Correlation between Back Pain and Caffeine Consumption?
Does caffeine consumption heighten pain sensitivity, particularly in the case of back pain? A recent article published in The Clinical Journal of Pain suggests that this is not the case:
"There were no significant differences among the low, medium, and high caffeine consumer groups on any self-report measure of pain severity, affective distress, anxiety-related symptoms, or sleeping behavior. High caffeine users were more likely to be tobacco smokers than low caffeine users (79% and 27%, respectively, p <0.001).Currie SR, Wilson KG, Gauthier ST. Caffeine and chronic low back pain. The Clinical Journal of Pain 11:214-219."Conclusions: Our findings indicate that dietary caffeine consumption is not related to the global experience of pain and disability in patients with chronic low back pain, although high caffeine use may be embedded in a context of other unhealthy life-style behaviors."
Chiropractors have long been aware of the fact that surgery can be ineffective for treating back pain, but MDs are now beginning to become more aware of it, as evidenced by the following quote from the San Francisco Spine Center's newsletter, Backtalk:
"Almost everyone has a friend or relative who has had low back surgery, and after the operation, has never been 'quite the same.' In fact, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are approximately 200,000 laminectomies performed every year. An estimated 20%-30% (40,000 - 60,000) of these operations are reported to be unsuccessful. It is easy to see that the problems of 'failed back surgery' are enormous."Light, Kenneth I., MD. Failed back syndrome: fact or fiction? Backtalk. Fall: 1995
This article focuses on nine severe injuries that are generally not diagnosable until the third to fourth week following the date of injury, including how to diagnose these severe injuries. The discovery of any of these injuries early can make a significant difference in the case outcome.
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Dr. Anthony Delitto, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has announced that the SHRS will begin offering a Doctor of Chiropractic program in fall 2025, with applications accepted this fall. The program is the first at a research-intensive public university in the U.S. and the only chiropractic program headed by a faculty member with NIH research funding, according to the press release.
While canes, braces and posts represent extrinsic methods for lessening adductor moment arms, an intrinsic method for lessening the development of medial knee osteoarthritis occurs when the hip abductor musculature and the iliotibial band are strong enough to create a compressive force capable of stabilizing the lateral knee.
