Study links high benzodiazepine usage to mental health issues

Study links high benzodiazepine usage to mental health issues

A study in the journal Pain Medicine found patients taking benzodiazepines every day for chronic noncancer pain were more likely to have comorbid mental health issues and to use emergency health care. The study authors said the high benzodiazepine usage rates are "inconsistent with guidelines for the management of CNCP or chronic mental health conditions." PhysiciansBriefing.com

READ! Article: Chiropractic More Effective than Standard Medical Care Alone

Patient Outcomes Proves More Effective with Chiropractic Combined with Standard Medical Care Than Standard Medical Care Alone in the Military

 

BY: D. Scott Ferguson

DC, William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP

 Mark Studin DC, FASBE(c), DAAMLP, DAAPM

Many people suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lives.  Most will seek the advice of a healthcare professional. However, many times this care is fragmented and not based on current evidence and can result in poorer outcomes. When considering outcomes, all doctors must consider creating a diagnosis, prognosis and then conclude a treatment plan. It is that treatment plan, which then determines the outcome after an accurate diagnosis. Many times, low back pain patients seek solely standard medical care and bypass a more effective chiropractic solution. This type of self-referral and physician triage has also been prevalent in the military and asks the question based upon outcome studies, is that in the best interest of both the military and the general public?  

In a recent paper by Goertz et al. (2013), the objective was, “To assess changes in pain levels and physical functioning in response to standard medical care (SMC) versus SMC plus chiropractic manipulative therapy (chiropractic adjustments) for the treatment of low back pain  among 18 to 35-year-old active-duty military personnel” (p. 627).  The authors stated, “Lifetime prevalence of low back pain has been estimated to be as high as 84%, with a median cost per quality-adjusted life year of $13,015” (p. 627).  The fact that lower back pain is a major source of disability and abuse of pain medication makes providing the best care possible a priority based upon outcome studies.  In this paper, it was reported that, “The majority of systematic reviews find that chiropractic manipulative therapy (adjustments) seems to reduce pain and disability at least moderately for many patients with low back pain” (p. 627).  Therefore, the questions are, “Should chiropractic care be part of your treatment plan and should it be included with standard medical treatment for lower back pain?” 

In the Goertz et al. (2013) study, the patients were allowed to seek standard medical care in an unrestricted fashion which meant they could go to their medical doctors as they normally would for lower back pain.  “Standard care included any or all of the following: a focused history and physical examination, diagnostic imaging as indicated, education about self-management including maintaining activity levels as tolerated, pharmacological (drug) management with the use of analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents, and physical therapy and modalities such as heat/ice and referral to a pain clinic” (p. 628).  On the chiropractic side, the authors stated “Treatments consisted of HVLA [high velocity low amplitude a.k.a. chiropractic adjustment] manipulation as the primary approach in all cases, with ancillary treatments at the doctor’s discretion, including brief massage, the use of ice or heat in the lumbar area, stretching exercises, McKenzie exercises, advice on activities of daily living, postural/ergonomic advice; and mobilization” (p. 628).  This is important since chiropractors view the spine as an entire system and the approach to patients is different as well as the therapeutic intervention.

In conclusion, the authors reported, “The results of our pragmatic pilot study indicate a statistically and clinically significant benefit to those receiving chiropractic manipulative therapy (adjustments) in addition to standard medical care” (p. 631).  Finally, they report, “The results of this trial suggest that chiropractic, in conjunction with standard medical care, offers a significant advantage for decreasing pain and improving physical functioning compared with only standard medical care, for active-duty men and women between 18 and 35 years of age with acute low back pain when delivered in a pragmatic treatment setting” (p. 633).

This study concurs with a previous study by Liliedahl et al. (2010) who studied 85,402 patients and adds to the growing body of evidence in diverse forums that chiropractic for mechanical back pain is more effective and cost-effective than standard medical care. Evidence such as this helps to dispel the partial truths and overcome the prejudices to help the public make informed choices.

References:

1. Goertz, C. M., Long, C. R., Hondras, M. A., Petri, R., Delgado, R., Lawrence, D. J.,…Meeker, W. C. (2013). Adding chiropractic manipulative therapy to standard medical care for patients with acute low back pain: Results of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness study. Spine, 38(8), 627-634.

2. Liliedahl, R. L., Finch, M. D., Axene, D. V., & Goertz C. M. (2010). Cost of care for common back pain conditions initiated with chiropractic doctor vs. medical doctor/doctor of osteopathy as first physician: Experience of one Tennessee-based general health insurer. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 33(9), 640-643.

Do you experience leg pain, tingling, or numbness when walking or standing?

Do you experience leg pain, tingling, or numbness when walking or standing?

You may have spinal stenosis, a common condition typically caused by changes that happen in the spine as we age.

» Find out More

Hidden Dangers in Everyday Products You Must Know About

You walk down an aisle in the huge supermarket that stocks just about everything imaginable. Your cart already contains food, about which you feel virtuous because you conscientiously read labels to avoid unhealthy additives.

Spying a shampoo brand you saw in a TV ad, you drop the plastic bottle into your cart. The same brand of hair conditioner gets snapped up next. Further along, toothpastes are displayed. A familiar brand that tastes like peppermint goes into the cart. Since you're in the personal products section, you add deodorant, antibacterial hand soap, hand sanitizer, mouthwash, shaving gel, and—from the cleaning supplies section—dish washing detergent. A package of plastic containers will let you nuke your lunches at work. Next…trash bags in the large economy size—what a great buy, so in they go!

What's this? Some of the cosmetics and skin care products are on sale. Great! Here's a moisturizer at a dollar off and skin cleanser with a fifty-cent discount, not to mention makeup base on special for $2 less than usual, and lipstick in a gorgeous shade at a $3 savings. You saved enough money to buy a bottle of sunscreen for skin protection.

Next is the OTC medication section, where you purchase the store brand of topical ointment for that bit of rash on your arm. What's left? Oh, yes…snag your favorite beverage and you're ready for the checkout line.

What a great shopping trip!
Or was it?

You've gotten pretty good about reading food labels, which helps you stay away from a lot of nasty additives that can cause everything from weight gain to insulin resistance to heart disease. But there was no label-reading in the non-food sections, was there? Did you think all those products are pure because some of them have the words “natural" and “gentle" on the packaging? That's where you may have made a huge mistake.

The personal product section of any store is a hotbed of toxic ingredients. You thought you were buying toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, and other things you've bought countless times before, but what you were really buying was…triclosan. This is a chemical found in numerous consumer products like the ones you bought today, as well as toys, kitchen utensils, bedding and the insoles of shoes, to name a few.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that this chemical shows up in the urine of seventy-five percent of the U.S population. Their research studies show that triclosan is absorbed through the skin, even at low levels, where it goes into the bloodstream to wreak havoc. Even these low levels can cause thyroid dysfunction. When triclosan gets into the blood of a pregnant woman, it can cause developmental problems in the fetus. Triclosan also interferes with immune system function and opens the door to allergies.

Even more disquieting, triclosan is implicated in the increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or Superbugs. The chemical is not completely removed by waste water treatment plants, so it's been found in waterways, where it kills some forms of aquatic life.

Triclosan is not the only baddie found in the items tossed so casually into your grocery cart. Parabens are cheap synthetic preservatives found in so many products that you will probably find an ingredient ending in “–parabens" (one of six commonly-used forms) on the label of every non-food item you bought.

Parabens were found in the majority of urine samples in a study by the CDC, so it's obvious the chemical in its various forms is easily absorbed by the body. Parabens are linked to disruption of the body's hormone systems and have been detected in breast cancer tumors, proving they not only are absorbed into the body, but can persist in their original form (non-degraded) and accumulate in tumor tissue in the breasts.

Still think you scooped up a bunch of bargains on your shopping trip today? If you begin reading the labels of non-food items as conscientously as you study those found on food packaging, you may avoid these dangerous chemicals that are as bad as, if not worse, than the additives you routinely shun in processed foods

Are there alternatives to the many triclosan-and-parabens-laden products stocked on shelves and available from online vendors? Yes, but they aren't available on a grand scale, and they will undoubtedly cost more because they aren't produced using cheap toxic chemicals. Still, it is possible to find safer alternatives in personal products through an Internet search. One excellent source is the Skin Deep cosmetic and skincare database maintained by the Environmental Working Group.
It's also best to stay away from any product—including cutting boards, shower curtains and toys—designated “antibacterial," even if triclosan isn't listed as an ingredient.
Sadly, tricking consumers is now considered a fair marketing practice.

Suggested Resources
https://www.organicconsumers.org/old_articles/body...
www.ewg.org/skindeep