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Infant Massage Coming to the Back To Health Posted on January 25th, 2012
The Back to Health Center is now offering Infant Massage Classes. This class is for parents/caregivers who are interested in a more hands-on, interactive approach to connecting with their baby. The classes are small enough so that parents and infants can interact and learn from each other. The course will teach the parent/caregiver the techniques to comfort, calm and soothe your infant.
Infant Massage is an age-old tradition that has been passed down through generations since the beginning of time. Infant massage provides numerous benefits including:
• Infant-parent bonding
• Promotes better sleep
• Boosts immune system
• Helps alleviate gas and promote elimination
This course will be taught over a number of 4-5 weeks, enough time to give both the parent and baby time to become comfortable with receiving and giving massage. To ensure your confidence with the class material, each week the course instructor will demonstrate new strokes while reviewing strokes from previous classes. Classes start in May and will be held at the Back to Health Center. The course is taught in small groups to ensure personalized attention. For additional information, please contact Crystal Craighead, Certified Massage Therapist at the Back to Health Center (703) 683-7771.
Check our event calendar to see the dates!
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Chiropractic and Exercise Are Better Than Drugs Posted on January 05th, 2012
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR, NY Times January 3, 2012, 11:00 am
Seeing a chiropractor or engaging in light exercise relieves neck pain more effectively than relying on pain medication, new research shows.
The new study is one of the few head-to-head comparisons of various treatments for neck pain, a problem that affects three quarters of Americans at some point in their lives but has no proven, first-line treatment. While many people seek out spinal manipulation by chiropractors, the evidence supporting its usefulness has been limited at best.
But the new research, published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, found that chiropractic care or simple exercises done at home were better at reducing pain than taking medications like aspirin, ibuprofen or narcotics.
“These changes were diminished over time, but they were still present,” said Dr. Gert Bronfort, an author of the study and research professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota. “Even a year later, there were differences between the spinal manipulation and medication groups.”
Moderate and acute neck pain is one of the most frequent reasons for trips to primary care doctors, prompting millions of visits every year. For patients, it can be a difficult problem to navigate. In some cases the pain and stiffness crop up without explanation, and treatment options are varied. Physical therapy, pain medication and spinal manipulation are popular options, but Dr. Bronfort was inspired to carry out an analysis because so little research exists.
“There was a void in the scientific literature in terms of what the most helpful treatments are,” he said.
To find out, Dr. Bronfort and his colleagues recruited a large group of adults with neck pain that had no known specific cause. The subjects, 272 in all, were mostly recruited from a large HMO and through advertisements. The researchers then split them into three groups and followed them for about three months.
One group was assigned to visit a chiropractor for roughly 20-minute sessions throughout the course of the study, making an average of 15 visits. A second group was assigned to take common pain relievers like acetaminophen and — in some cases, at the discretion of a doctor — stronger drugs like narcotics and muscle relaxants. The third group met on two occasions with physical therapists who gave them instructions on simple, gentle exercises for the neck that they could do at home. They were encouraged to do 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise up to eight times a day. (A demonstration of the exercises can be found at http://www.annals.org).
After 12 weeks, the people in the non-medication groups did significantly better than those taking the drugs. About 57 percent of those who met with chiropractors and 48 percent who did the exercises reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, compared to 33 percent of the people in the medication group.
A year later, when the researchers checked back in, 53 percent of the subjects who had received spinal manipulation still reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, similar to the exercise group. That compared to just a 38 percent pain reduction among those who had been taking medication.
Dr. Bronfort said it was a “big surprise” to see that the home exercises were about as effective as the chiropractic sessions. “We hadn’t expected that they would be that close,” he said. “But I guess that’s good news for patients.”
In addition to their limited pain relief, the medications had at least one other downside: people kept taking them. “The people in the medication group kept on using a higher amount of medication more frequently throughout the follow-up period, up to a year later,” Dr. Bronfort said. “If you’re taking medication over a long time, then we’re running into more systemic side effects like gastrointestinal problems.”
He also expressed concern that those on medications were not as empowered or active in their own care as those in the other groups. “We think it’s important that patients are enabled to deal with as much control over their own condition as possible,” he said. “This study shows that they can play a large role in their own care.”
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Get In Shape to Tackle Your Yard Posted on November 04th, 2011
Before you rev up the lawnmower or reach for your rake, consider the possible consequences: back strain, neck strain and pain in the shoulders.
Just as playing football or golf can injure your body, the twisting, turning, bending, and reaching of mowing and raking can also cause injury if your body is not prepared. Like an athlete, if you leap into something without warming up, the chances of injury are greater
Tips to Avoid Injury The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and your local doctor of chiropractic offer the following tips to help prevent the needless pain yard work may cause.
• Do stretching exercises, without bouncing, for 10 to 15 minutes during the course of your work. Do knee-to-chest pulls, trunk rotations, and side bends with hands above your head and fingers locked. Take a short walk to stimulate circulation. When finished, repeat the stretching exercises.
• Stand as straight as possible, and keep your head up as you rake or mow.
• When it’s still warm outside, avoid the heat. If you’re a morning person, get the work done before 10 a.m. Otherwise, do your chores after 6 p.m.
• When raking, use a ‘scissors’ stance: right foot forward and left foot back, reverse after a few minutes, putting your left foot forward and right foot back.
• Bend at the knees, not the waist, as you pick up piles of leaves or grass from the grass catcher. Make the piles small to decrease the possibility of back strain.
• When mowing, use your whole bodyweight to push the mower, rather than just your arms and back.
• If your mower has a pull cord, don’t twist at the waist or yank the cord. Instead, bend at the knees and pull in one smooth motion.
• Drink lots of water, and wear protective gear, such as a hat, long pants and gloves. If your equipment is loud, wear hearing protection. If you have asthma or allergies, wear a mask.
• Try ergonomic tools. They’re engineered to protect you when used properly. If you do feel soreness or stiffness in your back, use ice to soothe the discomfort. If there’s no improvement in two or three days, see your doctor of chiropractic
Filed under: Chiropractic
Supervised exercise, spinal manipulation, and home exercise for chronic low back pain: a randomized Posted on September 07th, 2011
Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD AFFILIATIONS Wolfe Harris Center for Clinical Studies, Northwestern Health Sciences University, 2501 W. 84th St, Bloomington, MN 55431, USA Corresponding author. Northwestern Health Sciences University, 2501 W. 84th St, Bloomington, MN 55337, USA. Tel.: (952) 885-5413; fax: (952) 888-1957. , Michele J. Maiers, DC, MPH, Roni L. Evans, DC, MS, Craig A. Schulz, DC, MS, Yiscah Bracha, MS, Kenneth H. Svendsen, MS, Richard H. Grimm Jr., MD, MPH, PhD, Edward F. Owens Jr., MS, DC, Timothy A. Garvey, MD, Ensor E. Transfeldt, MD
Abstract
Background context Several conservative therapies have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP), including different forms of exercise and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT). The efficacy of less time-consuming and less costly self-care interventions, for example, home exercise, remains inconclusive in CLBP populations.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to assess the relative efficacy of supervised exercise, spinal manipulation, and home exercise for the treatment of CLBP.
Study design/setting
An observer-blinded and mixed-method randomized clinical trial conducted in a university research clinic in Bloomington, MN, USA.
Patient sample
Individuals, 18 to 65 years of age, who had a primary complaint of mechanical LBP of at least 6-week duration with or without radiating pain to the lower extremity were included in this trial.
Outcome measures
Patient-rated outcomes were pain, disability, general health status, medication use, global improvement, and satisfaction. Trunk muscle endurance and strength were assessed by blinded examiners, and qualitative interviews were performed at the end of the 12-week treatment phase.
Methods
This prospective randomized clinical trial examined the short- (12 weeks) and long-term (52 weeks) relative efficacy of high-dose, supervised low-tech trunk exercise, chiropractic SMT, and a short course of home exercise and self-care advice for the treatment of LBP of at least 6-week duration. The study was approved by local institutional review boards.
Results
A total of 301 individuals were included in this trial. For all three treatment groups, outcomes improved during the 12 weeks of treatment. Those who received supervised trunk exercise were most satisfied with care and experienced the greatest gains in trunk muscle endurance and strength, but they did not significantly differ from those receiving chiropractic spinal manipulation or home exercise in terms of pain and other patient-rated individual outcomes, in both the short- and long-term. Conclusions For CLBP, supervised exercise was significantly better than chiropractic spinal manipulation and home exercise in terms of satisfaction with treatment and trunk muscle endurance and strength. Although the short- and long-term differences between groups in patient-rated pain, disability, improvement, general health status, and medication use consistently favored the supervised exercise group, the differences were relatively small and not statistically significant for these individual outcomes
Filed under: Chiropractic
Low Back Pain and CAM Posted on August 08th, 2011
Low-Back Pain and CAM: What the Science Says Spinal Manipulation
• Overall, studies have shown that spinal manipulation can provide mild-to-moderate relief from low-back pain and appears to be as effective as conventional medical treatments. In 2007 guidelines [494KB PDF], the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society include spinal manipulation as one of several treatment options for practitioners to consider using when back pain does not improve with self-care.
• Research is under way to determine whether the effects of spinal manipulation depend on the duration and frequency of treatment. Recent studies have found that spinal manipulation provides relief from low-back pain at least over the short term (i.e., up to 3 months), and that pain-relieving effects may continue for up to 1 year.
• In one study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that examines long-term effects in more than 600 people with low-back pain, results suggest that chiropractic care involving spinal manipulation is at least as effective as conventional medical care for up to 18 months. However, less than 20 percent of participants in this study were pain free at 18 months, regardless of the type of treatment used. Acupuncture
• According to clinical practice guidelines issued by the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society in 2007, acupuncture is one of several CAM therapies physicians should consider when patients with chronic low-back pain do not respond to conventional treatment.
• In early, small studies, combining actual acupuncture with conventional treatment was more effective than conventional treatment alone for relieving chronic low-back pain. However actual acupuncture was not more effective than simulated acupuncture or conventional treatment.
• A large, rigorously designed clinical trial reported in May 2009 found that actual acupuncture and simulated acupuncture were equally effective—and both were more effective than conventional treatment—for relieving chronic low-back pain.
• There is insufficient evidence to draw definite conclusions about the effectiveness of acupuncture for acute low-back pain.
Massage
• Results of an NCCAM-funded study showed that massage therapy may have short term benefits for people with chronic low-back pain. Massage therapy helped reduce pain and improve function more rapidly than usual medical care at 10 weeks; however, at 1 year the benefits of massage over usual care were not significant.
• A 2008 review of 13 clinical trials found evidence that massage might be useful for chronic low-back pain.
• Clinical practice guidelines issued in 2007 by the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society recommend that physicians consider using certain CAM therapies, including massage (as well as acupuncture, chiropractic, progressive relaxation, and yoga), when patients with chronic low-back pain do not respond to conventional treatment.
Other CAM Approaches
• Reviews of research on other CAM therapies that people sometimes use for chronic low-back pain, such as various herbal remedies and prolotherapy injections, generally have found limited or no evidence to support their use for this purpose, or the evidence is mixed.
NCCAM Clinical Digest is a service of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH, DHHS.
Filed under: Chiropractic
Stop smoking for good with acupuncture Posted on July 14th, 2010
Did you know that acupuncture is one of the most effective methods for smoking cessation? If and when you’re really ready to quit – no matter how many times or how many other methods you’ve tried – acupuncture may be the solution that finally works for you.
The treatment is based on the NADA protocol, which was developed in the mid 1970s by Michael Smith, MD of Lincoln Hospital in New York to help people overcome common addictions including nicotine, alcohol, and more. The treatment involves the painless insertion of extremely fine gauge needles in the ear to:
• reduce anxiety
• increase will power
• regulate the nervous system
• detox the liver
• strengthen the lungs.
A few acupoints on the body are also used to boost immunity and reduce craving. Treatments last about 30 minutes and leave patients feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Dozens of studies have documented the effectiveness of the NADA protocol. Among the benefits reported by patients and health care providers are: improved retention in drug treatment programs; more optimistic attitudes about detoxification and recovery; reductions in cravings and anxiety; fewer episodes of sleep disturbance; and reduced need for pharmaceuticals. (SOURCE: Acupuncture.com)
“As a long-time smoker myself, who was able to stop smoking with just a few treatments, I believe in the power of acupuncture to help patients let go of one the most difficult habits to break. Along with acupuncture, I also provide patients with natural herbal supplements that ease symptoms of withdrawal, anxiety and detoxing.” --- Dr. Joanie
When you’re ready to stop…for good…call the Back to Health Center at 703-683-7771.
Filed under: Acupuncture
Forward Head Posture Caused by Texting Posted on July 07th, 2010
What is forward head posture?
FHP is when persons ears are forward from their shoulders, which typically leads to the forward rounding of the shoulders and a tucking in of the chest. If you want to know what FHP really looks like take a look at your neighbor in their cubicle at work or at your child when they are on the computer. This posture is the leading cause for stress related neck and shoulder tension/pain in my office. These days children and adults are constantly plugged into their held held devices such as cellular phones, Nintendos, e-readers, and iphone applications. A survey done by Kaiserfound that young people from the ages of 8-18 spend 7.5 hours a day using some form of mobile media. In fact a survey done by Nokia's global messaging service suggested that texting is reportedly addictive. Furthermore, this survey was confirmed in 2004 by the Catholic University in Belgium. In fact a University in Australia said texting is as addictive as cigarette smoking! Because the typical demographic for texting is people with the ages of 13-27 (in this area older due to the governments support of the blackberry) I have seen an exponential increase of these FHP patients in my office.
Heres the facts:
• Long Term forward head posture leads to "long term muscle strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves" (Mayo Clinic March 2000)
• In a recent study respiratory dysfunction "demonstrated a strong association between an increased forward head posture and decreased respiratory muscle strength in neck patients" (Cephalgia February 2009)
• "For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine an additional 10 pounds" (Kapandji, Physiology of the Joints, Volume 3)
• "Loss of cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5-7cm and causes disease" (Dr. Alf Breig, neurosurgeon and Nobel Prize winner)
• FHP has been shown to flatten normal neck curve, resulting in disc compression, damage and early arthritis. (Spine 1986)
If you are experiencing neck pain make an appointment with Dr. Shara so she can give you a free consultation for your FHP. Call us today 703-683-7771.
Filed under: Chiropractic
Acupuncture and Smoking Cessation Posted on January 25th, 2010
As a chiropractor, working with an acupuncturist is all about learning new things. Like you, I am often completely unaware of what acupuncture can and can't do. When talking with Dr. Joanie I was completely amazed to learn that acupuncture is a really effective way to stop smoking. Sure you can try medication and nicotine replacements but, why not try a drug free way. Those trying to quit smoking often experience a lot of symptoms like; sleep disturbances, weight gain, increased appetite, irritability, headaches, difficulty concentrating, the list goes on. Acupuncture can help with all of these symptoms. Acupuncture in combination with Chinese medicine (Dr. Joanie's specialty) can help control your cravings and more over diminish your withdrawal symptoms. So if your interested in learning more about how to quit call the office an make an appointment with Dr. Joanie.
Filed under: Acupuncture
The Perils of the Holidays Posted on December 22nd, 2009
During the holiday season we are bombarded with cookies, cakes, alcohol, and various other mouth watering comfort foods. Parties and gathering can lead to expanding waist lines and before you know it you'll be un-buttoning that top button of your pants for comfort! Moreover, the snow can also lead to boredom eating, so be very careful. When you're stuck at home and that cookies is staring you in the eye of course you want to eat it. Here are a couple of tips to control your weight during the season of jolly!
1.) NEVER GO TO A PARTY STARVING
Often we think that if we are going to eat at a party we should "save" all of our calories for that meal and the outcome won't be as bad. The truth is, statistically we end up eating more calories and generally make ourselves sick from overeating.
2.) MAKE TIME FOR EXERCISE
Even when you feel that there is no time for exercise keep in mind that walking around the mall, deep cleaning our houses,dragging things up and down from the attic are all form of great "holiday exercise". So try to stay active while being back safe!
3.) CHEW YOUR FOOD!
Inhaling your food is not only bad for your digestion, it does not allow your brain to register in time when enough is enough!
4.) USE A SMALLER PLATE
Choose your food wisely. Only eat the things you really enjoy. Don't just eat things because they are there. It is very important to remember to "budget" your food just like you budget your spending. Think of calories like spending dollars.
5.) RESTRICT OR AVOID ALCOHOL
This is the most important tip. By all accounts alcohol is the triple threat not only is it caloric but it also slows your metabolism, and stimulates your appetite. For more interesting insights check out our partner, Dr Robert Posner's blog at http://www.spdiet.blogspot.com/.
Filed under: Chiropractic
The Benefits of Chiropractic Posted on December 10th, 2009
So we know that chiropractic is a drug free, holistic way to help alleviate all of our back aches and pains. However, few people know that chiropractic can be helpful for more than just a sore lower back. Chiropractic can also be used for a variety of other body parts too! For example, headache or neck pain, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, knee pain, ankle pain, the list goes on... In fact, some people even use chiropractic to facilitate better range of motion, increased sense of wellness, and to improve performance and energy. There was a great Swedish study published in a peer reviewed journal call the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics 199; 32.559-64. Patients of 87 Swedish chiropractors were interviewed and interestingly enough several of them reports improvements in "non-musculoskeletal" problems. As a matter of fact 1/4 patients reports it was easier to breathe and they had better digestion. Moreover, some of those patients reported better vision and cardiac function!
Filed under: Chiropractic
Back to Health’s New Blog Posted on November 03rd, 2009
This introductory blog post ushers in a new era for Back To Health Center! With this blog I hope to introduce you to all of the different types of services we offer, and the benefits your can achieve when utilizing our services. Since this is the beginning, I guess it is important to express how this all started. I was in school at the time and like any other student I was really unsure as to what direction my life was heading. I was working in a program that required an externship and I was approached by a chiropractor to assist him with therapy is his office. Every day I would go to work I would see what I call the “broken” walk out of his office upright. I began to think how is this so? I realized the body is amazing. With some gentle guidance the patient’s body was healing. I learned that the science of chiropractic has been practiced since the ancient days in the Chinese culture. The body itself was being retrained to work and function without pain and without medication. The fascination I had for this is what spurred my calling. Through the years chiropractic has developed with research and science as a way to help people with various musculoskeletal pain. After my undergraduate degree in kinesiology, I spent four more years achieving my Doctorate in Chiropractic. With this passion and knowledge, I set forth with starting my own office where I can help those who were broken. Over the years, I have continued to create a center where patients would not have to drive all over town to seek treatment and effectively created a one stop shop for all their chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and skin care needs.
Filed under: Back to Health News
