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Where Pseudoscience Meets The Placebo Effect
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From the realm of “no kidding” comes a study from Australia regarding homeopathy. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia studied the effectiveness of homeopathy and came to a simple, direct, and concrete conclusion: It does not help any condition. In case you don’t…
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Is Surgery For Spinal Stenosis Better Than Foregoing Surgery?
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A new study will give you something to ponder if you are considering surgery for spinal stenosis. Researchers at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, N.H. have found that by year eight, those patients who had surgery were no better off than the ones who did not. This applied to pain…
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And Now, Academic Fraud?
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It is starting to look like those forces that want to undermine, or even vanquish, the Social Security disability program will stop at nothing. The latest tool seems to be academic fraud. In an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, a “visiting scholar” at George Mason University and a graduate …
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Do the Dutch Have A Better Idea About Disabled Workers?
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A recent hearing on the Social Security disability program featured testimony from Philip de Jong of the University of Amsterdam. He is an expert on how the Dutch handled disabled workers. De Jong explained that in the Netherlands, employers have a greater responsibility for keeping their worke…
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Are Depression and Low Back Genetically Linked?
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Some recent research suggests that back pain and depression might have common genetic link. The thinking is that the problems that can cause one, can cause the other as well. For example, a person who has a genetic disposition to improperly process neurotransmitters might see this manifest as …
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Everything Old Is New Again
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I read a very interesting article about the long-standing GOP opposition to Social Security. It was notable to see how Republicans tried to prevent Social Security from existing and having been doing their best to undermine it ever since. The GOP has never even bothered to update their rhetoric…
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If Not Drs. Cheech and Chong, How About Dr. Jimmy Choo?
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Women have forever said that high heel shoes are bad for them. This is a virtual article of faith. But now some back doctors are saying that high heels can actually help lower back pain. The reasons seem to be simple physics: a high heel causes a woman to stand more upright in order to…
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Crises Are Scarce And None To Be Found . . .
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It turns out that the urgent need to deal with a shortfall in the Social Security disability trust fund may not be much of a crisis after all. For example, the number of people getting disability has dropped dramatically. It is no surprise that this drop matches an improvement in the economy. The…
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Better Posture, Better Shirt?
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It is common knowledge that a lot of back pain is caused by poor posture. It turns out that your mother nagging you to stand up straight may not be the only cure. Now there is a shirt that is designed to keep your back in the proper position. It sounds a bit far fetched,…
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Obama’s Budget Proposals To Deal With Looming Cuts To Disability Benefits
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The President is trying to figure out a way to avoid a 20% cut for disability beneficiaries. As noted in my earlier posts on this subject, that is what is going to happen as soon as next year unless something changes.President Obama’s proposals are measured and reasonable. Which means, of course,…
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Back Pain May Not Be From Your Back
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Before you blame your aching back on your aching back, consider that some of that pain might have a completely different cause. Among these are:* A misaligned pelvis or too-tight hips* A weak core. Not having the proper strength in your stomach and back can cause all sorts of back p…
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Update On House GOP Plan To Cut Disability Benefits
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It appears that the House Republican plan to prevent Social Security from reallocating funds between retirement and disability recipients is not quite a done deal. In his budget proposal, President Obama has signaled his opposition to such a maneuver. The budget proposal calls for a reallocation…
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Drs. Cheech and Chong Will See You Now
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A new study from Australia has found that those persons suffering from chronic back pain got relief from marijuana. Not only that, these patients got more benefit from using opioids, such as morphine, when taken with marijuana. The researchers behind this study cautioned that they need to know mu…
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Major Change For Disabled People Approaching Retirement Age
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This one is complicated, but it’s very important. According toLaurence Kotlikoff, a Social Security expert, SSA slipped a major change into their rules. Acting more or less in the dark of night, SSA altered the wording of one of their regulations. Perhaps to avoid drawing attention to what they w…
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Yoga Poses That Help With Back Pain.
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With few exceptions, doctors recommend increasing your core strength and your flexibility to address chronic back pain. One nice way to achieve both goals is through yoga. This article lists five traditional yoga poses that can help back pain. The nice thing about these recommendations is that f…
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Ways To Avoid The Coming Crisis For The Disability Trust Fund
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Politico has a nice article examining some of the things that Congress could do to address the pending shortfall in the Social Security disability trust fund. Suffice it to say, the approach of the House GOP is not the answer. That is mere partisan politics that are only part of a larger attack o…
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To Cure Your Back Pain, Just See The Light?
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In what sounds like proof of the placebo effect, researchers have found that exposure to light can help with back pain. And depression. The light involved was only half as bright as ambient sunlight. It is very hard to see how this could actually cure someone’s back pain. But, if people feel bet…
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A Thoughtful Take On the GOP House’s Attack on Disability Beneficiaries
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I think we would all agree that Forbes is not a leading voice from the left in American politics. But even they expressed dismay at what the House Republicans have done to Social Security disability. A balanced and reasoned take on the issue appeared at Forbes.com. The author, Howard Gleckman, no…
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Rand Paul to Back Pain Sufferers: Drop Dead
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Just in case you thought that maybe Kentucky Senator Rand Paul wasn’t so bad after all,you will have to reconsider. Appearing before State Republicans in New Hampshire, Paul told those people with back pain who can’t work: don’t look to the Social Security administration for help. Instead, tough …
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That Didn’t Take Long
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On their very first day back in power, House Republicans took steps to undermine the Social Security disability program. It’s a bit complicated, but essentially the House of Representatives passed a procedural rule that will make it very difficult to keep the disability program fully funded. Up …
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Stand Up Straight and Feel Better
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I suppose it will come as a surprise to precisely no one that all the little things we do cause back pain. I don’t mean things like moving a grand piano into an upstairs apartment. It turns out that small changes in behavior can mean big difference. A lot of these are things your mother…
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Happy New Year 2015!
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When I was a child, I scoffed at the notion that time speeds up as you age. Now I know better. I am astonished that another year has come and gone. I hope that everyone has a safe and happy new year. Let us hope that 2015 brings good health and good times.
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Binder & Binder Go Bust
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Binder & Binder have filed for bankruptcy in New York. It’s hard to see this as anything but good news for everyone involved in Social Security disability. These national firms that relentlessly advertise on TV do not have a very good reputation. I have had many clients leave B&B. A lot…
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The Death Index
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One interesting thing to research is the Social Security Death Index. This is a listing of people whose death has been reported to Social Security since 1962. This searchable index allows you to check on people from your past to see if they are still around. You can also do some research on you…
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Lyrica Not The Answer For Chronic Low Back Pain?
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Lyrica is one of those drugs that doctors seem to prescribe for almost everything. Doctors most often use it for such neurological conditions as fibromyalgia, shingles, and diabetic neuropathy. Apparently, some doctors also prescribe it for chronic back pain. While this might help said doctors ea…
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