Author's note: Each patient education article in this column details research documented in Somatovisceral Aspects of Chiropractic: An Evidence-Based Approach, co-edited by Marion Todres-Masarsky, DC.
While most educational materials should focus on established findings, it does not hurt to occasionally engage the patient's imagination with a speculative article. Naturally, such an article should still be grounded in solid scientific evidence. Please feel free to use the following patient education article for your bulletin board, as a front-desk handout, or for tableside talks or lay lectures.
Recently, a New Zealand scientist trained homing pigeons to follow a magnetic field to a feeding platform.1 Placing small magnets on the pigeons' beaks disrupted their ability to locate the magnetically tagged platform.
While evidence for the existence of a magnetic sense in migratory birds was published at least as early as the 1960s, these recent data isolate a particular part of the bird's body as the location of its biological compass. This helps to establish the nerve pathways serving this magnetic sense.
The biological compass may not be the exclusive property of migratory birds. In a British study, blindfolded students were driven a long distance from their campus.2 Their ability to point in the direction of their campus after this long, meandering drive was impaired when magnets were placed at the back of their heads.
While we do not yet understand the nerve pathways that serve the human magnetic sense, it is interesting to note that other human senses can be disrupted by spinal misalignment or restriction (subluxation). Blurred vision, ringing in the ears, hearing loss and a distorted sense of balance have all been reported in some patients with spinal subluxation, especially in the neck and upper back. In these cases, chiropractic adjustments have often been reported to be beneficial.3 As we come to understand more about the human magnetic sense, it will be interesting to see how it is affected by the spinal subluxation and the chiropractic adjustment.
References
Charles Masarsky, DC
Vienna, Virginia
neurofitness@aol.com
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
