Saturday 28 April 2007

'Dowager's Hump

In 2006 I became one of the first chiropractors in the United Kingdom to study the Koren Specific Technique. I was personally trained by Dr. Tedd Koren, the originator of this remarkable new technique. The seminar, held in Philadelphia, PA was attended by doctors as far away as Hawaii and Norway.
This amazing method of analysis and correction has made a huge impact with some of my most difficult cases, and because the technique is so gentle, our newborn patients as well as our great-great grandparents can benefit from it.
One of the features of this technique is that it can correct the 'hump' (also called Dowagers Hump, Hump Back, Hyperkyphosis)
This is very important as the following resarch published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society makes clear:

'Hyperkyphotic Posture Predicts Mortality in Older Community-Dwelling Men and Women: A Prospective Study'.

Objectives: To determine the association between hyperkyphotic (Dowagers Hump, hump back) posture and rate of death and cause-specific death in older persons.
Participants: There were 1,353 participants from the Rancho Bernardo Study who had measurements of kyphotic posture made at an osteoporosis visit between 1988 and 1991.
Measures: Kyphotic posture was measured as the number of _ inch blocks that needed to be placed under the participant's head to achieve patient’s head position when lying supine on a radiology table. Participants were followed for an average of 4.2 years, with mortality and cause of death confirmed using review of death certificates.
Results: Hyperkyphotic posture, defined as requiring one or more blocks under the head to achieve a neutral head position while lying on their back, was more common in men than women (44% in men, 22% of women). In age and gender adjusted analyses, persons with hyperkyphotic posture had a 44% greater rate of mortality. The increased rate of death associated with hyperkyphotic posture remained significant. The hyperkyphotic posture was specifically associated with an increased rate of death due to heart disease.
Men were more likely to be hyperkyphotic than were women. Patient had difficulty in bending, walking and climbing, measured grip strength, and ability to rise from a chair. For example, the odds ratio of having to use the arms to stand up from a chair increased by 60% for individuals defined as hyperkyphotic by 1 block to 190% for individuals defined as hyperkyphotic by 2 blocks to 270% for individuals defined as hyperkyphotic by 3 blocks compared to those who were not hyperkyphotic.
Conclusion: Older men and women with hyperkyphotic posture have higher death rates. Postural imbalance affects your spinal nerve function and thereby your Health (Vol. 52 Issue 10 Pp. 1662 - October 2004)

We have acquired the technique and the equipment to CORRECT Dowagers Hump with Koren’s Specific Technique.
Our goal is to ELIMINATE the hump, improve your posture and restore your health!

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