December 2016

• Erectile Dysfunction and Chronic Low Back Pain Helped with Chiropractic
• Chiropractic Helps Patient with Depression, Insomnia, Premenstrual Syndrome and Headaches
• Athletes at World Games Utilize and Benefit from Chiropractic According to Study
• U.S. Doctors Continue Prescribing Unnecessary Drugs, Survey Says
• Resolution of Breech Pregnancy with Chiropractic
• Trigeminal Neuralgia Helped with Chiropractic Care - A Case Study

Published on December 5, 2016, in the journal Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research is a case study of a man who was suffering from lower back pain and erectile dysfunction being helped by chiropractic.

According to the study authors, erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as a man's inability to attain or sustain an erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse. They report that there are two classifications of ED, primary and secondary. Primary ED is a man who has never been able to have an erection, while secondary is the case where a man used to be able to have an erection but is currently unable to.

According to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health website, "About 5 percent of men that are 40 years old have complete erectile dysfunction, and that number increases to about 15 percent of men at age 70. Mild and moderate erectile dysfunction affects approximately 10 percent of men per decade of life (i.e., 50 percent of men in their 50s, 60 percent of men in their 60s)."

In this case, a 47-year-old man went to the chiropractor on three separate occasions for the complaints of lower back problems and neck pain. At those times, he did not report that he had also been suffering from ED since the age of 22 years. He did have a history of spinal trauma at the ages of 16 and 20 years.

An examination performed on this first set of visits to this chiropractor yielded the conclusion that subluxations were present in the man’s spine. Care was given in the form of specific adjustments and the man reported a significant recovery. He thereafter decided not to continue with chiropractic wellness and he discontinue his care.

Several years later, the man returned to the chiropractor again suffering from lower back pain. Once again care was given and the man experienced a significant recovery. This time he was able to resume sports and activities fairly quickly which led to him suffering a neck injury several months later.

Although the man did not share his history of having ED with the chiropractor initially, upon returning for chiropractic care related to his neck injury, the man noticed the correlation between the correction of his ED and the time he was under chiropractic care. Because of this connection, the man continued his chiropractic on a wellness basis and was able to report to the chiropractor that his ED was effectively eliminated while under chiropractic care.

The man commented about his ED improvement by saying, "For a short time after receiving an adjustment it is much easier and highly more likely that (he) will attain and maintain a strong erection." When asked by the doctor if he will be maintaining his chiropractic care since he has made the connection between that and the improvement in his ED, he commented, "Of course!"

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The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a case study on November 21, 2016, documenting a patient suffering from depression, insomnia, and premenstrual syndrome improving under chiropractic care for the correction of vertebral subluxations.

The study begins by noting that according to some studies, depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting about 16% of the general population. This issue is about twice as common in women as in men. The authors list the symptoms associated with depression as including "...long-lasting depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, decreased energy, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of helplessness, feelings of guilt, feelings of anxiety, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, insomnia, early-morning awakening or oversleeping, weight loss or weight gain, recurrent thoughts of death and or suicide." 

Typical medical treatment involving drugs is estimated to be only effective in lessoning symptoms in half of the cases. The study also reports that about half of those with depression seek some type of non-medical care in the form of complementary and alternative medicine. The most common reasons people state they seek non-medical care was dissatisfaction with medical care, especially severe medication side-effects, and the safety of alternative care.

In this case, a 27-year-old woman suffering with the chief complaints of depression, insomnia, severe effects from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and headaches went to a chiropractor in hopes of finding help. In addition to her primary complaints, she also reported that she occasionally suffered from dizziness, mood swings, buzzing in ears, stiff neck, constipation, menstrual pain, irritability, back pain, urinary problems, nervousness, upset stomach, cold feet, and heartburn.

A chiropractic examination was performed that consisted of a posture analysis, complaints-related subjective questionnaires, autonomic nerve system activity analysis, surface electromyography (sEMG) and thermal scan. From this examination, a determination was made that multiple subluxations were present in the woman's spine. Specific forms of chiropractic care were started to address the subluxations.

After three months of care, a reassessment was performed that showed many of the original examination findings had improved. Additionally the patient reported improvement in her symptoms noting that her depression, sleep issues, PMS, headaches, and digestive issues had all significantly improved. 

In their discussion, the authors of the study explained, "Although there are many approaches for depression, chiropractic is considered a viable management option. The major motivating factors behind the use of chiropractic care is its safety and its natural, health-oriented approach." They summed up the results this woman received in this case by stating, "The patient’s overall health was not optimal, quality of life and well-being was decreased. After three months of chiropractic care, the patient’s depression-related symptoms significantly decreased and the patient reported an increase in overall health, well-being and quality of life."

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The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics published a retrospective study in their November/December 2016 edition that reviewed the usage of chiropractic care during the World Games in Cali, Colombia, from July 25 to August 4, 2013.

The study begins by noting the overall increase of chiropractic utilization in the United States and Canada has risen from 4% in 1980 to 14% in the U.S. by 2015. They report that a high percentage of the people seeking chiropractic care do so for musculoskeletal issues related to back pain.

The authors also reported that in another study of 1.7 million people, having access to insurance that includes chiropractic care caused a significant reduction in overall medical expenditures with specific decreases in spinal surgery and all back-related medical treatments.

Chiropractic care was rendered at the games by 40 doctors of chiropractic and observed by six researchers. This was arranged by the International World Games Association (IWGA) who contracted with the Fédération Internationale de Chiropratique du Sport (FICS) to provide free chiropractic care to athletes and support staff who were accredited at this event.

In the review of chiropractic utilization at the 2013 World Games the study showed that 537 of 2964 accredited athletes received chiropractic care during the games. This represents a utilization rate of 18.1% for the athletes. The utilization for the accredited non-athletes was lower with 403 of 4131 in this group receiving chiropractic care. This showed a utilization rate of  9.8% for non-athletes.

Athletes seeking chiropractic care were from 68 of the 93 participating countries. Of the total of 33 sporting events at the games, athletes from 28 of those sports sought chiropractic care. The breakdown showed that the largest utilization rates were from bowling scored at 48%, with water skiing being second at 42%, then fistball at 41%, and wushu with 41% of those athletes seeking chiropractic care.

Of the athletes who sought chiropractic, 37% had an acute or newer conditions, while 55% had chronic or long-term problems. The non-athletes presented themselves for chiropractic at a ratio different from the athletes with only 20% having acute conditions, while 61%  were suffering from a chronic condition. Those receiving chiropractic reported good results. The study showed that 86.9% patients reported immediate improvement after receiving chiropractic. 

In their conclusion, the study authors reported, "The majority of people seeking chiropractic care at an international sporting competition were athletes. For those seeking care, the injury rate was higher among athletes than among non-athletes. The majority of patients receiving chiropractic care reported improvement after receiving care."

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The headline above comes from a December 5, 2016, United Press International story reporting on the results of a survey of doctors. The survey, conducted by the American College of Physicians, asked 5000 of their members to identify two drug treatments frequently used by internists that were unlikely to provide high value care to patients.

In spite of the fact that the doctors knew that the drug treatments they were prescribing were of no value or little value, 27% said that they administered antibiotics even though they knew the drugs would not be effective. The most common scenario described was for upper respiratory illnesses that are mostly caused by viruses. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics making the use of those drugs totally worthless in those situations.

Other scenarios revealed by the survey showed that 9% of the aggressive treatments for terminally ill patients were of "questionable value." Additionally, 7% of medications for chronic pain were determined to be of little value according to the survey of doctors who gave out these drugs.

Dr. Amir Qaseem, vice president of clinical policy for the American College of Physicians (ACP) and chair of the ACP's High Value Care Task Force, commented, "There is a lot of waste in our health care system, and we need to acknowledge that."

The overuse of antibiotics has contributed to the increase of deadly superbug bacteria that are resistant to antibiotic treatments. The UPI article reports that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States alone, more than 2 million people a year are infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Even worse is that at least 23,000 of these people die each year as a direct result of these untreatable infections.

The CDC estimated that half of all antibiotics given to patients are not necessary. This translates into approximately 47 million unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics in the U.S. each year.

Dr. Qaseem tried to explain why some doctors are adding to this situation by saying, "If a patient shows up in a physician's practice and they have an upper respiratory tract infection, it is most often viral and will resolve itself in a few days," Qaseem said. "You tell the patient to go home, rest, and it will be OK, but generally the expectation of a patient is that you will do something more than that."

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The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study on November 28, 2016, documenting the resolution of a breech presentation pregnancy as confirmed by ultrasound following chiropractic.

The study begins by pointing out that as delivery is closer, the ideal position for a fetus is called vertex. This is where the fetus has the head downward with the back of the head facing forward. A breech presentation is when the buttock is positioned to exit the vaginal canal before the head. A breech birth can create a number of issues including problems with dilation and compression of the umbilical cord. Additionally issues including baby inhaling fluids, higher death rates, neurological issues, cerebral palsy, fractures and brachial plexus traction injuries can occur from this situation.

In this case, a 27-year-old woman who was 35 weeks pregnant came to the chiropractor. At that time, her fetus was in the breech position. She was also experiencing some intermittent pain in the tailbone region that was worse at night and relieved by changing positions. The woman had heard about the Webster technique, used by chiropractors, that has shown success with breech pregnancies.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included palpation, a postural analysis, and thermal scans. Based on the examination, chiropractic was started using specific forms of adjustments and the Webster technique.

After the first adjustment, the patient noticed the baby moving at night. On her next visit, she stated that she believed her baby had turned and that she had an appointment with her obstetrician scheduled. On the third visit to the chiropractor, the woman confirmed that an ultrasound examination by her obstetrician showed the fetus had moved into the normal vertex position. She also reported that her other conditions had improved by 90% since starting chiropractic care.

The authors of this case study also conducted a literature review of similar cases and noted that the documented cases show the Webster technique having a 95% success rate in having breech pregnancies return to the normal vertex.

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), founded by the late Dr. Larry Webster defines the chiropractic technique he developed as, "The Webster technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and diversified adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of sacral subluxation/ SI joint dysfunction. In so doing neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis is improved." The ICPA further explained the relationship between breech pregnancy resolution and the Webster technique by saying, "In regards to pregnant mothers, Dr. Webster reported that when a mother sought care and her baby was in a breech position, the restoration of pelvic neuro-biomechanics with this adjustment also frequently facilitated optimal fetal positioning."

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The November 14, 2016, issue of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published a case study of a patient suffering from daily Trigeminal Neuralgia pain being helped with chiropractic. According to the study author, "Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), 'tic douloureux,' French in origin meaning 'painful spasm,' is a widespread neurological disorder that is often misdiagnosed as a dental or jaw problem, and has been even said to be a psychological disorder." 

The study reported that between 12.6 to 27 per 100,000 people suffer from TN. The problem is more common in woman and is less common in people under the the age of 40 years of age, with the average age of a person at onset being near 60 years old. The pain from TN is often severe and debilitating, often creating a significant change in the life of someone suffering from this problem. Because of this, unemployment rates of people suffering with TN is 34%.

In this case, a 55-year-old woman suffering with TN in her right jaw went to the chiropractor. The woman reported suffering an episode at least once daily for the past 6 months. The episodes were aggravated by activities such as chewing, talking and stressful situations. She was medically diagnosed with TN and given medications that she claimed did not help her issues.

A chiropractic examination was performed which consisted of a postural analysis, range of motion, leg length analysis, bilateral weight scales and spinal x-rays. Based on the examination, subluxations were determined to be present and specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were performed to correct the subluxations.

After the patient's first adjustment, she reported that her pain completely went away and she remained pain-free for four days. She considered this remarkable as she was getting the TN pain on a daily basis prior to her first adjustment. After three months of care, the patient reported only experiencing two episodes of TN up to that point. Thereafter, she no longer had any reoccurrence of TN at all. The study noted that the woman stated that she is beyond astonished to finally be able to have discovered relief and reestablish her life.

The study author summed up this case by stating, "The chiropractic management of a 55-year-old patient suffering from trigeminal neuralgia is presented in this case study. Comprehensive improvement and alleviation of symptoms were achieved and recorded. This case supports the evidence of chiropractic care in relieving neurological disorders based on anatomical association and interference."

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