Health Tips

January 2011

How Educated are Chiropractors?

According to a National Health Federation survey utilizing curriculum statistics from 22 medical universities and 11 chiropractic colleges, the first two years of study to be a medical doctor or a chiropractor are very similar.

The minimum number of hours for medical students studying classes like anatomy, pathology, chemistry, etc is around 2750 hours. For student chiropractors it is 2900 hours. During the last two years of medical school, students spend more time studying classes like pharmacology (prescription drugs), general surgery and immunology while students in chiropractic school learn more about adjusting the spine, nutrition and natural approaches to health.

When all classroom hours are considered, according to the NHF (National Health Federation) there is a minimum requirement of 4250 classroom hours of health science curriculum in the first four years of medical school and 4500 classroom hours involved with chiropractic school.

February 2011

What makes a good doctor?

According to a recent study published by the AMA on September 27, 2010, the information patients typically use when looking for a new doctor is not very helpful in determining physician quality. Researchers found little correlation between physician performance and characteristics such as medical education, board certification, malpractice claim payments and disciplinary actions commonly listed by health plans and consumer websites.

“The physician characteristics available for patients to choose doctors don’t actually predict which ones will deliver high-quality care,” said study co-author Rachel O. Reid, a Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” While the board certified doctors did score a little better on the surveys, this study suggest that quality is more about what the doctor does in the office than the credentials that hang on the wall. The Bronson Clinic staff keeps a list of doctors who have earned our confidence and trust. We use this list when referring our patients to doctors in other specialties. Please let us know about your experience in other doctors’ offices.

March 2011

Science-Based Chiropractic

The chiropractic profession was conceived about 115 years ago, based on observations following a manual thrust applied to a spinal vertebra. The effect was dramatic (a man’s hearing was restored) and the news spread quickly. Theory was applied and at least partly supported by standard anatomy & physiology references. The founder taught his son, and the son taught many others this new practice of identifying and manually adjusting misaligned vertebrae. Many people not only reported that they felt better, but that their health improved.

Well, after over 100 years of chiropractic worldwide, people are still feeling better and finding new levels of health through chiropractic. But why? Is it because the chiropractor has “removed nerve interference” that was causing the pain or disease? Although much research has been done in this regard, this theory has yet to be proven scientifically. More research needs to be done. Meanwhile, many if not most chiropractors still teach these theories to their patients.

Here in the Bronson Clinic, the doctors routinely treat patients with chiropractic manipulation (adjustments). Patients like it (love it) and most get better as expected. (Ask about our satisfaction surveys.) But we also separate theory from scientific fact when educating our patients about chiropractic, and we never make false claims. There’s a lot of science to support what we’re doing, and also lot’s more to learn.

April 2011

Treatment Plans

It has been said, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” There’s a lot of truth to this insofar as outcome of treatment is concerned. Also, a detailed treatment plan is the standard of practice. So how do we formulate a treatment plan? In the Bronson Clinic, the doctor considers several factors before recommending a treatment plan, including the nature of the condition, duration of symptoms or physical limitations, age of the patient, as well as the patient’s goals and timeframes.

For example, a 65 year old patient with a 10 year history of chronic lower back pain from aging joints will have different goals and timeframes than a 20 year old college student athlete with a neck and shoulder strain. However, because of the nature of our specialty, many patients who enter our clinic have similar conditions and health goals. For this reason, we have designed a few basic treatment plans that provide short-term pain relief, medium term corrective care, and longer term strengthening that can prevent a recurrence of the original problem. A typical treatment recommendation may involve 10 to 20 sessions over a course of 4 to 6 weeks. The first half of this program may be for pain relief, while the second half may involve corrective care as well as strengthening. When treatment goals have been met, patients have an option to enroll in one of our wellness programs. This is usually a once-a-month or twice-a-month plan, depending upon the patient’s wants and needs. You will never experience a hard sell in this clinic. We simply provide information and make our services available to you.

June 2011

Make My Day!

This month’s “health tip” actually isn’t s tip at all, but rather a thank-you note to all of our dear patients who entrust your health with us and give chiropractic a chance to work for you. I just want you to know that when you share stories with us about how chiropractic treatment has changed or enhanced our life in some way, it really makes my day.

Yesterday afternoon, a new patient came in for her second visit in our clinic and asked me to listen to her for just a couple of minutes. I sat down and asked her what was on her mind. She said, “Dr. Bronson, I’ve been bothered with this pain and stiffness in my neck for three years. My doctor gave me some pills that didn’t work and then sent me to physical therapy. I have been spending $150 per week in physical therapy for the past two years. You fixed my neck with one adjustment! It feels great and I have no problem with it at all right now. I just can’t tell you how much I appreciate you for this.” Well, my friends, that’s the reason I may just stay in practice for the rest of my life. I appreciate the opportunity to serve you all. If you have a story like this one, please don’t hold back…….make my day!

July 2011

Antibiotics Overused in Children with Asthma

In a research article written by Emma Hitt, PhD and published on the Medscape website on May 31, 2011, and in the June issue of Pediatrics, there are two new studies showing that prescriptions of antibiotics for children with chronic or acute asthma may not be appropriate in most cases.

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines specify that "antibiotics should not be used as part of chronic asthma therapy or for acute exacerbations, with the exception of patients with comorbid bacterial infections such as pneumonia or sinusitis." One of the researchers writes, "The new battle for curbing unjustified antibiotic use in the pediatric outpatient setting requires that we focus on reducing inappropriate bacterial diagnoses and decreasing the use of broad-spectrum agents." Why are these studies important? Not only is the practice of overutilization of antibiotics expensive, this has caused the evolution of antibiotic resistant strains of super-bacteria (MSRA) which is endangering the lives of many. The chiropractic profession has always been against the routine use of antibiotics, and offers many natural alternatives.

August 2011

Exercise Improves Anxiety Disorder

In an article presented at the American College of Sports Medicine on June 1, 2011, resistance training reduces symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), compared with aerobic exercise or no exercise at all. Patients with GAD tend to be physically inactive, although exercise training has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms in healthy adults and patients with chronic disease, and to benefit patients with major depressive disorder. In the Bronson Clinic, we recognize and appreciate the connection between emotional conditions and physical ailments. In fact, chiropractic philosophy is based upon the interaction between these three components: 1) mechanical/physical, 2) chemical, and 3) psychic. Disruption or neglect of any of these three components tends to cause disease. Correction and balance leads to better health!

September 2011

Holographic Wristbands

Do the new holographic wristbands that you see athletes wearing these days really help them to achieve better balance or performance? A randomized, placebo-controlled study recently published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies says “no.” Results of the studies indicated that there was no statistically significant change in balance performance brought about by either the placebo or the device. In summary, the findings of this study indicate that holographic technology wristbands have no effect on human balance and stability performance. So if you want to buy one of these wristbands, consider it jewelry, not treatment or performance enhancement.

October 2011

Off Balance? Postural Problems May Point to Bipolar Disorder

Initial studies are showing that problems with postural control may be a core feature of bipolar disorder (BD) and not just a random symptom. The findings suggest that individuals with BD have deficits in parts of the nerve system as well as visual system which are needed to help them to make postural corrections.

One of the scientists stated that patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder often have some motor abnormalities and that schizophrenia has been known to include movement abnormalities that precede illness onset. Dr. Bronson’s opinion is that it is too early to link a cause and effect relationship. However, this does appear to be one more reason to get regular check-ups for posture and balance.

March 2012

Wrinkles May Reveal Something About Skeleton

Preliminary studies suggest that a woman's worry lines could make her clinician fret about her bone health. In a cross-sectional analysis, having more wrinkles was associated with having lower bone mineral density (BMD).

So while some older patients may be concerned about what is happening to their skin, the doctor’s concern is what is happening to their bones. The researcher in this study explained that there are many shared mechanisms in skin and bone health. For instance, collagen, which is more closely associated with skin health, is also important for bones. She called it a "tantalizing association," but said the question remains as to whether the association has relevance over time.

For instance, are women with deeper wrinkles losing BMD at a faster rate than those with smooth skin? Make an appointment to have your bone density tested at the Bronson Clinic. Only $25 for established patients!

April 2012

Posture & Osteoporosis

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