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Chronic / Acute Conditions

Spinal-Cord Injuries: Saying No to Steroids

Editorial Staff

With steroids, epidural and otherwise, in the news lately for their overuse when treating back pain (and their danger when tainted by fungal meningitis), it was high time for a policy change, and we've got one, from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The organizations' Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves has released updated guidelines for the management of acute spinal cord injury that recommend against the use of steroids in the first 24-48 hours following an acute SCI. Steroids were "previously recommended with consideration to the risk / reward profile, as evaluated by the physician."

June 2013
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Carpal Tunnel / Extremities / Neuropathy
Unlock Relief: Nerve Flossing for CTS
Unlock Relief: Nerve Flossing for CTS

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.

Charles Annunziata, DC, CFMP
Diagnosis & Diagnostic Equip
Dynamic Diagnosis: A Look at Romberg’s Test and Patient Safety
Dynamic Diagnosis: A Look at Romberg’s Test and Patient Safety

The Romberg test is a neurological procedure used to assess balance and can be used to gauge a patient’s risk of falling. Unfortunately, the test itself is a fall risk. The fall risk is not huge, and falls are not frequent. However, I have encountered a few situations that have influenced how I use and teach the test.

K. Jeffrey Miller, DC, MBA
News / Profession
A Chiropractic Therapist Profession in the United States?
A Chiropractic Therapist Profession in the United States?

Sadly, Japan now has over 12,000 chiropractic therapists (Zenkenkai/JCA chiropractors), dramatically outnumbering the fewer than 700 DCs who have graduated from accredited chiropractic educational programs. These chiropractic therapists have a clear economic and political advantage that makes appropriate chiropractic legislation nearly impossible. What if this same thing happenened in the U.S.?

Donald Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h)