The Vagus Nerve and Musculoskeletal Pain
By a wide margin, people go to chiropractors for the management of musculoskeletal pain. Recent formal reviews of the chiropractic profession indicate that 93% of chiropractic patients initially seek chiropractic care for spinal pain complaints: 63% for low back pain and 30% for neck pain. Patient satisfaction with their [..]
The Importance of Double Crush and Postural Distortions
Background
Nerves emanating from the neck (cervical spine) travel into the arm (shoulder, arm, forearm wrist, hand, fingers). When a patient presents with radiating symptoms (pain, tingling, numbness, etc.) into the arm, default thinking is that the patient has a neck problem. Therefore, the initial examination, imaging, [..]
In 2018, Eduardo Hariton, MD, and Joseph Locascio, PhD, from Massachusetts General Hospital, published an article in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology titled (1):
Randomised Controlled Trials—The Gold Standard for Effectiveness Research
As stated in the title, the authors reaffirm that the gold standard for healthcare scientific research is the Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).
In 2020, [..]
The Piezo1 Mechanoreceptor and Spinal Degenerative Disease
Medicine is primarily about the use of medicines, or chemically based care. Chiropractic is primarily about the use of levers, or mechanically based care. Chiropractors primarily evaluate patients mechanically; they evaluate the manner in which patients stand or sit (posture) and/or move in our gravitational environment.
Mechanical problems [..]
An internet search using “brain injury statistics” will locate an overwhelming volume of data, most of which cite the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A representative of credible (rounded) statistics reveals (1):
Notice that at the bottom of the pyramid, there is a large group of traumatic brain injury persons who [..]
The Important Diagnostic Contributions of R. Glen Spurling, MD
Default Thinking
The 1989 movie “The War of the Roses” starred Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. In the movie, there is a scene at a restaurant where character Oliver Rose, played by actor Michael Douglas, has an episode of chest pain. The immediate suspicion by Mr. [..]
A Review of the Largest Studies Published on the Topic Including the Years 2022 and 2023
INTRODUCTION
Everyone will eventually die. Nearly everyone will have an ongoing relationship with a healthcare provider. Many will be actively under the care of a healthcare provider for their illness at the moment of their passing.
As a rule, healthcare [..]
More Evidence that Chiropractic Care Significantly Reduces the Use of Opioid Drugs
THE OPIATE/OPIOID PROBLEM
The government of the state of Oregon notes (1):
Opium is made from the poppy plant.
Opiates are compounds that can be purified directly from opium without modification. This includes morphine, codeine, methadone, and heroine.
Few people understand that dextromethorphan is an opiate. It is available in the [..]
The bulging disc and the protruded disc are the categories most often seen in chiropractic clinical practice. The category and magnitude of disc herniations can only be determined by advanced imaging, especially MRI and/or CT.
Effectiveness
There is a long and rich history showing the effectiveness of spinal manipulation for the management of low back [..]
The “gold standard” for health care research is the randomized controlled trial, or RCT. A lay explanation for a typical RCT study is:
Researchers gather a group of individuals that have the same problem.
The problem is quantified, often by using standardized measurement outcomes.
The group is randomized to be treated differently. The quantification of the problem [..]