Dr. Beecher’s July 4th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, July 4th, 2011
Mental Attitude: Suicidal Teens And Eating Disorders. Teens 13-18 years old suffering from anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders are more likely to suffer from suicidal thoughts, anxiety disorders and substance abuse. 0.3% of the teens surveyed reported suffering from anorexia nervosa and 0.9% from bulimia nervosa. A full 1.6% suffered from binge eating disorder. One third of those with bulimia actually attempted suicide. 15% of those with binge eating had and about
8% of those with anorexia had attempted the same. 55-88% of teens with eating disorders also reported such problems as anxiety, depression, or a behavioral disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, May 2011
Health Alert: Uninsured Unable To Pay Hospital Bills. 50 million Americans are uninsured. Most uninsured people have virtually no savings, half with less than $20 net worth. Half of families with income at 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, or $89,400 a year, have financial assets below $4,100. Every year, 2 million uninsured Americans are hospitalized, with 58% of these hospital stays resulting in bills of more than $10,000. US Dept Health and Human Services, May 2011
Diet: Weight Management Tips. 1.Fruit. Fruit contains vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Consumption of fiber is associated with lower body weight and gives a feeling of fullness. 2. Keep hydrated. Feeling tired or hungry? You may just be thirsty. Drink at least 6 glasses of water a day. Water helps your body transport nutrients and eliminate toxins. 3.
Close the kitchen. When you finish a meal, clean the dishes and turn off the lights. Tell yourself the kitchen is now closed.
Family Features, April 2011
Exercise: Exercise and Colds. Regular exercise helps jump-start the immune system, thus helping to reduce the number of colds, flu and other viruses. Mayo Clinic, May 2011
Chiropractic: The Nervous System Connected To The Immune System? The neurotransmitter norepinephrine is present in sympathetic nerve fibers that innervate lymphoid organs and act on the spleen. Norepinephrine in lymphoid organs plays a significant role in the regulation of the immune system. Stressful conditions lead to altered measures of immune function, and altered susceptibility to a variety of diseases. Many stimuli, which primarily act on the central nervous system, can profoundly alter immune responses. The two routes available to the central nervous system are neuroendocrine channels and autonomic nerve channels. The Chiropractic Research Journal, 1994
Wellness/Prevention: Minutes Of Exercise A Day Can Keep The Pain Away. As little as 2 minutes of exercise a day can reduce pain and tenderness in adults with neck and shoulder problems. After 10 weeks, the 2-minutes-per-day exercise group experienced significant reductions of neck and should pain (decreased 1.4 points out of 10) and tenderness (decreased 4.2 points out of 32). The 12-minutes-per-day exercise group had slightly larger reductions in pain and tenderness (an extra .5 and .2 points, respectively). American College of Sports Medicine, May 2011
Quote: “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” ~ Lance Armstrong
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s May 2011 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!
VOLUME 11 ISSUE 5
In Good Hands
A Free Monthly Newsletter For The Friends and Patients of Ward Beecher DC
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” – E. E. Cummings
Is Cutting Your Risk Of These 4 Deadly Diseases IN HALF Really This Easy?
New research shows a simple way you may be able to decrease your risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes by a whopping 50%!
Also in this issue:
- What you must know if you use sunscreen or try to stay out of the sun
- New study shows diet may help ADHD kids more than drugs
- WARNING: Research shows exercise may be harmful to your health? Really?
- Shocking new research on anti-depression medications and a possible way to beat depression!
Plus, the story that will touch your heart: What does a blind man do when his guide dog goes blind – the answer is amazing.
Houston – We’ve all heard it, but who really lives by these wise words “An ounce of…” in the first place?
Maybe we are all just a little lazy and like to take the easy way out, at least most of the time?
Come on – you are amongst friends – you can admit it! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?
Maybe “cures” are “sexier” than simply preventing the mess in the first place? J
Or, maybe it’s because “prevention” can be a pain in the you know what? Always finding and preparing the right foods can be time consuming and expensive.
Exercising is exercising! It’s no mistake the word “work” is in workout!
But, what if there was an easy way to be healthier than you are right now?
What if there was a simple way to decrease your risk of 4 deadly diseases by 50% that took almost no time and was inexpensive…
Would You Do It?
Well, according to a new study, there may be.
Now, this is not a substitute for eating right, exercising, reducing stress and getting check-ups. But, it is something everyone should look into because it might help you a great deal.
Here’s what this is all about: The current government recommendation for Vitamin D intake is 400-600 international units (IU) per day. 400 IU was found to be the minimum amount of Vitamin D needed to prevent rickets over a century ago.
But “minimum” and “optimum” are two very different things…
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, have reported that markedly higher intake of Vitamin D is needed to reach blood levels that can prevent or markedly cut the incidence of breast cancer and several other major diseases than originally thought.
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The results were published on February 21 in the journal Anticancer Research.
According to a EurikAlert press release on February 22, 2011, “We found that daily intakes of Vitamin D by adults in the range of 4000-8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of Vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce, by about half the risk, several diseases; breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and Type 1 diabetes,” said Cedric Garland, DrPH, Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. “I was surprised to find that the intakes required to maintain Vitamin D status for disease prevention were so high – much higher than the minimal intake of Vitamin D of 400 IU/day that was needed to defeat rickets in the 20th century. I was not surprised by this,” said Robert P. Heaney, MD, of Creighton University, a distinguished biomedical scientist who has studied Vitamin D needs for several decades.
“This result was what our dose-response studies predicted, but it took a study such as this, of people leading their everyday lives, to confirm it.”
The studies also said only about 10% of people have this new appropriate level of Vitamin D in their blood – and these are mostly people who work outdoors.
Trading Skin Cancer For
More Deadly Cancers?
With recent recommendations for people to stay out of the sun or use high SPF sunscreens, people are sure to fall very short of the Vitamin D intake they need.
According to the press release, “Now that the results of this study are in, it will become common for almost every adult to take 4000 IU/day,” Garland said. “This is comfortably under the 10,000 IU/day that the IOM Committee Report considers as the lower limit of risk, and the benefits are substantial.” He added that people who may have contraindications should discuss their Vitamin D needs with their family doctor.
“Now is the time for virtually everyone to take more Vitamin D to help prevent some major types of cancer, several other serious illnesses, and fractures,” said Heaney.
Research: The Dangers Of
Second-Hand Smoke In Cars With Children
“While the evidence is incomplete, there is enough available to support legislation against letting people smoke in cars with children,” states an article in Canadian Medical Association Journal (as reported by Science Daily on January 10, 2011).
Even though second-hand smoke was not shown to be 23 times more dangerous as some had claimed – “It can still be very harmful to children.”
Groundbreaking Study: Anti-Depressants
No Better Than Placebo
Napoleon Hill, author of the self-help bible “Think and Grow Rich”, is quoted as saying: “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” He also said we become our dominant thoughts. Research is showing he may be 100% accurate with those statements… especially the latter.
Here is why: Starting in 1998, studies began to raise questions about the “scientific proof” behind the widespread use of antidepressants versus placebos. University of Connecticut researchers, Irving Kirsch and Guy Sapirstein, found
antidepressants seemed to get results, but so did placebos.
In 38 studies conducted with over 3,000 depressed patients, placebos improved symptoms 75 percent as much as legitimate medications.
“We wondered, what’s going on?” said Kirsch in a
2010 interview with Newsweek. The medical community, skeptical of his analysis, asked him to instigate a more comprehensive study with the results of all clinical trials conducted by antidepressant manufacturers, including those unpublished – 47 studies in total.
Over half of the studies showed no significant difference in the depression-alleviating effects of a medicated versus non-medicated pill. With this more thorough analysis, which now included strategically unpublished studies from pharmaceutical companies, placebos were shown to improve symptoms 82 percent as much as the real pill.
According to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International: “However, if experts and antidepressant manufacturers are aware of this, the general public certainly isn’t … Millions of people every year feel better, simply because they believe they’ll feel better.”
To all of our patients who wish to read our monthly newsletter and weekly health news updates online, we have 2 options.
You can go to BeecherChiropractic.com/blog
or www.facebook.com/BeecherChiropractic
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Presented by Beecher Chiropractic Clinic 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston TX 77062 (281) 286-1300
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)
What Does A Blind Man Do When His Guide Dog Goes Blind?
The answer to that question is an incredible story that will warm your heart and may even change your life…
Have you ever faced a situation that made you feel depressed?
Maybe it was a difficult choice you had to make in your life? Or you were facing tough times and you couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel?
At the time, things seemed so miserable you didn’t know what to do. Maybe you even felt like throwing your hands in the air and walking away.
Quitting
Who knows… maybe you are even facing a situation in your life like that right now. Many people are. Well, the truth of the matter is:
Nothing In Life Is Either As Good… Or As Bad… As It First Seems
And even though you cannot always control the things that happen to you – you can always control your reaction to those things and their long-term end results.
A wise man once said, “If you wrote down all of your problems on a piece paper and put it in a hat with 10 other people’s problems… and everyone picked someone else’s problems out of that hat… in no time flat everyone would want their own problems back!”
For example, think about all your problems and write them down. Put them in a hat and trade them with Graham Waspe. Graham is blind. He has very limited vision in only one eye after two incidents earlier in his life. But, I bet if you picked Graham’s list from that hat, he wouldn’t have even listed blind as a problem. Well, maybe he would’ve, but I doubt it.
Actually, I bet when you picked Graham’s list, it would’ve been blank. Why? Because the smart money says Graham doesn’t view anything in his life as a problem… he only sees potential solutions.
For example, because Graham cannot see, he has a guide dog named Edward. Graham and Edward did just about everything together. Edward was literally Graham’s eyes for six years of faithful service. Then disaster struck, or at least what most people would consider disaster. Edward developed an inoperable problem and had to have both of his eyes removed. How did Graham react? Did he pout? Throw his hands in the air and quit? Did he curse the day he was born?
No, No and NO!
Graham solved the problem – for both of them. Graham got Opal. Opal is another guide dog who now guides Graham and Edward! Just imagine, a guide dog leading a blind guide dog leading a blind man.
You see, when you hear a story like that it makes you realize a couple things. The first is: no matter what you are going through, there is always a solution. The only way you don’t find a solution is if you stop looking.
Second: Life is short and you should make the best of every situation and enjoy every moment of your life. It really is the small things that truly make us happy. Like Graham going for a walk with Opal and Edward, or the smile and laugh of a child, or opening your eyes tomorrow to a new and wonderful day, as wonderful as you choose to make it. Or maybe more correct – as wonderful as you choose to interpret it. There is beauty all around us… many times we just forget to recognize and acknowledge it. Make it a point to do something fun and wonderful each and every day… you won’t regret it.
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger. You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!
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Presented by Beecher Chiropractic Clinic 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston TX 77062 (281) 286-1300
Did You Know?…
The average cost of developing and bringing a new prescription drug to market is $802 million. It usually takes between
10 and 15 years to develop and bring a new medication to market. • Over 90% of drugs entering clinical trials fail to make it to market. • Large manufacturers spend twice as much on advertising and marketing costs than they do on research costs. • Each year in the United States, more than 160 million prescriptions are written for antibiotics. Annually, humans consume 235 million doses of antibiotics. It is estimated that 20%-50% of that use is unnecessary. • Why is it so difficult to find a powerful pain-killing medication that does not also produce addiction? Over the years, pharmaceutical companies have tried to separate these two pharmacological qualities. Perhaps because the brain areas involved with pain reduction and those involved with drug dependence are connected, it has been almost impossible to find powerful “non-addicting” painkillers? On the other hand, perhaps dependence on drugs and pain reduction are two different phenomena that will someday be separated, as more refined research evolves in this important area? • By law when a physician prescribes drugs for a patient, the physician is required to ensure the patient is fully informed of the drugs risks and benefits and consents to the drug therapy with full informed knowledge. Statistics show that this occurs in less than 20% of the patient population.
Tip Of The Month – Has Research Proven That Exercise Is Bad For Your Heart?
Exercise is good for you… right? Everyone knows eating right, exercising, reducing stress and routine maintenance check-ups are the key to living up to your genetic potential.
Well, a new study just found a certain type of exercise seems to be bad for your heart. Here’s the scoop: Not too long ago, researchers conducted a study on the heart health of a group of very fit older athletes — men who had been part of a National or Olympic team in distance running or rowing, or runners who had completed at least 100 marathons. All of the men had
trained and competed throughout their adult lives and continued to strenuously exercise. The results were not good. Half of these lifelong athletes showed evidence of heart muscle scarring. None of the younger athletes or the older non-athletes had fibrosis in their hearts. The affected men were the ones who had trained the longest and hardest. Now, a new study done on rats has reproduced similar findings.
In this study, published in the journal, Circulation, Canadian and Spanish scientists prodded young, healthy male rats to run at an intense pace, day after day, for three months, which is the equivalent of about 10 years, in human terms. At the beginning of the study, the rats had perfectly normal hearts. At the end of the training period, heart scans showed that most of the rodents had developed diffuse scarring and some structural changes, similar to the changes seen in the human endurance athletes. A control group of rats did not develop the heart changes, but when the rats stopped running, their hearts returned to normal within 8 weeks.
What Does All This Mean For You?
According to Dr. Paul Thompson, the Chief of Cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, and an expert on sports cardiology, in terms of exercise, unless you are going to the extreme like the elite athletes in the study, probably not much. He was one of the peer reviewers for the British athlete study. He said, “How many people are going to join the
100 Marathon club or undertake a comparable amount of training? Not many. Too much exercise has not been a big problem in America. Most people just run to stay in shape, and for them, the evidence is quite strong that endurance exercise is good [for the heart].”
So, What IS Important For You In All Of This?
One word: Moderation. Health really seems to be all about moderation. That goes for the foods you eat, the exercise you do and the stress you deal with. Not enough is not good, but too much can be just as bad. Sadly, most people think if something is good – more is better. There is an optimal level or range for everything. Above or below that level – for any length of time – leads to abnormal stress, strain and problems. When you are looking to get in shape and be healthy, you must first discover the proper definitions of in shape and health.
Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal and maintain the health and function that you deserve.
This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please call our office at 281-286-1300.
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Presented by Beecher Chiropractic Clinic 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston TX 77062 (281) 286-1300
Long-Term Results for Neck Injury
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: A neck injury such as a pulled muscle or a “knot” in the muscle is something we’ve all experienced. These little aches and pains usually go away on their own, or with a little massage from a loved one. But sometimes the neck injury is more substantial, such as in a whiplash or sports injury. In the case of long term effects of whiplash or other neck injuries, the ligaments such as the disk can be injured, and the nerves can be inflamed and irritated as well.
The long-term effect for neck pain is not good. Patients continue to suffer years later. One study looked at outcomes after five years and found that about 50% of patients continued to have pain and disability.
When the ligaments and muscles of the cervical spine are injured, the patient may guard their movements and not use certain muscles. This can lead to muscle weakness over time. As the neck muscles go, so goes the rest of the spine, or at least that’s what recent research shows. The investigators looked at a specific exercise that used the core trunk muscles. They followed the neck pain patients for two years and found that those with neck pain tended to get trunk muscle dysfunction, and eventually low back pain.
Following traumatic injuries to the neck, it is important to have a proper examination including x-ray. Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step to getting you the treatment you need.
One study has shown that early intervention (within 4 days) in whiplash injury such as whiplash treatment, gave patients more relief, when compared to delayed (14 days) treatment.
As discussed above, many patients become chronic and have long-term pain after neck injuries. Others will develop secondary low back pain two years down the road. Because of these long-term effects, it is important to treat neck injuries in a serious manner. Ice will usually not be sufficient. These mechanical types of problems are also not correctable through medications and neck collars.
Specific chiropractic care following sprains to the neck may move the joints into better alignment and ease tension on the tissues. Mobility disorders such as limited range can also be improved with specific adjustments. As the joints begin to move more normally, exercises can be added to improve strength and range of motion. By treating neck problems appropriately and early on, the patient will be afforded the best chance for long-term success.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment with your best chiropractor in Houston for neck pain treatment by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Dr. Beecher’s January 17th, 2011 Chiropractic Newsletter
This weeks Health News Update discusses health advice for cold weather, the benefits of fruits and vegetables, how yoga could help the prison population and the benefits of chiropractic care.
To download this week’s newsletter, please click here.
Low Back Pain and Your Emotions
Clear Lake City Doctor Comments: This article discusses how anger and emotional expression may affect your back pain. For years many medical doctors thought back pain was more of an issue in the brain than the spine. Research has shown this to be the case in many who are disabled from work. But mechanical sprain injuries of the spine are also critical to body function and how much pain you may experience. You just cannot separate the brain from the body and expect to tackle a difficult problem like low back pain.
Researchers at Duke University looked at this complex problem by measuring the amount of emotional expression, anger, and back pain in patients. The studies included 61 persons with chronic low back pain. The results were quite interesting. Patients who reported greater conflict with regard to expressing emotions may be experiencing higher pain and anger.
Have you ever considered that how you express your emotions could affect how much the back hurts? Do you hold on to angry thoughts and feelings? Ignoring these issues does not make the problem go away. And covering-up your emotions with a cocktail of medications doesn’t seem like a good long-term solution, especially with the unhealthy side effects that can sometimes occur.
Of course there is a difference between “blowing up” at someone and expressing emotions appropriately. Have you tried opening up to someone? A friend or counselor can help show how your emotions can be dealt with constructively. Some patients have severe emotional conflicts and may require psychological support. Others can become more “in tune” with the emotional side of life through simple awareness. Does your back flare up around emotional periods of your life? We can help with the mechanical stresses of the spine, but to maximize your potential you have to consider emotions and the brain. By integrating a mind-body approach to health, the complexity of back pain is addressed more fully. This may get you more engaged with life, more active, and with a healthy outgoing attitude.
Being in chronic pain is no fun, for us, as well as our friends and family. So if you think your emotions (or lack of emotions) may have something to do with your back pain, consult a competent health care provider who addresses the whole person. When patients can confront these issues in a calm and supportive environment, the need for medications if often reduced.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Headache Triggers and Causes
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: We often think headaches are caused by different stressful triggers. It could be long days at work, or staring at a computer screen all night, or the aggravation of a long commute in a traffic jam. Some of us get headaches after drinking red wine, or eating certain foods. While these triggers make headaches develop and worsen, they are not the underlying cause of the problem. Some people get headaches after exercise or working in the garden but these activities cannot be considered the cause-they are aggravating factors.
What is often overlooked is: why are your defenses no match for these minor life stressors? Why do you get the headache and your friend who has the same experiences does not? Even in the case of the flu you have to consider the strength of the person’s immune system more so than the virus. Older adults who get the flu tend to have a worse problem than someone younger.
In the same way you have to look at symptoms such as head pain. Serious causes such as tumors or strokes have to be ruled out, but these types of problems are very rare. Headaches are common in society today. Have you seen the pain reliever aisle at the supermarket recently? I think over-the-counter medications are one of the new ‘food” groups.
But consider common causes for headaches. Is there a spinal problem that causes the neck to go forward creating tightness and muscle tension? What is the underlying weakness that needs to be corrected? We rarely look at the causes of things. Our healthcare system is more concerned with covering up bothersome symptoms with medications. A more long-term and natural solution is to seek out the underlying cause of a problem and get it fixed. In many cases it is the spinal injury that is producing weakness that causes the headache. Getting these problems corrected can get you back in the game and improve your quality of life. Imagine a future where exercise will no longer be a headache trigger, but a way to further strengthen your body.
Pain is an expression by the body of a problem. It is a signal to your brain that something is wrong and action needs to be taken. Rather than masking the symptoms, why not consider consulting a doctor of chiropractic to see if there is an underlying spinal cause?
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Designated Doctors In The Texas Worker’s Comp System
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: Recently I was asked again to co-chair a conference in Dallas, Texas to help teach all types of doctors (medical, osteopathic and chiropractic) how to become Designated Doctors in the Texas Dept. of Insurance, Division of Worker’s Compensation. The course was co-sponsored by the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP) http://www.aadep.org/ and the Texas Council of Chiropractic Orthopedists (TCCO) http://www.texascouncilofchiropracticorthopedist.org . The Designated Doctor Training Seminar is designed to provide doctors and other health care providers with methods of determining maximum medical improvement (MMI) and of calculating the appropriate impairment rating using the AMA Guides, Fourth Edition, to follow the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (Division) approved core curriculum for doctors seeking full authorization to perform the new functions of the DD under HB7 and for health care providers performing ROM, sensory, and motor testing for those doctors, to fulfill the MMI and impairment rating requirements per the new Rules of the Division to introduce the use of ODG and MDA and to introduce the issues involved in determining causality.
The 2005 legislature made significant changes in the Texas workers’ compensation system with HB7. The TDI Division of Workers’ Compensation has new Rules that require the Designated Doctor to have completed new training in order to be and stay on the Designated Doctor lists. In addition, the Designated Doctor role was expanded in HB7 to include determining and resolving issues regarding MMI, the impairment rating, return to work, causality, and treatment.
While there is a substantial amount of material to cover over a 2 day period, the course went very well. Being able to be well versed in the AMA’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fourth Edition takes time and a concerted effort. As always, the seminar was well received with many interesting questions and discussions. To all doctors who wish to be on the approved doctors list with TDI-DWC, study the AMA Guides and take the course and you will have a good understanding of how to help the injured workers in Texas.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Are Physical Therapists Like Chiropractors?
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: This is a fairly common question that I get asked in my office. While the simple answer is no, physical therapists do have some similarities in treatment to chiropractors. First and foremost, each individual practitioner in each profession treats in his/her own unique way so the comments below are generalities.
Doctors of Chiropractic (DC’s) diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system which affect the nervous system and therefore one’s general health.
Chiropractors aim to maintain, restore, maximize and develop one’s functional ability through specific spinal adjustments, physical modalities and rehabilitative or therapeutic exercises. Physical therapists use rehabilitation therapy and general mobilizations, usually under the orders of a doctor, to help restore a patient to their pre-accident or illness status. Chiropractors use a holistic approach to treatment that focuses not only on the physical, but the psychological, social and emotional well being of the individual through diagnosis, treatment and intervention. The chiropractor then will typically give the patient home based exercises and stretches to prevent a reoccurrence after care is completed.
Chiropractic doctor’s practice combines aspects from both alternative and mainstream medicine. Most chiropractors work with the patients other doctors to coordinate the necessary care of the patient based on the diagnosis that we determine thru our own specific examination. Depending on the specialty of the chiropractor, he/she may have a more nutritional, neurological, sports or in my case orthopedic type of practice.
Physical therapists (PT’s) on the other hand practice in different settings such as outpatient clinics, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, extended care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, hospices, education and research centers, occupational environments and fitness centers. Care is typically directed by the diagnosis and orders of a doctor, though some PT’s are currently allowed direct access.
Chiropractic doctors and physical therapists are both currently using evidence based research to expand their knowledge and further help our patients. Hopefully in the future DC’s, PT’s and other providers of physical medicine will work together for the greater good of our patients with all providers knowing the strengths and limitations of their care.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com. or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
