Since the move on March 1, a lot has been happening in the office. I had my Grand Opening, Ribbon Cutting and Ten Year Anniversary on April 17. It was very well attended and a good time was had by all. When I get the pictures back, I’ll post them in the office and on my web site.

There is a class scheduled for the first weekend of June. Lynn Sontra will be presenting a self-help class on Jin Shin Jyutsu. I’ve included a description in the newsletter.

I’d like to have more classes in the future so let me know if there’s a topic of interest to you. Some ideas I’m working on include foot care and nutrition.

Also, new to the office is Merina Halingten. Merina is a massage therapist with 15 years of experience. I’ve been working with her for the last nine years and I’m very happy to have her working out of the office. She will be in on Wednesday’s and if you’d like to schedule an appointment, give her a call at 650.988.0879.

The other thing that came up as I was working on this newsletter, is an article printed on the front page of the SJ Mercury News about risks of neck manipulation. I’ve had several people ask me about it, so I decided to answer the concerns brought up in the article in this newsletter. Feel free to pass this on and call me if you have any questions.

Have a great summer!

Dr Lisa

In a recent article published on the front page of the SJ Mercury News the headline blared "Study Links Stroke to Neck Adjustments - Author says risk low but worth considering." How dramatic! But is it true?

When I got the first email, I had just finished reading an article about the perception of the occurrence of Vertebral Artery Dissection (VAD) in the latest chiropractic research journal, which is the type of stroke addressed in the article. The SJ Mercury never mentioned the actual number or risk, rather they used words like "small", "low" and "rare." The numbers they did quote sounded big, but when you read them, they were looking at the people who suffered VAD who had been manipulated within the 30 days prior. They didn’t address other risk factors the patients had, what else they had done in those 30 days, and what professional had performed the manipulations. It was stated that the majority of manipulations are performed by chiropractors, but that manipulations are also performed by physical therapists, massage therapists and "others."

In the article that I read, the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association - the malpractice provider for 85% of the chiropractors in Canada - reported that they found 23 cases of VAD in the period of 1988-1997. In a follow up with the insured chiropractors they estimated that during that time 134,466,765 cervical manipulations were performed.

The primary cause of stroke associated with neck manipulation is high velocity rotation of the neck. Activator is much safer as it has been proven that during an Activator adjustment with the instrument turned up to the highest setting, the atlas (the bone that the vertebral artery passes through) moves less than it does during the normal self initiated movement of turning your head to the left or right. So even if an Activator practitioner adjusted the atlas with the instrument turned up (the standard is that it's turned down), you'd still be more likely to get a stroke looking over your shoulder to back out of the parking space to head to the office.

Lynn Sontra will be leading this fun and informative class on the art of Jin Shin Jyutsu.

You may sign up by calling Lynn at 408.396.8666 or the office at 650.428.0950. If you’d like more information about Jin Shin Jyutsu, give Lynn a call... I’m taking the class, too!

Merina Halingten - a certified massage therapist with 15 years of experience - brings her practice to my office on Wednesdays. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, give her a call at 650.988.0879

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