Due to the high stigma surrounding the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), people living with HIV (PLWH) often reach out peers over the Internet for emotional and social support. The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics of PLWH who use HIV internet forums.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey investigating demographic characteristics of PLWH, level of satisfaction of the HIV Internet forums, time living with HIV, forum users' anxiety levels, self-reported adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART), and reasons for missing pills (n = 222).

Logistic regression models were constructed to compare the use of general HIV forums with social networking sites, general HIV forums with group emails, and social networking sites with group emails.

Two hundred and twenty-two patients responded to the survey. Social networking sites were used by recently diagnosed PLWH who were on antiretroviral treatment (ART) > 1 year. Young patients (≤ 40 years) and those diagnosed < 1 year before, tended to use social networking sites, while older patients (> 40 years), those diagnosed > 5 years, and from low- and middle-income countries, were more likely to use emailing lists. There was no significant difference between PLWH's adherence to treatment and anxiety levels and the usage of different Internet forums.

PLWH's Internet resource choice varied depending on the availability of Internet and illness duration. Different segments of the population could be reached via social networking sites versus group emails to provide HIV information.

Via Plus91

Be honest with me here: You have one or even multiple friends, who always post their gym activity to Facebook. Or maybe that person is you. "Ran 15 miles before work! Yeah" can be motivating to read in the morning, or incredibly annoying, depending on how much you hate that painfully overused flexed-biceps-emoji. Researchers from the Brunel University in London have conducted a study as to why so many people share every workout on social media. The results are unflattering, to say the least. Addicted to attention and esteem

Via Peter Mellow

Cannabinoids are powerful antioxidants. They protect us against the cell damage caused by free radicals that can bring about age-related diseases.

Via Shinji

For decades, conventional wisdom said cardio was the best exercise for weight loss. Then strength training muscled its way into the spotlight.

Via Peter Mellow

A new study claims that legally supplying medical and recreational marijuana will lead to 300,000 jobs over the next three years.

Via Shinji

Everyone has probably heard about the physical benefits of having sex. But are you aware of the long list of psychological benefits?

Via Peter Mellow

The internet is currently the largest source of information and with it comes the world of social media.

Many people use social media for personal and business purposes because of the many benefits in using these networking applications. Social networking creates a ripple effect that allows people and businesses to share information, insights, and communicate far and wide.

Social media also gives you the ability to easily communicate with patients and peers, and provide your own content for target marketing and education. And maintaining a consistent social media presence makes your practice visible to patients and potential patients in a cost-effective manner. In this way, you can increase transparency and promote your brand, while patients and others learn more about your business.

However, if your communication on social networks is inappropriate, unethical, or unprofessional, or if you publically share unauthorized information, that ripple effect works the same way. But in that case it can be harmful to others and can (and will) directly reflect on you and your practice.

Before looking at these guidelines, first be clear about what social media is and the common vehicles for social media for both personal and professional communications. Some common examples you are likely familiar with include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and blogs, among others.

Risky business

Social media is part of daily life because most people have to use computer programs. And you don’t even need a personal computer—social media applications for cellphones allow for access on the go. Given the popularity of social media, it is crucial for you to have a clear and detailed social media policy. Doing so will best guide your workforce, while protecting you, your patients, and your practice.

According to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), approximately 90 percent of healthcare providers are on social media for personal use and almost 70 percent of are on social media professionally.

Additional research indicates that 35 percent of practicing physicians have received personal friend requests from patients and their family members. Furthermore, analysis of healthcare provider blogs revealed that nearly 20 percent of postings included enough information to identify patients.

Because of the magnitude of lurking dangers from social media use that can have an array of lasting adverse effects, medical boards are taking active interest in social media use.

According to a 2010 medical board survey, a disturbing 90 percent of medical boards indicated that violations of online professionalism had been reported within their jurisdiction. As you would expect, many of these violations resulted in disciplinary actions.

In response to these violations, 70 percent of boards held formal disciplinary proceedings and 40 percent issued informal warnings. Outcomes of these disciplinary actions included: license limitation (44 percent), license suspension (30 percent), and revocation of licensure (20 percent).

Although there is no way to identify and predict all possibilities for inappropriate social media use, there are common themes that result in sanction. These include the following:

Inappropriate communication with patients or employees onlineUse of the internet for unprofessional behaviorOnline misrepresentation of credentialsOnline violations of patient confidentialityFailure to reveal conflicts of interest onlineOnline derogatory remarks regarding a patientOnline depiction of intoxicationDiscriminatory language or practices onlineLong-lasting repercussions

Once information is posted online, you rarely have control over it. It can be copied, shared, dissected, disseminated, and otherwise used without your permission—and without your knowledge. Consider this when determining your practice’s social media policy.

There is also the risk of misinterpretation or misrepresentation and, therefore, online postings may need a disclaimer that makes it clear that the information shared is not to be interpreted as personal medical advice.

To minimize inappropriate social networking behaviors, the FSMB, as well as the American Medical Association, offers guidance regarding social media use. Providers are encouraged to create and regularly review policies to achieve the following:

Protect the privacy and confidentiality of patients. Strictly adhere to federal privacy laws such as HIPAA.Avoid responding to requests for online healthcare advice.Consider boundaries to prevent creating the expectation that doctors will always reply to questions and comments.Act with professionalism.Be forthcoming about employment, credentials, and conflicts of interest.Be aware that information posted online may be available to anyone and could be misconstrued.Identify how your practice will mitigate problems, should unprofessional content be posted. Providers are discouraged from interacting with current or past patients on social networking sites. Understandably, there may be exceptions but use good judgment when accepting friend-type requests from patients and their friends and family.Avoid discussing treatment on social sites. It is unsecure and non- compliant with HIPAA privacy and security rules.Avoid soliciting people. They should seek you out. Use business cards, brochures, and other social media networking techniques to build your network rather than sending random “friend” requests to people.Do not discuss topics that lie outside your scope of practice.Do not post personal data on a professional or business social networking page or application.Additional tips for establishing your practice social media policy:Keep personal and practice social media accounts separate.Understand that social media privacy settings are not foolproof. Once information is posted online, it’s theoretically permanent.Even if you have a staff member who monitors social media for your practice, check your online presence regularly to ensure information is accurate and professional.Set clear boundaries

You should not dictate to employees how their own personal social media is used. Instead, be clear as to what, in regard to your business and your patients, is not permitted to be posted.

Remind employees that the language and demeanor they use when posting, reposting, or responding on social media should be appropriate for the entire audience likely or able to view the post. Their own professional reputation may be adversely impacted by inappropriate social media actions. Encourage employees to avoid friending or following patients on a personal basis.

Social media is a relatively new method of communicating. The guid- ance currently set forth is only a starting point. Establish additional guidelines over time as needed. Check with your own state organizations to learn if any state-specific guidance is available.

As a general rule of thumb, if you’re not sure about it, don’t post it. Your online actions and content can adversely affect your professional reputation and career, and impair public trust in the healthcare profession.

Via Plus91

Two doctors who were previously diagnosed with multiple sclerosis claim an unconventional treatment cleared them of the symptoms of the disease.

Via Peter Mellow

Via Plus91, Rémy TESTON, Lionel Reichardt / le Pharmageek

We are very excited to announce that another Spinal Research Foundation facilitated research has been published in a highly reputable journal [1]. The study, undertaken by Heidi Haavik, Kelly Holt, Bernadette Murphy and others is published in the Journal of Neural Plasticity. And the results are very exciting for chiropractic!

The Journal of Neural Plasticity boasts an impact factor of 3.5 (as a comparison, The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has an impact factor of 1.5.)

This from Heidi Haavik [2]:

“WE DO KNOW THAT SPINAL FUNCTION DOES AFFECT BRAIN FUNCTION. THERE’S NOW SOLID EVIDENCE THAT ADJUSTING THE SPINE CHANGES BRAIN FUNCTION.
THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THAT THE EFFECT OF ADJUSTING THE SPINE HAS ON THE BRAIN HAS BEEN STUDIED. THIS LAST TIME IT WAS STUDIED AND CONFIRMED BY AN INDEPENDENT MEDICAL RESEARCHER.”

This study was conducted in an independent medical professor’s lab, where his bioengineer collected and analyzed the data. This is an important bonus for this study – that all data was collected and analysed by scientists who had no preconceived ideas about chiropractic. This greatly lowers the level of bias.  These were scientists from Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark.

A Vitally Important Implication

More than just confirming once again that adjusting the spine has an effect on the brain, this study indicates that adjustments impact the function of the prefrontal cortex. Haavik is particularly excited about what this implies:

“The latest study suggests that the changes that we do see in the brain when we adjust the spine do occur in the prefrontal cortex. That part of the brain is like the conductor in the brain.”
The research shows that when we adjust the spine, we significantly increase activity in the prefrontal cortex. “The study showed a change in brain function by almost 20% on average”. The prefrontal cortex is the area in the brain where higher learning and cognition happens. Haavik explains:

“An effect on the function of the prefrontal cortex could explain many previous research results, such as improvements in sensorimotor function relevant to falls-prevention; better joint-position sense in both the upper limb and the lower limb; improved muscle strength in lower limb muscles; better pelvic floor control; and better ability to carry out mental rotation of objects.”
Chiropractors have long observed a wide variety of changes in the people under their care following adjustments. Along the wide spectrum of claims from those under care are those who say they feel better or focus better and those who notice improvements in movement and coordination. This study takes us a little further down the path of understanding why this could be.

These are important control mechanisms run by the prefrontal cortex. For example, joint position sense is the brain’s ability to know where the arms and legs are in space. And mental rotation is important, because as Haavik explains:

“Being able to accurately perceive the world around you is a vital skill we need all day every day. To recognize some objects you may need to mentally rotate them. For example to recognize the letter p versus b if they were not upright you would need to rotate them in your mind to figure out which letter it was. We all do mentally rotate shapes and objects we see, but we may not often think about that we do it, or how important this is in our daily life.”

Haavik and her team are excited about the evidence regarding the location of changes post-adjustment.

“THIS IS SOLID SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT ADJUSTING THE SPINE CHANGES THE WAY THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX OF THE BRAIN IS PROCESSING INFORMATION FROM THE ARM. IT DEMONSTRATES WE CHANGE THE WAY THE BRAIN WORKS AND SHOWS THAT SPINAL FUNCTION IMPACTS BRAIN FUNCTION. ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE CHANGES WE OBSERVED WAS THAT THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BEHAVIOR, GOAL DIRECTED TASKS, DECISION MAKING, MEMORY AND ATTENTION, INTELLIGENCE, PROCESSING OF PAIN AND EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO IT, AUTONOMIC FUNCTION, MOTOR CONTROL, EYE MOVEMENTS AND SPATIAL AWARENESS.”

If, as this research suggests, adjusting improves prefrontal cortex activity, a part of the brain that is responsible for just so much higher level function, then what does this mean in terms of chiropractic’s impact on things like behavior, decision making, memory and attention, intelligence, processing of pain and emotional response to it, autonomic function, motor control, eye movements and spatial awareness?

We already know that adjustments cause improvements in sensorimotor function relevant to falls-prevention; better joint-position sense in both the upper limb and the lower limb; improve muscle strength in lower limb muscles; better pelvic floor control; and better ability to carry out mental rotation of objects.

Why This Study Matters

Again, this study not only shows that when we adjust subluxations we change brain function. It changes activity by 20% just by adjusting.

And this effect may be on the conductor in the brain.
This shows us that every time we’re adjusting someone, we’re having a big, positive effect on the brain. And a brain that’s functioning differently and conducting its activities better is sure to have an effect on the body.

Download a Poster

Keen to share these amazing results with the people under your care in your practice? Download a Poster to use in practice.

What’s Next

The project involved collaboration with researchers from Denmark, Canada and Australia.
We are proud to be able to facilitate studies like this one, as they help back our profession with peer-reviewed certainty.

Getting the word out to people in your practice is imperative. Knowledge is powerful, not just for chiropractors but for those whose lives have been touched by the power of chiropractic care. Too often, they know it works but they don’t know why.

Via Dr. Alex Jimenez