Healthy News - January 2021

Federally directed insurance coverage for chiropractic care is more likely to restrict chiropractic regardless of the benefits chiropractic affords recipients. For example, chiropractic care for Medicare recipients seeing chiropractors for back pain is only covered for spinal manipulation even though no evidence showing an increase in serious risks associated with chiropractic care of back or neck pain for these Medicare patients. Actually, research has documented that chiropractic care improved the time of recovery, reduced the number of back surgeries in a year, decreased opioid-linked disability, shrank the number of falls and traumatic injuries, reduced the decline in activities of daily living and disability over time, and reduced costs and medical doctor visits for low back pain. (1) Another case in point is that even though new professional and insurance guidelines for clinical decision-making regarding back pain care, the Federal Employees Compensation Act still requires x-rays for chiropractic care to be reimbursed for care. (2) In place of imaging today, other less expensive and more valuable ways are research-documented to ascertain if spinal manipulation is appropriate. Researchers are so sophisticated as to be able to predict which low back pain patients will respond to spinal manipulation as a nonpharmacologic intervention recommended in clinical care guidelines today and by how much contingent upon factors like medication and exercise expectation, pain frequency, height, gender, extension ability, response to STarT Back Tool questionnaire. (3) The benefits of chiropractic care continue to grow and to be documented, ready to be acknowledged by insurers like they are already acknowledged by Lynchburg back pain and neck pain recipients. Palmer Chiropractic Center provides pain-relieving care despite the payment system.

Lynchburg CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH:
Glucosamine and Chondroitin: Not Just for The Disc Anymore!

Taking glucosamine/chondroitin supplements is more and more reported positive. A recent paper explains that taking this combo decreased overall risk of early death about as efficiently as routine exercise. (The authors do not recommend not exercising though!) (4) Another study of 77,510 supplement users found that people who consumed glucosamine (alone or with chondroitin) had a significantly lower risk of death. Additionally, current users had a significantly lower risk of death from cancer. (5) Even more specifically, regular use of glucosamine was linked to a significantly lower risk of total cardiovascular disease issues and death, coronary heart disease and stroke. (6) Palmer Chiropractic Center has indeed seen the beneficial use of glucosamine and chondroitin to care for degenerative discs related to back pain and neck pain. These other benefits just raise the bar for the benefit of glucosamine and chondroitin. Are you taking yours? Let’s talk at your next Lynchburg chiropractic visit!

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Thank you for trusting Palmer Chiropractic Center with your healthcare needs and welcoming our chiropractic care into your life. Schedule your appointment today! See you at your next visit!