Tag Archive for: Headaches

Last weekend, next weekend and the1-Page Health News

After spending a long weekend with my wife in Santa Barbara, I’m back in the office ready to roll. I didn’t see any unusual wildlife this weekend (1 seal, no sharks). The place was really nice, it’s called the Bacara Resort outside of Santa Barbara.

This Sunday I’ll be heading up to Xterra Lory at Horsetooth Reservoir for my final race of the season. Should be fun!

Mental Attitude: Feeling Sleepy? One third of all workers sleep less than six hours each day, instead of the recommended 7-9 hours. People especially at risk of not getting enough sleep include those in the health care, social assistance, and transportation fields. CDC, June 2012

Health Alert: Cancer and Aging. Why does our risk of developing cancer increase as we age? By the time we stop growing in our teens, we accumulate a large percentage of the mutations we will have during our lifetime. There’s a mismatch between the mutation curve and the cancer curve, meaning that if cancer is caused by reaching a tipping point of mutations, then we should see higher cancer rates in 20-year-olds, as this is when the mutation rate is highest. The body’s healthy cells function best in healthy, younger tissue; however, in older tissue, cancerous cells may adapt better in that environment than healthy cells and more easily propagate. Oncogene, June 2012

Diet: Food Industry Should Be Regulated? “The obesity crisis is made worse by the way industry formulates and markets its products, and so must be regulated to prevent excesses and to protect the public good,” writes Kelly Brownell, a leading food expert. He argues that left to regulate itself, the food industry has the opportunity, if not the mandate from shareholders, to sell more products irrespective of their impact on consumers. Thus, government, foundations, and other powerful institutions should push for regulation of, and not collaboration with, the food industry.

PLoS Medicine, July 2012

Exercise: Good Reasons. Exercise reduces your risk of developing Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, reduces the risk of developing breast cancer and improves mental cognition (a short-term effect only).

Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Chiropractic: Joint Friction? The supplement chondroitin sulfate significantly reduces the friction coefficient of articular cartilage, which, in turn, leads to a decreased risk of joint degeneration. Journal of Biomechanics, 2007

Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D and Fractures. Taking 800-2,000 IUs of vitamin D per day significantly reduces the risk of most fractures in men and women age 65 and older. In a study, the top 25% of Vitamin D consumers sustained

30% fewer hip fractures and 14% fewer fractures of other bones. There was no benefit to taking Vitamin D supplements in doses below 800 IUs. The cost of treating a hip fracture is $26,912. New England Journal of Medicine, June 2012

Quote: “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” ~Unknown

Guess who won Xterra Indian Peaks & What’s that moose doing there?

This past weekend was a busy one for the staff here at Denver Chiropractic Center. I (Glenn) headed up to Eldora ski resort for the Xterra Indian Peaks Off-Road Triathlon on Saturday. As we were lining up to jump into the 60 degree water for the swim, a big ol’ moose came lumbering down to take a drink from the lake.

Luckily the moose just stuck to his or her own business, and the race went off as planned. I took over 37 minutes off of my previous time at Eldora (in 2008, when I finished dead last). I went from 4:01 to 3:24. Far from great, but much better. So I was happy.

My friend, coach, and Xterra pro Cody Waite won the whole darned thing with a ridiculously fast 1:49 (Cody did the whole race in less time than it took me to ride the bike course.)

Cody Waite and his wife Kathy own Endurance Performance Coaching, the official training partner of Denver Chiropractic Center. If you’re looking for a coach, Cody and Kathy are both great athletes and great people. Get more info on their company at their website.

Next up for me (still Glenn) is Xterra Lory at Horsetooth Reservoir on August 26th.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stripling and Keri were hard at work helping out at the Boulder Half Ironman (70.3) all weekend long. Jeff worked on lots and lots of athletes, and assisted at the finish. Keri kept all of the on-site ART tent running smoothly, and also helped out at the finish. Congratulations to our many patients who did this race.

And here is this week’s 1-Page Health Update:

Mental Attitude: Stress and Violence. Children exposed to community violence exhibit a physical stress response for up to a year, suggesting that exposure to violence may have negative long-term health consequences. In the short-term, violence is linked with aggression, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms and academic and cognitive difficulties. Journal of Adolescent Health, July 2012

Health Alert: Health Care Costs For Kids. In 2010, per capita spending on children’s health care increased to $2,123 (an 18.6% increase from 2007), with spending on health care for infants and toddlers being noted as disproportionately high. Even though children below the age of 3 made up 17% of the covered child population, they cost the 31.4% of the total amount for children’s health care, with per capita spending reaching $3,896 in 2010. Health Care Cost Institute, July 2012

Diet: Eating Fish! Regular fish consumption can decrease colorectal cancer risk by 12%. American Journal of Medicine, June 2012

Exercise: Eat Less, Move More, and Live Longer. In a study on dietary restriction (DR) involving fruit flies, the flies that were also physically active experienced longer lives. This study establishes a link between DR-mediated metabolic activity in muscle, increased movement and the benefits derived from restricting nutrients. Flies on DR who could not move or had inhibited fat metabolism in their muscle did not exhibit an extended lifespan. If this finding extends to humans, then simply restricting nutrients without physical activity may not increase longevity. Cell Metabolism, July 2012.

Quote: “If parents pass enthusiasm along to their children, they will leave them an estate of incalculable value.” ~Thomas A. Edison

Race report from Xterra Beaver Creek and This Week’s 1-Page Health News

I (Glenn) raced in the Xterra Beaver Creek off-road triathlon (sport distance) this past Saturday. I had a good day, knocking 23 minutes off of last year’s time to finish in 2:19. Not bad.

Here’s me on the bike:

My kids then lined up for the kids race, and my 4-year-old Jason almost won the 4 & under category.

Next up for me is a return to the Xterra off-road tri at Eldora, where I finished last by over 30 minutes in 2008. I’m hoping the improvement continues.

And here’s this weeks 1-Page Health News

Mental Attitude: Appreciation! People who appreciate what they have are more likely to live happy, satisfied lives. Personality and Individual Differences, March 2012

Health Alert: Life-Threatening Accidental Acetaminophen Overdosing In Children! Acetaminophen, a widely available over-the-counter medication, can cause liver toxicity in children if recommended doses are exceeded. Clearly, more public education is needed to warn of potential adverse effects. Repeated supratherapeutic dosing (above the recommended dose), accidental overdose (due to error) and intentional ingestion can all result in acute liver failure and even death. 11% of children who are given pharmaceuticals experience a medication error such as an incorrect medication, incorrect dose or method of administering. Acetaminophen overdose is the most common agent responsible for a life-threatening event, longer-term illness or death among children. Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 2012

Diet: Tart Cherry Juice. Drinking tart cherry juice two times per day for three weeks resulted in considerable reductions in vital inflammation markers. This is good news for arthritis and join pain sufferers (and athletes).American College of Sports Medicine Conference, May 2012

Exercise: Improved Health With Less Training? The new 10-20-30 training concept consists of a warm-up at a low intensity followed by 3-4 blocks of 5 minutes running interspersed by 2 minutes of rest. Each block consists of 5 consecutive 1-minute intervals divided into 30, 20 and 10 seconds of running at a low, moderate and near maximal intensity, respectively. Runners were able to improve performance on a 1500m run by 23 seconds and almost by a minute on a 5km run, despite a 50% reduction in their total amount of training. The runners also had a significant decrease in blood pressure and a reduction in blood cholesterol. Journal of Applied of Physiology, June 2012

Chiropractic: The Rusty Gate! A gate is a good analogy for understanding bone joint degeneration. A new gate moves free and easy, much like healthy joints. In time, as the joint and gate hinge begin to breakdown or rust, movement becomes restricted and slower. With chiropractic care, your joints can maintain proper motion. For the gate, try WD40. ☺

Wellness/Prevention: Brush Your Teeth! People who receive regular teeth cleanings had a lower chance of heart attack and stroke. American Journal of Medicine, June 2012

Quote: “A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” ~ Albert Einstein

This past week at Boulder Peak, and the latest edition of Denver Chiropractic Center’s 1-Page Health News

This past week the staff from Denver Chiropractic Centers all over the state. Dr. Hyman was up in Beaver Creek training for Xterra Beaver Creek on July 14. While biking, he ran into a bear under lift 11. There’s a little snippet of video posted on our blog: http://www.denverback.com/?p=861

Dr. Stripling and Keri were up working hard leading the Active Release treatment team at the Boulder Peak Triathlon this weekend. Here’s a picture from the brief window when Dr. Hyman stopped by:

And here’s the 1-Page Health News for You…

Mental Attitude: Immune Against Alzheimer’s? Researchers discovered the best marker associated with memory is a gene called CCR2. This gene showed immune system activity against beta-amyloid, thought to be the main substance that causes Alzheimer’s disease. According to Dr. Lorna Harries, “Identification of a key player in the interface between immune function and cognitive ability may help us to gain a better understanding of the disease processes involved in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.” National Institute on Aging, June 2012

Health Alert: Cancer Rates Expected To Increase! Cancer incidence is expected to increase more than 75% by the year 2030 in developed countries, and over 90% in developing nations. Countries must take action to combat the projected increases in cancer rates via primary prevention strategies such as healthier lifestyles, early detection, and effective treatment programs. Lancet Oncology, June 2012

Diet: Snacking On Raisins. Eating raisins as an after-school snack prevents excessive calorie intake and increases the feeling of fullness as compared to other commonly consumed snacks. Grapes, potato chips and cookies resulted in approximately 56%, 70% and 108% higher calorie intake compared to raisins, respectively. The cumulative calorie intake (breakfast + morning snack + lunch + after-school snack) was 10-19% lower in children who ate raisins as an after school snack when compared to children who consumed other snacks. Canadian Nutrition Society, May 2012

Exercise: Exercise and Cancer. Researchers are working toward proving that daily yoga or 20 minutes of walking will likely extend a cancer patient’s survival. In 15 years, doctors have gone from being afraid to recommend exercise to cancer patients to having enough data that shows it is safe and effective, particularly for relief of treatment side effects. American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, June 2012

Active Release: A whole lot of nerve? Your nervous system runs and controls every aspect of your body. For example, there are 45 miles of nerves in your skin alone. Nerves throughout your body can become trapped in muscles, causing symptoms from headaches to carpal tunnel to sciatica to tingling in the toes. Active Release can take pressure off of nerves and fix problems. Gray’s Anatomy / Active Release Techniques

Wellness/Prevention: Early Stress? Children who experience intense and lasting stressful events in their lives score lower on tests of the spatial working memory and have more trouble on tests of short-term memory. Journal of Neuroscience, June 2012

Quote: “Remember to perform random acts of kindness.” ~ From the film Pay It Forward, released in 2000

Confessions of a barefoot failure


Me & Bobby McGee. Trying to solve the problem.

In early 2010, I drank the barefoot running Kool Aid. I’ve written about that part of the story before, but I’ll briefly review it for those of you who may not remember.

After reading the book Born to Run, I decided to start running barefoot on my treadmill. I felt good, so I bought some “Barefoot Shoes”. My knee pain went away, I started telling all of you to try it, blah, blah, blah. I tried to go from running as a heel striker to running as a mid-foot striker. It worked for about a year. And then some new injuries set in.

Last week (as I sit writing this) I spent Friday at my 1st grader’s field day. For those of you who don’t know, it’s like a kiddie Olympics held outside at school on a nice spring day. The kids do all sorts of things, like tug-of-war, throw the ball as far as you can, and a round-the–bases relay race.

The round-bases-race was interesting, because I got to watch kid after kid after kid run. As a student of running mechanics, it was quite enlightening.

After observing about 30 kids, I can tell you that only about 1 in thirty kids is a heel-striker. They’re almost all mid-foot strikers, and their feet are quick – touch down, pull up. They all looked smooth and efficient.

So why do the people who gather data on such matters say that about 75% of adult runners are heel strikers*? What happens? Should we all be mid-foot striking or do what comes naturally?(*reference- Foot Strike Patterns of Runners At the 15-Km Point During An Elite-Level Half Marathon HASEGAWA, HIROSHI; YAMAUCHI, TAKESHI; KRAEMER, WILLIAM J. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, August 2007 – Vol. 21 – Issue 3.)

The answer? I have no idea.

So I decided to go see expert running coach Bobby McGee for a 90 minute mechanics evaluation / lesson. Here’s what Bobby had to say (paraphrasing):

“For most runners, unless they want to be elite runners, it doesn’t make any sense at all to try to force a style of running. If you’re a heel striker, don’t try to force yourself to be a mid foot striker. If you are strong enough to run barefoot, great. But if you’re not, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

The conclusion – be who you are, and work to optimize the mechanics that you’re used to. So instead of forcing yourself out heel striking, work with it. Remember, we’re all individuals, and your unique running style is just that- yours. Don’t go changing for the sake of change. Like I did.

For the record, Bobby spent more time working on what my upper body was doing than he spent on my lower body. This made a huge difference. He also told me that my feet were not strong enough for running in so-called barefoot shoes. So there you go, I’m a barefoot failure. If you are serious about running, you might want to go spend 90 minutes with Bobby. He’s brilliant.

This week’s 1-Page Health News

Mental Attitude: Sleep Tight? Children with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), despite little indication of short sleep from traditional measurements, were more likely to experience problems with learning, attention/hyperactivity and conduct than children without EDS. Obesity, symptoms of inattention, depression, anxiety, and asthma have been found to contribute to EDS. Penn State, May 2012

Health Alert: Obesity Projections! At current projections, 42% of the US population will be obese by 2030, with 11% categorized as severely obese. Severe obesity is defined as a body mass index over 40 or roughly 100 pounds overweight. $550 billion could be saved in the next 20 years just by keeping obesity rates at the current level! American Journal of Preventive Medicine, May 2012

Exercise: Cancer and Exercise. Physical activity is linked to lower rates of breast and colon cancer deaths. Exercise helps moderate insulin levels, reduce inflammation and possibly improve the immune response. Even though direct effects of physical activity on cancer are not definitely proven, given that physical activity is generally safe, improves quality of life for cancer patients, and has numerous other health benefits, adequate physical activity should be a standard part of cancer care. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, May 2012

Active Release: We frequently have patients referred to us from other chiropractors to treat some of the tougher problems that they can’t help. We’re always happy to work with other chiropractors’ patients, and respect the good work that these other docs do. Some of the more common conditions that other chiros refer include hip pain, sciatica, and rotator cuff problems. We use Active Release Techniques to treat the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even the nerves that may be involved in these kinds of problems. Do you know someone who needs our help?

Wellness/Prevention: Commutes Risk Health. Individuals with the longest commutes are least likely to report frequently engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise, and most likely to show risk factors for poorer cardiovascular and metabolic health. Commuting more than 10 miles to work is linked with high blood pressure. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, June 2012

Quote: “Inaction, save as a measure of recuperation between bursts of activity, is painful and dangerous to the healthy organism. Only the dying can be really idle.” ~ H. L. Mencken

The Truth About Yoga & This Week’s 1-page Health News

This article ran in the NY Times, and ended up all over the internet. We thought it was important to give you our thoughts, since a lot of people are still asking us about it (it is amazing how much power the popular press has).

Levitt D. How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body. New York Times. Article adapted from “The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards,” by William J. Broad, Published: January 5, 2012.

“According to Glen Black, a prominent yoga teacher of nearly 4 decades, a number of factors have converged to heighten the risk of practicing yoga. The biggest is the demographic shift in those who study it. Indian practitioners typically squatted & sat cross-legged in daily life, and yoga poses, were an outgrowth of these postures. Now urbanites who sit in chairs all day, walk into a studio a couple of times a week & strain to twist themselves into ever-more-difficult postures despite their lack of flexibility & other physical problems. Many come to yoga as a gentle alternative to vigorous sports or for rehabilitation for injuries. But yoga’s popularity — ~ 20 million practitioners in 2011 — means that there’s an abundance of teachers who lack the deeper training necessary to recognize when students are headed toward injury.

Black has come to believe that the vast majority of people should give up yoga altogether. It’s simply too likely to cause harm. Black notes that not just students but celebrated teachers too, injure themselves in droves because most have underlying physical weaknesses or problems that make serious injury all but inevitable. “Today many schools of yoga are just about pushing people,” Black said. Normally, the neck can extend 75◦, flex 40◦, laterally bend 45◦, & rotate ~50◦. Yoga practitioners typically move the vertebrae much farther. An intermediate students can easily turn their necks 90◦— nearly twice the normal rotation. In the shoulder stand, hyperflexion of the neck is encouraged. Iyengar emphasized in the shoulder stand tt the trunk & head should form a right angle with neck neck maximally flexed. In cobra pose, the head should extend as far back as possible. Extreme motions of the head and neck, can injure vertebral arteries, resulting in vertebrobasilar artery strokes & brain damage. A growing body of medical evidence supports the contention that, for many people, a number of commonly taught yoga poses are inherently risky.

Reports of yoga injuries have been published in some of the world’s most respected journals —Neurology, British Medical Journal, & JAMA. In 2009, Columbia University published a worldwide survey of yoga teachers, therapists & doctors. The survey’s central question — What are the most serious yoga-related injuries seen? —The largest number of injuries (231) centered on the low back. Other sites, in declining prevalence: shoulder (219), knee (174) & neck (110). Then came stroke.

Among devotees, yoga is described as a nearly miraculous agent of renewal and healing. They celebrate its abilities to calm, cure, energize & strengthen. And much of this appears to be true: yoga can lower blood pressure, make chemicals that act as antidepressants, even improve one’s sex life. But the yoga community long remained silent about its potential to inflict pain. Timothy McCall, MD & medical editor of Yoga Journal, called the headstand too dangerous for general yoga classes. He notes that the inversion may contribute to thoracic outlet syndrome, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine & retinal tears.”

Commentary:

Here’s our take (Dr. Hyman & Dr. Stripling): In our combined 17 years of seeing patients, we have seen maybe 5 injuries from yoga, with most of those being strains of muscles. We’ve seen far more injuries from sneezing, sleeping and gardening. The truth is there is far more benefit to yoga than risk, especially if you take out the headstands. It’s annoying when the popular press finds some extreme position and warns us all that a popular activity is bad for you. Most of the time it’s just Chicken Little screaming that the sky is falling.

Here is our regularly scheduled Weekly1-Page Health News

Mental Attitude: No Emails? Being cut off from work email significantly reduces stress and improves focus. Heart rate monitors were attached to computer users in an office setting, while software sensors detected how often they switched windows. People who read email changed screens twice as often and were in a steady “high alert” state. Those removed from email for five days reported feeling better able to do their jobs and stay on task, with fewer stressful and time- wasting interruptions. UC Irvine and US Army, May 2012

Health Alert: Misusing Prescription Drugs At A Young Age! The peak risk for misusing prescription pain relievers occurs in mid-adolescence, specifically about 16 years old and earlier. Clinicians and public health professionals are prescribing more pain relievers, and research suggests an increased misuse of these drugs and increased rates of overdose deaths. Each year, 1 in 60 young people (between 12-21 years old) begin using prescription pain relievers outside the boundaries of what their doctor intended. Journal of the American Medical Association, May 2012

Diet: How Much Protein Do I Need? For healthy adults, an estimator used for MINIMUM daily protein intake is 0.36 grams per 1 pound of body weight. Formula = 0.36 grams/pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 155 lbs, you should consume 56 grams of protein per day (155lbs x .36g/lbs = 56g). Institute of Medicine, 2002 (Note- those of you who train hard, plan on doubling that).

Exercise: Jogging For Life. Jogging 1-2.5 hr/week increases the life expectancy of men by 6.2 years and women by 5.6 years. Jogging improves oxygen uptake, increases insulin sensitivity, improves lipid profiles (raising HDL and lowering triglycerides), lowers blood pressure, reduces platelet aggregation, increases fibrinolytic activity, improves cardiac function, bone density, immune function, reduces inflammation markers, prevents obesity, and improves psychological function. EuroPRevent2012 Meeting, May 2012

Wellness/Prevention: Zinc About It! People regularly taking oral zinc may experience shorter common cold symptoms than those who do not. Higher doses appeared to have a better effect, but taking zinc for just 2-3 days seemed to have no impact at all. Common adverse events associated with zinc supplements are nausea and a bad taste.

Canadian Medical Association Journal, May 2012

Quote: “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.” ~ Thomas A. Edison

Dr. Glenn Hyman’s Race Schedule, 2012

I know a lot of you have been wondering, “Which races is Glenn Hyman from Denver Chiropractic Center doing this year?”

July 8 – Boulder Peak Olympic (road)

July 14 – Xterra Beaver Creek (Sprint Distance, trust me it’s plenty)

August 4- Xterra Inidan Peaks (In the middle of co-leading the ART treatment team for the Boulder Ironman 70.3)

August 26 – Xterra Lory (Horsetooth Reservoir, CO)

How’d the staff do at Elephant Rock? & this week’s 1-Page Health News.

First off, I (Glenn) want to start by wishing my parents a happy 45th wedding anniversary. 45 years!?! That’s incredible.

And yes- Miss Keri & Dr. Stripling both did the Elephant Rock ride yesterday…

Miss Keri: 34 miles in 2:30.

Dr. Stripling: 100 miles in 7:49.

Me? I set the record for eating Bon Bons and watching paint dry in my back yard. 3 boxes in under 10 minutes. Just kidding. I’m cramming for Xterra Curt Gowdy on June 24th (off road triathlon). I rode, ran and swam yesterday. Then I mowed the lawn.

Here’s this week’s 1-Page Health News…

Mental Attitude: Facebook Addiction? According to Dr. Cecilie Schou Andreassen, some users of Facebook have developed a dependency to the social networking site. “Facebook Addiction” is more common among young people who are anxious and socially insecure, probably because those who are anxious find it easier to communicate via social media than face-to-face. Psychological Reports, May 2012 Health Alert: Infection and Cancer. Each year, 16.1% of the 12.7 million total new cancer cases in the world are due to infections that are largely preventable or treatable. Most of these cancer-causing infections were of the gut, liver, cervix and uterus. The Lancet Oncology, May 2012

Diet: Black Pepper and Fat. Black pepper has been used for centuries in traditional Eastern medicine to treat gastrointestinal distress, pain, inflammation and other disorders. A new study found that Piperin, the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, can block the formation of new fat cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 2012

Exercise: Strong Bones! Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million people worldwide, yet many are unaware they are at risk. The disease has been called the silent epidemic because bone loss occurs without symptoms and the disease is often first diagnosed after a fracture. Osteoporosis is more common in women, but men also develop it, usually after age 65. Young men who play volleyball, basketball or other load-bearing sports for 4 hours a week or more may gain protection from developing osteoporosis later in life. Men who increased their load-bearing activity from age 19-24 not only developed more bone, but also had larger bones compared to men who were sedentary during the same period. Bigger bones with more mass are thought to offer a shield against osteoporosis. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, May 2012

Chiropractic: “I came to the point where I wanted an adjustment every day. I believe in Chiropractic.” ~ Evander Holyfield, 4x World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Wellness/Prevention: Ancient Remedy Slows Prostate Problems. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, or CAPE, is a compound isolated from honeybee hive propolis, the resin used by bees to patch up holes in hives. If you feed CAPE to mice with prostate tumors, their tumors will stop growing. After several weeks, if you stop the treatment, the tumors will begin to grow again at their original pace. Cancer Prevention Research, May 2012

Quote: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” ~ Gandhi

Neck Pain – which treatment works best?

Neck Pain:  Manipulation vs. Mobilization – What’s Better?

Does mobilization (MOB) get less, the same, or better results when compared to spinal manipulative therapy (SMT)? To answer this question, let’s first discuss the difference between the two treatment approaches.

Mobilization (MOB) of the spine can be “technically” defined as a “low velocity, low amplitude” force applied to the tissues of the cervical spine (or any joint of the body, but we’ll focus on the cervical region). This means a slow, rhythmic movement is applied to a joint using various methods such as figure 8, side to side, front to back and /or combinations of any of these movements. In the neck, gentle to firm manual traction or pulling, when applied to the cervical spine, stretches the joint and disk spaces and can be included during MOB.

Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT) can be defined as a “high velocity, low amplitude” type of force applied to joint which is often accompanied by a audible release or “crack,” which is the release of gas (nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide).

Some joints “cavitate” or “crack” while others are less likely to release the gas. Studies that date back to the 1940s report an immediate improvement in a joint’s range of motion occurs when the joint cavitates. Many people instinctively stretch their own neck to the point of release, which typically, “…feels good.” This can become a habit and usually is not a big problem. However, in some cases, it can lead to joint hypermobility and ligament laxity.

As a rule, if only a gentle stretch is required to produce the cavitation/crack, it’s typically “safe” verses the person who uses higher levels of force by grabbing their own head and twisting it beyond the normal tissue stretch boundaries. The later is more likely to result in damage to the ligaments (tissue that strongly holds bone to bone) and therefore, should be avoided.

Since SMT is usually applied in a very specific location (where the joint is fixated or “stuck”, or, partially displaced), it’s obviously BEST to utilize chiropractic, as we chiropractors do this many times a day (for years or even decades) and we know where to apply it and can judge the amount of force to utilize, especially the neck where there are many delicate structures.

Back to the question: Which is better, MOB or SMT? Or, are they equals in the quest of rid of neck pain? A recent study of over 100 patients with “mechanical neck pain” (strain/sprain)  showed that those who received SMT had a significantly better response than the MOB group as measured by a pain scale, a disability scale and 2 tests that measure function!

In our clinic (Denver Chiropractic Center) we’ve found that the best approach uses BOTH. Mobilization in the form of Active Release Technique combined with safe and gentle (never forced) adjustments – also known as spinal manipulation – get better results in a shorter time frame.

Call us at 303.300.0424 if you want to get rid of your neck pain. We’re here to help.