Vickie Palmer Passes Board of Trustees Gavel
By: Palmer Communications, Press Release

(February 4, 2008) – Davenport, IA – After an illustrious 20-year legacy as chairman of the Palmer College of Chiropractic Board of Trustees, Ms. Vickie Palmer announced to Board members on Jan. 15, 2008, that she would officially conclude her tenure as chairman at the Feb. 1-2, 2008, Board meeting in San Jose, Calif. Ms. Palmer continues serving on the Board as a Board officer and member of the executive committee. Read More

While getting my massage from Jessie, I was discussing the fact that my 35 year old brother, Doug, had recently died from an interaction of pain medicine. I told her the drug he was taking was Lyrica and that it was prescribed off-label (it is a fibromyalgia drug that was prescribed to my brother for a herniated cervical disc). When she heard this, she got very nervous and said her mother-in-law had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and was prescribed Lyrica. Interesting. Read More

I have been submitting articles for the Beacon, on a monthly basis, for one year. There is an agenda behind my efforts, as must be apparent by now. So let's cut to the chase. I am a fan of and a proponent for, a reconsideration of what propelled chiropractic, with such volcanic energy, into the health care arena over 100 years ago. I am a well-witnessed believer in what BJ Palmer believed and gave his life to. I am devoted, full time, to what spread chiropractic, in its early days, from one county to the next, until North America was baptized by immersion, with doctors who understood health emerges from a healthy spine. Read More

Despite the weather conditions and the long trip to Carroll, IA, the clinic tour with Dr. Kraus on January 12th was a huge success. Twenty Palmer students attended and were able to experience Dr. Kraus' state-of-the-art healthcare facility. Family & Specialty Medical Center is an integrated wellness clinic that offers chiropractic, family medical care, physical therapy, massage therapy, nutritional counseling, acupuncture, and even laser hair removal! The 20,000+ square foot facility houses all of the above and a fitness center. Read More

I was sitting here reading the January issue of the Beacon and, keeping in mind the December issue, wondered where the idea of civilized debate disappeared. When we as humans are confronted with an emotional situation, we become engrossed and emotional in that situation. We tend to defend ourselves and our opinions, to the death if necessary. We close ourselves off to outside influences and ideas in order to believe in the one contained within our own minds. We do not realize that in avoiding the debate, we mimic our immune system and wall off the offending entity. Once that entity/organism is walled off and surrounded by fibrous tissue and calcium, our immune system is no longer required to build up a defense against it; this leads our body toward complacency against the offending organism. That complacency will, in the end, allow that organism to injure us repeatedly. It is when we open ourselves (inside and out) to an offending entity that we strengthen our fight against it. It is for this reason, that I commend everyone who is now engaged in the debate set ablaze by Scott Chamberlain's commentary. We all know the pink elephant is in the room, it's about time we talk about it. Read More

Announcing the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics, Intern Recognition Awards for the Fall/ Winter Trimester 2007-2008! The Intern Recognition Award is granted to specially selected 9th and 10th trimester interns who demonstrate ongoing excellence and integrity in their daily interactions with patients, faculty clinicians, clinic staff, and fellow students. Recognizing the multi-levels of professional and caring behavior that an intern should embody, a variety of competencies are considered including, but not limited to: communication skills, excellence in providing patient education, patient rapport, courtesy, voluntary service, record keeping, role modeling, and general helpfulness in the clinical setting. Faculty clinicians in the Academic Health Center “pods”, the Rock Island Clinic, and the Community Outreach Clinic, may nominate and then choose one intern from their area. Nomination time periods are held once each trimester and are not announced to interns; the process is handled through the clinics/pods and the Department of Clinical Education. Award recipients receive recognition in the Beacon, a certificate signifying this honor, and a special lapel pin. Read More

I've just completed 7th trimester, and have enjoyed the opportunity to work with patients who are also my peers. It's been a great learning experience for me. The upcoming months, I will have the opportunity to increase my skills in the main clinic, and acquaint myself with patients a little more removed from the Palmer world. I'm looking forward to this opportunity. Read More

I promised myself that upon my maiden voyage as assistant editor of the Beacon, I would avoid heavy subjects, but I cannot resist. Perhaps it's my love of w I s d o m . Perhaps it's my love of this great p r o f e s s I o n . Whatever it is, I feel compelled to write. Read More

Current research (recently gaining support by third party payers and workman's compensation groups) continues to document the poor correlation between certain imaging features pertaining to “static” discovertebral pathoanatomy (i.e. abnormal disc height, signal, and contour, ect) with clinical syndromes in patients with low back pain (LBP). However, new research is emerging documenting that abnormal kinematic behavior (not just isolated static pathoanatomic features) of the lumbar spine is highly associated with low back pain (LBP). Both abnormal limitation (rigidity) and abnormal excessive sagittal vertebral displacement (instability) through range of motion constitute the lumbar segmental mobility disorders (LSMDs). The LSMDs most commonly referred to in the literature are lumbar segmental rigidity (LSR) and lumbar segmental instability (LSI), respectively. In addition to LSMDs having been found to be associated with the presence and severity of LBP, LSMDs have been found in significantly higher prevalence in patients with recurrent chronic low back pain (RCLBP) (compared to the numbers expected within a normally distributed asymptomatic population). The impetus for the growing evidence that LSMDs are in fact valid diagnostic entities is primarily due to the emergence and understanding of upright, weightbearing, and positional/functional imaging techniques (pushed to the forefront by the growing documentation in the literature of the poor correlation between clinical findings with imaging findings obtained from existing and ubiquitous recumbent/static, non weight-bearing imaging techniques). Read More

The following is a transcript of an email exchange between NUCCA Club and Dr. Jim Palmer, the director of research for the Upper Cervical Research Foundation (UCRF). As a result of the attention generated by the NUCCA blood pressure study, as well as writings of Dr. Jack Stockwell in this paper, many of you have taken a greater interest in the atlas. In the interest of our education, we asked Dr. Palmer (no relation) to answer some of the common questions that students often have about NUCCA and similar techniques. Read More

Brentwood, Tenn. The OUM Chiropractor Program, offered by one of the top national providers of chiropractic malpractice insurance, will host a series of new financial management teleclasses instructed by Stanley Greenfield, RHU, the nation's leading chiropractic financial management consultant with nearly 50 years of experience. Read More

I graduated from Palmer in 1975. I left Davenport, Iowa with an abundance of energy and motivation to help everyone find true health through chiropractic. Over the past 33 years, I have seen the wonders of chiropractic working to restore proper balance and function to thousands of patients from all walks of life. My practice has evolved around the family practice, treating new born infants as well as children and adults. There are so many cases of colic, recurrent ear infections, digestive problems, and on and on that have been resolved with chiropractic adjustments in my clinic. Read More

Dear Palmer College family,

In April 2007, the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech shocked us all. Today, with great sadness, we deal with a similar loss at Northern Illinois University. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students of Palmer College, I have sent a letter of condolence to the president of NIU offering our deepest sympathy, prayers and support.

Watching the recent Frontline documentary on PBS called “The Medicated Child,” I couldn't help but be sick to my stomach. This documentary portrayed kids who were on dangerous anti-psychotic drugs, and showed very clearly the dire side-effects of their use. Read More

The frequency of degenerative joint disease (also called osteoarthrosis and, less accurately, osteoarthritis) increases with age. Therefore, as our society gets older, chiropractors will be faced with more patients having painful joint conditions. Whenever degenerative changes affect weight-bearing joints (especially in the spine and lower extremities) steps to reduce the damaging effects of heel-strike shock on the musculoskeletal system should be implemented. The use of flexible, custom-made orthotics can help alleviate present symptoms in these patients, while also reducing the potential for future injury. Read More

Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic presents an annual conference called the I n t e r n a t I o n a l Research and P h I l o s o p h I c a l S y m p o s I u m (IRAPS). It has become one of my favorite seminars, one in which I usually speak or present a paper. I particularly enjoy the unique opportunity to see p h I l o s o - phers and scientists/researchers get together and share ideas. This is probably the only program of its kind in the chiropractic profession. For the first few years, the two groups met separately and came together for one or two keynote speakers. Then some wise person decided it would be better to have both categories of presentations (philosophy and research) be given to the entire assembly. Guess what happened? Well, let me tell you first what did not occur. The researchers did not walk out when the philosophers got up to present nor vice versa. For the most part each group was respectful, attentive and interested in the other's presentation. There were interesting questions and discussions as people attempted to integrate the philosophy and science. That is not to suggest that the usual academic disagreements that would occur at any professional presentation did not occur. However, they occurred in a civil and respectful manner, a unique phenomenon in chiropractic. Read More

I've got two words for you people - "ROAD WARRIORS”.

After the stellar performance of last year's team, management felt it was time to move into the more competitive MACHA Gold Division. To prepare for the jump General Manager Mat Hahey decided to beef up the squad by adding a pair of goaltenders, a defenseman, and two forwards.

There are no gimmicks or tricks involved. We just want as many students as possible to a c c o m p a n y t h e International Chiropractors A s s o c I a t I o n (ICA) to a N a t I o n a l Conference on Chiropractic in Medicare. The date of the big meeting is Thursday, April 24, 2008. Your local SICA chapter needs to finalize transportation and boarding plans ASAP so please contact us immediately if you plan to attend…remember, I said the trip will be free, but space is limited! This historic event will be taking the place of the traditional “Chiropractic Legislative Day in Washington.” The purpose of this intensive one-day forum is to discuss the future of chiropractic and chiropractic patients who are participants the Medicare program. ICA plans to bring in many influential people to facilitate the discussions about the health of that massive federal program and the health of our patients. Many of our elderly patients across this nation depend on Medicare funding for us to care for them. Of course we can all agree that chiropractic is cost effective, true health care and much better suited for maintaining a healthy population than any of the other drug programs or “benefit” o ffered by the medical industry and bureaucracy of government. Read More

Remember a few weeks ago when Palmer closed early due to the extreme cold and a blizzard that never came? It was January 29th. I know because I was in town that day to speak. Despite the weather, over 40 of you Palmer students made your way to The Radisson hotel. We packed into a tiny board room and went to town on new practice stuff for 3 _ hours! As always, the question in the headline was a hot topic. Read More

My name is Lisa Trujillo and I am the president of the AAUW student organization. I would like to introduce you to the American Association of University Women. Since its first meeting in 1881, AAUW has been a catalyst for change. Today, with more than 100,000 members, 1,300 branches and 500 college and university partners, AAUW contributes to a more promising future and provides a powerful voice for women and girls-a voice that cannot and will not be ignored. Read More