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

Six years later, in 1986, prescribing opiates for chronic pain was further enhanced when physicians Russell Portenoy, MD, and Kathleen Foley, MD, published a small case series (38 subjects) that concluded that chronic opioid analgesic use was safe in patients with no history of drug abuse (5). By 2017, America’s opioid crisis had escalated to [..]

Clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances. Clinical practice guidelines define the role of specific diagnostic and treatment modalities in the diagnosis and management of patients. Clinical practice guideline recommendations are based on evidence from rigorous systematic reviews and synthesis of [..]

Approximately 36 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Current pharmacological treatments are not very effective and they may have dangerous side effects (1). Migraines are the second most prevalent neurologic disorder (after tension-type headaches), with a female-to-male ratio of 3:1 and an estimated 1-year prevalence of approximately 15% in the general population (2). The total [..]

The word “light” brings up familiar images. The common image of “light” is that of something we see. Yet, the “light” that we can see is only a small slice of a much larger range of waves that are known as the “electromagnetic” spectrum. The entire “electromagnetic” spectrum is considered to be “light.” Yet, vast [..]

The sciatic nerve is a nerve that begins in the lower back and travels through the buttock and into the leg and then into the foot. It is the longest and widest nerve in the human body. The sciatic nerve is made up of five lumbosacral nerve roots, L4, L5, S1, S2, and S3. When [..]

Important Numbers Members of our military and military veterans are plagued with musculoskeletal pain problems: 2007 (1) - An analysis of United States Navy Physical Evaluation Board data between February 2005 and February 2006 indicated that musculoskeletal diagnoses were frequent (43%), with back pain (29%) being the most common musculoskeletal diagnosis. 2008 (2) - There [..]

LEGITIMIZING BACKGROUND The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) is operated by the United States federal government, and is the world’s largest medical library. It is located in Bethesda, Maryland. The NLM is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NLM started in 1836 as a small collection [..]

The Morning Shower The typical morning shower is neither 100% cold water nor 100% hot water, but rather a balance of the two. The perfect shower water temperature is a balance of hot and cold water. While enjoying the perfect shower, if suddenly the hot water is turned drastically higher, the brain perceives: Ouch! The [..]

In 1976, the first issue of the journal Spine was published. In this inaugural issue was a pioneering article by low back pain specialist Alf Nachemson, MD, titled (1): The Lumbar Spine, An Orthopedic Challenge In this article, without credible evidence, Dr. Nachemson states: “Irrespective of treatment given, 70% of [back pain] patients get well [..]

Analogies that are often used by chiropractors include: If one walks on the edge of their shoe, the shoe sole will wear out at the weight-bearing portion quicker than other parts of the sole. If an automobile wheel alignment is not optimal, then the excessively stressed wheel will wear out quicker than the other wheels. [..]