San Jose Chiropractor, A Chiropractic Blog

October is both Breast Cancer Awareness month (with link)  and National Chiropractic Health month . They should make it a health awareness month and have people post at least one health awareness tip on social media. Some infographics about chiropractic: Putting Neck Pain Treatment Risks into Perspective Risk of death from spine surgery: 1,800 per 1 million 1 Risk of serious side effects/death from cervical spine (neck) surgery: 500 in 1 million 2 Risk of death from combined use of NSAIDS/aspirin: 153 per 1 million 3 Risk of death from aspirin: 25 per 1 million 4 Association between neck manipulation and stroke: about 1 in 5.85 million adjustments 5 (or     Feel free to look at some NCHM brochures: Conservative Care Brochure Back Pain Brochure Neck Pain Brochure Visiting a Chiropractor Brochure More articles regarding health: TV news interview for NCHM Why are you looking at my back when I have foot pain? Opioid prescriptions led to 92,...

www.chirohealthy.com Recently, there have been headlines such as "Sitting For 9 Hours A Day Is Nearly A Lethal Activity," "Sitting Is the Smoking of Our Generation," "The 'Sitting Disease' Is Killing The American Workforce," "More Evidence That Sitting Leads To Cancer." October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness Month but also National Chiropractic Month. This year has the slogan, "Get Vertical" which seems appropriate with the growing evidence that the sedentary lifestyle is more damaging to your health than getting weaker and heavier. There is evidence linking with other health problems such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers, brain shrinkage, decreased sperm count, and shortened life expectancy. In future posts, I will summarize of the key points to the articles in the links below and talk about exercises and stretches that help prevent back pain. Feel free to explore ChiroHealthy.co...

Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome    Chronic exertional compartment syndrome is a condition where exercise such as running causes numbness and tingling to the feet. It can be so severe and painful that the athlete cannot continue their exercises. Acute exertional compartment syndrome can be serious causing muscle necrosis (tissue death). This involves symptoms such as severe pain with lower leg swelling and muscle weakness that does not go away with a few minutes of rest. Go to the ER immediately, if you experience something similar to this. This patient is not an acute case but a stable chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the posterior compartment. It is a shame that I did not think to take pictures of the first week in which the feet were very pale or the skin was very white in color. Seeing such a big improvement in the second week, I had to make the patient stand and do 1 minute of calf raises to induce paleness in the skin. The nor...

 I tend to stay away from issues that claim chiropractic has any benefit besides simple musculoskeletal issues outside what is commonly accepted by the medical community. I am fascinated by intellectual issues, because I am always trying to learn new things and go beyond what is understood out there. There would be no progress made if no one questioned the mainstream ideology or thought outside the box. One has to choose carefully with so many health fads and myths out there. Here is a case that looks at chiropractic adjustments and exercise which is musculoskeletally related. It contradicts some "questionable" chiropractic research which I could not find. The research is not anti-chiropractic but it seems unbiased. Abstract: This was a single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial of the immediate impact mid-lumbar spine CMT had on exercise science measures during a Bruce treadmill test at Texas Chiropractic College. Translated, it means that the subject did not know whet...

Michael L. Douglas, D.C. performing an adjustment on Usain Bolt at the 2011 IAAF World Championships Dr. Michael Douglas DC from Florida was the team chiropractor for Team Jamaica from 1996 through 2008. There is also an article from 2009 about Usain Bolt with Dr. Douglas  and a tweet about attending the London Olympics in 2012. I could not find anymore information about Usain Bolt utilizing chiropractic care and the 2012 Olympics though I believe Dr. Douglas was still the team chiropractor for Jamaica in 2012. The latest information that I could verify were pictures of Usain Bolt getting chiropractic adjustments at the 2011 IAAF World Championships . Other athletes that are reported to use chiropractic care are Asafa Powell, Veronica Campbell and Shelly-Ann Fraser. Chiropractic Neurology is a specialized technique and here is a demonstration of chiropractic neurology . There is also a picture of Dr. Douglas using an Activator instrument and I believe he is using the Activator...

Using some of the same 3D technology used in movies such as "Iron Man" or "Avatar" with the Autodesk Maya technology, ChiroMatrix uses this technology to produce on a very professional introductory video about the vertebral subluxation complex and reasons for chiropractic care. The traditional chiropractic view is a "pinched nerve" from a subluxation can not only result in pain but also other health problems. My views may be slightly different but it is still an interesting and informative video to watch. ChiroMatrix provides a service for chiropractic websites full of many features from built in blogs, online shopping stores, wellness newsletters, eCards, etc. Here is an example of their 3D Spine Simulator . I use ChiroMatrix's services so forgive this commercial-like posting but I wanted a reason for you to see the "Neural Highway" video. Link to ChiroMatrix's "The Neural Highway" ChiroWorks Care Center Anthony Tsai, D.C....

October is the month to pay attention to two serious health issues: breast cancer & obesity. I will try to keep things brief since these are two big topics. The ACA or American Chiropractic Association is promoting obesity awareness for all age groups . Obesity is a leading cause of health risks according to the CDC such as: Coronary heart disease Type 2 diabetes Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon) Hypertension (high blood pressure) Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides) Stroke Liver and Gallbladder disease Sleep apnea and respiratory problems Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint) Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility) The NIH recommends the following for losing weight: Choosing low-fat, low-calorie foods Eating smaller portions Drinking water instead of sugary drinks Being physically active To prevent breast cancer, obesity is also a risk factor...

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net In June, a peer reviewed medical journal, Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, statistically analyzed and interpreted an older National Health Interview Survey. The study revealed that 60% reported "a great deal" of benefit. Chiropractic had the highest success rate among the 6 most popular CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) with 66% reporting significant benefit followed by massage, yoga and qi gong tied for second place. (Sorry for the following style this editor has a bug with making html tables) Perceived Benefit of the 6 Most Frequently Used Complementary and Alternative Medicine Modalities for Back Pain Modalities* Those with Great Benefit from CAM (Weighted %) Chiropractic (n _ 1,163) 66% Massage (n _ 196) 56% Yoga, Tai chi, Qi Gong (n _ 45) 56% Acupuncture (n _ 89) 42% Herbal therapies (n _ 78) 32% Relaxation techniques (n _ 76) 28% *The modalities listed are not mutually exclusi...

Now that the dust has settled. The healthcare reform bill signed by President Obama is now law. How does it affect your chiropractic care? Some things like increased taxes take affect immediately but other things like requiring everyone to have insurance will take affect years later. Medicare funding has also been cut by hundreds of billions so it will most likely affect Medicare Advantage coverage eventually. I did not find any wording to that effect so far. It does not make sense to keep the pay rates the same or increase them when you are increasing the people covered and cutting the funding. Currently, basic Medicare only covers chiropractic adjustment and no physiotherapy modalities like heat, ice and therapeutic techniques. However, "increases the Part D initial coverage limit by $500 for 2010 to reduce the size of the coverage gap(Effective January 1, 2010) (Section 10328.)" A few things specifically relating to chiropractic are: Non-discrimination in health care; Se...

The winter olympics are over. Behind the scenes, five chiropractors were chosen to be a part of the US medical team of the Winter Olympics . According to Dr. Andrew Klein from the Summer Olympics 2000, "Athletes have come to rely on manual therapy because the list of banned substances (for the Olympics) is so long, and also because they feel it enhances their performance." Athletes such as Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Willi Banks, Edwin Moses have use chiropractic for peak performance. Dr. Michael Reed, a former SCU faculty member, was the medical director of the Sports Performance Center. Other SCU alumni such as Eric St. Pierre, DC, and Tetsuya Hasegawa, DC served as part of the US Olympic medical staff. With the US breaking the record for total medals on a foreign soil , everyone's efforts including the benefits of chiropractic should be recognized. ChiroWorks Care Center Anthony Tsai, D.C. Chiropractor in San Jose, CA ChiroWorksCareCenter.com Graston Technique ...

Neck Pain Task Force presented before the Connecticut Board of Chiropractic Examiners that "patients suffering from headache and neck pain are no more likely to suffer from a stroke following a visit to a chiropractor than they are after a visit to a family medical physician." The Neck Pain Task Force studied nine years worth of research. The Cennecticut board also concluded that the media "often sensationalized" and perpetuated the myth with chiropractic adjustments. Their conclusions are in agreement with my previous blog entry. ChiroWorks Care Center Anthony Tsai, D.C. Chiropractor in San Jose, CA ChiroWorksCareCenter.com Graston Technique Certified FAKTR-PM Completed Disclaimer: The content in this blog is for informational purposes only and an opinion for specific individualized circumstances.  It is not a prescription for therapy or diagnosis for you . All opinions expressed in these articles are solely those of the particular author and do n...

Connecticut advocacy groups are trying to force chiropractors warn patients of strokes with every chirorpractic neck adjustment. Strokes after a chiropractic adjustment is probably one of the most common concerns that I find with patients who have never had chiropractic treatment. It is almost like the "dirty" little secret in chiropractic. Chiropractic stroke aka "vertebral artery dissection" (VAD) and "vertebrobasilar arterial ischemia" (VBI) can occur in the beauty salons with "Beauty parlor stroke syndrome," painters, swimming and bow hunting. For a good source of information about chiropractic strokes, you can visit chiro.org's link here or NCMIC's brochure here . It is important to keep in mind some common symptoms associated with strokes in general: 5 D’s And 3 N’s: SIGNS OF STROKE Diplopia -- Double vision or other vision problems Dizziness -- Vertigo, light-headedness Drop attacks -- Sudden numbness/weakness of face/arm/l...

Some patients mentioned a precut elastic tape but now I have found what they were talking about. I am still not sure what was the exact brand used in the Beijing summer olympics but it looks like a new brand of kinesiology tape, KT Tape, is being endorsed by Kerri Walsh. The earliest press release that I can find is in May and June 2009. Oct 24, 2009, Mary Sheddon of The Tamba Tribune reports that KT Tape helps with foot pains and shin splints. SpiderTech is another brand claimed to be the "original" starting in 1987. Kinesio Tex developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase around 1984 according to their website also claiming to be the original. My guess is that Nitto Denko is a company that had a elastic sports tape since the 80's along with Kinesio Tex but Dr. Kenzo Kase developed an actual taping technique. Kinesio Tex has had several books and seminars for years. I have yet to find any book or seminar from SpiderTech or KT Tape. The earliest press release or product for SpiderTech...

Diana Williams of WABC-TV of New York, NY and Channel 9: wftv.com of Orlando, Florida reports about a chiropractor that uses the ProAdjuster system . Click here to view the video segment titled "Space Age Back Healing" . Chiropractors claims regarding the benefits for chiropractic and children range from ear infections, cholicky infants, ADHD and scoliosis. While I do not promote non-musculoskeletal conditions with chiropractic, I have heard from collegues with many success stories. In 2007, one study found that chiropractic can help reduce high blood pressure. Therefore, it is important to keep an open mind and watch for more research before jumping to conclusions. Children have the same pains and aches as any adults so I treat children for musculoskeletal disorders like a sprain or strain. It is always best to address a problem early so I would endorse chiropractic for children. It is important to educate children with good habits such as good posture or computer use er...

Joseph Dimalanta, D.C. writes in his blog confirming that chiropractors, specifically Ted Forcum, D.C., DACBSP, were an important part of the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. My blog even reported at that time Kinesio Tape was used on Kerri Walsh's shoulder . I still do not know exactly who used Kinesio Tape on Kerri Walsh's shoulder but I am more certain now that it was a chiropractor. Another tool used by chiropractors is Graston Technique for high performance athletes with muscle, ligaments, scar tissue or other soft tissue problems in general. Chiropractors have known for years that if Graston Technique is good enough for athletes, it is also good for chronic pain. Mike Reed, DC, DACBSP, a former instructor of mine at SCUHS (LACC), was in charge of the medical panel as a director of the USOC in Beijing and also the upcoming London 2012 Summer Olympics. According to Dr. Reed, the medical panel of the Beijing Normal University's High Performance Training Center consisted ...

It is not natural to be in pain - but unfortunately for millions of Americans it's a daily occurrence. Doctors of chiropractic, commonly called chiropractors, provide conservative and effective treatment for pain, without medication or surgery. Discover Chiropractic: 100% Natural Healthcare Take charge of your health; discover a natural approach to better health with chiropractic. FAQ from ACA regarding the safety of chiropractic: Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or sore...