| Do Muscle Relaxers and Painkillers Help Back Pain?  Here are more reasons to be glad you see your chiropractor.
Medical
doctors have a habit of giving painkillers and muscle relaxants to
people with lower back pain. Imagine their surprise when a study showed
that taking those drugs doesn´t help! It´s true - those patients taking
aspirin, Tylenol TM
or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and muscle
relaxants actually take longer to get better than those who had not.
In
1994, the U.S. government´s Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
determined that muscle relaxants were only "probably" more effective
than placebos for low back pain. (4) To put icing on the cake, in a
study in a recent issue of the internationally respected journal Spine,
researchers examined the use of muscle relaxants in 1,600 people.
Muscle relaxers not only did not help but those taking them took twice
as long to recover (32 days vs.16 days) as patients not taking muscle
relaxants. (5) Note to researchers - how about enough with the drugs
and start referring your patients to chiropractors? Over The Counter (OTC) Cough Medicines Are No More Effective Than Sugar Water  A
study of 100 children with upper respiratory infections revealed that
the active ingredients in cough medicines (dextromethorphan and
diphenhydramine) were no better than a placebo (syrup without the
drugs).
But adverse
effects made the medicines more dangerous - the cough suppressant
dextromethorphan can cause insomnia and diphenhydramine may cause
drowsiness. (6)
Comments: First, sugar suppresses the immune
system and can make a disease worse. Second, anyone who studies health
literature knows that the hygienic or natural school has always
maintained that coughing is usually beneficial - a way the body keeps
the respiratory system clear of germs, how the body externalizes
disease and is usually the last stage in a disease process. When
coughing is prevented or suppressed illness may actually be prolonged.
The researchers didn´t check for that. In addition, why oh why doesn´t
anyone compare cough medicine with a chiropractic adjustment? Why is
the medical profession so in love with drugs - why can´t they explore
safer, more natural approaches? Happily there is some research on
spinal care and upper respiratory infection (see below). Words of Wisdom  The
body has an innate ability to fight germs and infections and heal
itself. Western doctors are frozen in a disease-oriented mode,
concentrating on curing disease with drugs and surgery rather than on
prevention and stimulating the body´s natural healing power. Most drugs
just prevent the disease from expressing itself symptomatically.
Symptoms disappear but the disease actually gets progressively worse. - Andrew Weil, M.D.
 Cigarette Trivia
Each
pack of cigarettes smoked costs more than $7 in medical care and lost
productivity: $3.40 per pack medical, $3.63 per pack lost job
productivity. (Preventing tobacco use fact sheet from the CDC.) Chiropractic and Spinal Research  Remember, a person with any kind of health problem needs a healthy spine. Feel free to forward these studies to others.
Bronchial congestion.
This is the case of a 5 ½-year-old girl with a four year history of
what the parents called"bronchial congestion." She had
pneumonia"several times a year" since she was 18 months old. She also
suffered from congestion and was wheezy after running and upon waking
up in the morning. Chiropractic examination revealed subluxations
at C-2, T-4 and L-5. By the time the second adjustment was administered
(two days after the first) the mother reported the child was not
coughing as much. By the third visit (one week later) the mother
reported that the child was breathing normally. A total of twelve
adjustments were given over a three month period and the chief
complaint did not recur. A follow-up call four years later revealed no
recurrence. (7)
Pulmonary disease. Patients with
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were treated with spinal
manipulation. 92% stated they were able to walk greater distances, had
fewer colds, experienced less coughing and had less dyspnea than before
care. 95% of those with bronchial asthma said they benefited from
chiropractic care. Peak flow rate and vital capacity increased after
the 3rd adjustment. (8)
Developmental communication disorder.
A 2-year-old child had a medical diagnosis of ´developmental
communication disorder.´ He was non-responsive to any external stimuli,
even to receiving an injection. He did not respond to sound or touch.
Chiropractic analysis revealed an axis (C-2) subluxation. From the
study: "By the sixth adjustment, he started to follow certain commands
and stopped making repeated hand motions. He started to talk after the
12th office visit. At present, he has an extensive vocabulary and is
slightly hyperactive." (9)
Humor This photo is from a 1954 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine.
Be sure to read the caption under the photo!!! (What´s the steering wheel for??)
PS. Don´t laugh too loud - who knows how silly our predictions today may turn out. 
Smith climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God.
Looking up, he asks the Lord, "God, what does a million years mean to you?"
The Lord replies, "A minute."
Smith asks, "And what does a million dollars mean to you?"
The Lord replies, "A penny."
Smith asks, "Can I have a penny?"
The Lord replies, "In a minute." GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED: 1) No matter how hard you try, you can´t baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don´t let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don´t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can´t trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don´t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
 8) You can´t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don´t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you´re sad is Grandpa´s lap. Thanks Thanks
for being our patient. We really do appreciate you. Please stop by for
a spinal checkup and bring your friends and relatives. Everyone needs to be free from the damages caused by subluxations
to keep their body and mind functioning at their best. Even
chiropractors go to chiropractors - we also get our spines checked so
we can function at our best when we take care of you. References 1.For information on chiropractic and healthy birth visit the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association at http://www.icpa4kids.com.
2. Towbin A. Latent spinal cord and brain stem injury in newborn infants. Develop. Med. Child Neurol. 1969;11:54-68.
3. Anderson JW, Johnstone BM, Remley DT. Breast-feeding and cognitive development: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr.1999;70(4):525-535.
4.
Verbrugge LM, Patrick DL. Seven chronic conditions: their impact on
U.S. adults´ activity levels and use of medical services. American Journal of Public Health. 1995;85:173-182.
5. Bernstein E, Carey TS, Mills Garrett J. The use of muscle relaxant medications in acute low back pain. Spine. 2004;29(12):1346-1351.
6.
Paul IM, Yoder KE, Crowell KR et al. Effect of dextromethorphan,
diphenhydramine, and placebo on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for
coughing children and their parents. Pediatrics. 2004;114(1):e85-e90. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/114/1/e85
7.
Esch S. Adjustive treatment for chronic respiratory ailment in a
five-year- old. Case reports in chiropractic pediatrics. Case #2. ACA J of Chiropractic. December 1988.
8. Miller WD. Treatment of visceral disorders by manipulative therapy. In Goldstein M, Ed. The Research Status of Spinal Manipulative Therapy. Bethesda: Dept. HEW. 1975:295-301.
9. Goldman ST. Developmental communication disorder. Subluxation location and correction. Today´s Chiropractic. July/August 1995:70-74.
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