Response to the Media Inquiries Regarding the Unfortunate Death of Model Katie May

According to the various media reports, Katie May, a well-known model dubbed “The Queen of Snapchat,” suffered a trauma to her neck to which she sought care from a chiropractor. According to news sources, her father has made remarks that suggest that her chiropractic care played a role in her untimely death.

Here are some facts for your consideration:

- Arterial dissection of the cervical (neck) arteries is a very rare condition occurring in 2-3 persons per 100,000 population per year. As this condition often produces neck pain and headaches, many times individuals will consult with their health care providers for advice or treatment in response to the discomfort.​​

- Whether a person consults a medical doctor or doctor of chiropractic, stroke can follow at an equal rate regardless of the type of provider. Epidemiologic studies over many years with millions of patients do not reveal any greater association of stroke for persons under chiropractic care compared with persons under medical care.

- In February 2016, a team of neurosurgeons at the University of Pennsylvania Hershey Medical Center published research concluding, “There is no convincing evidence to support a causal link between chiropractic manipulation and cervical artery dissection (CAD).”

- Chiropractic manipulation has shown to be safe, effective treatment for neck, mid back and lower back pain. A comprehensive review of scientific evidence noted that there is as much evidence supporting chiropractic care as for other treatments such as prescription and non-prescription drugs and surgery.

The doctors at Life in Motion Chiropractic and Wellness recognize that this is a sensitive subject and we are presenting this information to you with the utmost respect for Ms. May and her family.

How to Improve Your Posture - Doctors of Chiropractic

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Posture & Ergonomics Training

TECH NECK

Got Pain?

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TRY CHIROPRACTIC FIRST!

Here’s why:

Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study.

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2013 Apr 15;38(8):627-34.

Conclusion: The results of this trial suggest that chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT) in conjunction with standard medical care (SMC) offers a significant advantage for decreasing pain and improving physical functioning when compared with only standard care, for men and women between 18 and 35 years of age with acute low back pain (LBP).

The Chiropractic Hospital-based Interventions Research Outcomes (CHIRO) study: a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of clinical practice guidelines in the medical and chiropractic management of patients with acute mechanical low back pain.

Spine J. 2010 Dec;10(12):1055-64.

Conclusion: This is the first reported randomized controlled trial comparing full clinical practice guidelines-based treatment, including spinal manipulative therapy administered by chiropractors, to family physician-directed usual care (UC) in the treatment of patients with acute mechanical low back pain (AM-LBP). Compared to family physician-directed UC, full clinical practice guidelines-based treatment including chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy is associated with significantly greater improvement in condition-specific functioning.

Pain, disability, and satisfaction outcomes and predictors of outcomes: A practice-based study of chronic low back pain patients attending primary care and chiropractic physicians.

JMPT. 2001 Sep; Vol. 24, Issue 7, Pg. 433–439

Conclusion: Chiropractic care compared favorably to medical care with respect to long-term pain and disability outcomes. Further study is required to explore the advantage seen for chiropractic care in patients with leg pain below the knee and in the area of patient satisfaction. Identification of patient and treatment characteristics associated with better or worse outcomes may foster changes in physicians' practice activities that better serve these patients' needs.

Primary Spine Practitioner

Back-to-School Backpacks: F4CP Alerts Parents About Weight Overloads, Impact Upon Posture and Health

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ – August 02, 2016 – According to a study published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, students bearing excessive weight in their backpacks can develop long-lasting back pain, among a multitude of serious health conditions including neck pain, tingling and numbness of the arms and shoulders, headaches, muscle spasms and postural decline. As the back-to-school season quickly approaches, the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), the leading voice of the chiropractic profession, calls attention to the safety concerns associated with carrying heavy backpacks and validates the significant impact of postural habits on overall health.

“Over time, the heavy weight of a backpack can cause an unnatural alignment of the spine as students are forced to offset the pressure by arching the back or bending forward at the hips,” states Sherry McAllister, DC, executive vice president, F4CP, who notes that the weight of a backpack should be no more than five to 10 percent of an individual’s body weight. She continues, “To help combat backpack-related postural stress, students should consider bags that offer multiple compartments and tightened, padded straps worn on both shoulders to help appropriately position and distribute weight.”

In addition to the added stress that backpacks place on the spine, students who are prone to slouching, rounding the shoulders, or protruding the head forward may experience further pain from sitting at a desk for prolonged periods of time. Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) – who receive a minimum of seven years of higher level education – specialize in spinal health and wellness and are specifically trained to provide hands-on care that helps to naturally align and strengthen the spine, as well as counsel patients about nutrition, exercise and proper body positioning tips.

“Addressing postural habits is especially important while children and adolescents are still growing, as they are more inclined to implement strong body mechanics at an early age, essentially avoiding the impact of improper alignment later on in life. The slogan to remember for good posture is practice makes permanent, so practice good posture,” shares Dr. McAllister. “To prevent backpack-related pain or discomfort, I recommend consulting a doctor of chiropractic to learn more about how to reduce the risk of injury and back pain, and to improve overall spinal configuration, muscle support and health.”

For additional information regarding the importance of backpack safety and the value of chiropractic care, please view the F4CP’s public service announcement here.

About Foundation for Chiropractic Progress    

A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) informs and educates the general public about the value of chiropractic care. Visit www.f4cp.com or call 866-901-F4CP (3427). Social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube.

Chiropractic Care: A Safe, Effective Treatment for Neck, Mid-back and Lower Back Pain

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Better Functional Improvement Outcomes and Higher Satisfaction with 

Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) Care

-  Back Pain 

-  Neck Pain

-  Headache Pain

Excellence in Hands-On Care

Chiropractic Care Improves Posture

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Posture & Ergonomics

Poor posture negatively impacts the health and appearance of individuals – back and neck pain, poor circulation, shallow breathing, fatigue, muscle tension, headaches, premature aging of the spine and poor self-image.

Chiropractic care, which includes spinal manipulative therapy of the thoracic spine or mid-back area, teamed with stretching and strengthening exercises improves overall posture including a condition known as postural kyphosis.

Thoracic kyphosis is an increase in the normal thoracic curvature of the spine. Postural kyphosis most commonly presents due to a number of factors, such as:

• Sitting with slouched posture
• Texting
• Carrying heavy bags or backpacks
• Watching television
• Breast development leading to insecurity, which causes shoulder protraction
• Heavy manual work
• Fashion trends – wearing high heels

Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) - who receive a minimum of seven years of higher education – are primary care professionals for spinal health and well-being.

Spinal manipulative therapy increases joint mobility and has shown to improve muscle function, improve movement and flexibility by decreasing hypertonicity or tightness in the muscles and alter the tone of the muscle.

About the Study

Materials and Methods

Thirty female participants between 20 and 39 years old were recruited for this study because most cases of postural kyphosis occur in females. The women were broken into three groups – Group 1 received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to restricted thoracic spine segments; Group 2 received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to restricted thoracic spine segments as well as stretch and strengthening exercises; Group 3 received stretch and strengthening exercises only.

Methodology

Group 1 received treatment once a week for 6 weeks. Groups 2 and 3 received three treatments a week for six weeks. Postural advice on how to sit and stand correctly was given to all three groups.

Results

All three groups had a significant improvement in their posture, however Group 2’s treatment protocol, consisting of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy to the thoracic spine in combination with stretch and strengthening exercises, yield the best results. Group 2 decreased the postural kyphosis or curvature of the spine.

Source:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306422936_Chiropractic_manipulative_therapy_of_the_thoracic_spine_in_combination_with_stretch_and_strengthening_exercises_in_improving_postural_kyphosis_in_woman

World Spine Day - October 16th

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Straighten Up & Move - World Spine Day