Healthy News February 2021

Sitka chiropractic patient population expands when access to chiropractic coverage grows via insurance coverage.

MORE ACCESS (IE, INSURANCE COVERAGE) TO CAM/CHIROPRACTIC INCREASES USE OF CAM/CHIROPRACTIC

Access increases use. Access via insurance coverage brings about use. Use increases improved clinical outcomes for Sitka back pain and neck pain patients. Oregon set out in 2016 to find a way to curb opioid prescriptions for back pain by making complementary and alternative medicine approaches available to Medicaid patients. The result? A rise in utilization of CAM: chiropractic .3 to 11.1%, acupuncture from .3 to 5.6%, massage from 1.6 to 14.8%, PT/OT from 6 to 17.7%. (1) That result was in one state. Throughout the US, the Veterans Health Administration is also working on making these care options more available. The VA is a big healthcare system. Via survey, veterans express their wish for access to these methods. With access, veterans reported high usage: 52% used any of these CAM methods, 44% massage, 37% chiropractic, 34% mindfulness, 24% meditation, 25% yoga. (2) Globally, despite COVID lockdowns and restrictions, patients with spine-related issues had access to input about their spine conditions by way of the Global Spine Care Initiative which guides doctors and patients regarding spine pain care via live and telehealth appointments. (3) There is growing access to spine care globally, nationally, and locally!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Joel Dixon on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management to assist a Vietnam veteran in Australia find back pain relief.

Sitka bone, spine and mind benefit from B vitamin intake and exercise.

Sitka CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH:
VITAMIN B AND EXERCISE Benefits: SPINE, MIND, BONE

B vitamins are so important for mood, energy, focus, concentration, digestion, and healthy heart muscle, skin, and hair. A deficiency in B vitamins may show itself as constant stress, depression, or chronic fatigue. (4) A report compared the consumption of tryptophan and/or vitamin B6 foods and exercise in non-depressed and depressed young people. The researchers discovered that lower physical activity levels (in steps, duration, and intensity) were associated with higher levels of symptoms of depression. (5) An exercise and fortified milk intervention revealed improvement in vitamin B-12 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to strengthen bone formation and resorption. (6) This is beneficial considering treatment and prevention strategies for osteoarthritis (OA). OA is the degradation of cartilage, the connective tissue produced by chondrocytes. Physical activity is recognized for its ability to counter OA by modulating vitamin B6’s impact on the IL1β inflammatory cytokine of OA. (7) B vitamins playperform an important role in body and mind functions. Eat some salmon, chicken, eggs, leafy vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, and Greek yogurt, and talk with your Sitka chiropractor at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka about other ways to boost your exercise and vitamin B levels.

CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka

Thank you for having confidence in Sitka chiropractic care for your healthcare needs and welcoming our chiropractic care into your life. See you at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka for your next appointment! Schedule your next Sitka chiropractic appointment today!