Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 7, Number 6
SOT 2008 Year-End Update: In this update we will feature: The Presidential Address from Robert Monk, DC, The SOT Compendium--What is It?, The SOTO-USA Position Statement on the relationship between the TMJ and the pelvis, A list of our upcoming Regional Seminars, The new and exciting SOT Mentor Program, and SOT Enters a Top Chiropractic Pediatrics Text.

Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 7, Number 5
This update features information relating to dentistry and chiropractic co-treamtent.   Included in this update are abstracts for the following related topics:  Examination of the relationship between mandibular position and body posture, Vertical Facial Dimensions Linked to Abnormal Foot Motion,  Effects of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on postural control and muscle activity of head, neck and trunk muscles, Dental occlusion and body posture: a surface EMG study, and The association between posture of the head and malocclusion in Saudi subjects.

Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 7, Number 4
This update features information on a new SOT multinational survey published in the PubMed  "Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association."  Included is research relating to the use of Gadolinium for MRIs,  sympathetic nervous system related to spinal cord level dependent injury, chiropractic responsibilities and stroke, and an obituary for Dr. David Walther.

Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 7, Number 3
This update features information on the Proceedings of the Sacro Occipital Technique Research Society Mid-Year Conference published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, a landmark article relating foot or pedal dynamics and craniofacial dynamics, and information about our responsibilities regarding stroke prevention and awareness in our patients.

Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 7, Number 2
Cholesterol, Chiropractic and Cardiovascular Health:  Chiropractors are developing an interest in cholesterol levels, medications, and vascular issues since in the past there have been implications of a relationship between cervical manipulations and cerebrovascular arterial (CVA) events]. Apparently current research has found that the purported relationship to be so rare that any factors associated with chiropractic manipulation and CVA events are more coincidental than causal. Therefore the chiropractic profession has been focusing on how to be aware of a CVA event in progress and how to prevent such an occurrence, which leads to the need to understand the importance of the current relationship between cholesterol levels and vascular events.

Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 7, Number 1
This update features information on some papers particularly related to sacro occipital technique (SOT) recently presentation at the 2008 ACC/RAC conference.  Included is a paper on pelvic torsion and leg length inequality, chiropractic and developmental delay syndromes, body sway and autonomic function, reliability of prone leg length analysis, plagiocephaly and cranial corrections, and how to become involved in a gastroesophogeal reflux chiropractic practice based study.

Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 6, Number 6
This update features information on some SOT papers recently accepted for presentation at the 2008 ACC/RAC conference and in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association (PubMed indexed journal), the relatively new concept called, "Clinical Prediction Rules" (CPRs), a call for SOT or cranial case reports, ICPA Pediatric Practice Based Research, and Cranial Research Papers from the 50th Annual American Osteopathic Association.

Dural Connection Internet Edition, Volume 6, Number 5
This edition focuses on the association between cerebrovascular arterial (CVA) events and cervical spine manipulation. In an effort to keep SOT chiropractors advised of the most current events that may affect our practices this newsletter will feature: (1) A recent article in Dynamic Chiropractic entitled, "Chiropractic and Stroke Risk: Setting the Record Straight," (2) An abstract of an article and comment published in the October 1, 2007 issue of Spine entitled, "Safety of Chiropractic Manipulation of the Cervical Spine: A Prospective National Survey," (3) "Migraine With Aura Increases Risk for Ischemic Stroke," (4) CEvantive University offers a free 2- hour course on stroke and manipulation, and (5) NCMIC has a new monograph Current Concepts in Spinal Manipulation and Cervical Arterial Incidents - 2006, (6) The Benefits Outweigh the Risks for Patients Undergoing Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain: A Prospective, Multicenter, Cohort Study, and (7) "The etiology of cervical artery dissection."

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 6, Number 4
The September 2007 SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices. This update features information on the SOT Compendiums. caution for patients with migraines, muscle testing, pediatric practice based studies, dental and chiropractic relationships, and efficacy of cranial manipulative therapy.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 6, Number 4- Supplement
The September 2007 Dental Chiropractic SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This update features some research papers related Dental Chiropractic co-treatment.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 6, Number 3
The June 2007 SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This update features research from the recent International Conference on Chiropractic Research that took place in Portugal as well as an update the April 2007 New York Chiropractic College Symposium, and an information about a new chiropractic journal in PubMed and available search engines.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 6, Number 2
The March 2007 SOT Quarterly Research Supplement Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This update features some research papers related to the recent Research Agenda Conference -  Association of Chiropractic College Conferences where the pulse of chiropractic's future research can be palpated.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 6, Number 1
The March 2007 SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This update features some research papers related to chiropractic and dental co-treatment and well as updates on SOT's progress with paper submissions to research conferences.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 10
As we come to a close to the year of 2006 it is sometimes helpful to look backward to see where we were and then look forward to see where we need to go.  The following is from an article entitled "The Challenge" which was in the September 1984 issue of MPI's Dynamic Chiropractic and features a challenge to Dr. L. John Faye by Dr. David M. Koffman and Dr. Faye's response.  While the article discusses future dialogue there actually was not any of substance beyond this article.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 9
The December 2006 SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This update features some research papers related to chiropractic and diabetes, developmental delay syndromes, sacroiliac joint  and suprasegmental control of viscersomatic/somatovisceral reflexes.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 9
The following is an update of what is happening in the SOT world and with SOTO-USA. Since SOTO-USA is so dynamic there are always three things to consider: what has taken place, what is currently happening and what is on the horizon. This update will focus on a review of the recent Clinical Symposium, an introduction to SOTO-USA's new president, an overview of this past year's research efforts, information on SOTO-USA's involvement with Tufts University and the TMD Alliance, and Lawrence E. DeMann, Sr., DC - In Memoriam.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 8- Supplement
The September 2006 Dental Chiropractic SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This update features some research papers related Dental Chiropractic co-treatment.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 8
The September 2006 SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This update features some research papers related to the sacroiliac joint  and category two protocols.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 7
This newsletter is a sample of the work Sacro Occipital Technique Organization - USA is doing for the Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) and chiropractic community supporting clinical care that is being threatened to be eliminated from manual health care. While doctors in practice are using SOT, cranial and TMJ therapies on patients routinely, our research community is attempting to create a reductionistic methodology of what chiropractic or manual health care should be. Attempts are being made to standardize care, eliminate chiropractic techniques, eliminate the need for specificity of the manual treatment rendered, and question methods of care used for decades.  While this questioning is essential to the growth of healthcare sometimes we need to question those asking the questioners.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 6
The June 2006 SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices. Please contact me directly at drcblum@aol.com if you are aware of others who might be interested in receiving this quarterly newsletter. Please don't miss SOTO-USA's 7th Annual CLINICAL SYMPOSIUM, October 26-29th, 2006, in St. Louis, Missouri at the Hyatt Regency - Union Station. During the next few SOT Quarterly Research Updates we will feature some unpublished Senior Research Projects from, Logan College of Chiropractic, Proceedings of the Logan College Student Research Symposium.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 5
While there were many wonderful platform and poster presentations at this RAC/ACC conference I will share a few I think might particularly be of interest to practitioners using (sacro occipital technique) SOT related techniques. Three papers were accepted that had a relationship to the SOT world. All the abstracts from this recent conference are listed in the Journal of Chiropractic Education, Spring 2006 issue, I am included two case histories and a qualitative systematic analysis on the relationship between cervical disc related MRI findings with asymptomatic subjects.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 4
Part of developing a collaborative model in the medical field is concurrently developing a reasonable evidenced based approach to chiropractic care being rendered. While there is a minority of chiropractors who both maintain a full time practice and are active with research, the majority of those in the chiropractic community tend to lean towards research or clinical practice. As is prevalent in all forms of health care there can be two completely different agendas promoted by each "camp." It is my belief that a way for chiropractic to develop a functional evidence base and become "healthy" is that we need to find a way to bridge the common misperceptions each faction has of one another.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 3
The SOT Quarterly Research Update is a service offered by SOTO-USA to keep doctors who are familiar with sacro occipital technique (SOT) aware of the latest research related events, papers, and concepts affecting our practices.  This edition includes: Entering the 21st Century: Developing an Evidenced Base Approach,  Alliance of TMD Organizations, The Effect of Sacro Occipital Technique Category II Blocking on Spinal Ranges of Motion: A Case Series,  Changes in coordination of postural control during dynamic stance in chronic low back pain patients, and Interexaminer reliability and validity for diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders of visual leg measurements used in dental kinesiology.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 2
SOT Entering the 21 st Century: Developing an Evidenced Base Approach   The relationship between research findings and actual practice in the clinical environment is something that has led to conflict in all fields of healthcare.  Chiropractic is no different and often times there have been schisms between its research and clinical worlds.   Ultimately research should be about helping the clinician develop the best, most effective, low risk, and high benefit diagnosis and treatment. This article discusses some possible beginning steps towards helping SOT move foward into the evidenced based arena.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 5, Number 1
This year’s RAC/ACC – 2005 conference was another great event for chiropractic and chiropractic research. While the list of amazing, important and interesting topics presented are too long for any report the following are some things I feel from my perspective are particularly valuable.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 4, Number 4
This edition explores Aetna Insurance Company's position on Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) and how they "choose" to consider SOT to be "experimental and investigational."  When this position was challenged Aetna determined that they would only accept chiropractic techniques that have been subjected to randomized controlled studies published in "approved medical peer reviewed indexed journals."  Since this allows them to limit all or most the chiropractic techniques Aetna at the same time ironically chooses to accept and approve most medical procedures that do not follow their restrictive criteria,  Aetna was challenged to explain this double standard, however they regretfully ignored the questions and at present cannot be held accountable for their biased position.  This is a long read, sorted chronologically, which covers multiple correspondence between SOTO-USA and Aetna.  Within these communications is a SOT Position Statement which is available in a pdf format.

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 4, Number 3
This edition explores "Facing Unrelenting Dogma: The True Researcher." As someone who is actively involved with alternative healing, I find that the very word alternative tends to run contrary to the word mainstream. Chiropractic has been said to be both an art and a science and issues of dogma appear to run deeply within each. The art of chiropractic incorporates philosophy, intuition, vitalistic properties, energetic healing, and skills in accessing and treating the myriad of interwoven limitless possibilities presented by a patient. While there are science aspects of most chiropractic techniques, they generally focus on offering tools to develop and help the art of chiropractic. Often as techniques bask in the vitalistic qualities, they reject the strictures of science and see them as limiting

Dural Connection Internet Edition Volume 4, Number 2
This edition explores if "Our Chiropractic Techniques See the Road Ahead and Appreciate the Road Signs?" [Cooperstein R, Perle Stephen, “Condition-specific Indications for Chiropractic Adjustive Procedures for the Low Back: Literature and Clinical Effectiveness Ratings of an Expert Panel” Top Clin Chiropr 2002;9(3): 19-29.] With this article we share with you interpretations of the study as a sacro occipital technique (SOT) practitioner interested in furthering SOT’s acceptance into the chiropractic community and ultimately improving patient health care. Also included are some very provocative comments by many in the research community.