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The Future of Healthcare
With all of the recent reports stressing the efficacy of complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, it was only a matter of time before
research began exploring the role doctors of chiropractic could play as
cost-effective primary care providers (PCPs).
A paper published recently in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
(JMPT
) revealed that a managed-care network consisting of doctors of
chiropractic as PCPs provided equivalent care and saved substantial costs,
compared to care provided by medical doctors and osteopaths. The analysis
found that chiropractors were not only able to diagnose and treat patients
at a level nearly equal to medical doctors, but that those same patients
were admitted to hospitals less frequently, spent less time in hospitals
for care, underwent fewer surgeries, and used fewer pharmaceuticals than
other health maintenance organization (HMO) patients, resulting in
tremendous cost savings and high patient satisfaction.
This information serves as a glimpse
into the future of health care - a future in which doctors of chiropractic
will treat a larger range of patients using an integrative approach to medicine.
For more information on chiropractic, visit www.chiroweb.com/find.
Reference: Sarnat RL, Winterstein J. Clinical
and cost outcomes of an integrative medicine IPA. JMPT June
2004;27:336-347.
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Antibiotics
don't help sinusitis
August 2002
Antibiotics do not help most children with acute sinusitis, according to
a study in Pediatrics.
Investigators studied 180 youngsters, aged 1 to 18 years, with acute
sinusitis. The children were divided into three treatment groups: 1)
amoxicillin, 2) amoxicillin-clavulanate, or 3) placebo. Treatment lasted
14 days. Seventy-nine percent of the youngsters on amoxicillin improved
after 14 days, as did 79% of those taking placebo pills and 81% of those
on amoxicillin-clavulanate
"Most children with prolonged cold-like symptoms suggestive of
acute sinus disease get better within three weeks, without antibiotic
therapy," explains chief investigator, Jane Garbutt, MB, ChB.
"Our study suggests that, for children with uncomplicated acute
sinusitis, it makes sense to delay antibiotic treatment and watch
carefully."
"Antibiotics are expensive and can cause side effects, most
commonly diarrhea," Garbutt says. "Another concern is that
they are an important factor in the emergence and spread of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria."
Garbutt JM, GoldsteinM, Gellman E, Shannon W, Littenberg B. A
randomized, placebo-controlled trial of antimicrobial treatment for
children with clinically diagnosed acute sinusitis. Pediatrics 2001;
107: 619
Article Archives
Fruits and Vegetables also keep
your heart healthy and decrease risk of stroke.
-
In addition to exercise, a healthy diet, no cigarettes and moderate
amounts of alcohol, British scientists said eating more fruit and
vegetables high in vitamin C could also help.
- New research by scientists at the University of Cambridge :
"Our findings suggest that an increase in dietary intake of foods
rich in ascorbic acid might have benefits for cardiovascular disease
and all-cause mortality in men and women," Professor Kay-Tee Khaw,
who led the research team, said in a study in The Lancet
medical journal
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Taking Back Pain to School
Low back pain often begins in childhood — 10% of 9- to 10-year-olds
suffer from it. One cause of childhood low back pain is poor posture.
Although good posture can reduce the number of low back problems, the
effectiveness of health education at improving posture in children has
received little research attention.
 A
recent study in the journal Spine focused on the success of
different education methods when teaching correct posture to
schoolchildren. Over one hundred third-grade students in Spain were
studied. Some attended sessions to learn and demonstrate correct postures
while performing tasks, focusing on lifting and bending activities at the
students’ homes, classrooms, and physical education classes. Other
children did not receive specific posture classes, but did learn some
basic health information. Written and demonstrated tests on correct
posture were administered several times over one year. Four years later,
cases of back pain or problems were recorded.
Children taught correct postures demonstrated significantly improved
postures in all tests; the other children showed little improvement. In
addition, four years later, the posture-class members were less likely to
have developed back problems than other children.
If you have children, discuss posture education with your doctor of
chiropractic. In addition, be on the lookout for other causes of childhood
low back pain, including an excessively heavy backpack (packs should not
weigh more than 15% of a child’s body weight) and poor flexibility in
the legs, abdomen and back
Reference: Méndez FJ, Gómez-Conesa A. Postural
hygiene program to prevent low back pain. Spine, June 1,
2001:26(11), pp. 1280-1286
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