Maintenance Care Works! A new study confirms it.

The question was asked, ‘Do maintenance visits to your Chiropractor for chronic, non-specific low back pain, result in a better long term outcome? The answer was published in prestigious journal, Spine.
It was a big YES!
This new, single blinded placebo controlled study, conducted by the Faculty of Medicine at Mansoura University, conclusively demonstrates that maintenance care provides significant benefits for those with chronic low back pain.
BACKGROUND: Chiropractic is a common treatment option for low back pain. Numerous clinical trials have attempted to evaluate its effectiveness for different subgroups of acute and chronic low back pain previously, but the efficiency of maintenance chiropractic in chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) has never been studied.
In this study, 60 patients with chronic, non-specific LBP lasting at least 6 months were randomised into three groups:
1. One third of patients received 12 treatments of ‘sham’ chiropractic over a one-month period.
2. One third of patients received 12 treatments of chiropractic during a one-month period, with no follow-up care during the next nine months, and;
3. One third of patients received 12 chiropractic visits during the first month, followed by “maintenance” chiropractic every two weeks, for the next nine months.
To determine any difference among these three care groups, researchers measured pain and disability scores, generic health status, and back-specific patient satisfaction at baseline, and at 1-month, 4-months, 7-months, and at 10-months.
RESULTS: Patients in the ‘real’ chiropractic groups (groups 2 & 3) experienced significantly lower pain and disability scores than the sham group at the end of the first 1-month period.
At the 10-month follow-up, only the maintenance group maintained improvements in pain and disability, while the group that only received 1-months care had reverted to their pre-treatment pain and disability levels.
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first medically managed trial that clearly demonstrates that maintenance care provides significant benefits to those who suffer from chronic low back pain.
This study re-confirms Descarreaux’s virtually identical 2004 JMPT study, which concluded that “This experiment suggests that maintenance spinal manipulations after intensive manipulative care is beneficial to patients to maintain subjective post-intensive treatment disability levels”.
It also confirms the findings of Dr. Ron L. Rupert, in his ground-breaking JMPT article, titled Maintenance Care: Health Promotion Services Administered to US Chiropractic Patients Aged 65 and Older, Part II, which found that:

“The cost of health care for patients receiving Maintenance Chiropractic (MC) in this study was far less than that for patients of similar age in the general population, despite the doubling of physician visits (medical plus chiropractic). The greatest difference in health care costs with patients receiving MC was in the areas of nursing care and, especially, hospital care. This reduced need for hospital and nursing home services has recently been corroborated by the research of Coulter et al..” [22]

SOURCE:
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Jan 17. [Epub ahead of print]
Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long Term Outcome?

The 10 warning signs of Health

The 10 Warning signs of Health

1. An increased awareness and appreciation of yourself.

2. A tendency to set aside times each day to relax or meditate.

3. A persistent ability to maintain close relationships.

4. A persistent ability to adapt to changing conditions.

5. A chronic appetite for physical activity (and healthy food).

6. Acute and chronic attacks of laughter.

7. A compulsion to take pleasure and fun.

8. Repeated bouts of hope and optimism.

9. A chronic condition of caring for your body.

10. Recurrent rejection of worry.

From McDermott & O’Connor, NLP and Health

Healing session with Chinese Qigong master

Over the years I have seen many different healers both to develop healing techniques and to heal myself. This Guy is really worth checking out. Yuan Tze has been practicing Qigong his entire life, so he is the real deal.

If you want to learn how to heal yourself or just experience ‘energy’ healing this will be worth the effort! I had a profound effect on me, just by putting his hands near my head! The process is called Qi-transmission healing.

For further information read the information below from my friend Matt.

 “Chinese Qigong master and healer Yuan Tze will
be visiting Brisbane, giving an evening group healing and seminar on
Wednesday March 9th.
 
Yuan Tze's many years of healing in China treating literally thousands
of patients mean that he has treated virtually every illness that
exists. He has found Qigong healing, in conjunction with Qigong
practice, to be the most effective of all methods of treating illness.
In New Zealand, he has helped people deal with serious illnesses such
as cancer, chronic fatigue, kidney stones, broken bones, various
gynaecological complaints, severe insomnia, infertility, and
depression.
 
Yuan Tze is an inspiring teacher who has spent his life studying
Qigong and healing under grand-masters in China. Yuan Tze 's skills
and knowledge are relevant to people from all walks of life,
emphasising the role of Qi in our daily lives. His philosophy,
grounded in the gentle yet effective techniques of Qigong, is based on
ancient Chinese traditions and draws on wisdom gained from a life of
self-cultivation.
 
He has extensive healing experience through working at the largest Qi
healing Centre in China, and has very effectively helped many people
address the root causes of serious health issues, as well as serious
emotional and mental problems.
 
Yuan Tze's visit is a valuable opportunity to experience teaching and
healing from a genuinely high level Qigong master, who is both
humorous and humble. He will hold a Group Healing and Seminar inBrisbane and also on the Sunshine Coast. The evenings will involve a
discussion of the role of Qi in elevating life, as well as a
Qi-transmission healing.”

 
Warm Regards,
Matt deBoer and Malindi Morris
 
BRISBANE SEMINAR
Date: Wednesday 9th March
Venue: Upper Kedron Hall,

78 Cedar Creek Rd

, Upper Kedron
Cost: $50 or $40 concession
 
Please arrive at 7.00pm for a 7.15pm start.
 
Bookings recommended:
Matt de Boer or Malindi Morris on 3289 2168 or 0404 622 687,
Hope to see you there!

Supplements - My son almost vomited the first glass.

We noticed a few months ago that our son had some mild dermatitis on a few of his toes.  Allergies run pretty strong on both sides of our family, so I wanted to deal with the problem ASAP.  We tried a few things but a green powder (made up of wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina and chlorella – all natural whole foods), cleared it in a week.

He almost vomited the first time I tried to make him drink it in water!  To make it more appealing I tried adding some stevia (a natural sweetener which is alkaline ) and soda water, and Voila …the Green Monster drink was created!  Now he loves it.

There is some emerging research questioning the effectiveness of synthetic vitamins known as "isolates".  I have often questioned how so many vitamins can be squeezed into one tablet, and how well it would be absorbed.  I think whole foods are always going to be better because the body recognises and absorbs them more effectively.

I have also recommended this powder by Synergy Natural, available at Health Food Stores, for a range of digestive problems including heart burn, indigestion, bloating, and it often helps.

Of course, supplements are no substitute for the goodness of vegetables.  If you have trouble getting your kids to eat veggies, keep trying!  Persistence has really paid off with our kids, and we try to vary things up and lead by example.

Stay tuned… we are planning a Kids’ Party the week before Easter to generate some recipe ideas.

http://www.youtube.com/user/windsorchiro?feature=mhum#p/u

Back to school- Growing pains

Growing pains.

In many ways, the term ‘growing pains’ can be misleading.  Leg aches and pains, or cramping which usually occurs at night, is probably not caused by growing.  Most growing pain we see in clinic seems to come from dysfunction of the pelvis (sacroiliac joints) which creates abnormal muscular tensions all the way down the leg.  The muscular tension can pull on the knees causing further problems or cramping in the muscles. A twisted pelvis can also lead to disc degeneration and rotate the rest of the trunk.

One researcher found pelvic mal-alignment present in 93% of children aged eight to 13. With reduced or altered motion in the sacroiliac joint beginning during childhood, by the time the child is an adult they will have had many years of cumulative micro-trauma into the low back leading to low back pain.

Little things are worth checking out!  This month we are focusing in School Kids Spinal Checks and School Bags.  Ask about our free info packs.