NANAIMO REGION
School district looks to baccalaureate program Next phase, if it goes ahead, would require consultation, selection process and a five-year budget plan. A3
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As many as 50 teams in eight divisions are expected to play in tournament set for May 22-24. B2
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The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Saturday, May 9, 2015
» Science
COMMUNITY
City chiropractor solves mystery of noisy fingers
Downtown Nanaimo may host big water slide event DARRELL BELLAART DAILY NEWS
Jerome Fryer, a Nanaimo chiropractor, has discovered why finger joints crack when pulled. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]
Jermome Fryer tells world why our joints pop JULIE CHADWICK DAILY NEWS
A
s a chiropractor, Jerome Fryer has always been curious about the familiar sound of joints
cracking. A creator of spinal models to help patients better understand their ailments, it was in the development of one in particular that led Fryer to uncover new information about what happens when we crack our knuckles. In a subsequent study, Fryer effectively disproved the existing theory that the sound is created when a pocket of air collapses within the joint when it is pulled. Published by the medical journal Plos One on April 15, the study Pull My Finger went viral and garnered international attention. “I always wanted a model that went ‘pop,’ so I could demonstrate to patients the safety of it, and what’s really going on,
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“When we pulled my finger you could see there was a coalescence of new fluid that comes in between the joints. So I think there’s more that we can do with our treatments.” Jerome Fryer, chiropractor
because a lot of times patients are like ‘What’s that noise? Is it damaging?’” said Fryer. It was in the intense observation of the inside of the vertebrae that got Fryer questioning the official narrative around joint cracking. He managed to craft a model from plastics and elastomers that makes the characteristic pop — but there’s no air inside of it.
With this discovery, Fryer then approached the University of Alberta and told them he might have discovered something. “And they said, ‘No, this has already been figured out,’ and I said ‘No, it hasn’t,’” said Fryer. A paper in 1947 was the first to suggest the cracking sound was the creation of an air pocket inside the joint. In 1971, this theory was turfed, but Fryer says “when you look at it closely, they didn’t prove it was a collapsing bubble.” The only way to settle it, agreed the university, was via an MRI scan so the joint could be observed mid-pull. Fryer volunteered to be the subject of the study and flew out to Alberta where he and a colleague, Greg Kawchuk, utilized the University’s state of the art cardiac MRI machines. What they found was that it appeared a cavity was indeed created in the joint, and not collapsed, when Fryer’s finger was
pulled. What that cavity is, however, remains unclear. Now the head of a research project with experts from the University of B.C., the Netherlands and the U.S., Fryer hopes to uncover further information that will have wide-ranging implications in the understanding of joint health. “When we pulled my finger you could see there was a coalescence of new fluid that comes in between the joints. “So I think there’s more that we can do with our treatments,” said Fryer. To read the study visit Fryer’s website at www.drfryer.ca. Julie.Chadwick@ nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4238 » We want to hear from you. Send comments on this story to letters@nanaimodailynews.com. Letters must include daytime phone number and hometown.
Students cope with stress at exam time
Time to celebrate all Mom has done for us
Recent survey of students preparing to write final exams indicates that 64 per cent worried stress and anxiety would result in them getting lower grades. » Nanaimo Region, A5
We asked you to share your memories of your moms. A sampling of the terrific longer responses (and even some photos!) for your reading enjoyment. » Weekend, B1
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Nanaimo is poised to become the first city in Western Canada to host a giant street water slide event. Utah-based Slide the City has applied for a permit to put a temporary water slide on Old Victoria Road on the first Saturday in July. The application is currently being vetted by city, Regional District of Nanaimo and public health officials. If approved, Nanaimo would break new ground. “It’s July 4 — it will be the first event in Western Canada and if approved Nanaimo will be the first,” said Chris Barfoot, the city’s culture and heritage co-ordinator. The water slides have popped up in numerous cities. They are usually set up on a public street, and are built from 100-metre inflatable vinyl sections. In January, word broke that Nanaimo was one of four cities vying to host a 300-metre slide this summer, including Victoria, Courtenay and Comox. The company approached the city of Nanaimo in March. Rachel Thomas, company event director, confirmed the company is talking to the city “on their permitting process,” but was reluctant to share more at this time. “I’m working so closely with the city and we’re so close to a conclusion, I don’t want to pressure the process.” The concept is so new, Barfoot said city officials want to make sure no surprises crop up. Water use is a concern for the event, and the city wants a recirculating pump fitted with a filtration system. Island Health, and Nanaimo Regional Transit, city streets and road and engineering departments are involved, as are emergency services departments. Online, Slide the City lists prices from $15 for a single slide to $50 for a day pass. Darrell.Bellaart @nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4235
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