April 2015 Health Newsletter

Millions of patients have benefited from chiropractic care. Perhaps the most popular with patients are the pain relief benefits offered by chiropractic. A recent study evaluated modifications in blood enzymes before and after a five week stint of twice a week chiropractic spinal adjustments for individuals suffering from nonspecific chronic neck or back pain. After five weeks of the spinal adjustments researchers found a measurable elevation in certain blood enzymes. Specifically, they found significant increases in the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Other studies have shown a relationship between pain and these sorts of enzymes. Researchers believe the changes measured in enzymes could be related to the analgesic effective that chiropractic adjustments have on the body.

Individuals with neck pain and discomfort typically demonstrate difficulty in joint position sense and diminished postural control. This essentially means neck pain sufferers have disturbed neck movements/biomechanics. This can in turn can lead to additional pain, discomfort, arthritis and reduced motion in the neck. A newly conducted study compared the effects of vibration therapy in a group of healthy individuals to those suffering from neck pain. All subjects received short term vibration to the neck muscles at a frequency of 100 Hz. Interestingly, neck pain sufferers experienced an almost opposite effect to the healthy individuals. Those suffering from neck pain experienced an improvement in joint position sense and reduction in dynamic postural sway after vibration therapy. On the other hand, healthy individuals or non neck pain sufferers had a reduction in joint position sense acuity and a nonsignificant increase in postural sway. While the reduced joint position sense in healthy individuals was most likely short term and not harmful, there were clear benefits observed in the neck pain sufferers after receiving vibration therapy.

Arlington, Va. - Members of the chiropractic profession from across the nation gathered in Washington, D.C. and later met with congressional leaders to stress the importance of chiropractic's role in national health care and Medicare reform. The group convened as part of the  2015 National Chiropractic Leadership Conference (NCLC), taking place Feb. 25 - 28. Nearly 700 chiropractic physicians, students and supporters converged on the nation's capital to hear speeches from government leaders, receive advocacy training and urge elected officials to support pro-chiropractic measures that would benefit patients, expand access to chiropractic services for veterans and active-duty military personnel, and help chiropractic graduates qualify for federal programs that would enable them to practice in underserved areas in exchange for student loan debt relief. Congressional Keynote Speaker, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, emphasized the importance of having chiropractic physicians fully incorporated into the health care system. "The work that doctors of chiropractic do is a key part of our nation's health and wellness," said Sen. Merkley. "We need to make sure that chiropractic care is accessible and affordable to those who need it." Attendees also heard from U.S. Representative Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), a member of the Armed Services Committee and a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve where he flew the E-2C Hawkeye in America's war on drugs before becoming a member of Congress; and U.S. Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), who sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee, the panel that has oversight on all federal spending. ACA President Anthony Hamm, DC, in his opening address to attendees, focused on the need for chiropractic services for veterans. "Our veterans want quality, they want value and they want outcomes. That's what chiropractic delivers. And that's our charge," he said.