Degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) is a spinal deformity that develops after skeletal maturity with a Cobb angle of more than 10° in the coronal plane. As the life expectancy of our population increases, DLS becomes a prevalent health issue affecting the quality of life of the elderly. The degree of the scoliosis curvature affects not only the symptoms but also the choice of treatments. Osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) have been suggested as two important risks associated with the progression of DLS. Interestingly, recent data implicate interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the altered matrix biology that characterizes human IDD. Compelling evidence links decreased sleep duration to lower bone mineral density (BMD) and elevated expression of IL-1. Based on these evidences, we propose that decreased sleep duration might be a risk of the progression of DLS, and hypothesize that the underlying mechanisms might be the elevated excretion of glucocorticoids and elevated expression of IL-1.

Source: Med Hypotheses. 2011 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print]

In a new study out in the European Spine Journal, researchers observed a significant decrease in the maximum oxygen intake in teenage girls with scoliosis curvatures between 25 and 40 degrees. Girls with a curvature including more than 9 vertebra in the curvature and those girls with a double curve scoliosis also demonstrated a significantly decreased maximal oxygen intake.

This study is very important for a couple of reasons. First, it highlights the importance of physicians needing to treat more than just the scoliosis curvature. In moderate cases like these, it is necessary to help rehabilitate normal breathing function in these patients. Second, this evidence suggests that breathing function is significantly affected by scoliosis curvatures much smaller than previously believed by Western physicians.

Source:  Eur Spine J. 2011 Nov 22. [Epub ahead of print]

NEW Scoliosis Reduction Treatment: The Tornado Suit, not  another brace.

By drsidchiro

Most of my articles are focused on Scoliosis – and, this one is, too – sort of.  But, in the Scoliosis Family Adventures family, I am the only one without Scoliosis, and this article is about ME.  Well, mostly about me.  I also want to talk about Dr. Morningstar and the work we’ve done together to take care of some issues in my neck area that have plagued me most of my life.  When I was about 10, I started having headaches daily.  We could not figure out what was the cause, but I spent many days home from school due to the pain.  I was popping pills every day.  One day, my Mom took me to her chiropractor and, after one adjustment, the headaches were gone.  We had to keep them up periodically, but, for the most part, they were gone.  It was then that we knew that it was my long neck, out of whack from playing the violin from age 4, that would need extra attention as life went on.

Fast forward many years into my adult life and neck issues still plagued me.  I really find value in traditional Chiropractic care, but no solution gave me any long-term structural changes.  My neck would stay in alignment only for short periods of time, only to need frequent adjustments.  It was when I was researching for help for my children’s Scoliosis when I found Dr. Morningstar at the Natural Wellness and Pain Relief Centers of Michigan (see my side bar for a link to their site)  or click here: http://michiganwellnessandpainrelief.com/.  He is a Chiropractor, but I always tell people he’s one-of-a-kind.  I don’t even remember the last time I’ve been adjusted (or that my kids have been adjusted) there because he only adjusts when it’s needed – for the most part, he focuses on long-term changes to the skeletal system.  He uses a system of weighted exercises (called the Pettibon system) plus many of his own inventions, that patients use to re-train their bodies into correct postural alignment.  I was skeptical, of course, but figured we had nothing to lose.

Now, as an Engineer, I know that it’s difficult to prove a theory.  Tests require multiple test subjects and the variables have to be severely limited to be able to pinpoint an exact result from a specific treatment.  Unfortunately, with my kids’ spines being how they are, it’s been difficult to say what in our litany of treatments has been what has been keeping those curves at bay.  I really feel it’s a combination of a masterfully-made brace (by Luke Stikeleather at Orthotic Solutions), muscle building treatments we do at home, and our work with Dr. Morningstar.

However, what I want to share with you today is my x-ray results on my neck and spine, both before and after working with Dr. Morningstar.   I’ve inserted 4 photos below.  The first two focus on my neck.  A person’s neck should not be straight when looking from the side view.  The head should rest above the shoulders and the neck should have a nice forward bend.  The straight line from the head to the shoulders should continue to the pelvis (so, the lower spine should also have a little forward curve).  The first photo shows my neck before and after a couple years of daily weighted treatments.  You can see the drastic improvement in how my neck is aligned.  I did not purposefully put it in this position for the x-ray.  Both times, I sat in a natural position.  The results are amazing.  I still get occasional neck pain and very infrequent headaches, but I find that it coincides with periods of time when I have neglected to wear my Pettibon weights or when I’ve done something like practice violin for a while without stretching or sleep on it funny.  Otherwise, my posture has changed drastically over the course of my work with Dr. Morningstar.  The next two photos focus on my lumbar – you can see that before my side view was the opposite it should be – I was somehow tipped way back (probably the weight of my head falling forward messed up all the way down my spine).  The second photo shows a much more aligned me.  I’m still working on that tiny little forward curve, but am pretty happy with this progress.

Now, the nice thing about sharing my results is that I am one of those test cases where nothing else was at work that would have changed my spine.  Sure, I do yoga and exercises, but I’ve been doing yoga for over a decade – way before my work with Dr. Morningstar.  Nothing else in this aspect of my life changed – just using his treatments.  I know that I am only one case and that one case cannot prove the worth of any treatment, but I can personally attest that this treatment is very much worth trying.  The time commitment is minimal (we live about 1 hour and 15 minutes from his office, so we only go once a month – most of the work is done at home).  I could also go on and on about Dr. Morningstar’s ingenious ideas about Scoliosis, his invention of the Tornado suit (which holds wonderful promise for the future of non-surgical Scoliosis treatments), his dedication to helping all people, but specifically those with Scoliosis.  I could talk about his wonderful staff (we love you, Miss Kat!), and how I feel that throughout his career, some of his out-of-the-box thinking about Scoliosis will revolutionize the metrics used to measure curves and predict success of treatments.  I could talk about all that and more, but, like I said, this article is about ME!  Even if you don’t live near Dr. Morningstar, please contact him – he is working with Doctors all over the country to bring similar solutions to more and more people.  He may be able to recommend someone in your area that can help you or your loved one – with any and all postural difficulties.

Source:  Scoliosis Family Adventures Blog

Modern medicine has become nothing more than a convoluted maze of deductibles, copays, HMOs, and preauthorizations. What has been lost in our system of health care is the basic act of a doctor and patient sitting across from one another, with the patient explaining his or her problems in complete detail. However, in order for the doctor-patient relationship to develop in this manner, it can only be done outside of the current health insurance model. Why? Because insurance companies aren’t interested in getting people healthy. Rather, they are only looking to get people asymptomatic. They believe, despite the level of published evidence to show otherwise, that restricting patients’ access to medical care will lower costs.
Here is a perfect example of why our offices and doctors do not participate with insurances. Yesterday a goon from Blue Cross/Blue Shield walked into our Richmond office and proceeded to strong-arm our medical assistant, Callie. The goon basically attempted to railroad Callie by chastising her because the doctors send “too much” bloodwork to out-of-state specialty laboratories (you know, the ones that actually identify the origins of various diseases). She told Callie that BCBSM would sanction us if we kept referring to these specialty labs instead of those that BCBSM likes.

This is exactly what the public never sees. Even with an insurance company like BCBSM, where you can choose your doctor, you are not truly free to select the type of medical care you want.

Anyhow, Callie ultimately directed her to me, and I promptly spoke to this goon and told her that we don’t participate with BCBSM at all (for exactly this reason). Hence, sanctions cannot be administered, and BCBSM cannot tell us how to treat our patients.

WE CARE ABOUT OUR PATIENTS ONLY. WE DON’T CARE WHAT INSURANCE THEY HAVE, WHAT IT COVERS OR DOESN’T, OR WHAT THEIR DEDUCTIBLE IS. WE WANT TO HELP OUR PATIENTS RECOVER FROM THEIR ILLNESSES, AND NOT JUST “MANAGE” THEM. WHATEVER LABORATORY STUDIES WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THE ORIGIN OF A PATIENT’S ILLNESS, WE WILL USE.

If you want to get better, come see us. If your insurance deductible and copay is your primary concern, then call BCBSM and get a referral to an office where they don’t really care about getting you better.

Breastfeeding is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT GIFT any woman can give to her baby. It reduces the risk of allergies, asthma, increases IQ, bolsters the immune system, and a host of other vital functions. It is so important, in fact, that most baby animals cannot survive without their mothers’ breast milk.

Please encourage any expectant mothers to breastfeed. It is dramatically cheaper (can save thousands of dollars per child), and is much more convenient (don’t have to lug formula everywhere you go). Frankly, I think woman who voluntarily choose not to breastfeed (not including woman who try but can’t) are committing child abuse. For every mother out there who chooses to formula feed, listen up. Every time your baby gets a cold, an earache, an ear infection, acid reflux, bloody stool, and delayed developmental markers, IT’S YOUR FAULT. Feeding your baby the equivalent of marginally better fast food is the reason your baby is getting sick, period.

Breast milk is composed of many immune system components that help provide immunity to the baby.

Over course, there are those who tell us “My pediatrician said that my baby is allergic to my breast milk.” Guess what? Your pediatrician is an idiot. There may definitely be a chance that the baby is sensitive to something YOU are eating, which is then passed through the breast milk. Solving this “breast milk allergy” is as easy as identifying that food to which the baby is sensitive and avoid it. For example, our older son became collicky when his mom ate broccoli. Mom avoids broccoli……problem solved. Please do not ever think that switching to formula is a good solution.

Again, BREASTFEEDING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN EVER DO FOR YOUR BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Extra exclamation points for added emphasis)

Dr. Morningstar

Abstract

Background

Progressive idiopathic scoliosis can negatively influence the development and functioning of 2-3% of adolescents, with health consequences and economic costs, placing the disease in the centre of interest of the developmental medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Chêneau brace in the management of idiopathic scoliosis.

Methods

A prospective observational study according to SOSORT and SRS recommendations comprised 79 patients (58 girls and 21 boys) with progressive idiopathic scoliosis, treated with Chêneau brace and physiotherapy, with initial Cobb angle between 20 and 45 degrees, no previous brace treatment, Risser 4 or more at the final evaluation and minimum one year follow-up after weaning the brace. Achieving 50° of Cobb angle was considered surgical recommendation.

Results

At follow-up 20 patients (25.3%) improved, 18 patients (22.8%) were stable, 31 patients (39.2%) progressed below 50 degrees and 10 patients (12.7%) progressed beyond 50 degrees (2 of these 10 patients progressed beyond 60 degrees). Progression concerned the younger and less skeletally mature patients.

Conclusion

Conservative treatment with Chêneau orthosis and physiotherapy was effective in halting scoliosis progression in 48.1% of patients. The results of this study suggest that bracing is effective in reducing the incidence of surgery in comparison with natural history.

Dr. Morningstar’s Comments:

This study merely demonstrates a 50/50 chance of the brace preventing the scoliosis from getting worse. It is interesting to wonder what the results in these patients would have been if they had been only performing a comprehensive exercise-based therapy, like ARC3D, without the bracing. Under this protocol, 40% of patients still progressed while still below 40 degrees. This is significant because if we use the oft-cited American surgical threshold of 40 degrees, then a full 51.9% of patients progressed to a surgical level.

Source:  http://www.scoliosisjournal.com/content/6/1/2

In a study out this month, researchers found that the administration of GABA to type 1 diabetic patients helped to improve beta-islet cell function (the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas) and reduce systemic cytokine production (inflammatory chemicals).

This research may have implications for all autoimmune disorders, as increased inflammation and cytokine production is a hallmark characteristic of all autoimmune diseases. From a functional medicine perspective, getting to the root cause of autoimmune disorders means figuring out what is triggering the inflammation and autoimmune response in the first place. This could be a food sensitivity, a heavy metal, a pesticide, or a compromised intestinal barrier. These can all be improved using well known functional medicine therapies, including amino acid and neurotransmitter therapies like the GABA therapy used in this study.

Source:  PubMed.gov

The TornadoSuit is an activity suit worn by scoliosis patients to complement their exercise-based scoliosis treatments. Preliminary evidence demonstrates that the TornadoSuit can provide 15-35% initial scoliosis correction. The TornadoSuit is an adjunct designed for the ARC3D Therapy Outpatient Scoliosis Program, but can also be used for other exercise-based scoliosis treatments. It is not intended as a stand-alone treatment.

The TornadoSuit certification series is coming to Flint, MI on October 8,9 2011. This seminar is taught by Dr. Mark Morningstar, founder of the ARC3D Therapy system. Each seminar is limited to 10 attendees, so that each participant can get as much hands on as possible. Once the participant has completed this initial weekend, each provider must fit a total of 10 patients within the next year to become fully certified and endorsed on the TornadoSuit referral network.

A TornadoSuit certification seminar will also be held the same weekend in Las Vegas. This course will be taught by Dr. Roger Elmer of Advanced Spinal Solutions.

For more information or registration materials for these seminars, please contact Katarin at 810.694.3576, or email at drmorningstar@nwprc.com.