Chiropractic San Diego

Enter any health food store, or supermarket for that matter, and you're likely to find a wide range of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements intended to fight joint and arthritis pain. The use of these two supplements have their evangelists as well as critics, with one person claiming joint pain would be unbearable without their use, and another stating the supplements offer no benefit whatsoever, other than lightening their wallet.

According to recent research, neither of the two supplements were found to work better than a placebo when it came to slowing the loss of knee cartilage associated with osteoarthritis.

(photo: healthy knees are important)

The study was led by Dr. Allen Sawitzke of the University of Utah School of Medicine and it received funding from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. Published in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, the study (glucosamine/chondroitin arthritis intervention trial or GAIT) confirmed others with similar findings, showing the two supplements offer little or no benefit in slowing the loss of knee cartilage in osteoarthritis.

According to the lead researcher, there were some trouble interpreting results, because patients taking placebos had a smaller loss of cartilage than was expected. Good for the patients, bad for the study. An original study, which took place in 2006, found glucosamine and chondroitin supplements did not do much for reducing arthritic related knee pain, except in the instance of a small group suffering from moderate to severe pain. Interestingly, a recent study found Arthroscopic Knee Surgery to be unnecessary for many individuals suffering from knee pain.

One may assume chiropractors would be gung ho on prescribing supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Being that they are natural, rather than things like ibuprofen and OTC pain relievers, I can see that being the case, but in my experience I know very few chiropractors that feel these supplements offer any benefit.

Most of the chiropractic offices I have visited address complaints such as knee pain from osteoarthritis with a focus on postural correction. While some chiropractors address areas of the spine only, others show an interest in seeing that the pelvis, sacrum, and hips are in proper alignment. Is not uncommon in my experience to have a chiropractor perform anterior to posterior and lateral lumbar/pelvic x-rays when individuals have complaints related to osteoarthritis of the knee/s.

In some cases chiropractors may be more likely to prescribe orthotics instead of the two above-mentioned supplements, but even the use of orthotics has its criticisms. If one is not focusing on correcting the problem a pair of orthotics (or single lift) could potentially be masking a greater problem. In my experience, a Band-Aid approach to postural correction, offers no long-term solution for correcting knee (and many times ankle) related problems.

Be sure to speak with your local chiropractor (or other health care practitioner) regarding your consumption of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements if you're taking them. Perhaps they can recommend changes in nutrition, footwear, muscle strengthening, maintained flexibility in postural muscles, another holistic noninvasive approaches.

It's my opinion that a "solution in a bottle" is not the best approach to holistic health care.

By Michael Dorausch, DC

My Los Angeles chiropractic office will be closing a bit early this upcoming Friday so my staff and myself can drive to the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point California for an event intended to raise funds and awareness on the topic of autism.

The event (Ante Up for Autism 2008) features celebrity guests Jenny McCarthy, Lance Armstrong, Tony Hawk, Ryan Sheckler, Jim Everett, and others.

Planet Chiropractic is one of the event sponsors and I’m looking forward to this being a successful event.

I have to imagine Jenny McCarthy has faced some interesting challenges as a celebrity spokesperson for autism awareness. From what I’ve followed she has been incredibly persistent in educating others regarding topics such as autism and vaccination.

While planetchiropractic.com has published dozens of autism articles and more than 100 vaccine articles it wasn’t until September of 2007 that we featured an article on Jenny McCarthy speaking about vaccines and autism on Oprah.

She had recently published a new book(Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism) and she was on the Oprah Winfrey show September 18, 2007 discussing the book and her experience raising a child with autism.

She has a new book out (Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds) and I’m hoping she’ll be autographing copies at Friday night’s event.

I don’t know if I’ll have a chance to speak with Lance Armstrong regarding his decision to compete in next year’s Tour de France (and his thoughts on chiropractic care during training) but I’m remaining positive that we will have at least a few minutes to discuss it for planet chiropractic news.

For those considering attending the event, it’s for a great cause, and the casino style atmosphere promises to be loads of fun.

Hotel address is…

The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort
1 Monarch Beach Resort - Dana Point, CA 92629

There is a $500 per person buy in for general admission tickets and a $1000 per person buy-in for poker tournament tickets. Visit the event website for more details.

This Friday, October 3rd, chiropractor Michael Dorausch, founder of planetchiropractic.com, is one of several sponsors providing funding for the 2008 Ante up for Autism event in Dana Point California. The event features celebrity hosts Jenny McCarthy, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, and many celebrity guests.

The casino style event (which includes a poker tournament) takes place at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point, CA on Friday night.

This is the second annual Ante up for Autism event and it has been organized by Talk About Curing Autism (TACA). TACA provides information, resources, and support to families affected by autism. For families who have just received the autism diagnosis, TACA aims to speed up the cycle time from the autism diagnosis to effective treatments.

During the past 10+ years, Dr. Dorausch has authored dozens of news articles on topics related to Autism and Vaccination, controversial topics that often involve great criticism. Jenny McCarthy was first featured in a planetchiropractic.com article in September of 2007, when she was appearing on the Oprah Winfrey show discussing similar topics.

For those attending the event there is an Ante up Poker tournament as well as general admission casino style night taking place. The night also features a silent auction and live auction with items being donated by Andre Agassi, Dean Koontz, Jimmy Carter, and many others.

Besides masters of ceremonies Jenny McCarthy and Lance Armstrong, celebrity guests expected to be attending this event include San Clemente professional skateboarder Ryan Scheckler, pro skateboard veteran Tony Hawk, former NFL quarterback Jim Everett (1989 Rams Most Valuable Player Award), American track and field athlete Lolo Jones, professional mountain bike racer Brian Lopes, and others.

Also attending Ante up for Autism will be professional poker players Michelle Lau (Co-founder and CEO of FIDPA - Federation Internationale de Poker Association), Kenna James (World Poker Tour Canada TV Host), Kristi Blakey, Amir Vahedi, Marcel Luske, and Pamela Brunson. Other well-known poker players are expected to attend.

Planet Chiropractic would like to thank all those supporting and attending this important fund-raising event. We are pleased to be a sponsor and wish TACA all the best in their awareness raising efforts.

By Michael Dorausch, DC

Last night Dr. Fred Schofield spoke at DCS in Orange County California. His presentation was marvelous, wish I would have recorded it. Towards the end of the night he had a hand out flier titled The Dynamics of Energy of which I grabbed a copy. The flyers from the book Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.

The flyer shows high versus low energy. Broken into four categories, there is high negative, high positive, low negative, and low positive.

Low positive includes characteristics like relaxed, mellow, peaceful, tranquil, and serene. Low negative include characteristics like depressed, exhausted, burned out, hopeless, and defeated. High negative includes characteristics like angry, fearful, anxious, defensive, and resentful. High positive (fully engaged) includes characteristics like invigorated, confident, challenged, joyful, and connected.

I scanned the document to a PDF file which you can download or view here… 2008_dynamics-of-energy.

Dr. Fred talked about the different characteristics and he selected several people from the audience to show different levels of engagement. He had individuals stand on a chair and speak affirmations amongst the crowd of people in attendance. It was interesting to observe that most people would begin in one of the three categories (low positive, low negative, high negative) and would eventually move into the high positive or fully engaged state.

My take away was that getting to and maintaining a high positive (fully engaged) mental space takes time and effort. Get the PDF link above and check out the flyer.

The vaccine machine rolls out heavily this week with a massive effort to see that as many Americans as possible receive flu vaccinations. Recommendations from government health officials and those in line to profit from this flu season's vaccination efforts is coming on strong with media blasts scheduled to appear online, in print, and on television. I predict this is going to be one hell of a season for the flu and human flu vaccination.

(photo: back of chiropractic t-shirt) The 2007 flu vaccination program pretty much sucked. I assume vaccine manufacturers still made a handsome profit since there was plenty of the stuff sold, with much of it subsidized by US taxpayer dollars. But the product was reportedly a failure with the vaccine supposedly not being effective for the strains of flu that spread across the nation.

There's gotta be a number of Americans thinking they got scammed by waiting in line to get a flu shot last year and still getting the flu. How many people do you recall saying "I got the shot, I have no idea why I got this sick." Will they stand in line again this time around? The way I see it, that leaves a reputation management issue for makers of flu vaccine and government health officials, they've got to convince Americans now more than ever that this year is different, and it's time to get the shot.

Interestingly, just like every flu season, we apparently don't know if the dose will be effective or not. If masses of people decide not to get flu immunizations and there is a large outbreak, officials and manufacturers will likely blame people for not protecting the herd. If that same mass of folks gets the flu shot and there is still a ginormous outbreak, we'll probably be told that the vaccine was once again not effective for the particular strain that infected the population. Then there's the scenario where Americans forgo getting vaccinations for themselves and family and we have a mild flu season. In a scenario like that vaccine manufacturers are screwed, and anti-vaccination zealots would have a field day. But I don't think manufacturers much to worry about.

Makers of flu vaccine have one thing going for them that should guarantee massive profits... we are a sick nation. Not only does America rank terribly, when compared to other nations on our overall level of wellness, we are about to face a double (or even a triple) whammy that will likely result in many compromised immune systems throughout the nation.

First off October marks Halloween season which means lots and lots of candy. Who ingests the most candy during Halloween season? My suspicions are it's the children. These same children are the largest carriers of flu virus and they are largely responsible for the spreading of influenza. Now, parents could limit the amount of sugar and candy intake kids are getting this season, and make efforts to see that their children's immune systems are functioning to the best of their ability. Call me a cynic but I doubt that's going to be happening for the majority of Americas kids.

Another thing going on is the massive nationwide stress related to what's occurring in our nation's financial markets. Normally healthy Americans have already significantly reduced their immune function with all the stress that's taking place in our nation monetarily. It may be totally anecdotal, but as a chiropractor I've noticed more than a few individuals showing physical manifestation of increased stress as a result of what's taking place in the world of finance. I've been recommending more than ever to turn off the television.

The third whammy is that someone is going to lose the presidential election. There is much talk about winning but what happens when either John McCain or Barack Obama lose this year's presidential election? There's going to be a lot of stressed out people. My instinct says that if John McCain loses this year's presidential election they'll be some stressed out folks, but not as many as if Senator Barack Obama loses. A loss for Obama is going to be majorly stressful for a whole lot of people that are hoping his vision of change gets him to the White House.

So on November 4, 2008, while you're sitting there watching your television and consuming leftover candy from the Friday before, don't forget that it's what's inside of you that counts. Just like you have a choice to vote, the choice to be healthier is yours to make. Choose wisely!

A listing of conferences and events taking place during September and October in cities such as Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Arlington, Eatontown, Tempe, and Lancaster. Chances are there's a chiropractic conference taking place somewhere near you. Get out of the office and get connected with local and visiting chiropractors, you'll be glad you did.

(photo: epigram on the wall of the DCS clubhouse in Orange County, California)

Bring out your dead! First event coming up is tomorrow night in Newport Beach, California with Dr. Fred Schofield speaking at the Dead Chiropractic Society clubhouse at 8 pm. This is going to be a loud event that I suspect will go past 2 am. There is nothing else like it in Southern California.

Parker Dallas at the Arlington Convention Center in Texas kicks off on September 25. The event goes through Saturday and it features a number of chiropractic speakers and a large exhibit hall of chiropractic vendors.

Also taking place this weekend is New Beginnings for a New Future Weekend September 2008 which begins on the 25th and closes out Sunday on the 28th. If you are attending New Beginnings, be sure and stay till the very end so you can participate in the candlelight closing.

New Beginnings takes place in Eatontown New Jersey, at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center, about 45 minutes outside of Newark International Airport (EWR). If you are renting a car watch out for those New Jersey jug handles.

The first week of October features Focus Philosophy meetings in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania with Drs. Sharon Gorman and Steve Judson. October Focus takes place on Saturday the 4th. Check the link for details on upcoming Pennsylvania Focus philosophy events.

There is a Schofield Chiropractic Training taking place in Tempe Arizona on Saturday, October 4th. Many chiropractors attending arrive on Friday and stay through the weekend. Tempe is a really fun college town (ASU) with plenty of restaurants and bars for colleagues to gather at and celebrate.

Also taking place on October 4 is the Cleveland Chiropractic Coming Home 2008 continuing education seminar. It features pediatric adjusting, practice principles, and hours for x-ray technique. The all-day Saturday event is good for 12 hours relicensing education and it takes place on the CCCLA Los Angeles campus. Instructors include Drs. David Gendreau, Brian Porteous, and Claire O'Neill. The event is only $99 which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you are a lifetime alumni supporter (like myself) you can attend this event at no cost. Speak to someone at CCCLA about becoming a lifetime alumni, it's well worth the investment. Call 323-906-2197 to get registered for this event.

The California Chiropractic Association is hosting a 100 year lifestyle weekend in San Diego on Saturday and Sunday, October 11 and 12th. The event takes place at the Catamaran Resort, which is located on Mission Boulevard in San Diego, California. The seminar qualifies for 12 hours of continuing education in the state. Check the related article for details.

October 25 in Lancaster, California features another Chiropractic Search Marketing Intensive taking place with yours truly. The event is an all-day intensive which goes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and whatever takes place afterwards. Real-world results will be presented of chiropractic offices attracting 30 or more new patients per month using the Internet. None of the examples use any PPC advertising and ROI is staggering. This is a headspace changing event for chiropractic marketers. Space is limited to 25 attendees.

Whether you are attending events or hosting events, tools to promote and ways to find out about what's taking place in your area are available on the seminar pages, check them out today.

By Michael Dorasuch, DC

Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey are featured on the cover of the fall issue of Pathways Magazine. The couple has been actively engaded in promoting lifestyle and family wellness with Jenny speaking out and authoring books on Autism and Nutrition. Jenny McCarthy spoke regarding Vaccines and Autism on Oprah just about one year ago today.

I’ve written about Pathways (Family Wellness Lifestyle Magazine For Better Education) Magazine in the past and I genuinely get excited whenever issues arrive. We get copies for my LA Chiropractic office by the case and our patients LOVE Them!

Articles are written by Doctors of Chiropractic, Holistic Pediatric Practioners, Midwives, Doulas, and progressive thinking MDs. This is a magazine that every chiropractor and holistic healthcare practitioner should consider having in their office. It’s not your typical drug advertsing filled, mask the pain baloney ad filled publications, it’s chock full of usefull and informative articles.

The fall issue features topics like: The Paradigm Shift in Medicine and Science, An Inconvenient Cancer Truth, To Empower! Not Control!, A Holistic Approach to ADHD, What is Sensory Processing Disorder?, and more.

I really love that there is no trash advertising and the articles have been well received by our practice members. I feel confident in the message behind this publication and I wouldn’t hesitate a moment in handing a copy to anyone coming through our door.

You can get a glimpse of what’s coming in the October (Fall) issue here but you really should consider getting subscription for yourself our your business.

A trip to the medical doctor in September of 1895 could involve the taking of medicines such as calomel (mercury chloride) or tarter emetic to induce vomiting or create a laxative effect, or if one suffered a cough, a dose of opium could calm it quick. Blood letting, forced vomiting, and the ingestion of arsenic and strychnine were common approaches to the ills and pains of the day. The laying on of hands to vertebrae; in allowing the sick to get well naturally, and preventing the well from getting sick, was to become far more popular in the days and years that followed a single thrust made by one magnetic healer 113 years ago today.

In the profession of Chiropractic, today is known as Founders Day. It marks the 113 year anniversary of the discovery of a new healing science, philosophy and art set forth by Old Dad Chiro -- Dr. Daniel David Palmer.

(photo: DD Palmer) Daniel David Palmer was born on March 7, 1845 in Canada. He moved to the United States around 1865, when he was 20 years old.

If you are a Doctor of Chiropractic, are employed in a chiropractic office, or are a chiropractic student, consider taking a few minutes today to reflect on the history that has lead to where it is you stand at this moment. If you are a chiropractic practice member or patient in someones office, you may want to remind your DC that today marks an important historic event.

Last week I mentioned celebrating Chiropractic's Birthday and chiropractors worldwide are doing so in various ways. One can expect an increase in Chiropractic Career Nights during the month of September (they should be every month) and don't be surprised to find Founders Day Specials and Events taking place at your Local Chiropractors.

In 2007 we covered 112 Years of Chiropractic Vocabulary which has now become 113. In recent years Schools of Chiropractic have opened in Mexico, South Africa, Japan,and soon Spain, which the practice and principles of chiropractic care continuing to expand globally.

DD Palmer came to California in the early 1900's to educate others about the practice of chiropractic. Chiropractic lives here in CA and in many other parts of the globe. There is still much work to be done. While chiropractic expansion trips and missions have taken place in Russia, Cuba, Panama, Haiti, and even New York City, there is need for educated practitioners to serve everywhere.

Whether that next chiropractic adjustment is performed in Dubai or Des Moines, it was a Canadian with a vision, that changed the world of natural healthcare as we know it.

It was September 18, 1895 (113 years ago today) that a magnetic healer by the name of Daniel David Palmer racked a vertebrae back into position on the neck of a janitor who had gone deaf some 17 years earlier.

The man, who became known as the Father of Chiropractic, was practicing the art of magnetic healing in the Ryan building in Davenport Iowa when he encountered building janitor Harvey Lillard, who had been deaf for many years after suffering an injury.

As the story goes, DD Palmer palpated a lump on the janitors neck, theorizing that the two were related. Moving the vertebrae back into position Harvey Lillards hearing was reportedly restored and what was to become the practice of Chiropractic was born.

DD was born in Canada (March 7, 1845) and he moved to the United States when he was 20 years old. During his young years DD held jobs as a schoolteacher, beekeeper, and grocery store owner. He had a great interest and the health philosophies of the late 1800s, including topics such as magnetic healing and spiritualism.

His theory of the day centered on the concept that altered nerve flow was the cause of all dis-ease, and that misaligned spinal vertebrae had an affect on nerve flow. Palmer believed that restoring misaligned spinal vertebrae to their proper position would result in restoration of health.

To say his theories and postulations were met with great criticism would be an understatement but they were radically different from those commonly being presented at the time.

113 years later I I’m here writing about this on the Interwebz and I think that’s pretty darn cool. Party on DD!

By Michael Dorausch, DC

Sports enthusiast and former athlete, Jenn Brown, debuted tonight as a special correspondent on Showtime Networks Inside the NFL. The multi-talented TV personality and event reporter joined the program working with host James Brown and analysts Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders).

I’ve been a big fan of Jenn Brown (visit her website, she has great posture) since before she was a cheerleader show host on CMT. I’m also a big fan of Warren Sapp (MrsChiropractic is even a bigger fan, she’s a Raiders fanatic) so this is pretty exciting news.

Jenn debuted tonight on the 9 p.m. et/pt program which is appearing on Showtime. She is going to be featured regularly throughout this year’s NFL season.

Jenn Brown has been a regular on ESPN, hosting events such as The World Series of Poker, NBA All-Star Weekend and X-Games for ESPN360 and EXPN.

I think show producer Pete Radovich, and executive producers Sean McManus and Steve Sabol of NFL Films, made a great decision in including Jenn Brown in this years NFL sports program.

Inside the NFL airs every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on Showtime through February 11, 2009. Be sure to check it out!

By Michael Dorausch, DC

This scam topic must really be getting old for lots of people. Interesting thing though is I’ve received several e-mails from people across United States that were about to get scammed by 419 fraudsters and they fortunately did some research online and came across at least one of the fraud related articles we’ve posted during the past several months. That thanks goes to the community for sniffing out fraud activity.

Early this morning about a dozen people received the same e-mail from a person using a Yahoo.com e-mail account. The e-mail appeared very similar to those sent by the Tom Marley persona and others. Below is a copy of the e-mail…

========================================
BELOW IS A REPLY TO YOUR CLASSIFIED AD
========================================

I just place a look on your item and i am interested
in immediate purchase of this item,but before i proceed
on this transaction i will like to ask some question as follow.

1.What is the condition of the item?

2. Do you accept a ( cheque / money order) as a mode of
payment?

3. What is the final asking prize you can go at last?

4. Will you let our shipping company to come to your
house for the pick up of the item cos we don’t want you
to worry yourself about the shipping of the item.

5. Will you be able to send the remaining
fund back to the shipping company via western union
money transfer same day you receive and cash the
Cheque for the arrangement of the home pick up from your house.

6.if okay You are to send your
NAME,ADDRESS,CITY,STATE,POSTCODE,TEL #
to mail out the payment.

Regards.
Smith

smith matt
smith_matt110@yahoo.com

To Avoid Potential Scams & Fraud View Here First
==========

Whether you’re selling chiropractic adjusting tables, motorcycles (apparently these scammers have been targeting motorcycle owners in the U. S.), or any other item online, continue doing your research before you conduct any transactions.

All e-mails from this user were tracked back to IP address 64.62.138.97 and a DNS proxy service known as Dynaweb. Classified ad website administrators are encouraged to check log files for traces of DynaWeb activity.

An estimated 950,000 arthroscopic knee surgeries are reportedly performed each year in the United States, with recent research showing some interesting findings, the procedure is useless.

The study was intended to research one of the most common arthroscopic surgeries performed in the United States -- arthroscopy for arthritis of the knee. Findings are published in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study involved 178 men and women and research findings showed that those undergoing the knee surgery did no better than persons receiving physical therapy and medication only.

This is not the first time a major study has been undertaken to research the procedure, which is performed on hundreds of thousands of Americans each year, with cost averages of $5,000 per procedure. There was a 2002 study that found the knee operations were no better than a sham procedure. Not long after, Medicare reportedly discontinued reimbursement for the operations and the number of claims subsequently decreased significantly.

There was criticism of the 2002 study as all the procedures were carried out by a single surgeon, and all those involved in the study were older adult males, not necessarily the typical patient that would receive such a procedure. According to reports, many of these arthroscopic knee surgeries are still being performed today.

The new research involved both men and women with an average age of 60 years old. According to the study, all of the participants received the standard medical nonsurgical approach which involved physical therapy, pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, glucosamine supplements, and localized injections intended to lubricate the affected knee joint. 86 of the individuals involved in the study also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.

Follow-up tests were performed every six months for a two-year period and both groups had shown improvement, with reports of less pain and joint stiffness, and increased mobility. According to the study, individuals that didn't undergo the surgical procedure, improved just as well as those that did.

Researchers pointed out that knee surgery for conditions such as badly torn ligaments or cartilage are different than those performed for arthroscopy to treat knee arthritis. They hope this new research will encourage surgeons to be more selective in offering operations for arthritic conditions and that consumers will be less aggressive in making demands for the procedure.

Think it's possible that misalignment in the spine, pelvis, or knee itself can result in painful conditions in the knee that may lead to arthritis? Speak to your local chiropractor about postural assessments and other ways to identify properly functioning knee joints.

I noticed two different WP errors on the site today…

WordPress database error: [Got error 1 from storage engine]

WordPress database error: [Got error 122 from storage engine]

The first was repaired via phpmyadmin by running a repair on tables showing numbers in the overhead column. I’ll get a screenshot on that.

The other I have not gotten to repair yet. I’ll check the server and mysql later today and see what’s up. Will post what I find in hopes of helping others that may experience similar error.

Only affecting categories it seems. Going to take a look.

WordPress database error: [Got error 122 from storage engine]
SELECT t.*, tt.* FROM wp_terms AS t INNER JOIN wp_term_taxonomy AS tt ON t.term_id = tt.term_id WHERE tt.taxonomy IN (’category’) ORDER BY t.name ASC

Palmer College of Chiropractic Receives National Recognition for Providing Quality Back Pain Care at its West Campus Clinic -- Back Pain Recognition Program focuses on high-value, patient-centered care

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) announced in August that the Palmer Chiropractic Clinic in San Jose, Calif., has received Recognition from the Back Pain Recognition Program (BPRP) for providing superior care to clinic patients suffering from low back pain. The Clinic, located on Palmer College of Chiropractic's West Campus at 90 E. Tasman Dr., San Jose, CA is only the second healthcare provider in California to receive BPRP Recognition.

The Back Pain Recognition Program was designed to improve the quality of care to the nearly 30 million Americans who experience low back pain, by motivating healthcare providers to document and improve their delivery of spine care. To receive recognition, which is valid for two years, Palmer's West Campus Clinic submitted data demonstrating performance that meets the Program's key measures. These measures include Initial Visit, Physical Exam, and Appropriate Imaging in Acute Back Pain, among others.

Pamela Hymel, M.D., president-elect of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said, "Having served on the Advisory Committee of the NCQA BPRP, it is rewarding to see that healthcare providers are now adopting NCQA's recommendations and incorporating them into their practices. This is an important step forward in ensuring that patients with back pain get the most appropriate and effective care."

Back pain is among the most common ailments in America. Each year, nearly one in nine Americans experience pain severe enough to impair their usual daily activities. Treatment costs total approximately $91 billion a year and back pain accounts for 25 percent of all workers' compensation claims. The BPRP is the first independent program to systematically evaluate back pain care. NCQA developed the program's requirements from widely accepted medical evidence with significant input from back pain specialists, and health plan and employer representatives. BPRP-Recognized healthcare providers provide patients with the care that best meets their needs, restores health and mobility and avoids unnecessary treatment and procedures.

"Needless imaging and procedures provide no real benefit to patients who suffer from back pain," said Margaret E. O'Kane, president, National Committee for Quality Assurance. "By earning recognition, the Palmer Chiropractic Clinic on the West Campus has demonstrated that it consistently provides proven, evidence-based care to its patients with low back pain."

According to Palmer's West Campus Dean of Clinics Gregory Snow, D.C., "Our recognition through the NCQA Back Pain Recognition Program provides external validation for our patients and community that we have processes in place to ensure that we consistently deliver high-quality, evidence-based care in an effort to generate the best patient outcomes."

"The Palmer College clinics at each of its three campuses are committed to the delivery of quality, patient-centered care, and to providing a clinical education model that prepares our graduates for today's practice environment," said Executive Dean for Clinic Affairs Kurt Wood, D.C. "The NCQA recognition for West Campus Clinic is but the first of such acknowledgments that we intend to pursue at our Davenport, Iowa, and Port Orange, Florida, Campus Clinics as well."

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality. To find out if your physician or chiropractor has been recognized by the Back Pain Recognition Program or for further information, please visit www.ncqa.org/BPRP. To order application materials, call (888) 275-7585 or order online at web.ncqa.org/bprppubs.aspx.

Palmer College of Chiropractic's West Campus opened in 1980 in Sunnyvale, Calif., and moved to San Jose in 1993. It is one of three campuses of Palmer College of Chiropractic, founded in Davenport, Iowa, by the discoverer of chiropractic, D.D. Palmer, in 1897. Today Palmer College of Chiropractic has more than 2,500 students attending its three campuses and nearly 25,000 alumni practicing worldwide. Palmer's third campus opened in Port Orange, Fla., in 2002.

- - - - - - - - - -
Contact: Lori Leipold, Media Relations; Palmer College of Chiropractic;
Phone (563) 884-5726; fax (563) 884-5225; e-mail lori.leipold@palmer.edu; College web site at www.palmer.edu

It's September 2008 and that means this is the month chiropractors celebrate 113 years since the discovery of chiropractic by DD Palmer in Davenport Iowa. Events are taking place across the planet with many local chiropractors hosting patient appreciation weeks, Founder's Day events (on September 18), and chiropractic school introductory nights.

(photo: Southern California chiropractors Don Trepany and Robert Bates hanging loose at a recent chiropractic fellowship event in Orange County)

On Founder's Day, September 18, 2008, Pennsylvania chiropractor Dr. Sharon Gorman is hosting a recruiting event featuring Mary Flannery from Life Univeristy. The event is taking place in her East Stroudsburg office and it is intended to introduce people to the opportunity of attending Life University and becoming a chiropractor. Dr. Sharon Gorman has been extremely successful in chiropractic practice and she has been an incredible motivator for many inside and outside the chiropractic industry.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and there is going to be free pizza for those attending. If I lived in East Stroudsburg or a surrounding area I would definitely be in this chiropractor's office the evening of September 18. Contact the office for more information at 570-476-4100. Gorman Chiropractic is located at: 21 Crystal Street, East Stroudsburg PA 18301.

Life University is doing great and Sharon wants it to keep growing and keep being a great representation of Chiropractic to the world. Her kids will be attending Life, where are you going to send your kids?

Also taking place during this year's chiropractic month is a chiropractic extravaganza everyone should attend at least one time. New Beginnings in Eatontown New Jersey takes place September 25 through September 28 at the Sheraton Eatontown Hotel and Conference Center. This is the place to be for philosophical chiropractic events. Not only is New Beginnings power packed with extraordinarily motivating chiropractic speakers, the event offers 12 hours of continuing education.

Also taking place in Pennsylvania is Dr. John Madeira's Seminar on September 12 at the Philadelphia airport. Chiropractors can get more information by visiting his web site at: www.madeirasuccess.com. Many chiropractors in Pennsylvania have reputations for leadership roles they've played in promoting an expanding the principles and practices of chiropractic. As Dr. Gorman has said in the past, there is no excuse for irresponsibility.

There is rumbling taking place on the West Coast as well, with a Wednesday, September 24 rock 'n roll night at the DCS in Southern California, featuring Dr. Fred Schofield. This event will be a sellout so chiropractors are well advised to contact DCS ASAP in order to confirm seating for themselves and staff.

Parker Dallas is also taking place late in the month of September. The Parker Seminar Dallas 2008 event is scheduled for September 25 through September 27 at the Arlington Convention Center. Call 888.727.5338 for details.

Is there a chiropractic patient appreciation day taking place in your office on September 18? Any Founder's Day events going on in your neck of the woods? Drop me an e-mail with details and let's get the word out. Click on the yellow envelope at the top of this post for contact information.