Category: Health

In 2013, the Council on Chiropractic Practice published the fourth edition of Clinical Practice Guidelines. (Fun fact: This was the year of my matriculation to chiropractic school.) I may be five years behind schedule, but I finally gave it a read, and I must say that I find their definition of subluxation particularly thought-provoking.

 

“Subluxation is a neurological imbalance or distortion in the body associated with adverse and/or structural changes, which may become persistent and progressive. The most frequent site for the chiropractic correction of the subluxation is via the vertebral column.”

 

Note that this definition does not make any reference to joints, but rather to “distortion in the body.” Also notice that structural changes may or may not be observed, and therefore are not required to diagnose subluxation. Contrast this definition with the World Health Organization and Medicare definition. The CCP definition is undoubtedly the broadest.

 

I’ve added the CCP definition to the What is subluxation? page on this website because I find it quite monumental and because the diversity of definitions reminds me of a brief remark by our business and professional foundations professor: that there is no one, agreed-upon definition of subluxation. Indeed, even though there is an original philosophy of chiropractic, there is a multitude of sub-philosophies and interpretations thereof. The diversity also reminds me of a public speaking project assigned by the same business professor, wherein we could either talk about why we are interested in chiropractic or what is our chiropractic philosophy. Though almost all of my classmates chose to talk about their journey to chiropractic school, I spoke about my chiropractic philosophy. I remember the beaming smile on my professor’s face after I finished my speech, even though I know he disagreed on at least some of my points.

 

Thus, to promote diversity of thought, I’d like to invite you to contribute your definition of subluxation and/or chiropractic, which, with your permission, I’d like to showcase on a separate page on this website. Don’t feel as if you have to be a health professional in order to formulate a definition. As you know, I’m curious about innate intelligence, and I think that streams of thought reflect the innate. If you’re brave, do share your thoughts in the comments, or let me know at your next appointment.

As you know, I was out of the office on Wednesday, meeting with a colleague. I accompanied a patient to visit Dr. Chasse, a physical therapist who performs Matrix Repatterning. We have been doing this for a few months now, as this patient has told me that while chiropractic is beneficial, her experience with this particular form of manual therapy was especially life-changing. Because I had never heard of this therapy, and because I have a propensity to be a lifelong learner, we set up appointments with Dr. Chasse in which I would observe and study, while the patient receives the treatment. It’s a wonderful arrangement, and I look forward to the (more or less) monthly trip to Orange. I’m happy to report that on Wednesday, Dr. Chasse allowed me to participate in delivering portions of the treatment.

 

Matrix Repatterning is very subtle, and therefore challenging to explain in words. Chiropractic is performed through the alignment of bones by the manipulation of joints, in order to positively alter function by achieving optimal structure. Matrix Repatterning is also concerned with alignment, but accomplishes this through moving the fascia. It proposes that the fascia, because its function is the separation of muscle and organ, has therapeutic effects on both. While both the patient and Dr. Chasse hope that I attend the seminar to become certified in this technique, I may not be able to make it this year. It is a future goal, however.

 

Have you ever heard of or experienced Matrix Repatterning? How would you describe it and how was your experience? Let me know in the comments or at your next appointment.

In March, a series of articles published by The Lancet made even more news when Good Morning America featured their findings in a TV segment. GMA summarized the recommendations as follows:

 

1. Stay active.
2. Educate yourself about low back pain and pain management. (To help you with this, check out my series on mind-body methods for managing pain.)
3. Try superficial heat, spinal manipulation therapy (SMT), massage, and acupuncture. FYI, SMT = chiropractic.
4. If #3 fails, try NSAIDs.

 

The Lancet articles posit that low back pain is the number one cause of disability in the world, but most cases are “nonspecific.” In other words, a specific cause (fracture, inflammatory processes, etc.) cannot be pinpointed. Their detailed recommendations for treatment of nonspecific low back pain are as follows:

 

1. Avoid opioids.
2. Decrease use of imaging, medication, and surgery. If all options (see #3) fail, the lowest effective dose of NSAIDs can be used for the shortest possible amount of time.
3. Manage with self-care, physical and psychological therapies, SMT, and other complementary and alternative medicine.
4. Because the brain starts to draw a connection between the presence of pain and disability, treatment should focus on reframing beliefs about pain and cultivating new behaviors in response to pain.

 

This is quite a glowing review of chiropractic and its powerful role in treating low back pain. It’s inspiring to see this system of health care make its rounds in the media, with increasing frequency, even though it comes across my desk a few months late (oops!).

 

Questions about low back pain or the article? Ask me in the comments, or at your next appointment.

A few days ago, a classmate from chiropractic school contacted me via Facebook.

 

“Hi Wei Wei, I hope you are doing wonderful! I’ve recently opened my own practice in Algoma, WI. A couple years ago you told me about some natural ADD supplements. I was wondering if you would tell me your recommendations for natural supplements. Thank you!”

 

I remember having this conversation with her when we were students. I shared that I had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and that as a child and much of early adulthood, I had managed it with medication. A few years prior to our conversation, I was speaking to another friend, who also had this condition and who told me that she had started using caffeine, in the form of coffee, to manage. I tried it, and it worked for me. I was thrilled. I started drinking coffee on the days I didn’t take medication, such as on weekends or on vacation. (To qualify this statement, in adulthood, my psychiatrist had told me that I didn’t need to take the medication every day, but only when I needed it. If you have prescribed medication(s), you’ll have to take it/them as instructed, which may not mirror the instructions I was given.) A few years later, another friend with ADHD (we have quite a community) revealed that she used rhodiola. I gave this a try, and was again elated when it worked for me.

 

And thus, I answered my colleague, “coffee and rhodiola,” but I made a mental note to look into this further. I have, and I would like to share with you what I’ve found. Natural Medicines is a database that “grades” complementary and alternative therapies on their efficacy. In other words, it summarizes the evidence and lets you know what chemicals and what methods have significant, limited, or no clinical research support to treat this, that, or the other condition. I did a search for ADHD and the following compounds and therapy are “possibly effective,” according to the current research evidence:

 

• Fish oil: may improve attention, cognitive function, and behavior in children with ADHD
• Massage (!): given for 2-4 weeks, can improve mood and behavior in children with ADHD
• Zinc: can improve symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and impaired socialization in some children with ADHD; may NOT improve attention deficit

 

What’s missing? My recommendations, caffeine and rhodiola! In fact, Natural Medicines ranks caffeine as “possibly ineffective” in treatment of ADHD and its sequelae. The database has no commentary on rhodiola (!), in regards to the condition, implying that the research is sparse in this area, if not nonexistent.

 

What does this mean? I think this is a very poignant lesson in how powerful the placebo effect is. No matter our education level, there is so much more to learn. Prior knowledge can and should be modified with modern evidence. And in time, everything can gradually be illuminated.

 

Have you ever experienced a placebo effect? Let me know in the comments, or at your next appointment.

If you’ve been in the clinic lately, you’ll know that I’ve been streaming the World Cup. The competition was fierce this year, and the performances were incredible. Even though I didn’t predict that they would win this year, congratulations to France!

 

Now that the games have paused, I’ve resumed the regularly scheduled classical music at the clinic. Yesterday, I was particularly fond of this mix, and it got me thinking, what music do you play at your place of work, if any? I play music in the clinic because I find that it helps me concentrate and that it has a calming effect on patients.

 

What experiences have you had with working to music? Let me know in the comments, or at your next appointment.

A while ago, I shared an article about eating right. I contacted my professor of nutrition at chiropractic school, Dr. Paul Ratte, to get his opinion about this article. His comments are as follows:

 

“I agree and disagree. I’m not sure I take everything they say at face value. They are interpreting the research and what they say is not conclusive. A bit of plant based bias. But I don’t completely disagree.

 

“I’m still going to stick with my rule of 1869. I’m fearful of new foods. And our ancestors ate whatever they could get in their geographic area. Some variation of animals, animal products, grains, and tubers. Grains and tubers are relatively new, but certainly were around in 1869. Saturated fats have been in the diet for a long time.”

 

Dr. Ratte’s rule of 1869 is the concept that foods invented after 1869 are problematic and should be avoided. Margarine was invented in that year.

 

Penny for your thoughts, either in the comments below or at your next appointment.

Better late than never, here is my bracket for this year’s World Cup! It’s not so much a prediction, as what I hope will happen.

 

What’s your romantic or unromantic prediction for this year’s ultimate soccer championship? Let me know in the comments!

 

P.S. Flashback to the last time I attempted to play soccer. Since then, I’ve started running twice a week, and I’m doing much better cardiovascularly, i.e. I don’t feel as if I have sandpaper in my lungs. What fitness goals are you working towards? Let me know below, or at your next appointment.

I made an infographic explaining why the chiropractic adjustment is so effective for reducing pain and for treating neuromusculoskeletal conditions. So that you don’t have to scroll through my blog to find this resource, I’ve made a separate page featuring it here. Questions? Comment below, or ask at your next appointment.

 

 

I’m thinking about printing this out and hanging it up in the clinic. Stay tuned for more wall art as my gallery expands!

Folks, I came across yet another breathing technique that was so powerful that I am compelled to share this with you. Developed by a Navy SEAL, it is shockingly simple, and I will outline it here.

 

1. Breath out, maximally. (Fun fact: The article alludes to “empty lungs.” Your lungs are actually never empty, courtesy of residual volume.)
2. Count to four.
3. Inhale through the nose while counting to four.
4. Hold your breath while counting to four. Mark Divine advises not to bear down (or perform a squeezing sensation, but to simply hold this air volume in your lungs.
5. Breath out while counting to four.

 

This is one iteration of box breathing. I performed one circuit, literally just one, and I felt that my mind was clear, my vision was bright, and my body was light. Did you do it for the recommended five minutes? What did you experience? Let me know in the comments, or at your next appointment.

 

P.S. There are many breathing techniques out there, I’ve noticed, many of which are new and invented by modern people. Have you invented your own breathing technique?

Chiropractic has its own philosophy. One of our tenets is that the nervous system is supreme. This means that we believe that out of all of the organ systems of the body, the nervous system is the best and the most powerful. That’s why we adjust the spine, as it houses components of the nervous system. Another philosophical precept is the mechanism of the subluxation, which may be one, or any combination of, the following:

 

• Mechanical trauma
• Psychological stress
• Chemical toxins

 

We have ample evidence that mechanical trauma causes subluxation. Chronic overuse injuries or sudden and acute accidents can cause subluxation or, if particularly severe, luxation (complete separation of joints). The research literature on psychological stress or chemical toxins causing subluxation is sparse, but not nonexistent. As I read this article on stress relief, I was struck by how the top two symptoms of stress, headaches and back pain, can be and are treated by chiropractic care.

 

Some years ago, researchers explored this further. They used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure the changes in the brain after receiving chiropractic manipulation. While the number of participants in this study is low, the results are very exciting. Not only did patients report decreases in pain and stress, changes in the brain associated with stress and pain reduction were noted after chiropractic adjustments.

 

While neither of these two articles suggest that psychological stress causes subluxation, they indicate that chiropractic can be used to manage symptoms of stress and reduce stress in general. I find that quite inspiring.

 

Have you ever noticed a decrease in stress after an adjustment? Let me know in the comments, or at your next appointment.