Healthy News November 2022

“To Pop or Not to Pop” is of course a twist on an age-old Shakespearean quote for an age-old chiropractic spinal manipulation question. Today’s answer is that it’s not a necessary indicator of back pain relief from spinal manipulation treatment (SMT), yet back pain and neck pain patients undergoing SMT want and need to know all they can. Current guidelines for managing low back pain highlight patient education and exercise as important issues. Healthcare practitioners are fairly good (72% overall) at sharing information. By profession, though, chiropractors lead in delivering patient education for 76% of patients with physical therapists at 74% and general practitioners at only 44%. The more emotionally distressed a patient was or the pain extended below the knee, information was shared with 78% of patients. (1) A valuable topic for New Roads back pain and neck pain patients undergoing spinal manipulation treatment (SMT) is this sometimes-audible pop. A systematic review of published studies found that regardless of the spinal area or follow-up time after the SMT, there was no research evidence of improved pain outcomes or success of the treatment linked to an audible pop. (2) This is good to know since some patients have it, and some don’t. Patients whose practitioners told them about the audible pop - as well as others who weren’t spinal manipulation patients - reported curious theories of what caused that sound and had overemphasized ideas of its importance. (3) Rather than the question “To pop or not to pop?” the better question for you and your New Roads chiropractor may well be “Is there pain relief or not?” With our gentle chiropractic care, there is pain relief for many New Roads back pain and neck pain sufferers. We look forward to talking  with you at your next chiropractic visit at New Roads Chiropractic Center!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he details the gentle spinal manipulation treatment of spinal stenosis with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Vitamin D is popular and abundantly researched beyond its longer term reputation in supporting phospho-calcium metabolism and skeletal bone disorders.  Today, research has well-established vitamin D as a hormone and described vitamin D as influential for various diseases from cancer, inflammation, and autoimmunity (Hashimoto’s, Graves’, diabetes) to adrenal gland health and disease (Cushing’s, Addison’s). (4) The adrenal gland has two main parts: (A) The adrenal cortex makes cortisol which regulates the sleep/wake cycle, body’s use of fats/proteins/carbs, inflammation, blood pressure as well as increases blood sugar and reduces bone formation. (B) The adrenal medulla manufactures “stress hormones” epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) responsible for the fight or flight response. (5) Adrenal gland issues keep people awake at night…literally! Although not yet conclusive, 800-2000IU a day was proposed in one recent study to support adrenal health. (6) New Roads Chiropractic Center is ready to discuss vitamin D and any adrenal gland issues you may be experiencing.  

CONTACT New Roads Chiropractic Center

Set your next New Roads chiropractic appointment with New Roads Chiropractic Center soon! We have a lot to talk about!