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March 2016

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• Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Credited to Chiropractic Care
• Resolution of Fatigue, Malaise and Depression with Chiropractic
• Superbugs Threaten Hospital Patients
• Eating White Bread, Corn Flakes and Puffed Rice Raises Lung Cancer Risk
• Resolution of Infantile Colic in Infant after Chiropractic
• Medicare Patients Using Chiropractic Reduce Costs

The February 18, 2016,  issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a documented case study of a pregnant woman who was suffering from migraines, neck pain and back pain being helped with chiropractic.

The study begins by reporting that, "The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for women and particularly for women of childbearing years and during pregnancy is substantial." Chiropractic is one of the most widely utilized forms of CAM. The authors note that about a third of all pregnant woman use some form of CAM, but only half of them disclose this information to their medical practitioner.

In this case, a 28-year-old woman presented herself for chiropractic evaluation and possible care. At that time, she was 29 weeks pregnant with her second pregnancy. She was suffering from chronic migraines associated with neck and back pain. 

She reported that her first pregnancy resulted in an emergency C-section and she was hoping to be able to have a vaginal birth for this current pregnancy. However, complicating this pregnancy was that a recent ultrasound showed that the baby's placenta was partially blocking the mother's cervix. This condition is known placenta previa.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included postural analysis, spinal palpation, spinal motion, surface electromyogram, and paraspinal thermography. With consent, chiropractic care began for correction of subluxations that were determined from the examination.

By the third visit, the patient reported that her migraines were gone. By the fourth visit her placenta previa was resolved as confirmed on imaging. The patient was successfully able to have a vaginal birth even after her first pregnancy resulted in a c-section. She reported no complications to her birth, and her labor was fast and without the need for any medications.

In their conclusions the authors wrote, "We described the successful care of a pregnant patient presenting with a chief complaint of chronic migraines and pregnancy-related neck and back pain. This case report highlights benefits of chiropractic care beyond symptom care with resolution of placenta previa and successful VBAC, (vaginal birth after cesarean)."

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The February 29, 2016, edition of the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a case study showing chiropractic helping a man suffering from general tiredness, fatigue, loss of energy and depression. According to the study authors, generalized fatigue and lack of energy are a common disorder accounting for about 5% of all adult visits to primary care physicians.

In this case, a 30-year-old married man presented himself to the chiropractor. His chief complaint was that he was suffering with general tiredness and loss of energy. He also reported having occasional headaches and acid reflux.

He described his condition as a generalized malaise and lethargy, with occasional feelings of sadness and depression. The patient did not recall any specific incident that triggered his problems but noted that he has had these symptoms for over 12 years.

He reported that there was not a regular time or day in which he felt his symptoms were worse, but he did report that it was difficult to wake up and "get going" in the morning. Although he was able to conduct the normal activities needed to take care of himself and his family, he felt he lacked the energy to engage in the additional activities he would like to do. He did report that strenuous activity or exercise seemed to give him more energy. The patient’s family also noted his lack of energy and depression. He was not under medical care, or taking any medications for his condition.

A chiropractic examination of the patient consisted of a history, a postural inspection, basic physical examination, spinal palpation, spinal thermal readings (heat), and spinal x-rays. The palpation examination showed areas of increased spinal sensitivity and edema with taut fibers. The thermal examination showed areas of heat changes along the patient’s spine. Postural irregularities were observed and there was a slight reduction in normal spinal range of motion. The spinal x-rays confirmed spinal malpositioning.

It was determined that vertebral subluxations were present resulting in neurological dysfunction throughout the patient’s body. From this, a series of specific chiropractic adjustments were performed to address the subluxations that were found. The results of the care were measured by re-examination as well as self reports from both the patient and his family.

As his chiropractic care progressed, the patient reported an increase in energy and positive attitude. His family also reported that he was able to handle stressful situations much better. The study noted that, "His wife confirmed that he was able to complete more responsibilities at home during the week and on weekends with less difficulty and less complaints about low energy or tiredness." The patient also began engaging in family outings which included fishing and hiking.

In their conclusion, the authors noted that the chiropractic care and management of this case focused on the detection and reduction of vertebral subluxations found in this patient. They commented, "This case study demonstrates the efficacy of subluxation-based chiropractic care for the management of fatigue and malaise in a single patient."

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a release on March 3, 2016, with the above headline.  The release notes that antibiotic resistant bacteria, commonly called superbugs, are now causing 1 in 7 healthcare associated infections, (HAI).

"New data show that far too many patients are getting infected with dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria in healthcare settings," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Doctors and healthcare facilities have the power to protect patients – no one should get sick while trying to get well."

The release notes that HIAs are dangerous because they are resistant to antibiotics and very difficult to treat. The release states, "HAIs are commonly caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which may lead to sepsis or death."

A Fox News story on the same issue noted that the CDC reported that on any given day as many as 1 in 25 patients have an infection they picked up while in the hospital. Estimates are that for some procedures, the infection rate is as high as 1 in 4 patients.

The CDC release noted three areas that need to be addressed to help combat HIAs. These are, " 1) prevent infections related to surgery or placement of a catheter, 2) prevent spread of bacteria between patients, and 3) improve antibiotic use."

The discussion of the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria has long centered around the overuse of antibiotics in medical care and food that has fostered the development of bacteria that are no longer treatable by these drugs.

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HealthNewsLine.net published an article with the above headline on March  7, 2016. The article was based on a study published by the American Association for Cancer Research in their journal, Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers & Prevention.

Foods with a high glycemic index like white bread, cake, biscuits, or processed breakfast cereal trigger higher insulin in the blood which has been linked to certain types of cancer.

Dr. Xifeng Wu, chair of cancer prevention at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, studied the health and dietary histories of 1,900 people with lung cancer and 2,400 without lung cancer to find out if lung cancer could be linked to a high glycemic index.

The study revealed that people with diets ranked in the top fifth of a high-glycemic diet had a 49 percent greater risk of developing lung cancer than those in the bottom fifth. Surprisingly, non-smokers with a high-glycemic diet were 81 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than those non-smokers with a low glycemic diet.

"Although smoking is a major, well-characterized risk factor for lung cancer, it does not account for all the variations in lung cancer risk," said Wu. "This study provides additional evidence that diet may independently, and jointly with other risk factors, impact lung cancer etiology."

The study authors recommended a diet which avoided intakes of food with a high glycemic index like cake, processed cereal, and white bread. Healthier choices are foods with a low glycemic index like whole wheat and pasta.

"The results from this study suggest that, besides maintaining healthy lifestyles, reducing the consumption of foods and beverages with high glycemic index may serve as a means to lower the risk of lung cancer," Wu concluded.

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The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a study on March 7, 2016, documenting the case of an infant with colic being resolved under chiropractic care. It is estimated that colic occurs at a rate of between 10% and 40% of infants up to 3 months of age.

The study begins by noting that infantile colic was defined in 1954 by Dr. Morris Wessel who determined that a series of "threes" were needed to make the determination of colic. The "threes" were: an infant crying and/or fussing for more than three hours a day, on three or more days per week, for three weeks or more, in an infant less than three months of age who was well-fed and otherwise healthy.

Excessive crying seems to be the chief characteristic of infants suffering from colic. The authors note that the crying is usually difficult to console and associated with feeding problems that include spitting, poor sleep, and passing excessive gas.

In this case, a three-month-old baby boy was brought to the chiropractor with symptoms of colic and frequent crying spells. The baby would scream and cry without any noticeable reason. The boy’s parents described their baby’s situation by saying he "...screams and cries out of nowhere, not sure if its personality or something hurts, screams like he’s in pain."

The history reported that the baby had severe signs of colic that seemed to reduce at seven weeks but then returned. The baby was also suffering from an overactive gastrointestinal and urinary tract that included increased frequency of bowel movements and increased urination. His colic issues were causing sleep issues as he would wake up crying in pain.

Chiropractic care was begun on the boy with specific modifications for his size and youth. Dietary recommendations were also given to the mother. By the fourth visit, it was reported that the baby boy was improving and was crying and screaming less. His sleep patterns had not yet improved at that point.

Over the next several visits, the boy continued to improve and was "doing great" according to his parents. The boy returned to normal and did not have a return of his colic or any other problems.

In their conclusion the author wrote, "This case study reports on the successful resolution of colic following the introduction of chiropractic care to reduce subluxations in a three-month-old infant."

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The January 2016 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics published a study titled, The Association Between Use of Chiropractic Care and Costs of Care Among Older Medicare Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain and Multiple Comorbidities. The study showed that patients on Medicare who used chiropractic care decreased overall costs compared to those who did not seek chiropractic.

The study’s objective was to determine if seeing a chiropractor saved money in healthcare expenses for Medicare beneficiaries. Researchers conducted a retrospective review of services for chiropractic care on Medicare patients between the years of 2006 and 2012.

The study reported the results of 72,326 Medicare beneficiaries who were 66 years or older and had chiropractic services that were covered by Medicare. Medicare currently only pays for chiropractic care for adjustments of subluxations.

The study compared the cost of total care for patients who received just chiropractic, with those who received chiropractic and medical care, and those who only received medical care without chiropractic. The study also only reviewed those who were seen for chronic lower back problems in order to have consistency in comparing results.

The results of the study showed that those patients who only received chiropractic care had the lowest costs for the care for their problem. This highest cost of care were those who only received medical care. Those who received chiropractic also had a much lower chance of having spinal surgery. Additionally, those who only received chiropractic care had a better outcome in a shorter period of time.

In response to this study, Dr George Curry, president of the International Chiropractors Association commented, "This study highlights the fact that those who receive chiropractic save money on healthcare expenditures. Although this study specifically looked at Medicare patients who were suffering from lower back issues, it should not be a far leap to extrapolate this out to a number of health issues that people seek chiropractic for. Chiropractic care should be viewed as a real solution to the spiraling costs of medical care."

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