Background:

Low back pain is one of the most common worldwide healthcare problems. The worldwide prevalence of low back pain is 12% and growing as the world’s population ages. Additionally, we know that about half of people who have an episode of back pain have another episode within one year – back pain becomes a cyclical problem! This study looked at what can be used to avoid recurrences and what works at keeping back pain at bay.

How the study was performed:

The study looked at previous research that investigated various methods of avoiding future episodes of back pain. These methods included: education, back braces, ergonomic work stations, shoe insoles, and exercise. Only the highest quality research was used to make this comparison (ie. random controlled studies).

What we learn from this research:

Exercise alone, but especially in combination with education, is effective for preventing low back pain. Back braces, shoe insoles, and education alone do not prevent future occurrences of back pain. Therefore, like we advocate here at the American Back Center, the exercises we do with you in the office must be done on an ongoing basis at home in order to be effective – an exercise won’t do itself!

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“Effects of KinesioTape in low back muscle fatigue: Randomized, controlled, doubled-blinded clinical trial on healthy subjects.”

Background:
The use of taping (KinesioTape) in sports has become commonplace and we now routinely use tape in non-sports settings. This high-quality study asked the question: “does taping reduce the time to muscular fatigue as compared to not taping?”

How the study was performed:
They had the subjects lying face down, hanging off of edge of a table with their legs and pelvis held down, and they asked them to hold themselves horizontal as long as they could (ie. They were holding themselves up with their back muscles).

What we learn from this research:
This is an exciting study because the people who had the tape on their backs could last an average of 35 seconds longer than those without. This means that taping improves stamina and performance in activities that require endurance.

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“Practice parameter: Therapies for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (an evidence based review).” Neurology. May 27, 2008.

Background:

Benign paroxsmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a condition whereby patients become dizzy, often triggered by some movement of the head. It is somewhat common and become life-altering as patients get sudden bouts of often debilitating vertigo at random times. This article looked at what techniques are effective at treating this condition.  

What we learn from this study:

• There are non-surgical, non-medication, therapy techniques (ie. the Epley maneuver) that are effective at treating this condition. This is an in-office procedure that re-positions the inner ear and corrects the cause of dizziness.
• There are no post-treatment restrictions placed on the patient.
• Medications for BPPV have proven ineffective.
• Studies done on surgery for BPPV “do not provide sufficient evidence to recommend or refute” surgery.

“Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study.”

Background:

Hypertension (ie. High Blood Pressure) is a common disease that is typically treated with medications – often a combination of at least two medications. There is a well-established connection between positional abnormalities of the highest bone in the neck (ie. The Atlas) and high blood pressure – meaning, if the atlas is not aligned properly, often the person has high blood pressure. This study looked to see if Chiropractic adjustments of the Atlas had an effect on high blood pressure.

How the study was performed:

There were two groups: one got Chiropractic adjustments of the Atlas and one got a sham procedure, over an eight-week treatment period. Blood pressure was measured at the beginning and throughout the treatment. At the end, the Chiropractic group had a decrease in blood pressure that equaled drug therapy, while the sham group’s blood pressure remained the same.

What we learn from this research:

Chiropractic adjustments of the Atlas can lower blood pressure – all without the use of drugs!