A new report looks at chiropractic and other complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM ) use for back pain.

The findings show that “approximately 6% of the US population used CAM to treat their back pain in 2002. Sixty percent of respondents who used CAM for back pain perceived a ‘great deal’ of benefit.” Subjects who reported that “conventional medical treatment would not help” were more likely to experience perceived benefit. Conversely, fair to poor self-reported health status and referral by a conventional medical practitioner were tied with less perceived benefit.

Using chiropractic as a reference, massage, relaxation techniques and herbal therapy were all associated with less perceived benefit. Yoga, tai chi, qi gong and acupuncture were associated with similar levels of perceived benefit as chiropractic.

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine – May 2010;23:354-62.
www.jabfm.org

A hot-off-the-presses study published in the journal Explore indicates that chiropractic care may significantly reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The analysis pooled data on four patients with ADHD. The participants ranged in age from 9 to 13 years. Progress was monitored with questionnaires completed by the patients’ parents and teachers. The children underwent chiropractic care for a minimum of five months.

Findings showed significant improvement in symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness, as well as behavioral, social or emotional difficulties.

The study’s authors write: “This provides supporting evidence on the benefits of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy.”

Explore – 2010;6:173-82.
www.elsevier.com

Eating a healthy diet may cut the risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) by nearly 40%, say scientists.

Investigators followed 2,148 people aged 65 years or older. All subjects were free of dementia at the onset of the study. According to the report, “dietary information and were prospectively evaluated with the same standardized neurological and neuropsychological measures approximately every 1.5 years”

A total of 253 subjects developed AD during the 3.9-year analysis. A dietary pattern Read the rest of this entry »

A new report shows that the same molecular mechanisms that some of the same brain changes that occur in drug addicts may also take place in drive people who over eat.

The scientists fed the rats a diet modeled after the type that contributes to human obesity — easy-to-obtain high-calorie, high-fat foods like sausage, bacon, and cheesecake. These animals gained weight quickly.

Study co-author Paul J. Kenny explains that the study “presents the most thorough and compelling evidence that drug addiction and obesity are based on the same underlying neurobiological mechanisms. In the study, the animals completely lost control over their eating behavior, the primary hallmark of addiction. They continued to overeat even when they anticipated receiving electric shocks, highlighting just how motivated they were to consume the palatable food.”

“They always went for the worst types of food,” says Kenny, “and as a result, they took in twice the calories as the control rats. When we removed the junk food and tried to put them on a nutritious diet — what we called the ‘salad bar option’ — they simply refused to eat. The change in their diet preference was so great that they basically starved themselves for two weeks after they were cut off from junk food. It was the animals that showed the ‘crash’ in brain reward circuitries that had the most profound shift in food preference to the palatable, unhealthy diet. These same rats were also those that kept on eating even when they anticipated being shocked.”

Specifically the scientists found that overeating junk food reduces dopamine D2 receptors, a mechanism which also plays a key role in cocaine and heroin addiction.

Nature Neuroscience – March 28, 2010;Epub.
neurosci.nature.com

Encouraging overweight patients to drop some pounds may significantly alleviate low-back pain, according to a new study.

The analysis pooled data on 30,102 men and 33,866 women. The participants “gave information on body mass index and indicated whether they suffered from chronic low-back pain.” In total, 6,293 men (20.9%) and 8,923 women (26.3%) experienced chronic low-back pain (CLBP).

A significant link was found between high body mass index and low-back pain. The association was stronger in women. “Additional adjustment for education, smoking status, leisure time physical activity, employment status, and activity at work hardly affected these associations.”

Spine – April 1, 2010;35:764-68.
www.spinejournal.com