Chiropractic and Blood Pressure

There was a very interesting article published in March on the popular health information website Web MD. The research study pointed to the effects of a specific upper cervical (upper neck) adjustment on high blood pressure. In fact, it was shown to be as effective as not one, but two blood pressure medications. They also found a way to give a "sham" adjustment to make sure the patients were unaware of the treatment they were receiving. The procedure they used in the research study is the same one we use in our clinic (NUCCA) and one of the authors of the study is someone that taught in our chiropractic school.

The lead medical doctor involved in the study was surprised as the results and was quoted as saying, "when the statistician brought me the data, I actually didn't believe it. It was way too good to be true... we saw no side effects and no problems," says Dr. George Bakris of the University of Chicago hypertension clinic.

Chiropractors have known for over a century that adjusting the spine has an effect on the autonomic nervous system. This study has created a buzz in our industry because of the involvement of the medical community with this project and the ability to "fake" an adjustment to prove results. There are also case studies available on other visceral effects like heartburn, menstrual discomfort and ear infections with kids.

So is chiropractic a treatment for high blood pressure? We have to be careful with statements like this because I am sure there are people out there with high blood pressure who wouldn't see much change from undergoing chiropractic care. We would rather think of it using the law of cause and effect. If the body is out of alignment it will put some sort of stress on the nervous system. Sometimes this can be felt through symptoms like headaches or sciatic nerve pain, other times it goes unnoticed (like an internal malfunction such as hypertension). Whether it is felt or not, it has an effect that over time will affect the function of the body.

Our profession is holistic in that we look for the cause of the problem and not merely treat symptoms. We are happy to have researchers in our profession who attempt to verify anecdotal changes that occur daily in practices all over the world. Very few people know that chiropractic has been around for over a hundred years and that approximately 4 million Canadians see chiropractors each year. Could 4 million people be wrong? (Not including the rest of the people around the globe who are also currently under chiropractic care). Our satisfaction rates are extremely high among recent users (90th percentile) and we are gaining more and more momentum. Remember that we do not have the leverage, money or power that the pharmaceutical industry has, yet we are still growing.

Have you tried chiropractic yet? Add this as part of your regimen and I am confident you will like the results. To learn more about this research study or NUCCA you can go to our website at www.novaspinalcare.ca and look under topics/events.

Dr. Jason Plotsky

Getting Ready For Golf

It's that time of year again that many people will head off to the links without getting their body sufficiently prepared for the golf season. An injury early on in the year can create trouble for the entire golf season. I have been asking my patients that golf what they have done specifically to get their bodies in shape for the upcoming season. Most of them did not have a good answer which prompted me to make that the topic for this issue.

When we tee off and hit long iron shots we often swing with 80% of our full potential. There are many muscles involved in the golf swing and on an average 18 hole golf course we could be taking these large swings over 50 times. Without proper preparation this could leave the body in a "bind" (literally).

I think there are three major categories of importance when preparing for any athletic activity: body alignment, overall flexibility and core stability. The proper combination of these things will prevent most injuries and keep you swinging well into your golden years. Let's talk about the importance of body alignment first.

I often refer to the postural screen that I do on each office visit as the "I" test. This is simply an evaluation of the level of the shoulders (the top of the "I"), the level of the hips (the bottom of the "I"), and the alignment of the spine (the vertical portion of the "I"). The most obvious application of this check is with the level of the shoulders. In my experience I have found many people to have uneven shoulders that do not always coincide with handedness. (For example, I have seen many right handed people have a left low shoulder). This would pose as an immediate challenge for any golfer as it will affect the entire back swing and follow through. The pelvis acts as a foundation for the entire spine and if it is out of alignment it can pose challenges with weight distribution and stability. With any pelvic misalignment present, the bones of the lower back will have a rotational misalignment that will affect the body's ability to rotate and move properly. A lack of rotation on the back swing will limit the torque produced by the body and limit the distance of the ball. Misalignment of the neck will challenge the body to keep the head still while the rest of the body is twisting. Misalignment of the mid-back will again affect the back swing and also affect the rest of the shoulder girdle. Golf is hard enough as it is, so get checked by your chiropractor regularly to ensure your body is aligned the way it should be.

The next issue is flexibility. For maximum results your body must be able to twist with ease. Flexibility of the trunk and shoulder girdle is especially important when it comes to golf. I have found certain yoga postures to be helpful in maintaining flexibility of theses areas. Go to a class for best results. How do you know if you are doing it right from a video? There are many stretching guides out that are also specific for golf.

Golf is one activity that requires a tremendous amount of core stability. If your core is not strong it can create problems in the body ranging from lower back dysfunction to golfer's elbow. Again, this is not the forum to describe the best exercises. If you are at a gym, ask one of the trainers. There are many stability ball exercises that work very well here. Your chiropractor will also be able to give you the most pertinent exercises for your body. Everybody is different and most people are at a different level of conditioning so I do not believe this is a topic of one size fits all. There are many great Pilates classes, stability ball classes, etc. so find one that is suitable for you.

I have found with the golfers I have in my practice, this combination has helped them stay healthy and injury free for the season. Many of these folks have reported better scores and longer drives when all three have become incorporated. Golf may be placing more stress on your joints and muscles than you realize so make sure your body is ready for the challenge. This is another case where and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Have fun and good luck.

Dr. Jason Plotsky

Headaches - A Pain in the Neck?

It has been estimated that approximately4.5 million Canadians suffer from severe, recurring attacks of migraine and tension headaches. Migraine headaches are typically classified as one sided, throbbing or pulsating, made worse by exertion and during an attack there is usually nausea/vomiting or light and sound sensitivity. Tension type headaches are typically less severe, usually involve both sides of the head and do not typically involve nausea and/or sensitivity to light or sound. Women suffer from headaches more frequently than men, an estimated 3.1 million women per year. This has a huge effect not only on their overall health, but also the amount of time that is lost from work. Added up, this glorious country lost approximately 63.4 million days of work this year to migraine related attacks.

The most common form of treatment is medication: either prescribed or over the counter. Canadians spent about 40 million dollars on these types of medications last year in search of relief. For some people these medications do provide relief, but the results are often only temporary. From a survey, 62% of women migraine sufferers consulted their family physician. Of these women, the average rate of dissatisfaction with regards to the ease of use, convenience and effectiveness was 68%. These are staggering statistics!!

So what are the other options out there? Is there a way to look at what's actually causing a headache and look for a solution, rather than simply masking the associated symptom? If the majority of people are not satisfied with medications, then what else can we do?

There have been a number of scientific studies in the last 10 years comparing the effectiveness of chiropractic care and commonly prescribed medications. It was found that chiropractic was an effective treatment for tension headaches and there were fewer side effects and longer lasting relief with chiropractic care!!

The reason for the good results is because a lot of headaches are cervicogenic in nature. What this simply means is that the origin of the headache comes from a problem in the neck. A report released in 2001 from researchers at Duke University found that chiropractic adjustments resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck (they also found significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief than a commonly prescribed medication).

These problems can include lack of proper alignment of the bones of the neck, lack of proper movement of the joints in the neck, nerve irritation and muscle tension. The upper neck has more joint sensors than any other joint in the body. They sense things like movement and orientation, so when they are not moving or are not where they should be, they let the body know. Muscles around the joint sense that something is wrong and try to protect the joint by increasing their tone (feels like tightness or spasm). This can also be accompanied by nerve irritation in the upper neck. The nerves in the upper neck are responsible for supplying the sensory portion to different parts of the head. This is why some people can feel the pain wrap around the back of their head and directly into one eye, or to a particular part of the head. Chiropractors are trained to determine if a headache is coming from a problem in the neck. In other words, we are looking for a cause, not only to treat the symptom.

Another cause of headaches is stress to the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). This stress can be caused by grinding and clenching of the teeth at night. For some people they get tremendous relief when a guard is fitted by their dentist to reduce the amount of strain to the TMJ. The joints and muscles of the neck and jaw work closely in harmony so it is important to rule out problems with the neck when dealing with problems in the TMJ. Stress reduction is also important for these people so they can reduce the amount of grinding and clenching at night that may be coming from an increased amount of daily stressors.

Due to the amount of time that a lot of people are sedentary, there is an increased amount of postural strain to the body and increased tension in the muscles of the upper back and neck. This is why it is so important to move around and change positions frequently if you are at at desk all day. People with postural strain will benefit from specific postural exercises and general strength training. Chiropractic and massage therapy are a great combination to regain proper alignment of the body and reduce the tension in the muscles.

Some headaches are metabolic in nature. This is where it is important to keep the body hydrated and to stay away from excess sugar and salt. Some people get headaches when they are exposed to certain environmental factors or specific foods. These people tend to respond very well to naturopathic medicine.

If you are a headache sufferer, or know someone who is, it is imperative to try to find the source of the problem. For a lot of people the source of the problem comes from abnormal alignment and movement of the joints in the neck, an increase in muscle tension and nerve irritation. Remember, a physical problem requires a physical solution.

Dr. Jason Plotsky