I thought today I'd briefly go into some of the developments in chiropractic, and the amazing research that is being conducted at my alma mater, Palmer College of Chiropractic.  In the past, chiropractic was a very insular profession, believing that we had all the answers and the proof was in the pudding if you will.  We were getting amazing results with our patients, and that was all that mattered.  Adjusting the spine to affect changes in the body through the nervous system was the answer to all that ailed you.  Releasing the pressure on pinched nerves solved all of your problems.
Well, as in all professions, we have evolved.  Where it used to be thought that nerves were pinched, we now know that that is actually relatively rare.  Through research, we now know that there is nerve interference, but it is caused by chemical irritation due to malfunctioning spinal joints.  There are certainly instances where direct nerve pressure is involved, and we are taught to recognize those instances.  There has been conflict within the profession on the value of this research.  Ironically, many of the voices who are opposed to it are having their very procedures validated in the mainstream by it!  We have developed imaging technology to show us more than we were ever able to see in the past.  We are investigating why it is that chiropractic works, and examining conditions that chiropractic is effective in treating.
Palmer College of Chiropractic, the "fountainhead", where chiropractic was invented and developed, has in the past decade taken leadership in chiropractic research.  There is some AMAZING research being conducted.  Just today, I received an email stating that they are now recruiting patients for a study on how chiropractic effects blood pressure.  There has been anecdotal evidence on this, but this new project will take it to a new level.  Imagine if the results of this show that chiropractic care is effective in lowering blood pressure.  How many lives does that have the potential to change? 
Check out this link to see the grants and published articles coming out of Palmer; http://www.palmer.edu/research_content.aspx?id=436 . I have been following chiropractic research since my time in school, and even I was surprised at the amount of research Palmer has already conducted.  What a great time to be a chiropractor, or a chiropractic patient!

Have you noticed that lately it seems that everyone has allergies to something?  I can remember growing up and the kids with allergies were the exception, not the rule.  Today, it seems that most kids have some kind of allergy to something.  A lot of these are to things most of us never thought people were allergic to in the recent past.  From nuts, gluten, pets, dairy products, etc., etc., it seems the list is ever expanding.  The big question is WHY?  Why, with all of the advancing, modern technology, knowledge and research at our disposal, are we suffering from an ever increasing number of allergies?

In the past hundred years or so, we as a society have been focused on cleanliness and germ free living.  In light of some of the major health problems that used to plague us many many years ago this made great sense.  The germ (variola virus) that caused smallpox, for example, was transmitted through contact with infected objects, person to person contact and through the air.  Thus, being sure to clean objects, wash hands, shower, etc., became very important in limiting smallpox exposure.    The same is true of numerous diseases that are spread through viruses and bacteria (germs).  It is important to remember, however, that not all germs are deadly, or even bad! 

Our efforts to clean everything and eradicate germs has spun out of control in the late 20th century and continues today.  Almost unavoidable is the soap that "kills 99.9% of common germs."  Try finding some non-anti-bacterial hand soap at the supermarket...it's almost impossible.  This is making our immune systems, for lack of a better term, wimpy.  We are not exposed to the everyday germs that help us build a robust immune system.  When we encounter a serious threat to our health, our immune systems are not prepared and cannot fight it without outside intervention (in the form of modern medicine). 

The same holds true for many of the allergies we have been seeing pop up in recent years.  Now, don't get me wrong, there are legitimate allergies out there that are serious.  However, don't just assume you have an allergy to something without talking to your healthcare professional about it.  The reason is, our kids are so overprotected that many of the things that they are  now allergic to are simply due to a lack of exposure.  Our homes are so clean that we are not exposed to things that will help us build our natural tolerance and strong, healthy immune systems.  We are no longer working out in the fields, hunting for our food, keeping pets as much, etc., which used to grant us an extra strong immune system because of regular exposure.  Now, at the first sign of dirt, we vacuum everything clean, wipe our kitchen counters with lysol wipes, avoid peanuts and dairy products because we heard on the news about the sensational allergic reactions others have had, and play video games in our clean homes instead of going outside and getting dirty!  It's a recipe for, as I stated earlier, wimpy immune systems. 

The solution to this is simple.  So simple it's slightly amazing!  Let your body do what it is designed to do!!!  Go out, get dirty, roll around with your dog, avoid germ killing soap.  Don't be afraid of everything you hear and read about in the media.  Understand that your body and immune system is made to fight, and that the more it fights, the stronger it gets.  Get adjusted by your chiropractor regularly, so that your body's nervous and immune system can function optimally and remain strong.  Don't let yourself have a wimpy immune system!

If you are interested in learning more about this, look up the hygiene hypothesis online.  There are many interesting articles on this.  Give us a call at Broomfield Family Chiropractic today, 720-DOC-BACK.