In short, I would say 'Yes' it's absolutely a good idea!' But to those who ask this question, please think about this, "How often do you see your dentist every year? and do you only go to see your dentist if you have pain?"
"If I feel better and no longer have pain, why should I continue with Chiropractic care?". This is an age old question that many patients have about Chiropractic care. I know of patients who's previous Chiropractors have recommended 'maintenance care'. Often involving treatments 2-3 times/week for months and gradually tapering off from there. Many see the rationale behind this approach and still many others believe this is far too much treatment.
Here's my honest opinion about this topic. I believe Dentists have it right. Sure some people will only see a dentist if there's pain but many others follow the recommendation of a visit every 6 months. But why? Well because of PREVENTION! A regular check up will help to identify problems with your teeth before things get really bad. Isn't it better to spot a cavity early and have a minor filling done instead of extracting the entire tooth?
But here's where Dentists really excel. Everybody knows to brush their teeth daily! Often times twice a day! This message is so ingrained in society that no one even questions it. People just do it out of habit because, wait for it..........THEY KNOW IT'S GOOD FOR THEM! Even though, you only really use your teeth for minutes a day while you're eating,
you still brush religiously.
However consider this, on any given day, when are you NOT using your body, muscles, spine and joints for movement? You're even using your muscles when you're sitting using your laptop! So what are you doing on a daily basis to keep your body, bones, muscles and joints healthy? Chances are not that much.
I see many patients who are new to Chiropractic and in my clinic I do my best to educate them about health. More importantly, the idea that HEALTH is much more than a lack of pain! I work with my patients to devise a sensible treatment plan with re-evaluations scheduled at regular intervals. This is important because we need to track progress and offer the best, most complete care possible. In addition, we need to evaluate how successfully Chiropractic care is working for them. Is it still the best option three weeks from now? Would Physiotherapy or Massage Therapy be better? You can only answers these questions with confidence if you have been keeping track of a patient's progress.
In addition, I believe in promoting healthy habits like stretching and exercise from the first day of treatment if indicated. Just like a Dentist emphasizing the importance of brushing to keep your teeth healthy, a person should be active to keep their entire body healthy! I think as a Chiropractor, it is my duty to show my patients that they can do a lot to stay healthy and pain free on their own. Once my patients get better about making stretching and exercises a regular habit, I encourage them to decrease the frequency of Chiropractic treatments! Everyone benefits.
I have patients who see me for follow up care once a month, once every other month, even twice a year! I help my patients decide what frequency is right for them if they are already practicing healthy habits on their own.
Moral of the story is, "Yes, regular Chiropractic care is helpful even if you don't have pain but the ultimate choice lies with you!". No one said getting healthy and staying healthy was easy, if it was, everybody walking around would be healthy. If your Chiropractor recommends a treatment plan that you feel is excessive, make sure you know why. Ask questions! Any Chiropractor should welcome patient involvement in their treatment and if you feel like your concerns aren't being addressed, maybe that's a concern in itself.
Any questions about this post? In the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver? Contact Dr. Chan here,COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!
I know this headline may not seem like news but a new study conducted in Denmark is actually very newsworthy. This study has concluded that the more weight a person gains, the more likely they are to develop heart disease and suffer a heart attack. In fact, these researchers have been able to associate actual numbers to this relationship.
The researchers have found that for every 8.8 pounds of increase in the weight portion of a person's Body Mass Index or "BMI", their chance for developing ischemic heart disease shot up 50%. Now that's very significant because being 8.8 pounds over the recommended BMI for a person of your sex, height, waist etc, is far more common than you might think. But the question you have to ask is, "....how much over your recommended BMI are you?"
(NOTE: for those who may be unfamiliar with your Body Mass Index or BMI, it is a measure of your body fat in relation to your height, weight and sex. To be in the "normal" or safe category, your BMI score should be between 18.5 and 24.9)
The findings appear to be pretty solid considering these researchers compiled the data from three studies involving 81,000 Danish men and women. For those who are not familiar with scientific studies and how they are conducted, to have data from over 80,000 different people absolutely helps to strengthen the validity of your findings.
Dr. Borge Nordestgaard, of the University of Copenhagen in Herlev claimed this is evidence of a direct cause-and-effect between elevated BMI and raised heart disease risk. He is slated to present his findings at the American Heart Association annual meeting in Chicago.
So the moral of the story is watch your weight! be mindful of your BMI number and how it relates to your overall health!
If you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, stop by the office or visit the website;COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC
This information came from a national survey involving a variety of health care providers who commonly see patients for chronic pain. The group of health care providers included; primary care physicians (medical doctors), pain specialists, chiropractors and acupuncturists. The goal of this survey was to see how different disciplines perceived chronic pain and how they went about treating it. (As an aside, chronic pain is a serious health problem costing the health care system and the overall economy millions of dollars in expenses and loss in productivity)
According to the survey, medical doctors see about 52% of the patients suffering from chronic pain. Chiropractors follow next at 40%, acupuncturists at 7% and pain specialists at 2%. The survey found that pain specialists commonly treat these patients with long-acting Opioids. The kinds of drugs they prescribe include; methadone, anti-depressants and anti-convulsants. Pain specialists were 50-100% more likely to prescribe medication and drugs to their patients compared to medical doctors.
But here's what's alarming and slightly disheartening. 29% of medical doctors and 16% of pain specialists reported prescribing opioids LESS than they thought was appropriate because of regulatory oversight concerns. Meaning, these doctors wanted to prescribe opioids for their patients more often than they actually did but were concerned about regulations. So these doctors felt that the best course of care for their patients suffering from chronic pain was more drugs!
To top it off, the survey also revealed this startling result. Medical doctors, out of this group of health care providers, were l
east likely to feel confident in their ability to manage musculoskeletal pain and neuropathic pain, and are least likely to favor mandatory pain education.
I don't know about you but I find this very concerning! According to this survey, not only do medical doctors see the vast majority of chronic pain patients, but they probably feel the least confident in dealing with many of these patients! (Note: This was a survey so the doctors were free to answer any way they chose fit and this is how they responded)
There has got to be a better way! Luckily for many there is and it's called Chiropractic. I will be the first to admit that Chiropractic may not work for 100% of patients, realistically nothing does. It may not even be appropriate for some patients. However, for the the vast majority, Chiropractic is a very real and often the best option for chronic pain sufferers.
Chiropractic by it's very nature is; non-invasive, conservative and a drug free therapy. Not only that, but years of successes and studies proves it works!
Here's more information about the study; Pain management by primary care physicians, pain physicians, chiropractors, and acupuncturists: a national survey. Breuer B., Cruciani C., Southern Medical Journal, 2010 August: 103 (8), 738-47
So if you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, stop by the office or visit the website at;COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC
I came across this article and it really hit home for me the importance of exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. In addition, according to this article, we could be seeing a significant shift in how doctors are advising patients to deal with their cancer diagnosis.
Traditionally, doctors have advised their patients undergoing cancer therapy to rest and 'save their energy'. However, the evidence is quickly piling up that in fact the thing they should be doing is staying active and exercising! More and more research is coming to light that show exercise is far more beneficial to a cancer patient than rest. So much so, the American College of Sports Medicine is recommending a new guideline; "Cancer patients and survivors should strive to get the same amount of exercise recommended for everyone else, about 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Resistance training and stretching also are recommended."
Doctors do understand that it may not always be possible for a cancer patient undergoing therapy to keep up with non-cancer patients, but the idea is to maintain a certain level of activity throughout treatment. Important to note also is that different patients may have to customize their exercise plan according to their cancer and therapy. For instance, some forms of cancer therapy can make a patient's bones brittle, so no impact or low impact exercise is best for them. In other cases, therapy can weaken a person's immune system so these patient's should probably avoid the busy environment of a gym.
"Evidence is promising that exercise may make cancer treatment more effective," said Kathryn Schmitz, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a researcher at the university's Abramson Cancer Center.
For example, breast cancer patients doing resistance training were better able to take a full dose of chemotherapy, rather than having to cut the treatment short due to the detrimental effects of chemo on the body.
Other benefits of exercise included;
Reduced Fatigue: I know this sounds counter intuitive but it's not. Aerobic activity has been shown to lessen the need for drugs to help increase production of red blood cells due to chemo damage. ( Note: the loss of red blood cells that carries oxygen to your tissues is a big reason why cancer patients feel tired in the first place)
Reduce Loss of Muscle and Bone Mass: A lot of cancer therapy can contribute to the loss of muscle and bone mass. Both undesirable if a patients want to feel strong and lively. In addition, both muscles and bones can act as storage for important minerals and nutrients the body can use.
Improve Quality of Life: This benefit is important not to overlook. Many cancer patients report feeling helpless and overwhelmed with their diagnosis. Exercise can help patients cope better. Being active and working out can help these patients feel better emotionally, an important component of a better treatment outcome.
I realize that many patients may not have the energy to exercise while undergoing cancer therapy but it doesn't have to be a lot. You can always start small and gradually work your way up. Exercise and activity should be an important part of anyone's life regardless if they are battling a serious illness or not.
If you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, why don't you stop on by, or find out more here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN!!!
I came across this study and it interested me, not only because I'm a Chiropractor and I see a lot of patients with low back pain and Sciatica, but also because I know many patients with Sciatica think surgery is their only hope.
Hopefully after reading this, you or anyone you know with Sciatica will think twice before rushing into surgery. The study titled; "Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study" appears in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. In it the researchers were able to assess 120 different people to be included in the study. The purpose of the study was to compare the clinical efficacy of spinal manipulation (Chiropractic) against microdiskectomy (surgery) in patients with sciatica secondary to lumbar disk herniation (LDH).
It should be noted that to be included in this study, patients were to have already undergone three months of conventional medical care including; Pain killers, massage therapy, Physiotherapy and Acupuncture with little to no improvements. To put it another way, the study chose some of the worst cases of Sciatica possible. Basically, these patients were looking at probably the last two interventions possible; Chiropractic or Surgery.
So, what were the results you ask? The study found that generally, participants in both groups improved when other medical interventions had failed. They found that 60% of the Sciatica patients who did not improve with other medical intervention, improved with spinal manipulation (Chiropractic)! In fact, researchers found these patients improved to the same extent as those patients who did the surgery! But to be fair, of the remaining 40% who were not satisfied with Chiropractic, surgery was found to have given them good improvements.
This study went on to make the following recommendation; Patients with symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniation (LDH) failing medical management should consider spinal manipulation followed by surgery if warranted.
So the finding was try Chiropractic first and if all else fails, then surgery is warranted. Chiropractors have been saying this for a long time. Chiropractic by it's very nature is conservative and non-invasive. I know many patients with severe low back pain and Sciatica would rather not go through a surgery but the good news is, they may not have to! According to this study the chances are good (about 60%) that a Chiropractor can save you from having to go to surgery. (Remember, this is even after other therapies have been tried including; pain killers, massage, Physiotherapy and Acupuncture!)
Here's more information about the study; Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010 Oct; 33 (8): 576-584
Got more questions about Chiropractic? Near the Commercial Drive area of East Vancouver? Stop by the clinic or get more information here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN
