Well, maybe not all drugs. But a recent study showed having your back adjusted resulted in greater pain relief than anti-inflammatory drugs (dicolfenac).
In the study, people with acute lower back pain either had their back adjusted or were given diclofenac. The drug is sold under the name Voltaren in Australia.
The authors concluded that ” spinal manipulation was significantly better than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac and clinically superior to placebo”.
Oh, I forgot to mention that. Our treatment is also better than doing nothing.
To read the abstract of the study, click here…

A new study has shown for the first time what happens at a genetic level when we exercise. The findings add a whole new level of support to the idea that regular exercise helps people lose weight. We know that exercising requires your body to burn fats, carbohydrates or protein to obtain fuel, but this study shows there is a lot more going on than just that.
The study followed a group of “slightly overweight” people in their mid 30s who did not have a history of regular exercise. They were …

Kevin MD recently posted an article where he reviewed the effectiveness of various injections commonly used for low back pain. These consist of  local anesthetics, steroids like cortisone, and pain meds. The article included a summary of an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, as well as notes from a couple of other reviews previously done on whether injections work well for low back pain. The news wasn’t good:

In a review of 18 trials, only 6 found that the injections had a positive effect. The authors of this review concluded …

You can’t win, can you. A new study has suggested that ” males with high blood concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.” Everything I’ve ever read on fish oils suggests that they help with inflammation and that omega 3 fatty acids are great for your brain. In fact I posted something on it not that long ago…
Luckily, sanity prevailed:
Dr. Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, says men reading about the results of this research should not panic about their omega-3 intake. Dr. …

New research has come out showing in quite amazing detail how regular exercise causes changes at the molecular level in brain tissue, and how these changes can help your ability to cope with stressful situations. In the study mice that were given a treadmill to run on for 6 weeks showed significant changes in brain tissue compared to a group of mice who just sat re-watching Season 3 of Game of Thrones (my God, how good was it!).
A couple of quotes form the study:
“Running produced a large increase in the …

This sounds pretty sweet. I have been a huge fan of Vitamin D for years, and now a new study has found that t can help speed up the recovery of muscle injuries. The link to the full article is here but I wouldn’t suggest you try to read it. No offence, it’s just that they use phrases like  “Vitamin D is a pleiotropic micronutrient that influences health across a range of physiological and pathophysiological conditions in humans”. I mean, come on. Anyway, all you need to know is that after a …

I read an article in The New York Times (so highbrow) which outlined the findings of a number of recent studies on the benefits of coffee. You know, just in case you needed an excuse to have another…
“In a study of over 400,000 people, men who reported drinking two or three cups of coffee a day were 10 percent less likely to have died than those who didn’t drink coffee, while women drinking the same amount had 13 percent less risk of dying during the study”
” a reduction in the risk of developing Type …

A new study has looked at which is more effective for people with chronic lower back pain – specific strengthening exercises or walking. A lot of people make a lot of noise about core strengthening programs and I absolutely believe they play a role in supporting the lower back, but they need to be part of a general program which includes overall strength and fitness. And this study supported that; they found that “A six-week walk training programme was as effective as six weeks of specific strengthening exercises programme for …

Headaches are caused by a number of different things. A lot of headaches are the result of tension in the neck muscles and compression of the nerves in the upper part of the neck. A new study has compared massage with mobilising the joints of the upper neck to release pressure on these nerves.
The study found that mobilisation techniques of the neck produce better results than massage alone for people suffering from headaches. The abstract is copied below and outlines that a group of people were given either neck massage …

New research has suggested that if you have a torn meniscus you might not need surgery after all. The study compared the progress of half a million people who either had an operation or had rehab. They found the surgery led to a quicker improvement, but that over time the results with rehab were great – 70% of people who did their exercises did not end up needing surgery.
A couple of quotes from the article:
1. The researchers found that physical therapy cost far less and carried far fewer risks from …