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Painkiller Deaths Double In Ontario

By John Wiens DC|December 8, 2009|Safety|

Source The Globe and Mail
December 8th, 2009
ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY

Painkillers are causing twice the number of overdose deaths they were two decades ago, a new study has revealed. And most of those who died obtained the medications through a doctor’s prescription and had seen a physician within the last month of their life.

The increase mirrors a dramatic rise in prescriptions for oxycodone. The potent opiate, found in OxyContin and Percocet, has proliferated in an epidemic of chronic pain turning Canadians into a nation of pill-poppers – using more prescription opioids per capita than any country but the United States and Belgium.

It’s an indication that many doctors have underestimated the power and complexity of prescription opioids, and their ability to harm as well as help, said Irfan Dhalla, a doctor at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and the report’s primary author.

Dr. Dhalla is one of many physicians and researchers who argue that prescribing physicians – from general practitioners to gynecologists – need to reconsider the treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain and addiction.

“Physicians will be very surprised to learn just how many deaths occur from prescription opioids each year,” Dr. Dhalla said. (more…)

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Virtual World Will Offer Students a Unique Patient Experience

By John Wiens DC|December 4, 2009|Education|

Source NORTHWESTERN HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY
Dec 2, 2009

2nd Life New technology that will give chiropractic students the opportunity to conduct an online clinical rotation with a virtual geriatric patient is being introduced at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Second Life is a 3D virtual world that uses avatars, moveable icons representing people, to interact through free voice and text chat. During the winter trimester, the Northwestern clinical education department will administer a Second Life beta test that will allow students to conduct virtual interviews with patients in an online simulated clinical training environment.

“This is a rare opportunity because students will be able to interact with unique patient populations of varying ethnicities and abilities,” said Lynne Hvidsten, DC, associate dean of clinical education. “The students can more routinely interact with patients that have disabilities or conditions such as multiple sclerosis – patients they are apt to see in practice, but have little opportunity to experience in a classroom.”

Glori Hinck, DC, assistant professor and pioneer of this program, spoke about Second Life at a technology conference in Australia last summer. Since then, she has been working to integrate the technology into an active education program. “This is the way that education is moving,” Dr. Hinck said. “This beta test is just an introduction. I hope that it will soon supplement mock interviews that students conduct with each other in the classroom.”

Mary Berg, MA, assistant professor, coordinates the chiropractic rotation experiences for the T8 students. “We had about five to 10 students interested in participating in the rotation on Second Life. We know that Second Life may not be for everybody, but we are encouraged by this initial response.”

Dr. Hvidsten, Dr. Hinck, and Berg currently use Second Life and avatars as a means of interacting with each other from separate locations. “It’s like having a conference call with avatars,” said Dr. Hvidsten. To learn more about Second Life, check out a brief introduction created by Dr. Hinck at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RdwqK2di7M.

“We are very excited about this new collaboration” said Dr. Hvidsten. “Education is certainly changing and we are seeking to meet the various needs of the students. We hope to usher in a new generation of learners.”

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Government Support and the Research Challenges of Chiropractic Pediatrics

By Frank M. Painter|December 3, 2009|Chiropractic Care, Education, Health Care, Pediatrics|

Government Support and the Research Challenges of Chiropractic Pediatrics

The Chiro.Org Blog

Dr. Dennis Leduc, a McGill University pediatrician recently stated that “There are no physical ailments in childhood, whether they be ear infections, asthma, or other physical problems, that have ever been shown to be amenable to chiropractic manipulation or therapy.”

The story released Friday by The Star Phoenix reports that the concern is over 5,297 chiropractic pediatric treatments at the cost of $80,921 paid in Saskatchewan this last year. [1] The Health Ministry is considering if it will continue to subsidize chiropractic pediatric care in Saskatchewan. (more…)

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JAMA Claims Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Increases Fall Risk in Older Adults

By Frank M. Painter|December 2, 2009|Health|

JAMA Claims Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Increases Fall Risk in Older Adults

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association 2009; 302 (20): 2214-2221

Chronic pain is experienced by as many as two out of three older adults. Now, a new study finds that pain may be more hazardous than previously thought, contributing to an increased risk of falls in adults over age 70. The findings appear in the November 25 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

“It’s clear that pain is not just a normal part of aging and that pain is often undertreated in older adults,” explains lead author Suzanne Leveille, PhD, RN, who conducted the research while a member of the Division of Primary Care at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and is currently on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Boston. “Our findings showed that older adults who reported chronic musculoskeletal pain in two or more locations – mainly in the joints of the arms and legs – as well as individuals who reported more severe pain or pain that interfered with daily activities were more likely to experience a fall than other individuals.” (more…)

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Man Controlls Robotic Hand With Thought

By Frank M. Painter|December 2, 2009|Education|

This may not be the ideal posting for anyone with Terminator-anxiety, so please be forwarned.

ROME – An Italian who lost his left forearm in a car crash was successfully linked to a robotic hand, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial limb and control it with his thoughts, scientists said Wednesday.

During a one-month experiment conducted last year, 26-year-old Pierpaolo Petruzziello felt like his lost arm had grown back again, although he was only controlling a robotic hand that was not even attached to his body. (more…)

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AAFP Makes Deal With Coke For “Educational” Content

By Frank M. Painter|November 28, 2009|Education, Nutrition|

AAFP Makes Deal With Coke For “Educational” Content

The Chiro.Org Blog

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has struck a deal with Coca-Cola to sponsor its consumer-focused website, familydoctor.org

Amusingly enough, the AAFP’s Consumer Alliance is a program that allows corporate partners like The Coca-Cola Company to work with them to educate consumers about the role their products can play in a healthy, active lifestyle. Isn’t that amazing? (more…)

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