Massage Warsaw- Massage Therapy – Warsaw Acupuncture

Category: Research

  • Botox Can Affect How You Understand And Are Understood

    A recent study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that is set to be published in the journal Psychological Science sheds new light on the side effects of botox.

    The study examines how our facial expressions affect how we understand things.  It proposes the simple idea that if we are smiling we will interpret stimuli in a more positive light, or if we are frowning we may interpret events more negatively.  The reaction of our facial muscles helps our brains understand the events that are unfolding and help give it an emotional significance.

    In everyday life, we can see this as well.  Consider someone that is generally considered to be a “people person”. You may notice that they react with similar expressions that mimic the emotion that you are trying to convey while talking to them.  This expression of the emotional content of the message is in fact helping them to better understand you and the message you are trying to convey.  It helps them understand you and also helps you to understand how they are digesting your story.

    Because Botox blocks certain facial nervous impulses and paralyzes certain facial muscles, researchers found that women that had received botox treatments had more difficulty in understanding emtional language.

    The full story is available here.

  • Sitting Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

    Here is an interesting article on CBC.ca about a new study of the effects sitting has on your health.  There isn’t any information on the methodology of the study, but it still is nice to see a study that confirms what you think: Sitting strains your body, your muscles and your joints.

    Sitting may be a good way to rest your body when it needs it, but too much of it has the opposite effect.  The study measured increases in blood sugar level and decreases in good cholesterol.  Another study linked too much sitting with increases in obesity finding that a 2 hour per day increase in tv watching increases chances of obesity by 23%.

    Most of the clients that come in to see me for treatment of their chronic aches and pains don’t attribute their condition to marathons or extreme sports, but rather just sitting at work all day.

    Here is the article:  http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/06/10/sitting-health-physiology.html

  • How Dangerous is Red Meat?

    A new study in Circulation performed a systematic review of literature on the effects of different dietary habits.  A larger summary of the results can be found on Science Based Medicine.

    The study found that the consumption of processed meats, not red meats, increased the risk of coronary heart disease by 42%.

    In a comparison of dietary habits, the study found that:

    …in comparison with regular meat eaters, mortality from ischemic heart disease was 20% lower in occasional meat eaters, 34% lower in people who ate fish but not meat, 34% lower in lactoovovegetarians, and 26% lower in vegans.
    There were no significant differences between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in mortality from cerebrovascular disease, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, or all other causes combined.

  • Spinal Decompression

    Here is a news segment on CBC’s marketplace investigating the claims made by the Low Back Clinic about their spinal decompression machines.  The Low Back Clinic claims that they have an 80% success rate in treating low back pain.  The investigation makes the following allegations:

    • All claims are based on a study funded by the manufacturer of the product.
    • That study is not statistically significant or of sufficient quality to make those claims.
    • The Low Back Clinic, in their advertising,  is taking advantage of people that are vulnerable

    You can see for yourself.  Here is a link to the video:

    http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2010/stretching_the_truth/main.html

    My thoughts on the “investigation”:

    • It was fair journalism, but more than anything, it was great entertainment.  The piece targets the inner skeptic in all of us:  The desire to point a finger at a product or company and call them a bunch of crooks or snake oil peddlers.
    • Spinal decompression has been around for a long time and does have a therapeutic effect on herniated disc problems.  It has been referred to as traction for decades.  Usually you can find traction devices in the form of an apparatus that hangs you upside down.   The devices only cost a couple hundred dollars to purchase.  You can find them in many physiotherapist clinics, chiropractic clinics, and yes, I have one as well.  Many people even buy them for use at home.  They are relatively safe, but makes sure you talk to you doctor first, especially if you have a heart condition.  These are simple devices that resemble a swing set and look nothing like the Star Trek inspired machine at the Low Back Clinic (LBC).  The principle of why they work is essentially the same but they only use your body weight to perform the traction.  The most important difference is that we don’t charge $5,000 to use it.  It is included in the treatment as one of the many modalities you may receive.  And there are no straps, harnesses and hydraulics putting 100 lbs of force on your vertebrae.
    • Regarding the dangers of spinal decompression:
      • Re:  The lady with cancer that ended up with a crushed vertabrae.  It is easy to say in hind sight that it was obvious that she had cancer, but the truth is that the average client that comes in to see chiropractors or physiotherapists or RMT’s have already seen their family physician.  The average GP is so used to seeing low back pain that the last thing they might think of is cancer.  It is true that further down the line, the cancer might be discovered after further diagnosis and worsening of symptoms.  But often that discovery is after several misdiagnoses by General Practitioner’s (GP’s) about  the cause of the back pain.   A misdiagnosis by a GP does not mean that all doctors are incompetent frauds and a misdiagnosis by a chiropractor does not make him a charlatan.  (RMT’s have it easy, we’re not allowed to diagnose).  If the “investigation” pointed the finger at the chiropractor, it should also point the finger at the other medical professionals that misdiagnosed her back pain.
      • Re: the total lack of assessment done on the man that was first assessed and diagnosed by the orthopedic surgeon.    My question is if the man went in for his initial visit or if he went in for a free consultation.  In a free consultation, no assessments are done and the primary goal is to convince the patient to come in again for a paid initial visit.  In an initial visit with any chiropractor I have ever worked with, a minimum 30 minute thorough assessment is done.  It should also be noted that while an orthopedic surgeon may give a very thorough assessment, I have never received a full assessment by a GP.  Regardless, if that visit was in fact a paid initial visit it was incompetent, insufficient and irresponsible.
    • Here are my concerns about the LBC:
      • They should never advertise an 80% success rate.  That is misleading advertising, and especially dangerous when there isn’t research to back it up
      • They should have never said “virtually no side effects”.  Though technically allowable, it is not consistent with the professional standards of chiropractic.
      • The product is way overpriced as well.  $5000 for a treatment they could have included in their treatment with an RMT, chiropractor or physiotherapist?
      • The College of Chiropractors has a code of ethics which restricts these types of business practises.  Why did they let this happen?

  • Research: Lumbar Disc Herniation and Acupuncture

    The August 2007 issue of the Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science, Volume 5, Number 4 had a study by Zhang Bi-meng, Wu Yao-chi and Shao Ping entitled “Treatment of lumbar intervertebral disk herniation with electric acupuncture “.

    A total of 200 subjects were studied with 100 subjects in the treatment group receiving electro acupuncture and 100 subjects in the control group receiving oral medicine.

    The acupuncture treatment group had an effectiveness rate of 86% while the control group had an effectiveness rate of 75%.

  • Research: Plantar Fasciitis and Acupuncture

    The 2009 November 23 edition of Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine contained the study, “Acupuncture Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial with Six Months Follow-up” written by Zhang SP, Yip TP, Li QS.

    The study followed 53 subjects who were divided into 2 groups. An acupuncture treatment group receiving acupuncture at PC 7 (a point specific to heel pain). A control group receiving acupuncture at LI 4 (a general analgesic point). All subjects received 5 treatments per week for 2 weeks.

    At the 1 month mark, the following results were measured:

    • Morning pain:
      • the acupuncture treatment group had a pain score of 12
      • the control group had a pain score of 22
    • Overall pain:
      • the acupuncture treatment group had a pain score of 9
      • the control group had a pain score of 22
    • Pain Pressure Threshold:
      • the acupuncture treatment group had a favourable score

    The study showed acupuncture to be an effective treatment for plantar fasciitis and illustrated the effectiveness of the point PC 7.