More than 160 members of the chiropractic, physical therapy and osteopathic professions forged a new spirit of cooperation and understanding during the Interprofessional Collaborative Spine Conference (ICSC), which took place Nov. 8-9 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Organizers of this first-of-its-kind event hope to enhance patient outcomes as well as increase integration of manual therapies for back pain in the wake of the ongoing opioid crisis. ICSC was organized and hosted by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) with the support of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT) and the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy (AOPT), which represent three of the major provider groups of non-drug manual therapies for pain. Manual therapies such as spinal manipulation, physical therapy modalities, massage and acupuncture have received increased attention and support in recent years by major health care organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Family Physicians for their ability to effectively manage many cases of back pain and in some cases reduce or alleviate the need for prescription opioids. Research shows that back pain is one of the most common conditions for which opioids are prescribed. "The chiropractic profession was honored to take part in the Interprofessional Collaborative Spine Conference," said Michele Maiers, DC, MPH, PhD, vice president of the American Chiropractic Association. "We are committed to working together with our colleagues in physical therapy and osteopathy to raise awareness and promote integration of non-drug manual approaches." "Providers of manual therapies have an unprecedented opportunity to positively impact the lives of millions of people who struggle with back pain. Together, we can find ways to improve what we do and to communicate better with patients. The Interprofessional Collaborative Spine Conference was an important step in that direction," said Julie Fritz, PT, PhD, FAPTA, associate dean for research at the University of Utah College of Health, who helped plan the conference.
Author: American Chiropractic Association. Source: Acatoday.com. November 12, 2019. Copyright: American Chiropractic Association. 2020
According to research conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the majority of adolescents are not getting adequate amounts of physical activity. The WHO recommends adolescents participate in an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. However, data obtained by the WHO from 1.6 million students between 2001 and 2016 found only 1 out of 5 children met the WHO’s recommendation for daily physical activity. The WHO attributes this lack of physical activity to increase in home screen time which is replacing the time for physical activity. While the data is extremely concerning and parents and educational leaders need to step up to create and implement solutions, the good news is that over the 15 years reviewed, the physical activity for boys has actually improved. Unfortunately, over that same period of time, there has been no improvement for the physical activity in girls.
Author: ChiroPlanet.com Source: The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. November 21, 2019. Copyright: ProfessionalPlanets.com LLC 2020
Every once in a while someone makes a comment suggesting chiropractic care might not be completely safe. They may claim that chiropractic care to the neck region might have associated risks of stroke. Make no mistake - chiropractic care is actually one of the most natural, safe and least invasive forms of health care available. Doctors of chiropractic are trained extensively to deliver their care in a safe, natural and non-invasive manner. Not only have millions of patients experienced the safety and effectiveness chiropractic care has to offer, numerous studies in existence back this up. One of the most recently published safety related studies evaluated the incidence of strokes in approximately 1.16 million 66 to 99 year old Medicare beneficiaries following visits to medical doctors vs. visits to doctors of chiropractic. Ironically according to researchers, their findings indicated that 7 days after their visits slightly more beneficiaries who visited a medical doctor as compared to a doctor of chiropractic ended up suffering from a stroke.
A recent report studied how using foam pillows of three different heights affected the comfort and electromyographic (EMG) activity of the neck and mid-upper back muscles of participants. The study was performed by a team of therapists and researchers in the University of São Paulo School of Medicine in São Paulo, Brazil. Performed in 2014 and published in 2015, the study revealed the associations among pillow height, EMG activity, and perceived comfort. Twenty-one asymptomatic adults were observed using three different foam pillows of 5 cm, 10 cm and 14 cm, or approximately 2 inches, 4 inches and 5 1/2 inches. Study participants rated their comfort using a 100-mm visual analog scale, while researchers calculated EMG activity of the neck and mid-upper back muscles, called the sternocleidomastoid and upper and middle trapezius muscles. Participants considered height 1 (approximately 2 inches) to be the least comfortable and height 2 (approximately 4 inches) the most comfortable. In addition, all muscle groups showed statistical differences in EMG activity between heights 1 and 2, but not between heights 2 and 3. Individuals who prefer sleeping with a flat pillow may want to think twice, as a four-inch pillow may be the best choice for perceived comfort and back and neck support.
