Chronic / Acute Conditions

Spinal-Cord Injuries: Saying No to Steroids

Dynamic Chiropractic 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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News / Profession
NBCE-FCLB Merger Approved
NBCE-FCLB Merger Approved

The proposed merger of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards was approved by NBCE delegates and FCLB members at their respective annual meetings, held jointly in Atlanta, Ga., this year. Per the new bylaws, the new entity takes the NBCE name, with FCLB continuing as a department within NBCE. The federation will continue to enjoy Board of Directors representation on what will be a single, expanded board.

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Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
Diagnosis & Diagnostic Equip
When Radiculopathy Isn’t Radiculopathy: A Clinical Series (Pt. 3)
When Radiculopathy Isn’t Radiculopathy

Before introducing subscapularis syndrome as an upper extremity analog, it is essential to revisit piriformis syndrome as a well-established example of myogenic pseudo-radiculopathy. Piriformis syndrome has long served as a clinical exception to disc-centric models of lower extremity pain and provides an important framework for understanding how deep muscular dysfunction can mimic radiculopathy in the absence of nerve root compression.

Ken Kaufman, DC
Healthcare / Public Health
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics

Pain has become the dominant language of musculoskeletal healthcare. Numeric pain-rating scales and symptom reports are routinely used as primary indicators of clinical success. But while pain reduction is meaningful, it is an incomplete and often misleading representation of recovery. This has real consequences for patient adherence, long-term outcomes, and how conservative care is perceived within the broader healthcare system.

Christopher Proulx, DC, PhD(ABD), CSCS