Northwestern Research Keeps Making News
The research team at Northwestern Health Sciences University is continuing to make headlines following the publication of "Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain: A Randomized Trial." The study, published in the January 2012 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that spinal manipulation was superior to medication – and as effective as exercise – in reducing neck pain in both short- and long-term follow-up. (For a summary of the study, read our front-page article in the Feb. 12, 2012 issue of DC: "Conservative Care Beats Medication for Neck Pain.")
Since the study's appearance in the Annals, lead author Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD, vice president of research at Northwestern, has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal and is scheduled to be interviewed with other media outlets including Men's Health and Men's Journal. The study itself has been reported by multiple news agencies including Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Newsday and MSN Health, among others.
The media coverage on the study is very gratifying," said Roni Evans, DC, MS, dean of research at Northwestern, who also participated in the study. "The journal [Annals of Internal Medicine] is one of the highest ranking and most respected medical journals in the world, so just getting published there was very rewarding. The timeframe was more than 10 years to go from funding to publication. It's a real acknowledgment of the quality of our research team's work."
"Because of the wide coverage, and the fact that there has been so little research on this topic to date, the results of this study are likely to have a major impact on how acute neck pain is treated," Dr. Evans added. "With headlines like ‘Chiropractic and Exercise Are Better Than Drugs,' there is no doubt that such coverage is good for the chiropractic profession. Media coverage like this really puts Northwestern and the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies on the map. It's good for our institution, our students, and the chiropractic profession."
Chiropractic Patient Names Palmer College in Will
Palmer College of Chiropractic is the recipient of more than $40,000 courtesy of a man from Silvis, Ill., who requested to remain nameless. Palmer has discovered that the man, who named the college as one of the recipients of his estate in his will, was a patient at Palmer's Illinois clinic for more than 10 years and later received regular chiropractic care from Palmer graduate H. Daniel Bobb, DC, of Silvis. The $40,000 is an unrestricted charitable gift amounting to 6.5 percent of the man's estate.
"He was a hardworking man who retired after 50 years of serving as a company president," said Dr. Bobb. "He enjoyed golfing and hunting, and faithfully received chiropractic care. He attributed chiropractic care as one of the reasons for his long life and was extremely grateful for the benefits he experienced from his care."
Palmer officials said the gift will be directed to the college's permanent endowment fund. As with all gifts to the fund, interest only will be used to fund scholarships and support student and college programs.
Logan Announces New Staff Appointments, Promotions
Logan College of Chiropractic President George Goodman, DC, FICC, recently announced several personnel appointments at the college, including staff promotions. Vincent McGee, director of media, was named associate vice president of educational technology; Dr. Nicholas Farha was appointed associate dean of educational technology; Dr. Connie Hayes was promoted to assistant director at the on-campus Biofreeze Sports & Rehabilitation Center; Gregory George joined Logan as a network administrator; and Eric Saller was promoted to data support specialist.
Kentuckiana Marks 10-Year Anniversary of Exec. Director
Kentuckiana Children's Center is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Jean Elizabeth Grabowski's hiring as executive director of the center in 2001. In a release marking the anniversary, the center praised Grabowski for her pivotal role "creating an environment where [founder Dr. Lorraine Golden's] dream of helping all children, regardless of their ability to pay, continues to be realized every day." Kentuckiana has provided integrated chiropractic care to children with special needs since 1957.
NYCC to Conduct Study on Orthotic Use by Veterans
New York Chiropractic College Professor, Dr. Paul Dougherty, is heading up a new research initiative designed to evaluate the effectiveness of custom foot orthotics in reducing chronic back pain and disability in veterans. The randomized, controlled trial will take place at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center in upstate New York and is funded courtesy of a $243,000 grant from Foot Levelers, Inc. The research project builds on a recent multi-year affiliation between the company and the college.
The two-year study will recruit veterans ages 18-65 and suffering from chronic LBP. According to Dr. Dougherty, "NYCC has established a proven track record for conducting randomized, controlled trials, and these projects certainly build on that reputation."
Dynamic Chiropractic encourages all chiropractic organizations including state and national associations, colleges / universities, licensing and research entities, and others to keep the profession informed of their activities in the print and online pages of DC. Please submit press releases via e-mail to editorial@mpamedia.com for consideration.
