Dynamic Chiropractic

Dynamic Chiropractic

By Dynamic ChiropracticNews
Download on the App Store

Dynamic Chiropractic episodes

  • Two Ways Your Patients Are Defeating Your Adjustments
    Even the best chiropractic adjustments can be undermined by patients' daily habits, hindering their path to recovery. Two common but powerful culprits are poor sleep posture and an unstable foot foundation. First, many patients spend eight hours a night on non-supportive pillows, which actively works against cervical adjustments and contributes to chronic neck pain and headaches. Studies show that ergonomic pillows significantly improve sleep and reduce pain, making them an essential recommendation for complete care. Second, dysfunction in the feet, such as overpronation, creates a cascade of compensatory problems up the entire kinetic chain. An unstable foundation forces back, hip, and core muscles to work harder, disrupting posture and balance. This instability can render spinal adjustments fleeting. By addressing these foundational issues—evaluating a patient's pillow and assessing their foot biomechanics for custom orthotics—chiropractors can eliminate major confounding factors. By supporting the body during sleep and from the ground up, clinicians can ensure their adjustments are more impactful and provide lasting results, moving beyond symptom management to address underlying causes of dysfunction.
    6 min
  • When Radiculopathy Isn’t Radiculopathy: A Clinical Series (Pt. 2)

    Many patients present with radicular-like symptoms such as limb pain and paresthesia, yet they lack the classic dermatomal patterns and objective neurological deficits of true nerve root compression. This article introduces "myogenic pseudo-radiculopathy," a concept where these symptoms originate from deep muscular dysfunction rather than the spine. This condition differs fundamentally in its mechanism, with symptoms arising from deep stabilizing muscles like the piriformis or subscapularis. Key characteristics include non-dermatomal symptom distribution, the absence of progressive neurological deficit, and symptom reproduction with muscle loading or stretching. The underlying mechanisms involve myofascial trigger points creating referred pain, altered afferent signaling from hypertonic muscles sensitizing the central nervous system, and sustained nociceptive input from compensatory muscle patterns. Clinicians must learn to distinguish between primary muscular pain generators and secondary structural findings on imaging. Recognizing myogenic pseudo-radiculopathy is crucial for avoiding unnecessary escalations to invasive spinal procedures and instead implementing conservative strategies that restore motor control and normalize sensory input. This functional diagnostic approach leads to better patient outcomes by treating the true source of dysfunction.

    5 min
  • Lifegevity: The Progression of Care
    "Lifegevity," the concept of optimizing health and function to "square off" the geriatric curve of aging, is a natural fit for the vitalistic, whole-person approach of chiropractic. To combat the structural collapse caused by gravity and age, chiropractors can guide patients through a progression of care focused on functional movement. This algorithm begins with establishing proper sagittal plane alignment, which can be reinforced using a low-intensity vibration plate. From there, care progresses to dynamic activities like the "get-up-and-go" test to improve speed and agility, and the deep squat to enhance mobility, strength, and postural control. The article also emphasizes the importance of agility drills for fall prevention, cardiovascular exercise to reduce mortality risk, and resistance training, including something as simple as grip strength, to maintain resilience. This comprehensive approach creates vast systemic benefits beyond musculoskeletal health, improving cardiovascular function, reducing insulin resistance, and boosting overall quality of life. Lifegevity is not a single technique but an ongoing process, positioning a chiropractic lifestyle as the solution for patients who desire to age well and maintain their vitality.
    6 min
  • An Unrecognized Cause of Toe Pain
    An often-overlooked source of big toe pain, known as functional hallux limitus, can stem from entrapment of the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon. While commonly blamed on excessive foot pronation, this condition can also occur when the FHL tendon becomes trapped in the retrotalar pulley located behind the ankle. This entrapment restricts the tendon's glide, preventing the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint from dorsiflexing properly during propulsion. As a result, the joint jams, leading to pain, dorsal spur formation, and the potential worsening of conditions like bunions (hallux abductovalgus) or the development of arthritis (hallux rigidus). Diagnosis is straightforward using the FHL stretch test, which compares MTP dorsiflexion with the ankle in different positions. A simple and effective treatment is the "Hoover cord maneuver," a manual technique that tractions the subtalar joint to release the tendon. This is complemented by daily bent-knee calf stretches to maintain mobility. With these conservative measures, often combined with orthotics to address any underlying pronation, most patients achieve excellent outcomes without the need for surgical intervention.
    5 min
  • Chiropractic Pediatrics in Today’s Modern World (Pt. 2)

    In a Q&A, leading pediatric chiropractors address the vital role of their specialty in modern healthcare. They actively combat the misconception that children don't need chiropractic by educating parents and providers on how gentle adjustments support rapidly developing nervous systems and address common issues like birth trauma and developmental delays. The care is exceptionally gentle, often using no more pressure than checking a ripe tomato. The doctors advocate for advanced, evidence-based pediatric curriculums that are also holistic and vitalistic, such as Logan University’s MSCP program. An ideal curriculum moves beyond theory to provide practical skills in areas like cranial work, nutrition, and microbiome health. Most importantly, they stress that hands-on clinical training and direct mentorship are non-negotiable. These experiences build the confidence and competence needed to assess young patients, refine gentle techniques, and communicate effectively with families. This combination of robust education and practical application equips graduates to meet the complex needs of children today, providing safe, purposeful, and evidence-informed care.

    5 min
  • Unethical Influence
    The integrity of medical science and practice is being compromised by the profound financial influence of the pharmaceutical industry. An investigation reveals that the American Medical Association (AMA) derives a vast majority of its revenue not from membership dues but from "royalties and credentialing products" purchased primarily by pharmaceutical companies. Furthermore, data shows that drug and device companies have paid billions directly to medical providers, creating pervasive conflicts of interest that can sway prescribing habits. This influence extends deep into medical publishing, with leaders from prestigious journals like The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet admitting the system is compromised. Dr. Marcia Angell described how drug companies control research from design to publication, often suppressing negative studies and ensuring only favorable results see the light of day. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, stated that perhaps half of all scientific literature may be untrue due to biased studies and flagrant conflicts of interest. With revenue streams like sponsored supplements and paid access to papers, Big Pharma has effectively taken medical journals "hostage," casting serious doubt on whether we can truly trust "the science" related to pharmaceuticals.
    5 min
  • ANJC Joins Lawsuit Over Healthcare Price Fixing
    The Association of New Jersey Chiropractors (ANJC) has officially joined a sweeping federal antitrust lawsuit against data analytics giant MultiPlan and several major insurance companies, including UnitedHealth, Aetna, Cigna, and Humana. The core allegation of this multidistrict litigation is that these entities conspired in a coordinated price-fixing scheme to deliberately and systematically underpay healthcare practitioners for out-of-network services. According to the ANJC, these reimbursements have become so insufficient they often fail to cover basic operating costs. The lawsuit, which consolidates claims from the American Medical Association and hundreds of other medical practices, seeks to end this alleged illegal collusion and recover financial damages for underpayments dating back to at least 2015. The case has gained significant momentum, having received a statement of interest from the U.S. Department of Justice and surviving a motion to dismiss, which now allows the litigation to proceed to the discovery phase. This legal action represents a critical step for practitioners seeking fair reimbursement and an end to anticompetitive practices that harm both providers and patients.
    6 min
  • MAHA Meets Chiropractic: Historic Meeting in Washington, D.C.
    A landmark meeting in Washington, D.C., brought together leaders from across the chiropractic profession and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. On March 10th, 2026, representatives from historically independent and sometimes oppositional organizations like the ICA, ACA, and ChiroCongress convened with a shared goal: advancing chiropractic's role in American healthcare. The collaboration is a natural fit, as MAHA’s mission to identify the root causes of chronic disease through prevention and conservative care aligns perfectly with chiropractic principles. The discussion centered on overcoming long-standing professional obstacles, including access to care and reimbursement parity. Many attendees, including MAHA's Leigh Merinoff, expressed optimism that this newfound unity could finally give chiropractic an equal footing in the medical system. Dr. Gilles LaMarche of Life University was named the chiropractic spokesperson for the group, signifying a commitment to ongoing collaboration. The meeting is viewed as a pivotal moment, not just for specific policy goals, but for creating the cohesion necessary for the profession to shape the future of national health policy. As one leader noted, it is a time for action, unity, and leadership, not old disagreements.
    5 min
  • From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics
    The chiropractic profession's reliance on pain scores as a primary measure of success is an incomplete and often misleading indicator of true recovery. While reducing a patient's pain is a critical first step, pain intensity correlates poorly with actual tissue health and functional capacity. This disconnect leads to patients discontinuing care prematurely once symptoms subside, resulting in high rates of recurrence and the perception that conservative care offers only temporary relief. A more effective approach aligns outcome measures with the phases of healing. Initially, pain reduction is key to restoring a sense of safety and enabling movement. However, care must then transition to focus on performance metrics, such as tolerance to activity, movement quality, and functional endurance. By contextualizing pain within a broader functional framework during the review of findings, chiropractors can shift the patient's focus from "why it hurts" to "what is limiting recovery." This outcome-driven model improves patient adherence and delivers durable results, demonstrating chiropractic’s value in restoring long-term function and reducing downstream healthcare burdens. Pain may open the door, but performance defines a complete recovery.
    5 min
  • Severe Post-MVA Injuries That Can Be Challenging to Diagnose (Pt. 3)
    Following a motor-vehicle accident (MVA), it is critical for clinicians to recognize Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), a psychiatric injury that can be a strong predictor of future Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). ASD is diagnosed when a patient experiences significant stress symptoms for a period of three days to one month after a traumatic event. The diagnosis requires the presence of at least nine of fourteen specific symptoms listed in the DSM-IV. These symptoms are grouped into five categories: intrusions (e.g., recurrent memories, flashbacks), negative mood (an inability to feel positive emotions), dissociative symptoms (e.g., altered sense of reality), avoidance (of trauma-related thoughts or reminders), and arousal (e.g., sleep disturbances, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response). Studies have shown a strong correlation between these two conditions, with 50% to 78% of MVA patients initially diagnosed with ASD going on to develop PTSD within six to eight months. Therefore, identifying ASD in its early stages is crucial for providing timely intervention and potentially mitigating the progression to the more chronic and debilitating condition of PTSD.
    6 min

About Dynamic Chiropractic

From the publisher's feed

For 40+ years, Dynamic Chiropractic has been the standard on reliable, comprehensive information about the chiropractic profession. DC reaches 50,000+ doctors and students of chiropractic through our…