DAY 96 - Chiropractic History: a Short Version

This is not just a short version; it is my version of Chiropractic history.
  
The healing art and science of Chiropractic was founded in Davenport, Iowa in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer. Palmer believed that virtually all disease was caused by displaced vertebrae that disrupted the function of spinal nerves innervating the organs and tissues of the body. His new practice caught on. By 1897 he had established the Palmer School of Chiropractic, and by 1906 he was charged with practicing medicine without a license.
  
Given that chiropractors used no drugs, and practiced no surgery - hardly practicing medicine - it was clear that the real complaint of the medical community in Iowa, was that doctors of chiropractic (DCs) were a competitive threat.
  
Dr. Palmer had hitched his wagon to something big. Turns out that cultures around the world had successfully used spinal manipulation for millennia. While it was far from correct to think that most all diseases were caused by spinal problems, it was spot on to recognize that aberrations of spinal mechanics can negatively influence the function of related organs and tissues, and can cause or contribute to a wide range of diseases and dysfunctions.
  
As the next century rolled by, the chiropractic profession grew; a lot. In the 1960’s the American Medical Association (AMA), in collusion with other medical groups, created and carried out plans to boycott and destroy the chiropractic profession. Surprisingly, justice was served in 1987 when in federal court the AMA was found guilty of antitrust violations in its attempt to eliminate the chiropractic profession.
  
It is important to know that from the early 1900’s there were medical doctors who valued chiropractic, referred patients for chiropractic care, and received chiropractic treatment themselves. In many instances, medical societies made it difficult for these MDs and scorned or threatened them for associating with chiropractors.
  
Things are better today in 2011. Why just today I treated a medical doctor and her daughter.

DAY 84 – Warren’s Chiropractic Three-fer

Today, as I worked on my brother-in-law, Warren, I was reminded to tell you that good chiropractic manipulation provides a two-fer, if not a three-fer.

Warren was lying face down on my portable table as I began a manual scanning of his back, testing the tone and texture of his muscles, and gauging the flexibility of the joints of his spine and ribs.

He commented that the gentle pressure of my hand on his left, upper back, had elicited a mild numbness in his left arm. The numbness, he shared, was something that he experienced at times from lying on that side at night. I let him know that there was an obvious stiffness in his upper back that was a cause of his symptoms.

Lying on his left side, with his right shoulder rolled back and his right hip rotated forward, I felt his mildly torqued spine. Just as in a chain necklace, held at one end, and twisted from the other, if a kink exists in the spine, it is exaggerated, and becomes apparent. Simultaneously, while my hand felt, and moved from flexible spine toward the apex of a kink, Warren experienced a transition from painless to tender. As my hand crossed the apex of the kink and moved back into a flexible area on the other side, Warren felt the tenderness disappear.

A thorough spinal manipulation followed; restoring mobility to stiff joints, from occiput to sacrum.

The first half of Warren’s two-fer consisted of his direct experiencing, and learning more about what was going on in his body, rather than just getting a report from the doctor. The second half was manipulative treatment to improve his spinal function.

Potentially, inspired by the real connection to the stiffness and pain in his back, the door swings open for the three-fer; the opportunity to both discuss the causes of physical restriction and discomfort, and to consider self-care methods for restoring health.

DAY 49 - Got Knee Pain? Part III

Functional treatment of knee pain by healthcare practitioners, as contrasted with cover-up treatment, can be valuable, and in many cases, invaluable. A doctor of chiropractic (DC) can provide treatment through adjustment (manipulation) of the lower part of the spine, the knees, and/or the feet. Some DCs are trained to advise patients regarding non-musculoskeletal treatments such as dietary change, improvement of digestive function, and vitamin supplementation.  Other practitioners that treat knee pain include; doctors of oriental medicine, homeopathists, herbalists, naturopaths, bodyworkers, physical therapists, podiatrists, and osteopaths.

Knee pain is not uncommon in children. In my experience, adverse food reactions are the most common cause of childhood knee pain. These pains, and associated leg pains, are often misdiagnosed as "growing pains”. Beware that there is no evidence that growing causes pain. These pains are often in one leg, or favor one leg. This being the case, one would have to ask is the leg that is pain-free not growing? Again, growth does not cause pain.

Finally, I offer three pieces of advice:

1)         take the time to find out what’s causing your knee pain, and make the necessary changes to correct the imbalance,

2)         beware that chronic joint pain is an unquestionable sign of ongoing inflammation in the joint, that inflammation is destructive to tissues, and that unresolved, it is probable that your knee will deteriorate at an accelerated rate,

3)         recognize your knee pain as an opportunity to learn about your body, and appreciate that the functional changes that you make to heal your knee will enhance the health and vitality of your entire being and your entire life.

DAY 23 - Can You Crack Your Back?

Seems simple enough, but not only is there depth to this question, but understanding what’s behind it could save your health.

So, the question is, can you turn, arch, stretch, or extend your back and have it “crack”?

That “cracking” or popping is technically called cavitation, and occurs when joints are moved slightly beyond their normal range, creating a partial vacuum inside the joint. Collapsing gas bubbles in the joint vacuum create the “cracking” sound.

A large percentage of young people can “crack” their own backs. As people age, they tend to become stiffer, and they usually lose the ability to “crack” their backs. Given that young people are statistically healthier than older people, it could make one wonder if “crackability” is a sign of health, or associated with health. Turns out, it is.

Becoming stiff is not solely a result of aging. While there are many factors that influence flexibility, I have focused on four factors in my chiropractic practice to clearly and quickly demonstrate to patients that how they live, profoundly affects the mobility of their bodies. The four factors are: allergy to dairy products, magnesium, stretching, and spinal adjusting (also called manipulation).

One of the most common allergic effects of dairy products is the tightening of muscles and general stiffening of the body. By removing all dairy from the diet for 1-2 weeks, most people find that their muscles are more relaxed and their joints more supple.

Most Americans are deficient in the mineral, magnesium. One of many effects of magnesium in the human body is to allow muscles to fully relax. Supplemental magnesium (I use magnesium glycinate) usually results in muscular relaxation and greater joint mobility.

We all know that if we don’t use it, we lose it. But when it comes to using and keeping our flexibility through daily stretching, it’s just not happening in our culture. However, after thirty minutes a day of stretching for a few days most people find themselves more limber.

Spinal adjustments mobilize joints and clear neurologic patterns that maintain excessive muscle tightness and joint stiffness. Results are often instantaneous.

Each one of these four factors can independently increase flexibility and suppleness. In combinations or as a complete set they are even more powerful.

Since I began practice in 1983, many of my new patients between the ages of 30 and 70 have reported to me that in years gone by they could “crack” their backs, but they had gradually lost the ability to do so. A large number of these same patients, upon applying any one, or a combination of the four factors, regained the ability to “crack” their backs. This restored “crackability” is always accompanied by healthier and more relaxed muscle tone, and greater joint mobility.

Can you “crack” your back?