A CHIROPRACTOR'S TOUCH COULD CURE SOME ADDICTIONS

Could some new chiropractic techniques be the answer for addictions?

Research by Miami chiropractor Dr. Jay Holder, backed up with supporting
information from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San
Antonio, indicates there is a genetic cause for addictions.

Faculty researcher Kenneth Blum documented studies showing 69 percent of
severe alcoholics are missing a key dopamine receptor, which allows an
uninterrupted flow of the proper balance of brain chemicals to produce a
sense of well-being.

The end of the process is the release of dopamine, which causes a pleasant
sensation and assurance that all is well. The dopamine reward, Holder
believes, may hold the biological secret to addictions.

Holder's theory is based on a concept known as "the brain reward cascade."
Like falling dominoes, brain chemicals must be released in the right
sequence for a person to feel a sense of pleasure. If that release, or
neurotransmitter cascade, is interrupted, the individual will not
experience enjoyment, the theory asserts.

People who succumb to one of the five addictions - drugs/alcohol, food,
sex, work and gambling - lack a genetic component required in the cascade
process, according to Holder.

Beckley chiropractor Dr. Michael Evans, who studied with Holder and now
uses the new technique in his Shady Spring practice, explains the deficit
this way:

"When the receptor gene involved in providing a sense of well-being is
absent, the individual keeps looking for something to create that feeling.
The addiction differs with the individual. Some people turn to food, others
to sex, drugs or alcohol. Compulsive gamblers and workaholics are also
thought to have this genetic deficit," Evans said.

Blum's treatment, based on 30 years of research, involves the use of amino
acids to balance the brain reward cascade chemicals.

The technique, used in conjunction with counseling, may give addicts a
better chance to beat the recidivism odds, Evans said.

"This is not a treatment as such, but it's a measure that can provide
addicts with another tool in their battle against addictions," Evans said.

Misalignment of the spine can interrupt the sequence of chemical changes
resulting in what Blum calls a "reward deficiency syndrome." Chiropractic
adjustments get the dopamine flowing again, balancing the brain reward cascade.

The new therapy calls for a technique where the chiropractor applies a
small hand-held, spring-loaded torque device approved by the Food and Drug
Administration to an area of the patient's body. The cocked device
administers a low-force, high-velocity technique that repositions the
vertebrae that are interfering with the function of nerves along the spinal
column. The correction allows the chemical reactions to occur in the proper
sequence, restoring balance within the nervous system, Evans said.

The microcurrent probe helps release the pleasure-producing brain chemicals
called endorphins more quickly and thoroughly than acupuncture, he said.

"The unique feature of this is that it does not rely on pressure by the
doctor. There's no twisting of the body or physical manipulation by the
doctor," Evans said.

Chiropractors, who do not prescribe drugs, are trained with the philosophy
that all illnesses have their origin somewhere in the spine and nervous system.

"In this case, we find the place where the cascade is interrupted in the
nervous system and use the torque release to make the adjustment," Evans said.

The new findings not only present compulsive addicts with one more tool for
recovery, but add new validation to chiropractic itself, Evans said.

"It proves what chiropractors have known for a long time, but until now, we
couldn't back it up," Evans said.