "special class" under their national health care system because children respond so well to chiropractic care. It is with children that the true "preventive health care" nature of chiropractic can be seen and experienced.

Ear aches, scoliosis, insomnia, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, bed wetting (enuresis), asthma, allergies, and many other conditions respond very well to chiropractic care. It also has to be remembered that children suffer headaches and back pain the same as adults. When a child is always suffering from a cold, flu, or ear ache it may be a warning sign that more serious conditions are present and that a Doctor of Chiropractic should be consulted. Preventive care works well at all ages but especially in young people. Don't wait until a problem is irreversible when it could have been handled conservatively by an early visit to your chiropractor.

Low Back Pain and Heat

One of the worst things a person can do when they have low back pain...or any pain for that matter...is to put heat on it. Heat causes an increase in swelling and inflammation which increases pain levels. Ice decreases swelling and inflammation so should be the first choice when pain is an issue. At Perry Hall Chiropractic and Physical Therapy we always suggest ice used for a half-hour every hour. Just remember to put a light cloth between you and the ice pack to avoid frostbite. You don't need more problems!

Headache and Sleep Position

After seeing a 31 year old female patient this morning who has been having headaches daily for many years the importance of asking about sleep position was once again brought to my attention. The chiropractic care she had been receiving at our office was working great for headache relief but when her headaches returned it was always in the morning when she awoke.

I asked if she was sleeping on her belly which is a known factor in morning headache occurrence. No, she was not sleeping on her belly. Then I asked if she was lying on her side but leaning half way toward sleeping on her belly. Yes, was her reply.

I knew immediately this may be a factor in the occurrence of her morning headaches. After discussing how she could alter her sleep habits by simply hugging a pillow to her chest to keep her straight up and down on her side the occurrence of morning headaches stopped. 

Sometimes chiropractic care alone is not enough to stop headaches from occurring even though chiropractic care has been shown to be the answer for approximately 80% of headaches of all types. In the more difficult cases some good old fashioned detective work will reveal the answers...if you know which questions to ask!

Sports Injuries and Your Young Athlete

Youth Athletes: Overscheduling is a Risk Factor!

This is a great article that relates to sports injuries and the lack of recovery from "over-scheduling" I see this everyday with parents and youth athletes having way to much on their plate to professionals with way to many projects and commitments and this can lead to fatigue and that can lead to injury.

Sports-Related Injuries in Youth Athletes: Is Overscheduling a Risk Factor?

by Luke, Anthony; Lazaro, Rondy M; Bergeron, Michael F; Keyser, Laura; Benjamin, Holly; Brenner, Joel; d'Hemecourt, Pierre; Grady, Matthew; Philpott, John; Smith, Angela

Objective: To examine the association between “overscheduling” and sports-related overuse and acute injuries in young athletes and to identify other potential contributing factors to create a working definition for “overscheduling injury.”

Design: Survey. Setting: Six university-based sports medicine clinics in North America. Participants: Athletes aged 6 to 18 years (13.8 ± 2.6) and their parents and pediatric sports medicine-trained physicians. Interventions: Questionnaires developed from literature review and expert consensus to investigate overscheduling and sports-related injuries were completed over a 3-month period.

Main Outcome Measures: Physician's clinical diagnosis and injury categorization: acute not fatigue related (AI), overuse not fatigue related (OI), acute fatigue related (AFI), or overuse fatigue related (OFI). Results: Overall, 360 questionnaires were completed (84% response rate). Overuse not fatigue-related injuries were encountered most often (44.7%), compared with AI (41.9%) and OFI (9.7%). Number of practices within 48 hours before injury was higher (1.7 ± 1.5) for athletes with OI versus those with AI (1.3 ± 1.4; P = 0.025). Athlete or parent perception of excessive play/training without adequate rest in the days before the injury was related to overuse (P = 0.016) and fatigue-related injuries (P = 0.010). Fatigue-related injuries were related to sleeping ≤6 hours the night before the injury (P = 0.028).

Conclusions: When scheduling youth sporting events, potential activity volume and intensity over any 48-hour period, recovery time between all training and competition bouts, and potential between-day sleep time (≥ 7 hours) should be considered to optimize safety. An overscheduling injury can be defined as an injury related to excessive planned physical activity without adequate time for rest and recovery, including between training sessions/competitions and consecutive days.