The following story is a prime example of a ‘good news-bad news’ scenario. An international team of scientists believe they have isolated the natural hormone found in muscle cells responsible for some of the health benefits related to exercise. Senior author Dr Bruce Spiegelman, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues, write about their findings in the 11 January online issue of Nature.

I came across this article today and it just underscores something I’ve seen in practice going on eight years now. Many patients, especially ones suffering from acute or chronic pain, are expressing their dissatisfaction to me regarding their medical care. Many patients are telling me that they felt very rushed, and didn’t get a chance to raise their health concerns in depth. Many clinics have a standing policy of only one health concern/question per office visit. This is an obvious problem because most health issues don’t occur in isolation. But the most distressing of these complaints is when a patient tells me that their doctor never even touched them! Especially for back complaints or musculoskeletal pain  many people, and rightly so, expect that a doctor will at least examine the area with their hands, if even for a moment. Unfortunately, I wish I could say this was a very rare occurrence, but the reality is different. 

This article written by Julie Chen, MD discusses the benefit of touch and how it can significantly improve a patient’s health. She describes how massage and manual therapy, like Chiropractic, can help a patient’s condition. Manual therapies have been shown to help reduce stress, improve circulation, relieve pain and speed recovery. All very important effects especially for a patient in pain. 

The following is a brief excerpt from her article; 

Based on numerous studies as listed below, massage and manual therapy is in my opinion an essential part of health and healing based on improvement of circulation, muscle function and stress reduction, just to name a few.”

Many of you out there that have never tried Chiropractic before may be concerned about safety. Perhaps you have heard ‘horror stories’ about someone feeling worse after a Chiropractic treatment? Maybe even worse, you have come across stories of Chiropractors causing a stroke in patients. I’d like today to put things into perspective and speak about the relative risks involved with Chiropractic and Medical interventions for pain or specifically back pain.

Estimates of a life threatening event like a stroke occurring due to a Chiropractic treatment vary. Most estimates are in the neighborhood of 1 in every 1-10 million Chiropractic adjustments of the neck. A very low incidence relatively speaking. However, I have come across some sources that claim the incidence can be as high as 1 in every 40,000 treatments. Being fair though, a lot of these studies go on to note that, ” While our analysis is consistent with a positive association in young adults, potential sources of bias are also discussed. The rarity of VBAs makes this association difficult to study despite high volumes of chiropractic treatment. Because of the popularity of spinal manipulation, high-quality research on both its risks and benefits is recommended.” 

In other words, researchers admit that the incidence of vertebrobasilar accidents (VBA’s) or strokes is very rare compared to the number of treatments offered. In addition, many admit that there may be potential sources of bias in reporting, thus skewing the actual numbers reported. 

Now lets turn our attention to a common therapy offered by the medical profession for pain; Prescription pain relievers. This article I came across recently comes directly from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their own research found that currently, more Americans are more likely to die of a drug overdose than in a car accident! Just ponder that fact for a moment. Car accidents probably come to mind if you ask anyone to name a cause of accidental death. But according to the numbers, a drug overdose that leads to death is actually MORE likely! Now to put it another way, if you are not concerned about potentially dying the next time you’re in a car, how concerned should you be about being harmed by a Chiropractor, let alone dying?

I know the comparison is stark but many seemingly innocent things in life carry a risk. Crossing the street carries a risk. But if you are taking prescription medication to relieve pain, please reconsider your options and try Chiropractic!

Here’s more from the article; “In 2008, poisoning deaths became the number one cause of accidental deaths in the United States and the leading cause of injury death in 30 states, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ninety percent of these poisonings were linked to drugs, with a surge in deaths from prescription painkiller overdoses reported.”

Dr. Jeffrey Bernstein, medical director of the Florida Poison Information Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said “we knew this was coming; it shouldn’t shock anybody. It’s disturbing though.”

More attention needs to be devoted to this problem, Bernstein noted. “It needs to be attacked from multiple angles and multiple levels in the way we have made headway in trauma,” he said.

“There are newer and better drugs and that’s great for treating people’s pain, but they come with a price,” Bernstein pointed out. “There is addiction and interactions with other drugs, and potential for overdose and misuse.”

I hope this article sheds some light on the relative risks between Chiropractic care versus medical treatment of pain. If you’re in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, stop by my office or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN!!!! 

Sources;

 Margaret Warner, Ph.D., injury epidemiologist, National Center for Health Statistics, Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Chris Jones, Pharm.D., M.P.H., health scientist, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Jeffrey Bernstein, M.D., medical director, Florida Poison Information Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Dec. 20, 2011, Drug Poisoning Deaths in the United States, 1980-2008

I have come across numerous patients during my years of practice who swear that Chiropractic adjustments leave them feeling light and euphoric. Some have even told me, Chiropractic has helped them with seemingly unrelated complaints, like asthma for instance. Now I know most people associate Chiropractic with just backs but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Chiropractic can actually help the entire body!…let me explain how.

Let’s start with a brief anatomy lesson. Your spine and your skull is intimately connected, you can not discuss one without the other. The reason is because of your central nervous system or CNS. Your CNS is made of your brain and your spinal cord. They are connected and essential to life as we know it. The brain and spinal cord together is the main ‘control’ and ‘communication’ center for your body. Every process needed for everyday life occurs through the CNS whether you’re aware of it or not. (Ever wondered how it is your body keeps breathing while you’re asleep at night?….it’s because of your nervous system). Now conversely, the CNS being so vital to life, it is apparent what can happen when you damage it. For example, various degrees of damage can occur to your central nervous system from many causes; concussion, strokes, paralysis, fibromyalgia, dementia, meningitis just to name a few. 

So if the tissue and cells that make up your brain and spinal cord are so important to life, ever wondered how they stay healthy? Well a big part of the picture is what’s called; Cerebrospinal Fluid or CSF. CSF is the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord. It serves several functions including; protection, chemical stability and nourishment. So let’s talk about the last function in depth. 

Your central nervous system is made up of cells just like other tissue in your body. Take for instance, everyone knows your muscles get nutrition and important nutrients through your blood and circulatory system. However, your brain and spinal cord don’t get the nutrients they need through your blood, it does so via the Cerebrospinal Fluid! So for your brain and spinal cord to remain healthy it must receive new nutrients and be able to get rid of waste products at the same time. Just like your blood nourishes your muscles by flowing through your vessels, the CSF must also move or ‘circulate’ to perform it’s function. 

This fact may sound complicated but it’s really not. For your brain and spinal cord to stay healthy, your body or more correctly, your spine MUST move!……there is no way around it. The movement of your spine is what helps to move or ‘circulate’ the CSF. This is essential to life and your overall health. 

But think about all the challenges of life nowadays. Stress, fatigue, jobs that chain you to a desk 8 hours per day, lack of exercise, poor nutrition are just some of the things that can lead to poor health and eventual pain. Now think about the overall picture and you can see how Chiropractors can help. Chiropractors are trained to find the cause of musculoskeletal pain in your body. We can restore motion to stiff joints, improve function, educate you on ways to improve overall health, guide you on a proper exercise and diet program and get rid of pain!

The old adage of “use it or lose it!” couldn’t be more true. Pain is just one of the last ways your body and brain will tell you there’s a problem. Unfortunately, as human beings we tend to ignore the warning signs until the pain becomes unbearable. Don’t let this happen to you! Do something about your pain and something good for your body and overall health! Find out how Chiropractic could improve your health today!

Please feel free to leave a comment or visit my office. You can also visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!

This research done by, Prof. Gregory Livshits of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Anatomy and Anthropology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, sheds some interesting light on another overlooked cause of back pain; your genes! This study appeared in the journal; Annals of Rheumatic Diseases and looked to determine a genetic link to back pain. What it found suggests that back pain can indeed run in families.

The study in question looked at over 2500 participants from the UK made up of identical and non-identical female twins! Professor Livshits and his team looked at several risk factors including; smoking, weight, physical work, vertebral disc degeneration and genetic predisposition. It is commonly thought that as mostly upright beings, humans are very susceptible to degeneration of the spinal discs, especially in the lower back region. This degeneration and injury over time can often lead to increased bouts of pain. 

Visit the website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC

Reference:

Lumbar disc degeneration and genetic factors are the main risk factors for low back pain in women: the UK Twin Spine Study Gregory Livshits et al. Ann Rheum Dis doi:10.1136/ard.2010.137836

This is an all too common contributor of back pain that almost everyone overlooks. However if you wake up first thing in the morning and you’re already suffering from bodily aches and pains, it might just be time to have a look at what you’re sleeping on! (As a related issue, an improper pillow can also contribute to neck, shoulder and back pain as well)

The problem is an old mattress or a mattress that is too soft will have a tendency to sag in the middle while you’re lying down. This in turn causes your spine to take an unhealthy ‘bent’ or curved position. This position actually puts strain and pressure on the discs in your spine while you’re asleep. In addition, the unsupportive mattress prevents the muscles around your back from relaxing completely. With these factors in mind, it’s easy to see how this could easily cause muscles aches and back pain. 

The 7-9 hours of sleep a night is your body’s opportunity to rest and restore itself from the stresses of the day before. Sleep allows your muscles to relax and also allows the discs in your spine to re-hydrate overnight. (Ever had the feeling that first thing in the morning that you’re a bit taller? Well that’s the reason why) Not allowing your body the chance to rest and restore itself is seen as stress on the body. Unfortunately, like other forms of stress, the effects can be cumulative. Meaning that losing an hour here and there every night adds up over weeks and months!

It was once thought that the firmer the mattress, the better for your body. However, now it’s believed that a mattress should have firm coils for support but also a ‘topper’ or layer of cushioning on top to add comfort for your body. This combination is now thought to be the best combination for people looking for a good mattress that will help eliminate back pain.

As an aside, the pillow also makes a difference for shoulder and neck pain sufferers. For people that sleep on their backs, a lower pillow is recommended. For side sleepers, a pillow that is higher is better. From my experience, I wouldn’t recommend sleeping on your stomach. I’ve seen too many patients that have complained of severe neck and shoulder pain after spending a night on their stomachs. This posture forces you to turn your head all night just so you can breathe, thus putting your joints in a compromising position.

The next time you’re in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, stop by the office or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC HERE!!!!! 

I came across this article and it immediately made me think of a few patients I have come across in the last few weeks. In that time I have seen a couple of patients who have reported taking 6-8 extra strength Tylenols everyday for a few days straight prior to seeing me. Understandably, these patients were in so much pain that they felt they needed all this Tylenol to ease their pain. To clarify, the recommended dosage for extra strength Tylenol is no more than 8 tablets every 24 hours for an adult. Now with the amount of pain these patients were in, I can easily imagine a scenario where they may have taken ‘just a little more’ than recommended.  

A new study suggests that all that extra Acetominophen can add up over several days and lead to a dangerous overdose. Researchers from University of Edinburgh in Scotland found that these smaller, “staggered overdoses” can even be more harmful than a single large overdose.This study only reinforces the idea that, “…maximum recommended daily doses should be strictly adhered to.” said  Dr. Joshua Lenchus, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The researchers also found that these people who suffered “staggered overdoses” were also the ones most likely to have brain or liver problems, need kidney dialysis and die from complications. This problem surprisingly, is not a new one. The potential harm that can be a result of acetominophen, especially in large doses, has been known for quite a while now. In fact, even the manufacturers know about the risk! This is such a problem that the Food and Drug administration asked acetominophen manufacturers to lower the dosage of the drug in pills to a maximum of 325mg. Later, the makers of Extra-strength Tylenol announced that they were LOWERING the maximum daily dose of their product to help curb the incidences of accidental overdoses. 

Now if you think that just because you don’t take Tylenol, that you’re safe….well you’d be wrong. Acetominophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol,  is a very common pain killer. Along with drug-store brands, Acetominophen is also found in a myriad of other products. Here’s a list of just some of the other products; Triaminic Fever & Pain, Alka-Seltzer Cold and Sinus, Bayer Select, Benadryl Sinus Headache, Dayquil, Excedrin, Robitussin Cold Cough and Flu, and Theraflu Cold & Sore Throat. Remember, this is only a short list too!

If you are suffering from pain that is musculoskeletal related and requires you to take 4-8 painkillers a day, please consider a safer alternative! Chiropractic is more effective than any of these drugs because it addresses the root CAUSE  of the pain and not just the symptom of pain itself. Like I’ve told patients before, if your bedroom door is squeeking, the solution is not to go to the living room and pretend there’s no problem. Fix that darn door and be happier that you did!

If you’re in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, come visit my clinic of visit my website; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!  

Reference:   

Staggered overdose pattern and delay to hospital presentation are associated with adverse outcomes following paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity

1. Darren G N Craig¹,
2. Caroline M Bates¹,
3. Janice S Davidson¹,
4. Kirsty G Martin¹,
5. Peter C Hayes²,
6. Kenneth J Simpson^2,*

Well everyone, today is Tuesday, November 22, 2011 and what we all just witnessed last night was the electrifying return of Sidney Crosby. After what I witnessed last night I had to write this as a follow up to a post I originally wrote on October 4 of this year.  In that post I wrote about Sidney’s recovery from a concussion and how he had decided to seek treatment from a Chiropractor after it appeared his progress with conventional medicine had stalled.

What Sidney Crosby did last night will be remembered for a very long time. Arguably the best player in all of hockey right now had been sidelined from the game for about 11 months after suffering a devastating concussion. Now up until last night, literally everyone, hockey and non-hockey fans alike has been wondering, “…..how is he? will he ever be the same?”. Well, for anyone watching last night, it only took minutes before Sidney Crosby answered those questions with a resounding, YES!.  Now because it was his first game back, Crosby was played sparingly, only logging about 16 minutes of ice time. But boy oh boy, did he ever make those minutes count! Crosby ended the game with an astonishing 2 goals and 2 assists. A total of 4 points in the first game back after taking the last 11 months off to recover from a concussion!

Now for those that are still unsure about the benefits and effectiveness of Chiropractic treatment, let’s just briefly review some of the facts. Since early 2011 when Crosby first suffered his concussion, his team of medical doctors and specialists have been adhering to the ‘gold standard’ of concussion treatment promoted in conventional medicine.(A lot of ‘wait and see’ and rest involved in this approach). Let’s just say that his progress in the better part of a year following was less than stellar. Then in mid-August, Sidney Crosby starts to also see a Chiropractor and his progress is quickly put on the fast track. Several weeks later, Crosby is cleared for contact drills and eventually allowed to play in his first ‘real’ game last night. 

I came across an interesting article in Maclean’s about ‘rebuilding Sidney Crosby’s brain’ and here are some interesting excerpts; “By the time they met in Georgia, the reality of what Crosby could lose if he didn’t get better soon was abundantly and uncomfortably clear: his career, his endorsements, the adoration of an entire nation. Yet in many ways, the NHL’s golden boy was just like many people stuck in a concussion vacuum where conventional medicine can’t readily cure the injury, leagues can’t easily curb it from happening and patients and their families can’t know how long symptoms will last and what life will be like once they’re gone, if they ever do go”

“However strange and sickening that first day of treatment was for Crosby, it proved encouraging enough that he continued seeing Carrick for the whole next week. They’d meet as early as seven in the morning, and they’d go as late as six at night, says Carrick, running through a circuit of high-tech equipment and low-tech exercises in the lab and at the local hockey rink. By the time Crosby travelled back to Pittsburgh, Carrick says, “he was better than, you know, super-normal.” The Penguins’ medical team, who have been overseeing Crosby’s recovery, also saw an improvement: they ran computerized tests called IMPACT to compare his current neurocognitive abilities with what they were before the concussion. The results: not quite “super-normal,” but “the best we’ve seen” since Crosby got hurt, as Collins said at the press conference.”

“Carrick had a very prominent role in Sidney’s current recovery status,” Brisson, Crosby’s agent, told Maclean’s. “He progressed extremely well under Carrick.” Just 10 days after the press conference, Crosby joined his teammates on the ice for the first day of training camp. Three-and-a-half weeks after that, Crosby was cleared for contact—the final step before returning to play. Now, after nearly a year of nagging symptoms that have included fogginess, light-headedness and nausea so paralyzing Crosby couldn’t drive or watch TV, and after a slew of setbacks each time he pushed too hard while exercising or skating, the greatest hockey player of this generation is verging on a comeback“

The article in it’s entirety is a pretty interesting read. If you’d like to read it for yourself, CLICK HERE!

If you’ve been wondering about how Chiropractic can help you, whether it be for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, foot pain etc. why not get in touch with the clinic? If you are the type of person that needs reassurance, then just look at Sidney Crosby! I’m not sure if there ever was a better example of a Chiropractic success story.

If you’re in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, come visit the clinic, or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!

Today’s post is written to elaborate on a recent article I came across. The article titled;”How Mainstream Medicine Is Opening Up To Integrative Health” discusses the growing interest in natural and complementary medicine. (Click here to read the full article!) The article also goes into detail about how more and more medical schools are also teaching CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine). CAM used to be on the ‘fringe’ of western medicine. Relegated to those who were seen as the ‘tree-hugger’ types. However, due to CAM’s persistence, results and society’s desire to find more natural alternatives, it’s popularity is only increasing over time. 

The desire of everyday people to explore these therapies and an underlying sense that using drugs and surgery to treat health problems may not always be the best way is making the medical community take notice. I believe that especially with the availability of information via the internet, people are becoming better informed about their healthcare options. I know from speaking to my medical colleagues that they are seeing more patients who are asking them about; Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, yoga etc. 

Let’s take a step back for a moment and explore what CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) really entails. CAM is really a group of health options and therapies that may not fit into the traditional definition of western medicine. In this group such things as; Natural products (vitamins/supplements), deep breathing, meditation, massage, yoga, tai chi, homeopathy, naturopathy and Chiropractic are included. In fact according to the National Institutes of Health, Chiropractic is among the most recognized and common types of CAM. Chiropractic actually trails only; natural products, deep breathing, and meditation as the most popular forms of complementary therapies.  (For a full list of the top 10 most common CAM therapies, click here!)

This is actually great news for people because not only does it mean they have growing access to natural and alternative forms of healthcare but it signals the changing tide of traditional medicine. Western medicine was once seen as the only option for healthcare and health advice. However, I believe with western medicine’s reliance on pharmaceutical drugs, surgery and the well documented side effects of both, people are exploring their options. But not only are they exploring, they are finding solutions! People are realizing that natural healthcare like Chiropractic can offer a very effective and safe alternative to drugs. 

As the article states; “According to the most recent data from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, some 38 percent of Americans used some form of alternative medicine in 2007 — up from 36 percent in 2002. Experts say such figures explain why a growing number of medical schools have embraced what critics deride as “woo-medicine,” but proponents of the techniques say integrative medicine represents the future of health care.”

If you’re in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, stop by my office or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!

This is a cause of back pain that I see on almost a weekly basis. Typically, this patient will be male, slightly overweight, may or may not participate in regular exercise and is over the age of 30…..but thinks he’s still in his twenties! Ok, well all joking aside, this generalization isn’t too far off from reality. Sure from time to time this patient is female, but just about everything else stays the same. 

The problem is that these sufferers of back pain are sedentary for far too long and then feel as though they can engage in strenuous activity without problems. This actually can be a harmful way to think. “If you take on something tough after being relatively sedentary, you can seriously hurt yourself,” explains Arya Nick Shamie, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and an associate professor of spine surgery at the University of California – Los Angeles.

In order to participate in strenuous activities like sports and races on the weekends, your body needs to be prepared. The muscles, especially around your core, need to be strong to withstand the pressures and strain that you will put on it. “If you are doing high-impact sports without cross-training first to strengthen your core, your spine won’t have strong enough muscles to support the impact,” says Robert S. Bray, M.D.

The consequences can be very painful. Muscular strains and ligaments sprains are very common injuries seen in my clinic. The common factor is that both of these injuries can cause your joints to become dysfunctional. This will likely manifest with the patient feeling pain with movement, stiffness, inflammation and unable to perform even the simplest of everyday activities, like tying your shoes. 

So the moral of this story is; if you are planning on strenuous activity this weekend, do yourself and back a favour and prepare yourself! Start with some regular exercise and stretching to prepare and strengthen your core muscles. In fact, just 15 minutes of core stretches and exercises three times a week, may be enough to prevent severe back pain!

If you want to know more, visit my clinic in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver or visit my website;COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!