Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC - "The Science Behind a Chiropractic Adjustment"

I saw a new patient yesterday and we had an interesting conversation about her complaints and how Chiropractic could help her. The reason for her visiting my office was for long standing, significant hip pain that had lasted for about 3-4 weeks and did not respond to conventional treatment. She had tried heat/ice, visits to her doctor who in turn recommended pain killers, a few visits with her Physiotherapist and eventually a visit to a massage therapist. All these things gave her little to no relief and understandably her frustration grew. Finally, her massage therapist realized something was seriously wrong with her hip and suggested she consult my office.

To make a long story short, our initial conversation included a statement from this patient along the lines of,”……so you’re just going to “CRACK” my back right? How is that going to help?”. Well I used a very simple scenario that most everyone can relate to. I explained that her hip works in unison with her other hip, pelvis, low back, legs etc. Now just imagine you are riding a bicycle. If I came along and put a significant ‘kink’ or bend in one of your wheels, what do you think would happen? Well, you might still be able to ride the bike, but I bet it would be much harder. I explained that this scenario was similar to what was happening with her hip. She’s got two hips but they weren’t working like they’re supposed to. I reasoned with her, no amount of pain killers is going to solve that problem. She agreed.

So here’s a more scientific explanation of what a Chiropractic adjustment does and why patients feel better.

– Releasing entrapped intraarticular menisci and synovial folds.

– Acutely reducing intradiscal pressure, thus promoting replacement of decentralized disc material.

– Stretching of deep periarticular muscles to break the cycle of chronic autonomous muscle contraction by lengthening the muscles and thereby releasing excessive actin-myosin binding.

– Promoting restoration of proper kinesthesia and proprioception.

– Promoting relaxation of paraspinal muscles by stretching facet joint capsules.

– Promoting relaxation of paraspinal muscles via “postactivation depression,” which is the temporary depletion of contractile neurotransmitters.

– Temporarily elevating plasma beta-endorphins.

– Temporarily enhancing phagocytic ability of neutrophils and monocytes.

– Activation of the diffuse descending pain inhibitory system located in the periaqueductal gray matter (an important aspect of nociceptive inhibition by intense sensory/mechanoreceptor stimulation)

What this means is that a Chiropractic adjustment is more than just ‘Cracking’ of bones. It’s actually much more than that. A properly administered adjustment is a non-invasive, therapy to allow a person’s injury to heal naturally!

Going back to my analogy before, a Chiropractic adjustment is like fixing your bike and making sure the ‘wheels’ are straight and aligned. This in turns ensures all the other parts work like they are meant to. The chain works better, steering the bike is improved and you can simply enjoy your bike again.

So don’t be fooled into thinking Chiropractors just ‘Crack’ your back! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think of this article. As always, if you’re in the Commercial Drive area of East Vancouver, come visit my office or visit my website here COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!

Notes:

48. Rogers RG. The effects of spinal manipulation on cervical kinesthesia in patients with chronic neck pain: a pilot study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1997;20(2):80-5.
49. Bergman, Peterson, Lawrence. Chiropractic Technique. New York: Churchill Livingstone 1993. (An updated edition is now available published by Mosby.)
50. Herzog WH. Mechanical and physiological responses to spinal manipulative treatments. JNMS: J Neuromusculoskeltal System 1995; 3: 1-9.
51. Leach RA. (ed). The Chiropractic Theories: A Textbook of Scientific Research, Fourth Edition. Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2004.
52. Dabbs V, Lauretti WJ. A risk assessment of cervical manipulation vs. NSAIDs for the treatment of neck pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1995;18:530-6.
53. Rosner AL. Evidence-based clinical guidelines for the management of acute low-back pain: response to the guidelines prepared for the Australian Medical Health and Research Council. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2001 Mar-Apr;24(3):214-20.
54. Oliphant D. Safety of spinal manipulation in the treatment of lumbar disk herniations: a systematic review and risk assessment. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004;27:197-210.
55. Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Townsend J, Frank AO. Low-back pain of mechanical origin: randomised comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient treatment. BMJ. 1990;300(6737):1431-7.
56. Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Frank AO. Randomised comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient management for low-back pain: results from extended follow up. BMJ. 1995;311(7001):349-5.
57. Manga P, Angus D, Papadopoulos C, et al. The Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain. Richmond Hill, Ontario: Kenilworth Publishing; 1993.
58. Legorreta AP, Metz RD, Nelson CF, Ray S, Chernicoff HO, Dinubile NA. Comparative analysis of individuals with and without chiropractic coverage: patient characteristics, utilization, and costs. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:1985-92.
59. Lewit K, Simons DG. Myofascial pain: relief by post-isometric relaxation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1984;65(8):452-6.
60. Ingber RS. Iliopsoas myofascial dysfunction: a treatable cause of “failed” low-back syndrome. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1989 May;70(5):382-6

Commercial Drive - East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC: "The Changing Attitudes Towards Alternative Medicine"

I came across this study and it reinforced something that I personally believe has been occurring for some time now. I'm not sure whether it's because I live and practice on the west coast and people here are generally more accepting of alternative health care or whether it was just a matter of time. But it appears that attitudes towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is slowly changing. (For clarification, CAM therapies would include things such as Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage etc.) Not only is it changing among consumers but it is changing in the institutions of higher learning as well. This study entitled; "Attitudes toward CAM among medical, nursing, and pharmacy faculty and students: a comparative analysis" is showing that now more than ever, the interest in CAM is growing.

In brief, the study revealed that more than 90% of faculty and students believe that clinical care should integrate the best of conventional and CAM practices and that health professionals should be prepared to advise patients about commonly used CAM methods. But more interestingly enough, of the faculty surveyed, the support for teaching more about CAM therapies in the curriculum was overwhelming at 88%. This tells me that the doctors and teachers of the next wave of doctors, nurses and pharmacists realize it is important to expose their students to these health care options. From my own experience, I believe it is a direct consequence of better informed patients. Patients now-a-days are more savvy. They have often done some research on the internet before they see their family doctor or other specialists. These people want to have a discussion and need advice. They come armed with questions for their doctors and are very interested in trying things like Chiropractic and Acupuncture.


This study reinforces the interest out there for more information about complementary and alternative therapies. In fact, the study shows that the interest to learn more about CAM therapies in the medical schools is so strong that the integration of CAM into the curriculum is crucial. 


The study has suggested that the major factor preventing more inclusion of CAM into our medical schools is lack of clinical evidence. Although, this may be true to a certain extent, this too is also changing. The literature reporting the benefits of Chiropractic, not just in relation to efficacy but also to cost savings, is growing steadily. 


So if you've always wondered about Chiropractic, why not stop by my office just off Commercial Drive in East Vancouver, or visit my website here;COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC HERE!!!!

Notes: 

Attitudes toward CAM among medical, nursing, and pharmacy faculty and students: a comparative analysis.

 Altern Ther Health Med. 2002 Nov-Dec;8(6):44-7, 50-3.