Roger Clifford, D.C., D.A.C.N.B.

A primary care provider (PCP) is a health care provider who provides the first contact for a person with a new health concern. Historically, the primary care provider is a medical doctor (MD), an osteopathic doctor (DO), a physician assistant, certified (PA-C), or an advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP). The provider has the education and [..]

Chiropractic care and spinal manipulation for low back pain has a long and rich history. The purpose of this publication is to look back at some of the highlights and to add new evidence (2024). In 1958, a study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, titled (1): Manipulation in Back Pain The authors [..]

The primary reason (93%) patients go to chiropractors is for the management of spinal pain (1). Specifically, 63% go to chiropractors for low back pain, and 30% due so for neck pain. The effectiveness of chiropractic care for spinal pain is well-documented. Chiropractic care (spinal manipulation) is routinely included in spine pain clinical practice guidelines [..]

A recent large and comprehensive review of the chiropractic profession establishes that 93% of patients initially go to chiropractors for spine pain complaints (1). The same review documents that chiropractic care is exceptionally effective and safe for these spine pain patients. As a consequence of the effectiveness and safety of chiropractic care for spine pain [..]

“Manipulation” and “Chiropractic” are not Synonyms Background Joint Manipulation Joint manipulation is the applying of a force to a joint that helps that joint move better. It is classically associated with an audible sound. All people, trained and untrained, are capable of manipulating joints and eliciting an audible sound. Manipulation is a lay term. It is often [..]

Chan Gunn, MD, is a Clinical Professor at the Multidisciplinary Pain Center at the University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Dr. Gunn describes three categories of pain, which are quite useful for the following discussion (1). These three categories are: 1)Nociception Pain In this category of pain, there is no tissue damage, and therefore [..]

People become healthcare providers because they are interested, often passionately, about helping others with their health. Most healthcare providers are horrified at the thought that anything they did or failed to do could end up harming a patient. Yet, every type of health care is associated with some risks of potential problems. These problems can [..]

In 2018, Eduardo Hariton, MD, and Joseph Locascio, PhD, from Massachusetts General Hospital, published an article in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology titled (1): Randomised Controlled Trials—The Gold Standard for Effectiveness Research As stated in the title, the authors reaffirm that the gold standard for healthcare scientific research is the Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). In 2020, [..]

The Piezo1 Mechanoreceptor and Spinal Degenerative Disease Medicine is primarily about the use of medicines, or chemically based care. Chiropractic is primarily about the use of levers, or mechanically based care. Chiropractors primarily evaluate patients mechanically; they evaluate the manner in which patients stand or sit (posture) and/or move in our gravitational environment. Mechanical problems [..]

The Important Diagnostic Contributions of R. Glen Spurling, MD  Default Thinking The 1989 movie “The War of the Roses” starred Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. In the movie, there is a scene at a restaurant where character Oliver Rose, played by actor Michael Douglas, has an episode of chest pain. The immediate suspicion by Mr. [..]