Diagnostics

Chiropractic Adjustments Produce Immediate Results Visible on MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging zygapophyseal joint space changes (gapping) in low back pain patients following spinal manipulation and side-posture positioning: a randomized controlled mechanisms trial with blinding. Cramer GD, Cambron J, Cantu JA, Dexheimer JM, Pocius JD, Gregerson D, Fergus M, McKinnis R, Grieve TJ. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2013 May;36(4):203-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.04.003. Epub 2013 May […]

Evidence for Policy Making: Clinical Appropriateness Study of Lumbar Spine MRI Prescriptions Using RAND Appropriateness Method.

Int J Health Policy Manag. 2013 Apr 10;1(1):17-21. doi: 10.15171/ijhpm.2013.04. eCollection 2013. Salari H1, Ostovar R2, Esfandiari A1, Keshtkaran A3, Akbari Sari A4, Yousefi Manesh H5, Rakhshan A6. Abstract BACKGROUND: MRI is a new and expensive diagnostic technology, which has been used increasingly all over the world. Low back pain is a worldwide prevalent disorder […]

Handheld Ultrasound Outperforms Cardiologists’ Physical Exam

Frontline Medical News, 2013 Apr 08, B Jancin NEWS Story Source SAN FRANCISCO (IMNG) – Handheld ultrasound proved “vastly superior” to physical examination conducted by cardiologists for the evaluation of a variety of cardiovascular complaints in a head-to-head prospective trial. All 250 study participants underwent a clinically indicated standard 2-D and Doppler transthoracic echocardiography exam. […]

MRI for Low Back Problems Deemed Overused

Published: Mar 26, 2013 By Crystal Phend , Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today More than half of outpatient lumbar spine MRI scans weren’t appropriate, with a particularly poor record of ordering by family physicians, researchers found. When analyzed by an expert panel, 29% of MRI referrals to two large teaching hospitals were deemed inappropriate and […]

Patients Not Always Told About CT Risks

Physicians often don’t communicate the risks of CT studies to patients undergoing the scans and usually leave patients out of the decision-making process, researchers found.

Manipulation/Manual Therapy in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Howard Vernon J Arthritis 3:e107. doi: Full Text Article:  http://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/manipulation-manual-therapy-in-the-treatment-of-osteoarthritis-2167-7921.1000e107.php Manual manipulation has a long history in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain [1]. Manipulation for the treatment of spinal pain conditions has become widely accepted as a result of numerous clinical trials, systematic reviews and clinical guidelines [2–4]. Surveys of chiropractic practice confirm that the […]

Clinical correlation of magnetic resonance imaging with symptom complex in prolapsed intervertebral disc disease

J Craniovertebr Junction Spine. 2013 Jan;4(1):16-20. doi: 10.4103/0974-8237.121619. Clinical correlation of magnetic resonance imaging with symptom complex in prolapsed intervertebral disc disease: A cross-sectional double blind analysis. Bajpai J1, Saini S1, Singh R1. Abstract INTRODUCTION: Low backache (LBA) is one of the most common problems and herniated lumbar disc is one of the most commonly […]

4 Signs of Aging That May Show Higher Heart Risk

WebMD Health News by Charlene Laino Nov. 6, 2012 (Los Angeles) — A receding hairline and certain other signs of aging may be far more than cosmetic problems. They can be signs of poor heart health. Danish researchers found that people with four signs of aging — receding hairline at the temples, baldness at the […]

Changes in pain sensitivity following spinal manipulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The Facts: a. Spinal manipulation is a common form of treatment for musculoskeletal conditions. b. It is frequently used for the treatment of pain. c. The mechanism by which this manipulative therapy reduces pain is unclear. d. However, one method by which spinal manipulation may reduce pain is by reducing pain sensitivity. e. “Meta-analysis was […]

Reliability and Group Differences in Quantitative Cervicothoracic Measures Among Individuals With and Without Chronic Neck Pain

Bahar Shahidi, Cynthia L Johnson, Douglas Curran-Everett, Katrina S MalufDisclosures BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2012;13(215) ABSTRACT Background: Clinicians frequently rely on subjective categorization of impairments in mobility, strength, and endurance for clinical decision-making; however, these assessments are often unreliable and lack sensitivity to change. The objective of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability, minimum […]

Is Alzheimer’s Type 3 Diabetes?

By MARK BITTMAN SEPTEMBER 25, 2012 Just in case you need another reason to cut back on junk food, it now turns out that Alzheimer’s could well be a form of diet-induced diabetes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that laying off soda, doughnuts, processed meats and fries could allow you to keep your mind […]

Reliability and Validity of a Kinematic Spine Model During Active Trunk Movement in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain

Benjamin Hidalgo, PE, PT, DO, MT, Maxime Gilliaux, PT, William Poncin, PT and Christine Detrembleur, PT, PhD OBJECTIVE: To develop a standardized, reliable, valid spine model of active trunk movements that accurately discriminates kinematic patterns of patients with chronic non-specific low back pain from those of healthy subjects. DESIGN: Comparative cohort study. SUBJECTS: Healthy subjects […]

Lower back pain and neck pain: is it possible to identify the painful side by palpation only?

Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2012 Mar;55(2):103-11. doi: 10.1016/j.rehab.2012.01.001. Epub 2012 Feb 2. [Article in English, French] Maigne JY1, Cornelis P, Chatellier G. Abstract OBJECTIVES: Back pain is often attributed to increased tension in the back muscles, regardless of whether the tension is primary or related to a disc/facet pathology. We hypothesized that when either lower […]

Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Tests for Subacromial Impingement Syndrome

Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Tests for Subacromial Impingement Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Marwan Alqunaee, RCSI Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Volume 93, Issue 2, Pages 229–236, February 2012 Abstract Alqunaee M, Galvin R, Fahey T. Diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests for subacromial impingement syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Objective To examine the […]

Is immediate imaging important in managing low back pain?

Andersen JC. J Athl Train. 2011 Jan-Feb. Abstract REFERENCE: Chou R, Fu R, Carrino JA, Deyo RA. Imaging strategies for low-back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2009;373(9662):463-472. CLINICAL QUESTIONS: In patients with low back pain (LBP) who do not have indications of a serious underlying condition, does routine, immediate lumbar imaging result in improved patient outcomes […]

Potential of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings to Refine Case Definition for Mechanical Low Back Pain in Epidemiological Studies

A Systematic Review Endean, Alison MBChB, MRCP Spine:  15 January 2011 – Volume 36 – Issue 2 – p 160–169 Abstract Study Design. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Objective. To assess how confidently low back pain (LBP) can be attributed to abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and thereby explore the potential value of MRI abnormalities […]

Modic Changes May Not Be Progressive

VERTEBRAL ENDPLATE CHANGES: THE NATURAL HISTORY AS ASSESSED BY CONSECUTIVE MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING. M.J. Hutton, J. Bayer, M. Sawant, D.J. Sharp Published 1 September 2005 Abstract Study Design: Retrospective review of 55 subjects who for various clinical indications had sequential MRI scans Summary of Background data: Changes in the vertebral end plate are frequently associated […]

Efficacy of cervical endplay assessment as an indicator for spinal manipulation

Haas M,et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2003 Jun 1;28(11):1091-6; discussion 1096. Full Text Comment in Aust J Physiother. 2004;50(1):57. Abstract STUDY DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of manual endplay assessment on neck pain and stiffness outcomes in neck pain patients receiving spinal manipulation. SUMMARY OF THE BACKGROUND DATA: There have […]

Clinical utility of surface EMG

Special Article Clinical utility of surface EMG Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology This report reviews the clinical uses of surface electromyography (SEMG) as a diagnostic tool for neurologic disorders. SEMG is assessed with regard to the evaluation of patients with neuromuscular diseases, low back pain, and […]