[2cool4U]

Simple, really. Let me get this out of the way. The H1N1 vaccine is in no way different from the seasonal vaccine that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives over the years. If the H1N1 strain had made itself known a few months earlier, it would have been included in the normal season version and no one would even be discussing it. I've had both vaccines, and I've had a 47 y.o. female healthy nurse friend recently die from complications of H1N1 who was not vaccinated. I can't even begin to argue the vaccine point, as the science overwhelmingly supports vaccinations for multiple disease. I sincerely hope no one would claim that naturopathic medicines cured smallpox, polio, chicken pox...I could go on. Please search for the actual clinical trials on Medline. The data is not flimsy for any influenza vaccine, internet propaganda be darned.

Specifically regarding back pain: Sure, try everything. I believe I did. However, know that some of the therapies you are trying are unproven and may have already been rigorously tested and found to be no more effective than placebo or simply even a tincture of time. Please don't use anecdotal reports of patients who try an unproven therapy and get better. They probably would have gotten better anyway. Until 1,000 patients use therapy A and 1,000 patients get placebo, and (assuming the same mix of gender, race, age, etc in each group) the therapy A group has a statistically higher rate of improvement over placebo, the treatment is not proven. When those conditions are met, then the treatment can be considered effective. Otherwise, just know that you may be wasting time, money and energy. Enter into any treatment you try with that in mind, and turn a critical eye towards anything that sounds too good to be true.

There are many vendors peddling all sorts of cures for back pain. As many of us know from personal experience, a lot of them are costly and ineffective. While certainly some people will experience benefits from different proven treatments (injections, PT, surgery), each patient needs to carefully evaluate his/her actual result. For example, I believed that each of my SI joint injections resulted in improvement. In the end, almost none of my pain was coming from SI joint problems. It was discogenic, and ADR proved to be the only therapy that worked. If I had not critically evaluated my therapies, I may have continued with regular SI joint injections, wasting time, money and energy because I probably experienced a placebo effect.

As far as research goes, I'm talking about clinical trials published in respected peer-reviewed journals. Respected researchers who disclose their source of financial support and who publish their data for all to critically evaluate should not be viewed as an enemy. In general, our society has turned away from the scientific method. This is to our detriment.

However, no one needs to take my word for it either. Read the links I provided, then go to Medline and look for what works and what doesn't. I'm not sure how suggesting this could, in any way, be at odds with this non-profit's mission. Indeed, I believe I'm suggesting a method to further "empower patients" and "accelerate their path to wellness" by suggesting they stick with proven therapies. The readers of these posts should be advised that I've donated money here, and I provide advice when I can, but I have no professional relationship with the owners/sponsors.

Harrison, this response is not meant to be defensive. You do suggest that researchers may have hidden financial motives that could influence their results. Please remember, you have sponsors and advertisers, as well. None of us is completely without bias, including both of us. I merely provided the links for patient education. Empowerment requires education. Science provides proof.

Everyone should read the links and come to their own conclusions. Respectfully,

-tc-