BLOG – Page 230 – Chiropractic Resource Organization

Cell Size and Scale

By John Wiens DC|January 29, 2010|Education|

Use the slider at the Genetic Science Learning Center to view a stunning example of scale.

Some cells are visible to the unaided eye

The smallest objects that the unaided human eye can see are about 0.1 mm long. That means that under the right conditions, you might be able to see an ameoba proteus, a human egg, and a paramecium without using magnification. A magnifying glass can help you to see them more clearly, but they will still look tiny.

Smaller cells are easily visible under a light microscope. It’s even possible to make out structures within the cell, such as the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts. Light microscopes use a system of lenses to magnify an image. The power of a light microscope is limited by the wavelength of visible light, which is about 500 nm. The most powerful light microscopes can resolve bacteria but not viruses.

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‘Ghostly’ Drug May Help Fight RA

By John Wiens DC|January 29, 2010|Research|

Study Shows Molecule Can Infiltrate Immune Cells to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source WebMD

Jan. 28, 2010 – A ghostly “suicide” drug wafts into immune cells in joints, making the cells self-destruct and reducing rheumatoid arthritis in mice.

The drug, technically a BH3 mimetic dubbed TAT-BH3, is a man-made molecule. One part of the molecule lets it drift through cell walls. The other part mimics a chemical signal missing in the macrophage immune cells that build up inside joints afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Because they are missing this signal, macrophages in RA joints don’t die off as they are supposed to do. They live on, destroying bone and inflaming the joint, says Harris Perlman, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Chicago’s Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“In RA, there is this persistent inflammation that never shuts down. Part of the reason is these macrophages are missing a protein they need to die off,” Perlman tells WebMD. “So this drug says OK, let’s replace this protein. Let’s bring back the death pathway.”

Perhaps because normal cells aren’t clinging to life like the zombie macrophages involved in RA, the drug doesn’t kill normal macrophages. The drug was not toxic to mice.

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Respected Researcher Validates Chiropractic Standard of Care and Safety

By Frank M. Painter|January 28, 2010|Neck Pain, Research|

Respected Researcher Validates Chiropractic Standard of Care and Safety

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: ACA News

By Caitlin Lukacs

“The most recent research (Neck Pain Task Force Report of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010, a study sanctioned by the United Nations and the World Health Organization) indicates neck manipulation is a safe and effective form of health care,” according to Matt Pagano, DC, chiropractic profession spokesperson.

Respected researcher and epidemiologist J. David Cassidy, DC, PhD, DrMedSc, testified as a key witness last week at the hearings on informed consent before the Connecticut Board of Chiropractic Examiners in Hartford, Conn. Speaking as an expert witness and consultant to the International Chiropractors Association (ICA)—and with the support of all chiropractic organizations involved in the process, including the American Chiropractic Association, Association of Chiropractic Colleges, Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, Life West, New York College of Chiropractic, Parker College of Chiropractic, Palmer College of Chiropractic, and the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic—Dr. Cassidy addressed key facts and issues on the basis of the existing science and research record, to which he has been a significant contributor. The objective of his testimony was to bring the discussion from an emotional issue back to science and the objective research record. (more…)

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Patients in Medicare Demonstration Project Give Their Chiropractors High Marks

By John Wiens DC|January 26, 2010|News, Patient Satisfaction|

Source ACA Online

According to long-awaited results from a congressionally mandated pilot project testing the feasibility of expanding chiropractic services in the Medicare program, patients have a high rate of satisfaction with the care they receive from doctors of chiropractic.

When asked to rate their satisfaction on a 10-point scale, 87 percent of patients in the study gave their doctor of chiropractic a level of 8 or higher. What’s more, 56 percent of those patients rated their chiropractor with a perfect 10.

Contributing to that satisfaction was the attention given to patients’ needs and the accessibility of chiropractic care. Patients reported that doctors of chiropractic listened to them carefully and spent sufficient time with them. Some 95 percent said they had to wait no longer than one week for appointments. (more…)

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Court finds chiropractic negligence in manipulation

By John Wiens DC|January 21, 2010|Legal Action|

Source Tom Blackwell, National Post

A new court ruling has again called into question a widely used but controversial chiropractic treatment, concluding that a Newfoundland practitioner made a patient deaf in one ear and caused other debilitating injuries by performing a neck manipulation on him.

The judge in the civil suit found the chiropractor negligent and will decide later what compensation to award Abe Gallant, who says he had to leave his $80,000-a-year job because of the damage.

The decision follows a series of public inquiries and inquests that have blamed cervical manipulation for strokes, some of them fatal, and the filing of a $500-million class action suit in Alberta that targeted the allegedly dangerous chiropractic therapy. (more…)

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Intractable Migraine Headaches During Pregnancy

By Frank M. Painter|January 20, 2010|Chiropractic Care, Headache|

Intractable Migraine Headaches During Pregnancy

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Comp Ther Clin Prac 2009 (Nov); 15 (4): 192–197

Joel Alcantara, D.C. and Martine Cossette, D.C.

International Chiropractic Pediatric Association,
327 North Middletown Dr,
Media, PA, USA

A 24 yr-old pregnant patient presented with chronic migraine headaches, which she had since age of 12. Previous care included osteopathy, physical therapy, medications and massage with unsuccessful outcome. Her medical care had consisted of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication with codeine, at the maximum amount permitted during a pregnancy (i.e., 1000mg per day) as well as caffeine intake through coffee to potentiate the medication. This resulted in only minor and temporary relief. (more…)

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