WCA Objects to Chiropractic News Story
In a recently televised news story, WNBC reported that the effectiveness of spinal manipulation on childhood ear infections was groundbreaking—a description that upset the World Chiropractic Organization (WCA), which claims WNBC deliberately neglected existing scientific information about the positive effects of chiropractic treatments for otitis media.

“It is difficult to believe it was not a deliberate attempt to malign chiropractic,” said Terry A. Rondberg, DC, president of WCA. “A simple search on the Internet would have led WNBC reporters to an abundance of information about chiropractic and ear infections. Instead, they chose to ignore more than 3 decades of scientific information and labeled this recent research as ‘groundbreaking.’”

Pointing out that, since 1992, The Chiropractic Journal, published by the WCA, has printed information about the effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments on childhood ear infections, Rondberg wrote a letter of protest to WNBC referencing scientific studies on the topic dating back to 1971. In addition, the WCA “HealthWatch” e-newsletter has been educating the public about the risks of antibiotic and surgical treatment for childhood ear infections for years.

The WNBC story also included unsubstantiated claims about osteopathy’s superiority to chiropractic, reporting that osteopathic manipulation was gentler than chiropractic adjustments. The WCA defines chiropractic adjustment as the specific application of force to facilitate the body’s correction of vertebral subluxation. In contrast, Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary describes it as the “forceful, passive movement of a joint beyond its active limit of motion.”

“There is simply no basis for such a subjective statement. The two techniques are different, but not because one is gentler than the other,” said Rondberg. “Chiropractors provide care to many children each year and have built a well-deserved reputation for being gentle and extremely safe.”

The WCA argued that for WNBC to imply that osteopathic manipulation is superior to chiropractic for treating ear infections or any other childhood health concern is either sloppy journalism or a deliberate attempt to mislead viewers. The WCA agreed with one point made by the WNBC story—parents should only go to doctors well trained in the procedures that will most effectively help their children.

Migraines and Behavioral Disorders Linked in Children
Researchers at Columbus Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, have found evidence that suggests a relationship between pediatric migraines and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). The results of the study were presented at the XI Congress of the International Headache Society in Rome, Italy, in September 2003.

“Our new data suggests a significant increase of ODD in children with migraines,” said Ann Pakalnis, MD, associate professor of clinical pediatrics and neurology at Columbus Children’s Hospital. “Children with ODD have difficulty accepting parental rules or discipline, are often argumentative and, at times, have difficulty relating to siblings or peers. Understanding this relationship between behavioral disorders and migraines will help develop better treatment options and enable health care providers to better counsel the parents of the migraine sufferers.”

The National Headache Foundation provided Pakalnis with a grant to conduct the study. Patients were treated at the hospital’s headache clinic. Researchers at the clinic studied patients from 6–17 years of age who were diagnosed with migraine and age-matched controls to assess the frequency of behavioral disorders. A questionnaire, called the Child Symptom Inventory (CSI), followed by a psychological interview was used for diagnosis.

“Until now, there was no evidence to support coexistence of behavioral disorders in children with migraines,” said Pakalnis. “Parental reports of disruptive behavior are common in pediatric migraineurs. Children with migraines miss more school and often lose sleep, which can contribute to the types of behavioral symptoms often associated with attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, and ODD, but this is the first study to demonstrate that there could be a direct link between migraines and behavioral disorders.”

Whooping Cough Outbreaks in New York and Illinois
A recent surge in cases of whooping cough has health authorities urging parents to immunize their children against vaccine-preventable diseases.

In Westchester County, NY, 17 children and 2 adults in Cortlandt and Peekskill have contracted whooping cough in the past 2 months. Among those infected are four children who were not vaccinated against the disease because of their parents’ conscious decision not to do so. Four other children are infants 4 months old or younger, and have not yet received their immunizations completely.

According to Joshua Lipsman, MD, MPH, the county health commissioner in Westchester, approximately 100 people have been exposed to the patients, including family members. They have received preventive antibiotic treatment.

In Rock Island, Ill, at least 56 people have been affected by whooping cough recently. Among the sick are several players from a local high school football team and at least 12 coaches. Officials of the Illinois Department of Public Health are recommending that anyone who came into close contact with the coach or others who may have whooping cough be treated with antibiotics.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the number of whopping cough cases have increased in Oregon, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. County physicians and health departments are urging residents to ensure that young children are properly immunized.

A new vaccine, which was introduced in 1996, is purported to cause fewer side effects and is typically given as part of the combined DPT shots, which protects against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Since children experience whooping cough more severely than adults—the condition can kill children younger than 1 year—health officials are recommending parents immunize their children.

Chiropractors and many others have questioned the safety of childhood vaccinations, especially against diseases that have become rare. The pertussis vaccine is avoided by parents who are afraid of the negative side effects it can cause in children, including mild fevers, sores around the injection site, vomiting, high fever, seizures, and coma.

Healthworx Offers Natural Menopause Treatment
Women who fear the risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for treatment of menopause now have a new alternative—Body Restoration Technique (BRT), from Healthworx, a Denver-based health care practice.

BRT uses the body’s acupuncture points to rejuvenate and revitalize hormones in women, which are secreted by the body’s endocrine system glands. Unlike HRT, BRT does not require the ingestion of potentially dangerous synthetic hormones. Patients reported decreased menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and moodiness, with BRT.

Kevin Woodard, MD, of Healthworx, treats women with BRT. He begins with an in-depth assessment of a woman’s lifestyle habits, medical history, and overall health. He then initiates BRT treatment protocol and test to determine the source of a woman’s hormonal imbalance.

For example, Woodard can identify excessive levels of estrogen in menopausal women using the BRT muscle test. During this test, the patient holds a small, porous vial of estrogen in one hand and places it against her ovaries, while straightening out her free arm in front of her. Woodard then tests the outstretched arm for muscle strength. If this test shows muscle weakness because the patient cannot muster the strength to keep her arm in place, it indicates that the estrogen in the vial is not functioning properly within the body’s hormonal system.

Once Woodard identifies which hormones, drugs, or other toxic agents are disturbing the patient’s hormonal system, he conducts a series of treatment sessions using BRT acupuncture. Throughout the treatment, he continues testing different vials of potential endocrine disruptors to find the source of any other imbalances in the patient’s body, which he treats with additional acupuncture treatments.

According to Woodard, patients must be treated individually since one patient may have an estrogen buildup, while another may have an iodine deficiency or an excess of progesterone or synthetic hormone drugs.

“For menopausal treatment, we test 30 different vials of potential endocrine disruptors, because every woman’s body is unique,” Woodard said. “Western medicine typically does not recognize that the root cause of many common health problems is an imbalance in the endocrine system. With BRT, I can uncover the true source of a woman’s hormonal imbalance to restore health, instead of just alleviating symptoms.”

In addition to menopausal patients, Woodard uses BRT to treat prostrate problems, weight loss, diabetes, bone, joint, heart, and thyroid conditions. For maximum results, Healthworx integrates BRT with many other therapies, including acupuncture, chiropractic, and detoxification techniques.

Network Spinal Analysis Treatments Benefit IVF
A study in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research reported successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) in a patient receiving network spinal analysis (NSA) care. The report discusses the possible role of NSA chiropractic care in the vigorous follicular growth and other health benefits.

A 34-year-old patient had one previous aborted IVF prior to NSA care. The first attempt was canceled due to poor follicular growth after the standard hyperstimulation process of the ovaries, including pretreatment with Mircette and 1mg/0.2 mL of Lupron, and 3-6 A of Gonal-F starting on cycle day 3. Her baseline day-3 estradiol and LH levels were only 21.2 pg/me and 5.0 IU/L respectively. Estradiol was only 56% and LH was 6.6 IU/L on cycle day eight.

A few weeks after the first attempt, the patient began regular NSA care. The second IVF attempt began approximately 2 months after the patient began receiving NSA care. The difference in protocol included the addition of Repronex. The total increased dose of Gonal-F and Repronex was 6A, compared to the first attempt of only 3A, which was then increased to 6A of Gonal-F only. Estradiol was 1001 pg/ml on day 8, and 2019 pg/ml on day 11, with LH at 9.3.

The second attempt resulted in a successful pregnancy.

Bloodhound Inc Consults ACA on Coding Policies
To ensure that coding software edits to Claims Guard, a medical bill review product, are consistent with the American Chiropractic Association’s (ACA) policy, Bloodhound Inc met with the ACA for guidance and direction on the issue.

“Bloodhound’s interest in complying with ACA coding policy demonstrates both the integrity of the company and the high regard in which ACA standards are held,” said Donald Krippendorf, DC, president of the ACA.

Claims Guard is sold to health, automobile, and workers’ compensation insurance carriers for bill review assistance. Policies are based on solid research and data, helping both providers and insurers feel confident that unnecessary reviews will be dramatically reduced.

During the meeting with the ACA, Bloodhound representatives were surprised that the ACA had developed such extensive policies on coding and billing, and that the ACA had such intimate knowledge and involvement in the American Medical Association (AMA) CPT process. Bloodhound was also impressed with the coding background of Anthony Hamm, DC, of ACA’s Coding Committee that they plan to consider his involvement on an internal Bloodhound advisory panel.

Although insurance companies have been seeking coding advice from the ACA for several years, this marks the firsts time a medical review organization has requested such counsel from the ACA.

Beneficiaries Face Therapy Caps
For the period from September 1 to December 31, 2003, and extending over to all of 2004, the Medicare therapy caps are in effect, including physical therapy treatments provided by some chiropractic practices.

Under the caps, beneficiaries face a combined $1,590 limit on outpatient physical therapy and speech language pathology, and a separate $1,590 limit for occupational therapy.

The caps were scheduled to be in effect from July 1, 2003, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) faced lawsuits from the Medicare Rights Center and others who complained of inadequate notice to beneficiaries. The caps were included in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, but did not go into effect due to repeated delays by Congress and then the CMS.

On September 29, a federal district judge gave CMS permission to implement the caps, even though complaints that the agency still had not notified enough beneficiaries existed. However, according to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, individual beneficiaries may be able to challenge coverage denials if they were not notified of the caps.