Howdy,
I was lucky enough to be able to get out of town on the weekend and head down to Canberra. A short trip but long enough to remind me that there are some do’s and don’t’s when it comes to driving:
When you first hop in the car, sit up nice and straight and set your rear view mirror and side mirrors. If you notice after a while that the mirror position is no longer suitable, you must have either shifted in your seat or started slumping. Either sit up straight …

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…

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 …

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 …

New research is suggesting that bacterial infections might be the source of disc related pain. It’s an interesting mechanism – the bacteria, which exist in the mouth and hair, can be moved into the bloodstream by brushing of the teeth. They can be deposited into the disc as part of the body’s response to injury and once there can proliferate and be a source of pain. According to researchers, this could potentially be involved in up to 80% of back pain cases. The full article can be found here . I know …

The only thing I ever used to do with Watermelon was cut a hole in the top and pour as much vodka as I could inside. Then I found this recipe. Seeing as I was effectively living in a sauna, I probably ate this once or twice a week – it’s light, fresh, easy to make, and delicious. It’s a great way to cook the salmon and means you cook it perfectly each time, and the dressing for the salad (Green Chilli Nahm Prik) can go on any dish you …

I read an article that cited the statistic that 50% of 18-34 year olds regularly suffer from back pain. I know that nearly half of 40-49 year olds have evidence of arthritis in their back so I can understand 50% of 40-60 years olds suffering from back pain on a regular basis, but why are so many young people suffering from it? And is there anything we can do about it?
According to the article it all stems from the increased amount of time young people spend sitting. From school aged …

Woohoo, here’s me looking proud as punch after being notified that I have been nominated to the list of Leading Health Professionals Of The World 2011. Can’t wait to tell mum and dad so they can brag to the neighbours…

You’ve all probably heard a million times about how you need to strengthen your “core” to support your lower back. And it’s true. The “core” abdominal muscles, such as transverse abdominus and multifidus, play an active role in the strength and stability of your lower back, and there have been countless studies to support the idea that improving their strength helps your lower back.
Which makes me slightly loathe to write this, because this article might give one or two of you an excuse to slacken off. Don’t get me wrong, …

Following on from my last article on the risks associated with the use of common over the counter anti-inflammatory medications, I wanted to see what the other options were and more importantly, how effective they are. I found an article which compared the results of 47 different studies on the effectiveness of different forms of ‘non tablet’ anti-inflammatories, ie gels, sprays, and creams. The attraction of these options is that there are none of the associated systemic adverse events.
The results of 47 studies were included. In these studies, the gels/creams/sprays …