Feb 16

More Access To Cam/chiropractic Increases Use Of Cam/Chiropractic

Access increases use. Access via insurance coverage makes a difference in use. Use increases better clinical outcomes for back and neck pain patients. Oregon set out in 2016 to find a way to curb opioid prescriptions for back pain by making complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches available to Medicaid patients. The result? An increase in use of CAM: acupuncture from .3 to 5.6%; chiropractic .3 to 11.1%, massage from 1.6 to 14.8%, PT/OT from 6 to 17.7%. (1) That outcome was in one state. Across the US, the Veterans Health Administration is also working on making these care options more available. The VA is a big healthcare system. Via survey, veterans express their desire for access to these approaches. With access, veterans report high usage: 52% used any of these, 44% massage, 37% chiropractic, 34% mindfulness, 24% meditation, 25% yoga. (2) Globally, despite COVID lockdowns and restrictions, patients with spine-related issues have access to input on their conditions via the Global Spine Care Initiative which guides doctors and patients for spine care via live and telehealth visits. (3) There is growing access to beneficial spine care for spine pain patients globally, nationally, and locally!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joel Dixon who practices in Australia on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management to help a Vietnam veteran find back pain relief.

Vitamin B and Exercise Benefits: Spine, Mind, Bone

B vitamins are vital for concentration, mood, focus, energy, digestion, and healthy heart muscle, skin, and hair. A deficiency in B vitamins may show itself as constant stress, depression, or chronic fatigue. (4) A study that compared the intake of tryptophan and/or vitamin B6 foods and exercise in depressed and non-depressed young people found that lower physical activity levels (in steps, duration, and intensity) were linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms. (5) An exercise and fortified milk intervention revealed improvement in vitamin B-12 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to bolster bone formation and resorption. (6) This is positive considering osteoarthritis (OA) treatment and prevention. OA is the degradation of cartilage, the connective tissue made by chondrocytes. Physical activity is recognized for its ability to offset OA by modulating vitamin B6’s influence on the IL1β inflammatory cytokine of OA. (7) B vitamins play an important role in body and mind functions! Eat some salmon, chicken, eggs, leafy vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, and Greek yogurt, and exercise..

Thank you for your use of chiropractic care and interest in healthy approaches for life! See you at your next visit!

References for Healthy News – FEBRUARY 2021

  1. Choo EK, Charlesworth CJ, Gu Y, Livingston CJ, McConnell KJ. Increased Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Back Pain Following Statewide Medicaid Coverage Changes in Oregon. J Gen Intern Med. 2021 Jan 14. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06352-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33443692.
  2. Taylor SL, Hoggatt KJ, Kligler B. Complementary and Integrated Health Approaches: What Do Veterans Use and Want. J Gen Intern Med. 2019 Jul;34(7):1192-1199. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-04862-6. Epub 2019 Apr 22. PMID: 31011973; PMCID: PMC6614301.
  3. Haldeman S, Nordin M, Tavares P, Mullerpatan R, Kopansky-Giles D, Setlhare V, Chou R, Hurwitz E, Treanor C, Hartvigsen J, Schneider M, Gay R, Moss J, Haldeman J, Gryfe D, Wilkey A, Brown R, Outerbridge G, Eberspaecher S, Carroll L, Engelbrecht R, Graham K, Cashion N, Ince S, Moon E. Distance Management of Spinal Disorders in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: Evidence-based Patient and Clinician Guides from the Global Spine Care Initiative. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021 Jan 19. doi: 10.2196/25484. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33471778.
  4. “18 Foods High in Vitamin B12.” VeryHealth.Life. December 22, 2017. Sourced on 2/10/2021. https://veryhealthy.life/18-foods-high-vitamin-b12/?utm_source=%2Bvitamin%20%2Bb&utm_medium=18FoodsHighinVitaminB12&utm_campaign=adw_us
  5. Tsujita N, Akamatsu Y, Nishida MM, Hayashi T, Moritani T. Physical Activity, Nutritional Status, and Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Healthy Young Adults with Higher Levels of Depressive Symptoms and Matched Controls without Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 4;12(3):690. doi: 10.3390/nu12030690. PMID: 32143525; PMCID: PMC7146113.
  6. Groenendijk I, Chan R, Woo J, Ong S, Parikh P, Bragt MCE, de Groot LCPGM. A Combined Nutrition and Exercise Intervention Influences Serum Vitamin B-12 and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Bone Turnover of Healthy Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults. J Nutr. 2020 Aug 1;150(8):2112-2119. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa149. PMID: 32588047; PMCID: PMC7398768.
  7. Deiana M, Malerba G, Dalle Carbonare L, Cheri S, Patuzzo C, Tsenov G, Moron Dalla Tor L, Mori A, Saviola G, Zipeto D, Schena F, Mottes M, Valenti MT. Physical Activity Prevents Cartilage Degradation: A Metabolomics Study Pinpoints the Involvement of Vitamin B6. Cells. 2019 Nov 1;8(11):1374. doi: 10.3390/cells8111374. PMID: 31683926; PMCID: PMC6912200.