Pain relievers of the addictive class of drugs commonly known as “narcotics,” such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, provide no advantage over non-narcotics for relieving chronic back pain, and additionally carry a high risk of addiction.

A team of 7 physicians and medical researchers analyzed data from 38 previously published studies that looked at the use of narcotics for back pain. Results were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Narcotics, also known as “opioids,” are commonly prescribed for chronic back pain and may be effective for short-term pain relief, the study suggested. Although opioid prescribing rates for back pain varied widely between studies, ranging from 3 percent up to 66 percent of cases, the data from four studies revealed no significant pain-relieving advantage for opioids over either placebo or non-opioid drugs, and an analysis of five other studies showed no significant drop in pain.

Study author Dr. Bridget A. Martell said she and her colleagues did what is known as a meta-analysis, pooling the results of the 38 previously published studies. “The meta-analysis does not show statistical significance that opioids work any better than placebo,” she said, although, “they possibly work for short-term relief.”

Potential for substance abuse

Chronic back pain is statistically the second most common symptom presented to doctors in the United States. Treatments can include simple exercise therapy or over-the-counter painkillers, but can also include powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as well as antidepressants, Acupuncture and electrical stimulation. Many of these approaches to treatment are ineffective. When such treatments fail, doctors often turn to addictive prescription opioid painkillers.

The percentage of subjects with a substance use disorder at some point in their lives ranged from 36 percent to 56 percent. Up to 43 percent of subjects had a current substance use disorder. Between 5 percent and 24 percent of subjects showed “aberrant medication-taking behaviors,” the investigators noted.

Long-term efficacy is unclear, according to the study. Substance use disorders are common in patients taking opioids for back pain, and aberrant medication-taking behaviors occur in up to 24% of cases.

“The findings in this review suggest that clinicians should reconsider treating chronic back pain with opioid medications, and consider other treatments with similar benefits yet fewer long-term adverse effects,” the report states.

SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine January 16, 2007

A growing number of chiropractors in the United States are answering a call to provide their services for free to returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The idea for free services was initiated in April by a chiropractor in Houston, Texas, and promoted by the International Chiropractors Association (ICA). Very quickly, 70 chiropractors from around the U.S. volunteered their services to be part of the program and the list continues to grow.

Basically, participating chiropractors are volunteering their expertise to help returning veterans for free for a period of one year following their tour of duty. While a limited number of Chiropractic services are provided through the US Department of Defense, volunteers are able to provide immediate treatments. This brings quick relief to individuals who are either being rotated back to the U.S for stateside deployment or returning to civilian life.

Houston chiropractor, Richard J. Kelly is the initiator of what is becoming a nationwide effort to help returning members of our armed services. “Our military, our returning veterans, whether visibly wounded or free of outward symptoms, are coming home changed and need our help as chiropractors,” said Dr. Kelly. He began by offering his services to returning service people in his own practice. He found his work to be very positively received by the veterans as well as gratifying for him to provide.

One of the most common concerns expressed by returning veterans is lower back pain. This would be quite expected considering that ground force members in Iraq frequently carry over 100 pounds of equipment. One helicopter pilot who has done 2 tours of duty in Iraq had this to say about his symptoms. “I definitely have a lot of back pain, lower back especially, and neck pain was the biggest one I noticed.”

While any chiropractor can participate, the ICA is actively promoting the concept of free veterans care to its 8,000-some members. “We want to help volunteer doctors reach out to the returning veteran population in a spirit of service in the most clinically sound, ethically based and timely manner,” said Robert N. Pohtos who is the executive director of the ICA.

The services of a chiropractor often reach beyond the repair of physical injury to help a person restore their lives. What person needs this type of treatment and deserves it more than a veteran returning from the field of battle or who has faced the tribulations of war?

Source: The International Chiropractors Association, “Chiropractic Care for Returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Now Available through Growing Volunteer

DC Network.” http://www.chiropractic.org/files/returning_vets_052708.pdf and Kid Chiropractic. “Chiropractors offer Free Care to Returning US Veterans.” www.kidchiropractic.com.

TRAVELING ENTERTAINERS, DANCERS TURN TO CHIROPRACTIC FOR TOP PERFORMANCE

Did you ever wonder how dancers and traveling entertainers are able to perform at a high physical level show after show? Don’t they suffer from things like sore knees, muscle pulls and sore backs? Toss in lots of late nights, brutal travel schedules and constant physical exertion and you have the formula for all sorts of health concerns.

Enter Chiropractic. One traveling children’s entertainment group from Australia known as 

“Nearly all of the 14 dancers on tour with The Wiggles  were suffering from shin splints, sore knees and hamstring problems from their grueling tour schedule,” said Anthony Field, a founder and original member of the group. This was before they came into contact with Dr. Stoxen. The Wiggles  are famous throughout Australia and are well-known in the United States as a highly interactive and energetic group of performers. They are known for their musical and dance productions, as well as a number of playful characters used to entertain and provide an educational message to children.

“The Wiggles have about 80 people on tour, only 15 of whom are performers. Any one of them could be experiencing health problems that need attention,” said Dr. Stoxen, who is known as a chiropractor to the stars. He is regularly on call to treat any number of performers or athletes who come through his home area of Chicago.

Field went on to talk about the reasons why members of 

Now, Dr. Stoxen is one of a number of chiropractors across the United States who has worked with

Sources: The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. “On the Road with ‘The Wiggles’ and Other Celebrities.” Press Release. October 2007 http://www.f4cp.com/press_releases/index.htm and

Dynamic Chiropractic. “A Day in the Life of a Celebrity Chiropractor, Part I.” February 2008.The Wiggles. These performers have a great appreciation for Chiropractic and how the services of a chiropractor can help to keep them healthy and performing at the top of their ability.The Wiggles cast were coming down with injuries. “Many of their pains were due to lack of proper injury prevention exercises and poor dance performance footwear,” he said. Dr. Stoxen showed us exercises and the right footwear. Once the foot was right, the rest of our bodies were okay.”The Wiggles  has fully embraced Chiropractic as part of their routine. Members of the crew have been using Chiropractic going all the way back to 2004 when they enlisted the services of James Stoxen, DC.

As a nation, the United States is heading toward a sedentary, obese and very unhealthy condition. Individual sickness, unhealthy eating, pharmaceutical drug intake and personal disability are all on the rise. Lost time at work and even the costs for premature death add up to billions of dollars annually.

The question of where to turn for a healthier lifestyle, one which is based on sound practices, together with the elimination of pain and reduced sickness eludes many, many people. Yet, the solution is staring Americans right in the face daily. The answer lies in Chiropractic.

A chiropractor, by training and experience, offers a great deal more to the public than merely skeletal system adjustments and increased function of the nervous system of the body. This alone is a tremendous service, but it is only part of a chiropractor’s many skills which could help to put an entire nation back on the track to better health and fitness.

There was a time in the United States, not long ago, that the call went out from President John F. Kennedy to increase the fitness level of America. This occurred in the early 1960s when the President’s Council on Physical Fitness helped to set standards for both the youth and the adults of America to achieve a better state of well-being. Strides were nicely being made in this direction, but that was over 40 years ago, and now the nation has lapsed back into a state of physical apathy and decline.

Chiropractors, by training, know a great deal about physical fitness, in addition to a lifestyle enhanced by wellness and a more healthful living that is free of drugs. A personal visit to a chiropractor may not put an entire nation back on the track to better health, but it would help one person, you, and that is a great start!

Here are just a few of the benefits of getting more fit under the guidance of a chiropractor: A chiropractor will act as a personal counselor on health and wellness. An overall exercise program that fits a person’s lifestyle and interest will be discovered and encouraged. By the way, overall fitness is known to increase a person’s well-being and do wonders for a person’s back, which is often the source of pain for many people. Finally, improving fitness can help to impact a person’s life and society as well through reduced healthcare costs, visits to physicians, dependency on pharmaceutical drugs and even lost time from work.

There is a study that points to how this individual effort on a small scale could impact and entire area. It is reported that if one sedentary person out of 20 in the state of Michigan were to get on a regular exercise program, the filter down cost savings in the state would total over $575 million annually.

How do you turn the fitness of a nation around you ask? The answer is one person at a time. The solution starts with a low-cost Chiropractic consultation. It’s a visit that could add years to your life, increase your productivity, make living more fun and help out the physical fitness level of a declining nation – all at the same time.

Source: Dynamic Chiropractic. “The High Cost of Inactivity.” August 2008. http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=53375

As more and more athletes are realizing the benefits of Chiropractic in heightening their levels of performance, more and more chiropractors are getting involved with athletes in a variety of sporting activities.

Certainly the biggest athletic stage that involved chiropractors in 2008 was the Olympic Games recently completed in Beijing. Four U.S. based chiropractors played a major role in the 62-person health and fitness contingent that helped the US achieve the most Olympic medals of any country competing in the games.

Chiropractic care is particularly important to athletes on the world stage where fractions of a second determine the difference between a place on the medal stand and going home empty-handed. Also vital is the Chiropractic approach to drug-free care in a world where every Olympic athlete is subject to drug testing. “Chiropractic takes a non-invasive, drug-free approach to healthcare, a position that is now highly regarded among Olympic athletes and their trainers,” said Ted Forcum, DC, of Tigard, Oregon. “Chiropractic care is particularly valuable for pain management and offers athletes highly effective solutions for achieving optimal performance without the use of prescription drugs.” Chiropractors Amor Adams of Oakland, Ernie Ferrel of Santa Barbara, and Michael Reed of Colorado Springs made up the Olympic Chiropractic team.

At another venue, a group of chiropractors have been involved in helping a highly competitive team of disabled veterans compete to the maximum level in such grueling events as triathlons, marathons and 10K runs. Team Semper Fi, a triathlon team made up of disabled war veterans, recently completed in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Series where they performed alongside able-bodied athletes. The events included swimming from Alcatraz Island to the city of San Francisco, biking 18 miles and finishing off with an 8 mile run.

One brave competitor, Eric Frazier, whose spine was paralyzed in combat and now propels his bicycle with his hands and arms said, “After any race, my upper body is in pain because I do it all with my hands and arms. Following Chiropractic care, I find that I perform better.” Another athlete, Dan Lasko, who lost his left leg below his knee in Afghanistan. said, “When it comes to triathlons, Chiropractic has helped out tremendously. I see my chiropractor before the event and a few days later. It just makes me a better athlete overall.”

Bill Morgan, DC, is the staff chiropractor for the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and is also the leader in providing care to the veteran’s group of athletes. “I salute the brave fighters who have overcome so much to compete in these athletic events,” said Dr. Morgan. “I can think of no greater honor than to provide care for those injured while in the service of their country.”

Sources: The World Chiropractic Alliance. “Chiropractors Play Important Role in Olympics.” September 2008.

http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org/tcj/2008/sep/j.htm and The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. Press Release. “Chiropractic Care Helping Heroes Realize

Their Potential in Triathlon Series.” September 2008. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080904/20080904005998.html?.v=1

This August, the eyes of the world will turn to Beijing, China, where we will be treated to marvelous performances from the crème de la crème of the athletically trained world. We will marvel at their skill, be reminded frequently of their sacrifices and be totally impressed with their high level of conditioning.

Yet it is just this fashion of training regimen that lead to some severe health difficulties for one past Olympic-quality athlete. His name is Keith McCormick and he is a chiropractor, a member of the 1976 Olympic team and most recently a competitor in the 2005 Iron Man competition in Hawaii. In retrospect, it is his continued ability to be able to compete in Iron Man events that is most remarkable.

The reason is that 53-year-old Dr. McCormick suffers from osteoporosis. A number of years ago this worldclass athlete became aware of his condition. “I was an Iron Man competitor, Olympic athlete, a young male with no risk factors – not your typical osteoporosis patient. I was 45 and had the skeleton of a 100-year-old woman.”

A typical road to follow for anyone with this type of a diagnosis would be to take a drug for the problem. However, this avenue did not sit well with a man trained as a chiropractor with a much higher wellness approach to healing. “Anything I do, I go all out,” he said. “I’m not going to rely on someone else. They just wanted to give me medicine. I wanted to find out why this happened and fix it the right way.” Basically, he followed the age-old advice of “physician health thyself” and decided to do something positive about his condition.

What Dr. McCormick found through his extensive research that went on for some 2 years is that he was overtraining. For a 1982 Iron Man competition he averaged 35 hours per week of working out, which included 450 miles per week on his bicycle. It turned out that this was just too much work for his skeletal system to handle. The result of his study was a new training schedule and just as importantly, a new diet.

Armed with his new knowledge, he ate better and cut down on his workout time. “I rested more, and I had an impeccable diet – no sweets, lots of fruits and vegetables and nothing too high in protein which can lead to calcium loss. My whole way of attacking dietary nutrition was an aspect I paid more attention to. I realized it’s important that if I train I need to fill my cup afterward.”

This portrait of Dr. McCormick’s success in looking at his health situation and doing something about it is a scenario that all can benefit from – world class athlete or not. Whether you want to find out more for yourself or simply consult a chiropractor to put you onto a healthy lifestyle, the choice is yours. In the meantime, enjoy the Olympics, marvel at the athletic ability on display and see if you can pick up a few tips that might enhance your own health and well-being.

Source: Chiropractic Research. “Iron Man Chiropractor Beats Osteoporosis.” January 2006. http://www.chiropracticresearch.org

The full benefits of Vitamin D may just be coming to light. This “sunshine vitamin” seems to go a long way toward promoting good health and has benefits as well for people fighting the ravages of cancer.

Vitamin D has recently been touted for enhancing health and warding off major health problems. These include providing help in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and hypertension. Additionally, it is known to help in the production of strong bones which reduces the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. In fact, its anti inflammatory properties might also protect against many other diseases and immune disorders.

The recommended daily doses for Vitamin D have been established for some time and are now being looked at for possible increase. Daily recommendations are now set at 200 International Units (IU) per day for persons under the age of 50; 400 IU for those 50 to 70 and 600 IU for those over 70.

Recently, the American Medical Association (AMA) got into the action with a policy statement at the organization’s annual meeting held in Chicago. According to the AMA, the organization would like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to re-examine the current daily intake value of Vitamin D based on new scientific finds about its benefits. “The health benefits of Vitamin D are plentiful, such as strong bones and a reduced risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease,” said AMA Board Member Steven Stack, M.D. “It’s time to take a good look at the current daily recommended level of Vitamin D and ensure that Americans know the appropriate levels so they can reap the full health benefits.”

In a case where a person does contract cancer, having higher levels of Vitamin D present may bode well for their future survival. A study recently conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Harvard University showed that in persons who did contract colon cancer, those with greater Vitamin D levels had a much higher chance of survival than those with lower Vitamin D amounts.

For this study, researchers identified 304 colon cancer victims from between 1991 and 2002. Each had provided a blood sample at least 2 years before they became ill with colon cancer. The group was divided into four quartiles.

The highest Vitamin D levels were assigned to the top 25 percent and the lowest levels to the bottom quartile. During the time of the study until 2005, 123 of the patients died, 96 of them dying from the cancer.

Researchers found that those in the highest quartile were 48 percent less likely to succumb to colon cancer than those in the lowest group of Vitamin D levels. “Our data suggests that the higher pre-diagnosis plasma levels of Vitamin D after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer may significantly improve overall survival,” the authors of the study said. “Future trials should examine the role of Vitamin D supplementation in patients with colorectal cancer.”

It looks like a lot more is going to be said and written about the healthful and healing qualities of Vitamin D in the near future and there is a very good chance the daily recommended levels may go higher.

Sources: Harvard Medical School, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “Study Links Vitamin D to Colon Cancer Survival.” June 2008. http://www.danafarber.

org/abo/news/press/2008/study-links-vitamin-d-to-colon-cancer-survival.html and The American Medical Association. “AMA Adopts New Public

Health Policies at Annual Meeting.” June 2008.http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/18696.html

The oldest member of the 2008 Olympic U.S. Track and Field squad that competed in Beijing, China, this year is a 40-year-old pole vaulter who relies heavily on Chiropractic to keep competing on the international stage. This was the second Olympic appearance for Jeff Hartwig, who also competed

in the 1996 Games in Atlanta where he finished in 11th position. Jeff has been receiving Chiropractic treatment from Dr. Ted Forcum, D.C. of Tigard, Oregon. Dr. Forcum is one of 4 chiropractors that were members of a 62-person healthcare group who treated over 400 U.S. Olympic athletes in Beijing. “Without Chiropractic care, I doubt that I would ever havebeen able to reach these levels or been able to train at such an intense level,” said Hartwig.

Following his first Olympic experience, Jeff went on to set the American pole vault record in 1998 when he cleared the bar at 19 feet, 9 inches. Fortunately, he didn’t have to jump quite this high to qualify for Beijing, when his vault of 18 feet, 8 inches made him the oldest member of this year’s team.

Jeff credits some amazing results from Chiropractic as the reason he is able to continue competing: “The first time I was treated by a chiropractor was akin to a miracle. It was a much better option than simply using conventional medicine because my injuries healed faster and my whole body felt better.”

The history of Chiropractic being available to help athletes like Jeff goes back to the year 1980 and the Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. Since then, chiropractors have joined with medical doctors, massage therapists and certified athletic trainers to provide health care services to America’s gathering of elite athletes.

“Chiropractic fulfills a niche need, not only by treating injuries but also by aiding in recovery and positively impacting athletic performance,” said Dr. Forcum. “Chiropractors promote active care and treatment with a commitment to healthy progression and rehabilitation.” Jeff had to be pleased, at the age of almost 41, to be a member of the U.S. team and to participate in Beijing. However, being a competitive athlete, his performance in the Olympic pole vault qualifying round that left him only 4 inches short of making it into the finals had to be somewhat disappointing.

His best vault in Beijing was 18 feet, 2 inches and it took 18 feet, 6 inches for 12 of the 38 competitors in the field to make the final round of jumping.

Now, with the 2012 Olympic Games planned for London looming just 4 years away, it will be interesting to see if Jeff might have one more appearance left in him. With Chiropractic services available to him and an elite athlete’s desire to keep on competing, only time will tell.

Source: The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. “Jeff Hartwig, Oldest American to Qualify for the Olympic Team in Pole Vaulting, Attributes Success to Chiropractic

People who are under a great deal of stress in their lives often have a more difficult time staying healthy than those who lead a more relaxed lifestyle. Caregivers, soldiers, astronauts and business managers are just some who fall into this group with high stress lifestyles. Now, research at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) sheds some light on why people in situations of long-term high stress may find it difficult to ward off illness.

It all starts with the release of the hormone cortisol into the blood stream during situations of stress. Cortisol is produced by the body in the outer layer of the adrenal glands. “When the body is under stress, it boosts production of cortisol to support a ‘fight or flight’ response,” according to Rita Effros, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “If the hormone remains elevated in the bloodstream for long periods of time, though, it wears down the immune system.” And this is what happens to people who are subjected to long-term stress.

Researchers found that cortisol has a negative effect on the length of telomeres in immune cells. Telomeres are a region of DNA at the end of a chromosome that protect the genetic coding from shortening during each cell division. According to previous research, an enzyme called telomerase in each cell helps the telomere to retain its normal length as it continues to divide.

To make a long story short, cortisol in the system suppresses the ability of the immune cells to activate telomerase. When this occurs, it opens the door to the shortening of telomeres. Persons under constant stress were found to have shorter telomeres, which made them more susceptible to all sorts of illness and diseases including HIV, osteoporosis, heart disease and aging.

According to Ms. Effros, the UCLA research has a goal of improving people’s health and their future susceptibility to illness, particularly if they are under a great deal of stress. “We are testing therapeutic ways of enhancing telomerase levels to help the immune system ward off cortisol’s effect. As her research is being conducted through a school of medicine, she had this to add: “If we’re successful, one day a pill may exist to strengthen the immune system’s ability to weather chronic emotional stress.”

An alternate and much safer solution to the “pill of the future” would be a vitamin supplementation which is already available today. Vitamin makers and the natural healthcare field have developed a number of products that work to provide stress relief and adrenal support through supplementation.

Speak to you natural healthcare provider to see what recommendations might be available to help combat and counteract the effects of both short-and long-term stress on the body – and, stay healthy!

Source: The University of California Los Angeles. “UCLA Study Identifies Mechanism Behind Mind-body Connection.”

July 2008. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/uoc–usi071508.php and ScienceDaily. “Mechanism Behind Mind-body Connection Discovered.”

July 2008. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715152325.htm

If you’ve ever wondered if a single Chiropractic adjustment can have an immediate positive affect on a person’s life, have a look at the results of this recent study.

The study was conducted on 70 patients who reported neck pain and were tested standardly for both range of motion and level of discomfort. The results were reported in

The Journal of Manipulative and PhysiologicalTherapeutics

The subjects were then randomly divided into two groups. The Chiropractic adjustment group received a single high impact, low amplitude (HVLA) treatment. The second group received a treatment simply aimed at mobilization of the neck. All of the participants were again tested for range of motion and pain 5 minutes after receiving their procedure.

The results showed that members of both groups benefited from their treatment in range of motion and pain reduction. This was found by comparing pre-treatment and post-treatment figures.

However, the researchers discovered than those subjects who received the HVLA Chiropractic adjustment had far superior results that the group that had just the mobilization done on them.

The researchers also noted that it did not matter if the subject was a man or a woman. Basically, the group that received the Chiropractic adjustment had less pain and a better range of motion when tested 5 minutes after the procedure was performed.

Now, it should be noted that the aim of this study was only to measure the short term results of a Chiropractic adjustment, so no long term follow up was done on any of the subjects.

The article noted that most chiropractors believe that a series of adjustments are needed to create a lasting change in the spine and the nervous system. However, this study does confirm that even a single specific adjustment does create an immediate positive change. And, researchers pointed out, a Chiropractic adjustment is much more effective that random physical mobilization such as was received by the control group in this study.