September 2008

Are we ready?

by DeDe Van Riper

According to a recent Associated Press-AOL health poll, people reporting high debt stress were many times more likely to suffer from ulcers, migraines, headaches, severe anxiety, severe depression, and more than twice as likely to have a heart attack than someone with low debt stress. In addition, more than half the high stress group suffered with low back pain. No surprises here. Chiropractors have been aware of the consequences of stress -- in all its forms -- for years.

Yet, buried in the middle of the article is something that is both exciting and disappointing. The exciting part is the conclusion as to the cause of these effects: stress. It's not really anything we didn't already know. But the simple fact that it is coming from the mainstream media speaks volumes about how far the mindset of our society has come.

"... Medical research suggests that most of the symptoms reported in this poll are indeed typical of chronic stress. The body reacts with a 'fight-or-flight' response, releasing adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol. That helps you react fast in an emergency, but if the body stays in this high gear too long, those chemicals can wreak physical havoc in numerous systems -- everything from a rise in blood pressure and heart rate to problems with memory, mood, digestion, even the immune system."

Does any of this sound familiar? With the breakthroughs in chiropractic instrumentation and their application, we are now able to monitor patients with biofeedback and neurofeedback and see exactly how they respond to stress... and how they recover from it (if they recover at all).

As exciting as this passage is, there is an element to it that's quite disappointing and it can be found in the first two words: medical research. Chiropractors have been dealing with stress and the effects of it for more than 100 years. They spend years in school learning about the effects of stress, the cause of subluxations, and how to correct them. They teach their patients about stress and subluxation. They teach their communities about the dangers of stress and the effects thereof. How disappointing is it then when an article discussing the effects of stress on peoples' health references the medical community rather than chiropractic? Why aren't they quoting chiropractic research?

The article, much like the medical community, doesn't have much to offer those living with high stress. It's a matter-of-fact observation that stressed people get sick. Other than drugging people into a stupor (no comment necessary), medical intervention for the highly stressed population is limited to the extremes. On one hand they may give advice on reducing stress (not a bad idea). At the other extreme they are there to handle the critical care of those who've succumb to stress in the way of a heart attack or some other critical system failure. But what of those in between?

While the philosophy of chiropractic is almost unchanged from its origin, two significant things have changed since the early days. First of all, our society is more aware today than ever before of the dangers of stress. Secondly, technology has finally caught up with the philosophy of chiropractic, making neurologically based chiropractic more than a theory, more than a principle, more than a philosophy. Today we are able to watch in real-time the effects of stress on our nervous system -- as well as the effects of an adjustment -- making neurologically based care a reality.

For years and years the term "anecdotal evidence" has hung around the neck of chiropractic like an albatross. Given the lack of scientific evidence that supports chiropractic it's no surprise that journalists might turn to medical research when discussing stress and health. But, the day is finally here for all that to change. The future of chiropractic will be built on the foundation of evidence-based care. And the future will be bright.

The technology is ready. The patients are ready. The obvious question that begs to be asked is are we ready?

(DeDe Van Riper has extensive knowledge and experience in the chiropractic field, having worked with Insight Technology, CLA [Chiropractic Leadership Alliance], Now You Know, and other major chiropractic companies. For questions about chiropractic instrumentation, call her at 877-233-0022.)