Musculoskeletal System

Mechanical factors and vitamin D deficiency in schoolchildren with low back pain: biochemical and cross-sectional survey analysis

Ahmad H Alghadir, Sami A Gabr, Einas S Al-Eisa Journal of Pain Research 2017, 10: 855-865 OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the role of vitamin D, muscle fatigue biomarkers, and mechanical factors in the progression of low back pain (LBP) in schoolchildren. BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents frequently suffer from LBP with no clear […]

Acupuncture Lessens Migraine Attacks in Chinese Study

by Kristina Fiore, Associate Editor, MedPage Today February 20, 2017 Acupuncture may be helpful for migraine prevention, according to a randomized controlled trial from China. The trial included both real and sham acupuncture, as well as a wait-list control group. Over 16 weeks, real acupuncture treatment was associated with a greater reduction in migraine attacks […]

Weak Thigh Muscles Increase Knee OA Risk in Women

Growing evidence of relationship, but only for females by Wayne Kuznar, Contributing Writer February 19, 2017 Women with thigh muscle weakness have an increased risk of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA), but this relationship was no longer significant when adjusting for body mass index (BMI). In men, in contrast, thigh muscle strength was similar between knees with RKOA and […]

Non operative management of massive lumbar disc prolapses, an observational study

Anupkumar Shetty, Peter Craig, Shashank Chitgopkar; Robert Jones Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry SY10 7AG The Spine Journal March 2017 Volume 17, Issue 3, Supplement, Pages S12–S13 BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Most of the herniated discs resolve spontaneously, Although there are multiple papers on mild to moderate disc prolapses treated conservatively there are very few papers on […]

The Side Effects of Orthopedic Knee Surgery: Doubling Down at the Great Orthopedic Surgery Casino

What are the side effects of orthopedic surgery? One of the more disturbing things we see in interventional orthopedics is patients who have undergone multiple aggressive types of orthopedic surgery. The behavior is a bit like a gambler at a casino. If you don’t hit it big the first time, keep doubling down until you […]

Medical Mystery: Why Is Back Surgery So Popular in Casper, Wyo.?

The New Health Care By AUSTIN FRAKT and JONATHAN SKINNER FEB. 13, 2017 You might think that once drugs, devices and medical procedures are shown to be effective, they quickly become available. You might also think that those shown not to work as well as alternatives are immediately discarded. Reasonable assumptions both, but you’d be […]

Hip and Lumbar Spine Physical Examination Findings in People Presenting With Low Back Pain, With or Without Lower Extremity Pain

Authors: Heidi Prather, DO, Abby Cheng, MD, Karen Steger-May, MA, Vaibhav Maheshwari, DO, Linda Van Dillen, PT, PhD Study Design Prospective cohort study, cross-sectional design. Background The hip-spine syndrome is described in patients with known arthritis of the hip. This study describes the hip examination findings of people presenting with low back pain (LBP). Objectives […]

Vitamin K and osteoporosis: Myth or reality? – Full Text Article

FEBRUARY 09, 2017 Metabolism Palermo A, et al. This study was focused on determining the effect of Vitamin K (plasma levels, dietary intake, and oral supplementation) on bone health with specific emphasis in bone remodeling, mineral density and fragility fractures. Despite multiple observational and interventional studies on the association of Vitamin K and bone metabolism, […]

Placebo Plus Usual Treatment Achieves Clinically Significant Back Pain Relief

FEBRUARY 9, 2017 A placebo of a pill added to treatment as usual for chronic low back pain resulted in clinically significant improvements in patients who were informed about the placebo beforehand, according to a new study from Portugal. “We knew that placebos are effective for pain relief, but also that the deception assumed to […]

The Effectiveness of Manual Therapy versus Surgery on Self-Reported Function, Cervical Range of Motion and Pinch Grip Force in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Authors: César Fernández-de-las-Peñas, PT, PhD, DMSc Published: Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 2017 Volume:0 Issue:0 Pages:1–43 DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2017.7090 Study Design Randomized parallel-group trial. Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common pain condition that can be managed surgically or conservatively. Objective To compare the effectiveness of manual therapy versus surgery for improving self-reported […]

Lumbar Support for Low Back Pain: Does It Work?

PAIN MEDICINE NEWS FEBRUARY 3, 2017 Lumbar support cannot be recommended for the management of nonspecific low back pain in the general population, according to a study conducted by a French research team affiliated with CHU Gabriel-Montpied Hôpital, in Clermont-Ferrand, France (Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2016;59S:e29). Charlotte Lanhers and her colleagues conducted a review of […]

People With Chronic Neck Pain Walk With a Stiffer Spine

Authors: Deborah Falla, PT, PhD Study Design Case-control. Background People with chronic neck pain present a number of sensorimotor and biomechanical alterations, yet little is known about the influence of neck pain on gait and motions of the spine during gait. Objective To evaluate the spine kinematics and gait characteristics in people with non-specific chronic […]

The drugs don’t work, say back pain researchers

Date: February 2, 2017 Source: George Institute for Global Health Summary: Commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, used to treat back pain provide little benefit, but cause side effects, according to new research. The findings of the systematic review reveal only one in six patients treated with the pills, also known […]

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among US Adults With Headache or Migraine: Results From the 2012 National Health Interview Survey

Yan Zhang, PhD; Jeff A. Dennis, PhD; Matthew J. Leach, PhD; Felicity L. Bishop, PhD; Holger Cramer, PhD; Vincent C. H. Chung, PhD; Craig Moore, PhD(c); Romy Lauche, PhD; Ron Cook, DO; David Sibbritt, PhD; Jon Adams, PhD Headache. 2017;57(8):1228-1242. Abstract Background Given the safety concerns regarding pharmacological agents, and the considerable impact of headache […]

Incidence of Spontaneous Resorption of Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Meta-Analysis.

Pain Physician. 2017 Jan-Feb;20(1):E45-E52. Zhong M1, Liu JT2, Jiang H2, Mo W3, Yu PF2, Li XC2, Xue RR3. Abstract BACKGROUND: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH), a common disease, is often treated conservatively, frequently resulting in spontaneous resorption of the herniated disc. The incidence of this phenomenon, however, remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence of spontaneous […]

Clinical practice guidelines for the noninvasive management of low back pain [Full Text]

A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration J.J. Wong Eur J Pain 21 (2017) 201–216 Abstract We conducted a systematic review of guidelines on the management of low back pain (LBP) to assess their methodological quality and guide care. We synthesized guidelines on the management of LBP published from […]

The weather’s not to blame for your aches and pains

JANUARY 24, 2017 George Institute for Global Health News New research from The George Institute for Global Health has revealed the weather plays no part in the symptoms associated with either back pain or osteoarthritis. It’s long been thought episodes of both back pain and arthritis can be triggered by changes in the weather, including […]

Effectiveness of Nerve Gliding Exercises on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

Nerve gliding may be a worthwhile add-on in the conservative management of carpal tunnel syndrome.  Here are a couple of videos showing how to do nerve gliding for CTS. Carpal Tunnel Tendon Stretch and Nerve Gliding – Video – Fitzmaurice Hand Institute Carpal Tunnel Nerve Gliding – Video – Leo Rozmaryn MD, Orthopedic Surgeon J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2017 […]

Predicting recovery in patients with acute low back pain: A Clinical Prediction Model

T. da Silva P. Macaskill K. Mills C. Maher C. Williams C. Lin M.J. Hancock First published: 20 January 2017 https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.976 Abstract Background There is substantial variability in the prognosis of acute low back pain (LBP). The ability to identify the probability of individual patients recovering by key time points would be valuable in making […]

Conservative Care of Coccygodynia (Download Paper)

Connecticut Chiropractic Association District Meeting James J. Lehman, DC, MBA, DABCO Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic DOWNLOAD PAPER