Chiropractors face a unique opportunity to be part of the solution if they are ready to embrace and promote the true benefits of a chiropractic adjustment - that is improved state of wellbeing.

Sure we may be good at musculoskeletal pain management, but the big picture is optimised human potential: In terms of addiction recovery this translates to improved retention and better results.

Now back to the claim that addiction is the leading cause of death? Most stats quote heart disease and stroke as being the number one and three leading causes of death - BUT, the leading risk factor for vascular disease is obesity - AND, obesity is an addiction based illness! Coming in at number four is lower respiratory diseases - BUT, the leading cause of lung disease is smoking - AND, smoking is an addiction based illness! Coming in at number five are injuries - BUT, alcohol and drugs have been linked to 50% of traffic fatalities - AND so addiction is a contributor to this cause of death. And just to add to this picture: Alcohol and drug use have been associated with 30% of suicides, 49% of murders, 69% of drownings. Based on these figures addiction is a major contributing factor to roughly 40% of all deaths.

Genetic studies have revealed that 20-30% of the population has the genetic predisposition to addictive and compulsive disorders. This cuts accross every culture, every sociodemographic group and both genders. What I am saying is that if you think that you don’t want to deal with addicts - then you are probably in denial yourself, because you already are - they are already in your practice! They are usually very clever at concealing their behaviour.

You need to listen to this recent presentation by Dr Jay Holder, during his recent Australian tour to get your head around this problem: Click on this link to download the mp3: http://www.torquerelease.com.au/Chiropractic-Addictions-4.mp3 (or to save to your computer right click and select “save as…”)

To find out how to become part of the solution click on this link:

First let’s summarise the most recent findings:

1) Satisfaction in a wellness clinic: This study involved feedback from health professionals being given access to wellness services including Auriculotherapy once a week in the workplace. Most participants agreed or strongly agreed they felt more relaxed after sessions (97.9%), less stress (94.5%), more energy (84.3%), and less pain (78.8%). Ninety-seven percent (97%) would recommend it to a co-worker. Among surveys completed after five or more visits, more than half (59%-85%) strongly agreed experiencing increased compassion with patients, better sleep, improved mood, and more ease in relations with co-workers. Perceived benefits were sustained and enhanced by number of visits.

2) Effects on autonomic function in healthy individuals: The results of this study using non-invasive assessment methods showed a significant decrease in heart rate, a significant increase in heart rate variability total, and marked (but statistically insignificant) decrease in pulse wave velocity. This translates to signs of decreased stress physiology internally.

3) Chronic low back pain: This pilot study found that Auriculotherapy was safe and demonstrated additional clinical benefits when combined with exercise for people with chronic low back pain. This supports my own observation that the best treatment for low back pain is a combination of passive and active treatment.

4) Effect on inflammatory reactions: This study using animals showed that Auriculotherapy can increase serum Tumour Necrosis Factor and Interleukin-6, and down-regulate pulmonary NF-kappa B p 65 expression suggesting a cholinergic anti-inflammatory mechanism. This suggests a neurological pathway for antiinflammatory effects of Auriculotherapy which makes sense since Auriculotherapy is a neurological intervention!

5) Treatment of migraine attacks: This study compared using a reflex point well documented to relieve migraine (group A) versus a point unlikely to have a therapeutic effect (group B). During treatment, there was a highly significant trend in the reduction of symptoms in group A, whereas no significance was observed in group B. Symptoms were significantly lower in group A than in group B at 10, 30, 60 and 120 min after treatment. This study suggests that the therapeutic specificity of auricular points exists and is linked to the somatotopic representation of our body on the ear.

6) Analgesia and sedative effects during abdominal gynecological operation and effects on postoperative recovery of body function: This showed sedative, analgesic and function-regulating effects from Auriculotherapy. Anxiety was less, lower-doses of anaesthesia were required, breathing response was improved after the operation, and higher levels of serum beta-endorphin were found when Auriculotherapy was added. Anything that potentially improves surgical outcomes sounds like a really good thing to me!

7) Improving postural stability: Balance performance was measured on a force platform before and after Auriculotherapy. Main balance parameters pointed to an average short-term improvement of about 15% 1 hour after treatment and 5-10% after an interval of 3 days. However, a few participants showed a better than 30% improvement with the same parameters. The explanation tentatively put forward to account for the results was that Auriculotherapy reduces nociceptive interference and thus improves postural control.

Treating headache, trigeminal neuralgia and retro-auricular pain in facial palsy: In this study Auriculotherapy treatment showed pain alleviation in headache, trigeminal neuralgia, and retro-auricular pain levels. The researchers noted that treatment number should be no less than 10 sessions.

9) Preoperative anxiety treatment: Preoperative anxiety has become more frequent in preoperative patients and can bring negative impact on operation outcomes. The study concluded that Auriculotherapy was significantly effective in decreasing anxiety in preoperative patients.

Sounds like some good reasons to check out Auriculotherapy training to me… Go to http://www.torquerelease.com.au/Auriculotherapy-Discount.htm to find out more…

Now for the abstracts:

1) Employee use and perceived benefit of a complementary and alternative medicine wellness clinic at a major military hospital: evaluation of a pilot program.

J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep;17(9):809-15. 2011 Aug 11. Duncan AD, Liechty JM, Miller C, Chinoy G, Ricciardi R.

Abstract Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine the feasibility of a weekly on-site complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) wellness clinic for staff at a military hospital, and to describe employees’ perceptions of program effectiveness. Setting: The study setting was the Restore & Renew Wellness Clinic at a United States Department of Defense hospital. Subjects: The subjects were hospital nurses, physicians, clinicians, support staff, and administrators. Interventions: The walk-in wellness clinic was open 8:00am – 2:00pm 1 day a week. Participants selected one or more modalities each visit: ear acupuncture, clinical acupressure, and Zero Balancing. Outcome measures: A self-report survey was done after each clinic visit to evaluate clinic features and perceived impact on stress-related symptoms, compassion for patients, sleep, and workplace or personal relationships. Results: Surveys completed after first-time and repeat visits (n=2,756 surveys) indicated that most participants agreed or strongly agreed they felt more relaxed after sessions (97.9%), less stress (94.5%), more energy (84.3%), and less pain (78.8%). Ninety-seven percent (97%) would recommend it to a co-worker. Among surveys completed after five or more visits, more than half (59%-85%) strongly agreed experiencing increased compassion with patients, better sleep, improved mood, and more ease in relations with co-workers. Perceived benefits were sustained and enhanced by number of visits. The most frequently reported health habit changes were related to exercise, stress reduction, diet/nutrition, and weight loss. Conclusions: This evaluation suggests that a hospital-based wellness clinic based on CAM principles and modalities is feasible, well-utilized, and perceived by most participants to have positive health benefits related to stress reduction at work, improved mood and sleep, and lifestyle.

2) Brain-modulated effects of auricular acupressure on the regulation of autonomic function in healthy volunteers.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011 Aug 29. Gao XY, Wang L, Gaischek I, Michenthaler Y, Zhu B, Litscher G.

Auricular acupuncture has been described in ancient China as well as Egypt, Greece, and Rome. At the end of the 1950s, ear acupuncture was further developed by the French physician Dr. Paul Nogier. The goal of this study was to develop a new system for ear acupressure (vibration stimulation) and to perform pilot investigations on the possible acute effects of vibration and manual ear acupressure on heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and the augmentation index (AIx) using new noninvasive recording methods. Investigations were performed in 14 healthy volunteers (mean age ± SD: 26.3 ± 4.3 years; 9 females, 5 males) before, during, and after acupressure vibration and manual acupressure stimulation at the “heart” auricular acupuncture point. The results showed a significant decrease in HR (P ≤ 0.001) and a significant increase in HRV total (P = 0.008) after manual ear acupressure. The PWV decreased markedly (yet insignificantly) whereas the AIx increased immediately after both methods of stimulation. The increase in the low-frequency band of HRV was mainly based on the intensification of the related mechanism of blood pressure regulation (10-s-rhythm). Further studies in Beijing using animal models and investigations in Graz using human subjects are already in progress.

3) Exercise and Auricular Acupuncture for Chronic Low-back Pain: A Feasibility Randomized-controlled Trial.

Clin J Pain. 2011 Jul 12. Hunter RF, McDonough SM, Bradbury I, Liddle SD, Walsh DM, Dhamija S, Glasgow P, Gormley G, McCann SM, Park J, Hurley DA, Delitto A, Baxter GD.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effects of adding auricular acupuncture (AA) to exercise for participants with chronic low-back pain (CLBP).

METHODS: Participants with CLBP were recruited from primary care and a university population and were randomly allocated (n=51) to 1 of 2 groups: (1) “Exercise Alone (E)”-12-week program consisting of 6 weeks of supervised exercise followed by 6 weeks unsupervised exercise (n=27); or (2) “Exercise and AA (EAA)”-12-week exercise program and AA (n=24). Outcome measures were recorded at baseline, week 8, week 13, and 6 months. The primary outcome measure was the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire.

RESULTS: Participants in the EAA group demonstrated a greater mean improvement of 10.7% points (95% confidence interval, -15.3,-5.7) (effect size=1.20) in the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire at 6 months compared with 6.7% points (95% confidence interval, -11.4,-1.9) in the E group (effect size=0.58). There was also a trend towards a greater mean improvement in quality of life, LBP intensity and bothersomeness, and fear-avoidance beliefs in the EAA group. The dropout rate for this trial was lower than anticipated (15% at 6 mo), adherence with exercise was similar (72% E; 65% EAA). Adverse effects for AA ranged from 1% to 14% of participants.

DISCUSSION: Findings of this study showed that a main RCT is feasible and that 56 participants per group would need to be recruited, using multiple recruitment approaches. AA was safe and demonstrated additional benefits when combined with exercise for people with CLBP, which requires confirmation in a fully powered RCT.

4) Effect of electroacupuncture of auricular concha on inflammatory reaction in endotoxaemia rats.

Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2011 Jun;36(3):187-92. Zhao YX, He W, Gao XY, Rong PJ, Zhu B.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of the auricular concha (EA-AC) on serum cytokines contents and pulmonary transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced endotoxaemia rats so as to study its mechanism underlying cholinergic anti-inflammatory efficacy.

METHODS: Male SD rats were randomized into normal control, model (LPS), simple EA-AC, EA-AC + LPS, vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) + LPS, and EA-Zusanli (ST 36) + LPS groups (n = 12/group). Endotoxaemia model was duplicated by intravenous (tail vein) injection of LPS (0.5 mL/kg). Two intradermal needles were inserted into the central sites of the cavity of concha and cymba of auricular concha respectively on each side and stimulated electrically by using an electrical stimulator (i.e, EA-AC). VNS was applied to the left cervical vagal nerve, and EA (1 mA, 10 Hz, pulse-width 1 ms) was also applied to bilateral “Zusanli” (ST 36). Serum cytokines (TNF-alpha IL-6) contents 2 h after modeling were determined by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and pulmonary NF-kappaB p 65 expression 2 h after modeling was detected by using western blotting.

RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 contents, and pulmonary NF-kappaB p65 expression level in the model group were increased significantly (P < 0.01). In comparison with the model group, serum TNF-alpha contents in the simple EA-AC, EA-AC + LPS, VNS+ LPS and ST 36 + LPS groups, and serum IL-6 contents and pulmonary NF-kappaB p 65 expression levels in the simple EA-AC, EA-AC + LPS and VNS + LPS groups were down-regulated considerably (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the VNS + LPS group, serum TNF-alpha -28) and IL-6 contents, and pulmonary NF-kappaB p 65 expression level in the ST 36 + LPS group were increased significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In comparison with the EA-AC + LPS group, pulmonary NF-kappaB p 65 expression level in the ST 36 + creased remarkably (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Both EA of auricular concha and vagus nerve stimulation can increase serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 contents, and down-regulate pulmonary NF-kappaB p 65 expression level in endotoxaemia similar cholinergic anti-inflammatory mechanism between them.

5) Ear acupuncture in the treatment of migraine attacks: a randomized trial on the efficacy of appropriate versus inappropriate acupoints.

Neurol Sci. 2011 May;32 Suppl 1:S173-5. Allais G, Romoli M, Rolando S, Airola G, Castagnoli Gabellari I, Allais R, Benedetto C.

Ear acupuncture can be a useful mean for controlling migraine pain. It has been shown that a technique called the Needle Contact Test (NCT) can identify the most efficacious ear acupoints for reducing current migraine pain through just a few seconds of needle contact. The majority of the points were located on the antero-internal part of the antitragus (area M) on the same side of pain. The aim of this study was to verify the therapeutic value of area M and to compare it with an area of the ear (representation of the sciatic nerve, area S) which probably does not have a therapeutic effect on migraine attacks. We studied 94 females suffering from migraine without aura, diagnosed according to the ICHD-II criteria, during the attack. They were randomly subdivided into two groups: in group A, tender points located in area M, positive to NCT were inserted; in group B, the unsuitable area (S) was treated. Changes in pain intensity were measured using a VAS scale at various times of the study. During treatment, there was a highly significant trend in the reduction of the VAS value in group A (Anova for repeated measures: p < 0.001), whereas no significance was observed in group B. VAS values were significantly lower in group A than in group B at 10, 30, 60 and 120 min after needle insertion. This study suggests that the therapeutic specificity of auricular points exists and is linked to the somatotopic representation of our body on the ear.

6) Effects of magnetic auricular point-sticking on adjuvant anesthesia and postoperative recovery of body function.

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2011 Apr;31(4):349-52. Li WS, Cui SS, Li WY, Zhao WX, Wanlai SQ.

OBJECTIVE: To prove analgesia and sedative effect of adjuvant anesthesia with magnetic auricular point-sticking on abdominal gynecological operation and its effect on postoperative recovery of body function.

METHODS: Ninety-two patients with abdominal gynecological operation were randomly divided into 3 groups. The auricular point-sticking group (APS group, n=31) was pasted and pressed by plasters with magnetic beads at bilateral Shenmen, Pizhixia (subcortex), Zigong (uterus) and Penqiang (pelvic cavity), etc. the night before operation. The placebo group (n=31) was pasted by plasters without magnetic beads. The blank group (n=30) was given no intervention. The mental and gastrointestinal functional changes before and 3 days after the operation were observed.

RESULTS: As compared with those in the control group and the blank group, the postoperative score of Self rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was less (25.5 +/- 0.81 vs. 28.9 +/- 3.19, 28.3 +/- 2.36, both P < 0.01), with lower-dose of Innovar [(2.5 + 1.1) mL vs. (3.4 + 1.8) mL, (3.2 + 1.6) mL, both P < 0.05], earlier exsufflation after the operation [(34.2 + 12.1) h vs. (46.3 + 10.9) h, (43.2 + 14.8) h, both P < 0.01] and higher level serum of beta-endorphin before and after the operation in the APS group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The magnetic auricular point-sticking has sedative, analgesic and function-regulating effects on the abdominal gynecological operation.

7) Laser acupuncture and auriculotherapy in postural instability – a preliminary report.

J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2011 Mar;4(1):69-74. Bergamaschi M, Ferrari G, Gallamini M, Scoppa F.

The risk of falling is rather high among elderly people. Indexes obtained through the Romberg stabilometric test on a force platform have been suggested to be correlated with the risk of falling. This work aimed to test the effectiveness of auriculopuncture and ultralow-power laserpuncture versus placebo (sham stimulation) in improving postural control in an elderly population. Balance performance was measured on a force platform before and after both forms of stimulation. Main balance parameters pointed to an average short-term improvement of about 15% 1 hour after treatment and 5-10% after an interval of 3 days. However, a few participants showed a better than 30% improvement with the same parameters. Although the sample size does not allow reliable statistical analysis, the modifications are remarkable and some differences are observed between the two kinds of stimulation. Further testing with larger sized groups and including one further group using both stimulations is suggested. Although postural instability has to be defined as multi-factorial, it is often associated with balance dysfunctions that cannot be related to vestibular or central impairments but rather to proprioceptive deficits. A significant role may be ascribed to (even subliminal) nociceptive interferences with proprioceptive inputs and to a reduced capacity for updating cortical motor control models in the case of progressively declining locomotor capabilities. The explanation tentatively put forward to account for the results observed in the present preliminary study is that laser acupuncture and auriculopuncture stimulations reduce nociceptive interference and thus improve postural control.

A clinical pilot study comparing traditional acupuncture to combined acupuncture for treating headache, trigeminal neuralgia and retro-auricular pain in facial palsy.

J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2011 Mar;4(1):29-43. Ahn CB, Lee SJ, Lee JC, Fossion JP, Sant’Ana A.

Traditional acupuncture (TA) and ear acupuncture (EA) are used for treatment of headache, trigeminal neuralgia, and retro-auricular pain. The purpose of this study is to develop effective treatment using combined acupuncture (CA) which consists of TA and EA and to set clinical protocols for future trials. Participants were divided into TA (n = 15) control and CA (n = 34) experimental groups. Obligatory points among Korean Five Element Acupuncture and optional individual points along with symptom points were used in the TA group. The CA group was exposed to ear points of Fossion and TA. Acupuncture treatment consisted of six mandatory sessions per patient over 3 weeks and extended to 12 sessions. Pain was assessed using the visual analogue scale. We compared TA to CA and researched their relevant publications. No significant difference was observed between the two groups (p = 0.968) which showed pain-alleviating tendency. Pain alleviation was significantly different after the fifth and sixth sessions (p = 0.021, p = 0.025), with headache being the most significantly relieved (F = 4.399, p = 0.018) among the diseases. When assessing pain intensity, both the Headache Impact Test and the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale should be adopted for headache and the fractal electroencephalography method be used in pain diseases. In the future, studies should consist of TA, EA, and CA groups; each group having 20 patients. Treatment number should to be no less than 10 sessions. Korean Five Element Acupuncture should be a compulsory inclusion along with individual points being optional inclusion in TA. EA could be selected from Nogier, Fossion and so forth. In conclusion, acupuncture treatment, whether TA or CA, showed pain alleviation in headache, trigeminal neuralgia, and retro-auricular pain, but no significant difference was seen between groups. Prospective, well-controlled, and relevant protocols using multimodal strategies to define the role of TA, EA, and CA are needed.

9) Comparing the treatment effectiveness of body acupuncture and auricular acupuncture in preoperative anxiety treatment.

J Res Med Sci. 2011 Jan;16(1):39-42. Wu S, Liang J, Zhu X, Liu X, Miao D.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anxiety has become more frequent in preoperative patients and can bring negative impact on operation outcomes. Many studies have reported the effect of body acupuncture in reducing anxiety syndromes. The aim of this study is to compare the treatment effect of body acupuncture and auricular acupuncture in preoperative patients with preoperative anxiety.

METHODS: Thirty five elective ambulatory surgery patients were selected in the randomized and blinded trial. Subjects were randomly categorized in two intervention groups, the body acupuncture group who received acupuncture in the special points of body, and the auricular acupuncture group who received ear acupuncture. Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was used before and after the study.

RESULTS: For the auricular acupuncture group, the mean score of SAS was 57.57 ± 8.22 before the intervention and 46.32 ± 6.37 afterward. For the body acupuncture group, the SAS score was 55.39 ± 5.41 and 44.82 ± 6.76 before and after the intervention, respectively. For both groups, the difference between pre- and post-treatment scores reached the significant level (p = 0.00).

CONCLUSIONS: Both auricular and body acupuncture treatment methods were effective in decreasing anxiety in preoperative patients.

Sounds like some good reasons to check out Auriculotherapy training to me… Go to http://www.torquerelease.com.au/Auriculotherapy-Discount.htm to find out more…

If you have any desire or interest whatsoever in improving the mental health and brain function of your community then you must listen to this audio recording. Drs Pat Gentempo, Chris Kent and Jay Holder discuss the issues of chiropractic and how it can change the way people are feeling about themselves and improve their state of wellbeing…

Even if you think that Chiropractic is primarily about pain, then consider this - emotional pain is far more ongoing, crippling and debilitating than physical pain - and chiropractic could be one of the best kept secrets in reducing emotional pain…

Click on the link to download the audio MP3 file (or right click and choose “save target as…” to save to your computer - 30MB - so will take some time depending on your connection bandwidth)… www.torquerelease.com.au/Chiropractic-And-Mental-Health.mp3

The interview lasts an hour so I suggest you set aside some dedicated time and prepare yourself for a mind expanding experience!

Jay Holder will be teaching in Melbourne in August - to find out more and take advantage of a big online registration saving go to this link: http://www.torquerelease.com.au/Jay-Holder-Discount.htm

1. Chiropractors were able to use the methods taught to effectively determine the primary subluxation and how to best adjust it in 80-90% of their practice immediately upon returning to their office.
2. When asked if TRT had been useful in practice a 9/10 rating was achieved.
3. When asked if TRT had improved their confidence in practice a 8.5/10 rating was achieved.
4. When asked if TRT had increased their belief in chiropractic a 9.1/10 rating was achieved.
5. When asked if TRT had made them a better chiropractor a 8.8/10 rating was achieved.
6. When asked if TRT had improved their clinical skills a 8.8/10 rating was achieved.

This means that what is learnt at the program is immediately useful. We’ve all been to great sounding programs that when the rubber hits the road on Monday morning and you want to offer something better with your new skills, to be honest, they turn out to be too time consuming, or too fiddly, or are only useful for a small percentage of our practice members. It’s nice to know that TRT is easy to implement and relevant to the needs of nearly every practice member.

And don’t underestimate the power of becoming a better clinician and technician when it comes to adjusting. I think sometimes we get sidetracked looking for new ancillary procedures to somehow improve our clinical outcomes - when the real truth is that we can all hone and upgrade our adjusting skills - and as a result become better Chiropractors.

After running seminar programs for 15 years, I have noticed that Chiropractors are more likely to attend a motivational, practice management seminar than they are to attend a technique program - and I believe this is partly due to this perception of spending hours in a technique class to learn something that you will never use. It’s nice to learn that there is a technique program that delivers measurable benefits immediately upon returning to practice. Sounds like a worthwhile investment with great returns to me.

But you are probably sick of hearing this from me so here is what some of the participants had to say:

• “Great Seminar - Taught really well. Since finishing Uni, have lacked in confidence - But this technique has allowed me to be more sure of what I’m doing. Thanks!” Chloe Whiting, Australia
• “This is a great foundation chiropractic technique. It is simple to implement and improves my efficiency at finding and adjusting subluxations. It is an enjoyable seminar.” Penelope Seuren, Australia
• “Amazingly good seminar with excellent research based outcomes. Combines neurology and technique as an excellent presentation. I have been to many seminars but these CPD points are my most valuable!” Matthew Bailey, Australia
• “TRT makes more sense than anything else I’ve learned in chiropractic. I want to learn more!” David Schaller, Australia
• “It’s great. Surprised, Amazed! Thanks Nick for teaching me TRT.” Yi Ping Gu, Australia
• “TRT is a very elegant technique which reflect its origins in the triad of the Art, Science and Philosophy of Chiropractic. I look forward to exploring it further.” Anda McMillan, Australia
• “Thank you for the generosity and knowledge/wisdom. Other courses promise you will be able to confidently apply the technique on Monday morning. Well I beat that and took my table over to family members on Sunday night. Miracles are happening in my practice and I feel as if I am honoring the body’s innate wisdom through the checking system and finally not over-treating. THANK YOU. :-)” Clare McCardel, Australia
• “Thank you so much for the seminar last weekend, it was Awesome!!!! I have a new passion for Chiropractic, Neurology, Outcomes and using Low Force Techniques. This has re-lit my fire within! Your passion & honesty & knowledge was appreciated throughout the seminar & this has a flow on effect.” Matthew Bailey, Australia

The lead researcher and co-developer of Torqe Release Technique, Dr Jay Holder, will be in Australia in August for a rare appearance - don’t miss this amazing opportunity to learn from one of the great minds in Chiropractic. Go to this link to find out more: http://www.torquerelease.com.au/Jay-Holder-Discount.htm

Of course there are seminars that market solely on this desire that each one of us harbours: And they are usually selling a program of how to attract and commit practice members to your care - regardless of the actual “product” that you offer.

But here’s the sting - if for some reason you haven’t got your product right - if the quality assurance is not quite there - then no number of practice building “techniques” will result in sustainable and exponential growth. The answer is to get the product right first!

I was talking to one of our Australian Chiropractic legends the other day - you know those straight talking principled chiropractors that have built big practices time and again based on good old fashioned art, science and philosophy and commonsense business savvy. He’s spending less time in practice nowadays and more time mentoring chiropractic students (yes there is some good news in chiropractic!) and his advice to them is to figure out how to be a great chiropractor. And he is very clear that this depends on developing fantastic FCB in your technique. Not your practice building technique - your chiropractic technique.

Needless to say he has been in this game for a long time and surpasses annual professional development requirements by a factor of ten, and he makes it quite plain that one of the best techniques that he has implemented is Torque Release Technique.

He’s not alone though: Have a listen to a must-hear interview with “Chiropractor of the Month” Dr Wade Lofton by Patrick Gentempo and Chris Kent to see what can happen in a practice when TRT is added to the mix… Click on this link to start listening (it can take some time for the audio to beging to play depending on your download speed. Alternatively right click on the link and “Save Target As…” to your computer)…

http://www.torquerelease.com.au/Chiropractor-Of-The-Month.mp3

To find out more about TRT training with the developer Dr Jay Holder in August in Melbourne click on this link: http://www.torquerelease.com.au/TRT-Seminar.htm

“Recoil is the term used for Innate contraction of forces, in the body, in response to the adjustic concussion. Mechanically, recoil is the product of elasticity. It is the bouncing or springing back of an object when it strikes another object. It is not possible without concussion…”

If you have learnt Toggle Recoil you will recall the high speed, low amplitude thrust along with recoil that you may have spent hours trying to master. Often we were given the toggle boards with the hinge and latch mechanism that helped to train just the right depth, and I can remember a degree of competition in trying to be the most lightning fast adjuster.

One of the key ingredients built into the Integrator adjusting device during its development was recoil. This is partly provided by the pre-loading mechanism that allows the instrument to fire upon a pre-determined amount of pressure, but actual recoil is also built into the device’s specifications to maximise the “Innate contraction of forces” that Stephenson speaks of.

I think there are some key concepts shared in the short paragraph about recoil:

1. Something happens as a result of us delivering our thrust - recoil - we don’t realign bones, we don’t release stuck joints - the body has to respond for there to be a therapeutic effect - we just need to get the concussion right…
2. Recoil is dependent on elasticity - in chiropractic our disclaimer to the potential benefits from our care is something we call “limitations of matter” - this primarily means the structural changes that result from the long term dysfunction and distortion that restrict the body’s ability to be corrected. I would argue that this manifests most significantly as reduced recoil.

During TRT training we discuss The 14 Indicators of Subluxation - one of the benefits of understanding and having a system to objectify and review these indicators that I have found in my practice is to develop better intuition in predicting the state of a practice member’s “matter” - that is the degree of tension which is being stored in their system - or in other words the degree of elasticity in their body. This helps enormously with scheduling and with pre-empting the need for increased education and encouragemnt to increase the chances of compliance and hence great results…

To check out TRT training dates go to this link: http://www.torquerelease.com.au/TRT-Seminar.htm

“Cleavage is the movement of one body between two others splitting action. The friction is greater with slow motion than with fast, which is of course according to the law of friction. The application of the principle of cleavage, in Chiropractic, is the movement of a vertebra between two other vertebra…”

ART 10. CONCUSSION.

“Concussion is a blow as the result of arrested momentum, Momentum is the result of weight (mass) in motion and also of speed. In an adjustic concussion, it depends more upon speed than mass. At any rate it is necessary to get concussion, but without pounding upon the back. There should be a clean transfer through to the vertebra.”

ART 11. SPEED.

“Speed is the velocity of a moving body. The more speed a body has the more momentum it possesses. The more momentum it has, as the result of this speed, the more clean cut concussion it can produce. It is used in Chiropractic to obtain easy cleavage and to arouse Innate recoil.”

These articles are pivottal in understanding the reason why an instrument adjustment may be equal to or perhaps even potentially superior to a manual adjustment. And that statement can summarised in one word - SPEED.

An Integrator fires roughly ten times faster than the most often seen adjusting instrument, which in turn fires faster than the human hands can deliver a thrust. The beauty of this in physics terms is that the mass can be significantly reduced to still result in equal force (concussion) being produced. (Force equals mass times acceleration) And why superior results may be possible is due to the ability of speed to surpass friction resulting in more efficient cleavage.

Bottom line is that the evidence suggests at least equal benefits exist between a manual adjustment and an instrument based adjustment:

• “…either mechanical-force, manually-assisted or high-velocity, low-amplitude chiropractic adjustments were associated with a beneficial effect of a reduction in pain and disability in patients diagnosed with sacroiliac joint syndrome. Neither… were found to be more effective than the other in the treatment of this patient population.  (JMPT 2005)
• “…both instrumental (MFMA) manipulation and manual (HVLA) manipulation have beneficial effects associated with reducing pain and disability and improving cervical range of motion… no significant difference being observed between the 2 groups.” (JMPT 2001)

This can be hard to swallow for those who hold on to their superiority complex that comes from hearing nice noises emanating from the spines that we “adjust”. And I can say that because I have been one in that position of judgement: Until I swallowed my pride and put the Integrator to the test in real life practice that is.

DD Palmer himself stated that one day there would be better ways found to adjust - maybe that day has already come? What do you think?

Check out TRT training at this link: www.torquerelease.com.au

“Innate Intelligence always strives to replace a misplaced vertebra. If it is a subluxated vertebra, it is so because Innate’s replacing forces are cut off from the region of the misplaced vertebra. This subluxation, which is interfering with the transmission of mental impulses to some organ, remains in that position because it also is interfering with the transmission of impulses to its supporting tissue. Sometimes this is to such an extent as to make the vertebra, or the tissues holding it in situ, pathological.

“Innate can replace a vertebra if the adjustor produces a jerk or concussion in those tissues. This jerk is called the recoil. Recoils are brought about by concussions; concussions may be accidental or scientific Dr. Palmer prefers the latter. Concussions may be the result of mechanical forces, or intangible physical forces, chemical forces or mental shocks. Both subluxations and adjustments are produced by recoil to concussions. Unbalanced resistance subluxates; balanced resistance adjusts. A spontaneous adjustment is one accomplished by Innate without the intervention of outside forces. Accidental adjustments are brought about by accidental recoils, which happen to be just right. The adjustor should try to produce recoils scientifically, so they will not “just happen”, but so he can bring that “phenomenon” about whenever he wants to.”

I have observed cases of “accidental adjustments” over the years: One was a chronic regular migraine sufferer who walked into a pantry and thought he saw a mouse in the corner of his eye. He rapidly turned his head to see, felt an almighty clunk in his neck, got the sensation that he was about to develop an enormous migraine, which rapidly passed, and he never suffered another migraine from that day forward. Another was a practice member who had previously had a lumbar fusion, and developed a recurrence of severe constant sciatica months later. While lifting some rocks from a car trailer, he fell backwards down a steep embankment, and stood up totally pain free for the first time in weeks.

In Torque Release Technique seminars we discuss the concept of the Primary Subluxation. This is somewhat different to a Gonstead concept of primary because it is a “live” concept - that at any given moment there is only one most important subluxation to adjust. And the analysis we teach is all about differentially diagnosing which vertebra that is and how it would prefer to be adjusted in terms of vectors. In other words we train Chiropractors to be as scientific as possible about the concussions and resultant recoils that they can produce whenever they want to…

Check out TRT training at this link: http://www.torquerelease.com.au/TRT-Seminar.htm 

“A Chiropractic adjustment is the RESTORATION of a subluxated vertebra to its normal position, by Innate Intelligence.

“This restoration is brought about by Innate recoil or Innate contraction of forces. The contraction of forces takes place in the supporting tissues of the vertebra in question… The Palmer method of arousing Innate to do this… is by means of the Palmer Toggle Recoil.

“…no other method teaches that adjusting is restoration performed by Innate Intelligence.”

In Torque Release Technique (TRT) we teach that an adjustment is “communication through touch”: This builds on this concept that we deliver a correctional vector with intent, but then the body has to do something intelligent with this force, energy and/or information. In other words the real healing begins after your hands have finished.

The defining attributes of a Toggle Recoil adjustment include:

• Highly specific contact point
• High speed low amplitude thrust
• Recoil
• Torque

During the design of the original TRT research project a statistical problem had to be solved: This was the statistical confounding of touch. Because chiropractic is “done by hand” it is actually quite difficult to achieve statistical significance - a large sample size or huge clinical difference between active treatment and control group is required. Not to mention the “placebo” stigma of human touch. (You know some researchers think that chiropractic works because we are nice to people?)

To avoid this Jay Holder designed a totally new adjusting instrument so that the adjustment could be delivered by a reproducible, reliable and specific tool that reproduce what the hands intend during a Toggle Recoil. While some DCs mistakenly think that an Integrator is just another variation of other standard impact hammers that have been used by Chiropractors for some time, it is important to understand that there are very few similarities in engineering and construction.

The Integrator delivers all of the above factors of the Toggle Recoil but with less force, higher speed and greater specificity than ever possible with the human hand. And the findings of the research suggested that something extra beneficial had been created, so much so that demand for the Integrator in the market place predicated its manufacture. And the assessment and adjusting protocol used by the practitioners during the research project were similary demanded for use in clinical practice - and so began the teaching of Torque Release Technique.

To check out when the next TRT program is go to this link: http://www.torquerelease.com.au/TRT-Seminar.htm

“A move is a mechanical movement given by an adjustor with the intention of adjusting a subluxation.

“A move is not necessarily an adjustment. All moves do not succeed in adjusting subluxations. A move may shift a vertebra from one place to another but that is not always an adjustment. A move does not succeed in adjusting unless it produces an Innate recoil. The educated mind of a surgeon or even a chiropractor does not know where to put that subluxated vertebra. The only intellect that knows is the Innate Intelligence of the patient…”

I guess if we can be brutally honest with ourselves - we will have observed this in our practices. Not every adjustment seems to produce the magic that we expect and that our practice members desire.

The key ingredient is this obscure component of “innate recoil” - a positive physiological response to our therapeutic “move” - needs to be an intelligent one on the recipient’s behalf. I know that some segments in our profession have difficulty with the concept of innate intelligence, but I am not sure how we can comprehend any internal healing without such an intuitive process existing on some level? One might call it homeostasis, another the immune system, someone else just energy flow - to be honest I think Innate Intelligence describes it better!

And I think the next question that arises from this is how do I maximise my chances of delivering an adjustment that more consistently produces innate recoil? On my own personal technique journey, Torque Release Technique has answered this question better than most, and continues to strive with research and development to further enhance each chiropractors healing potential.

Check out the next TRT Training program at http://www.torquerelease.com.au/TRT-Seminar.htm