Entries by Lori Klink

Does the sagittal alignment of the cervical spine have an impact on disk degeneration? Minimum 10-year follow-up of asymptomatic volunteers

June 23, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

Eur Spine J. Nov 2009; 18(11): 1644–1651.PMCID: Eijiro Okada,1et al Progression of posterior disk protrusion was significantly more frequent in subjects over 40 years of age with non-lordosis type of sagittal alignment. However, no significant correlation between the sagittal alignment of the cervical spine and clinical symptoms was detected. Sagittal alignment of the cervical spine had […]

Revisiting disc degeneration, “migration” & stress shielding

June 22, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

Through 3.5 million years of development we humans find ourselves with lordotic curves intra-uterine. Clearly someone wanted our lower backs and necks “curved” i.e. extended. Numerous published studies suggest extension is the most common directional-preference in HNP conditions and McGill and others show how extension “shuts off” the LE activity thus reducing the crushing-effect of […]

IDD and its implications to treatment

June 22, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

The discogram shows the effects of IDD (internal disc disruption) and clearly demonstrates why a desiccated and internally degraded nucleus will NOT give “normal/typical” migration-bending effects e.g. flexion & extension findings are ‘inconsistent’.Since IDD is very common and it’s adverse effects on the hydraulic nature of the disc create a higher potential for annular tears […]

Does minor trauma cause serious low back illness?

June 22, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2006 Dec 1;31(25):2942-9. Carragee E1, Alamin T, Cheng I, Franklin T, Hurwitz E Abstract STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, 5-year, cohort study of working subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Age and sex-adjusted prediction models, including abnormal psychometric testing, smoking, and compensation issues, accurately identified 80% of serious LBP events and 93% of LBP disability events. In this study cohort, minor trauma […]

From: HealthDay Reporter/WebMD

June 19, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

TUESDAY, May 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Doctors often prescribe oral steroids (Medrol) to treat sciatic symptoms – often caused by a herniated lumbar disk. But a new study finds steroids are no more effective than a placebo for the pain and provide only modest improvement in function. Sciatica affects about one in 10 people […]

A systematic review on the effectiveness of physical and rehabilitation interventions for chronic non-specific low back pain Eur Spine J. 2011 Jan; 20(1): 19–39

June 18, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

Marienke van Middelkoop, 1 Sidney M. Rubinstein,2 Ton Kuijpers,3 Arianne P. Verhagen,1Raymond Ostelo,4 Bart W. Koes,1 and Maurits W. van Tulder5 The most promising interventions for a physical and rehabilitation treatment in chronic LBP patients are a multidisciplinary and behavioral treatment approach. All types of behavioral therapy were more effective in reducing pain intensity than controls. Multidisciplinary treatment was found to […]

Double-thumb, segmental specific contact using the Versa-open belt

June 17, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

A cLBP patient with point tenderness at L3/L4 (very common with LB pain without leg referral) had been decompressed/prone over (4) sessions with only short-term relief (Laser was avoided due to a tattoo and previous Ultrasound was ineffective). The response to decompression was good but very short-term so we opted to add ‘manual-contact’ at the […]

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2007 Mar 15;32(6):681-4. Disc degeneration in low back pain: a 17-year follow-up study using magnetic resonance imaging. Waris E1, Eskelin M, Hermunen H, Kiviluoto O, Paajanen H.

June 17, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

CONCLUSIONS: Early DD in adolescent patients with low back pain predicted the evolution of enhanced DD and herniation in adulthood, but it was not associated with severe low back pain or increased disability or frequency of spinal surgery. Dr. Kennedy comment:  Many population studies (some as early as 1990) conclude MRI findings rarely dispose a […]

Vibration during supine decompression: Med Eng Phys Nov. 2014

June 15, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

The combination of 12 Hz vibration along with traction (angles greater than 10° for Lumbar erectus) could provide a better treatment for reduction of lower muscle fatigue for back pain compared with either vibration or traction alone.This is one of the conclusions of a 2014 study from China investigating the effect of axial traction with […]

Are minimal, superficial or sham acupuncture procedures acceptable as inert placebo controls? Lund I1, Lundeberg T. Author information

June 12, 2015 /0 Comments/in /by

Dr. Kennedy comment: Here is one of the most intriguing and interesting discussions on acupuncture I’ve seen. Not only does it present an important challenge to the procedure but presents a great potential neurologic explanation. It’s important to note that recent studies utilizing electro-acupuncture during traction demonstrate subjective benefits vs. either alone.  Abstract: Most controlled […]