Neck cracks and spine adjustments have become a potent social media trend, but some chiropractors fear the videos send the wrong message about the profession.Videos of chiropractic adjustments have become a popular genre on TikTok.Snap. Crack. Pop. These sounds, once used to sell a popular breakfast cereal, are now enticing people to visit the doctor thanks to a wave of chiropractic videos sweeping social media.The most popular videos follow a familiar template: A patient enters with a debilitating condition. A chiropractor maneuvers the patient’s limbs and joints in horrifying ways, producing a series of snaps and crunches. And the patient is relieved of years of pain — all within a matter of minutes.For viewers, the clips can be both cringeworthy and satisfying A.S.M.R. (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) content. For the chiropractors, they are valuable marketing, helping to build business.But not everyone in the chiropractic industry is thrilled about the videos. Some doctors say they are misleading, potentially leading patients to think miracle cures are available with one pop of the spine — or even to try the procedures themselves.Easy and free advertising for chiropractorsAlex Tubio has become a sensation in the world of medical content creation. He owns chiropractic clinics in Houston and Orange County, Calif., and sees about 100 patients a week.Mr. Tubio says he owes all of his business to social media, which he started using in 2019 to promote his work. He has more than one million followers on TikTok, over one million subscribers on YouTube, and his appointment calendar is booked until August.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

The supply in the United States has fallen nearly 25 percent since early August, the organization said.The blood supply in the United States has dropped to critically low levels, in part because of “back-to-back months of worsening climate-related disasters,” the American Red Cross said on Monday.The national supply has fallen nearly 25 percent since early August, and Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall in Florida late last month, caused more than 700 units of blood and platelets to go uncollected, the organization said in a news release.The distribution of blood was outpacing the number of donations, officials said, adding that 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers rely on the Red Cross to collect 12,500 blood donations each day.Donor turnout last month also dropped after one of the busiest travel seasons on record, along with back-to-school activities, contributing to a shortfall of 30,000 donations.“For so many patients living with urgent medical care needs, crises don’t stop with natural disasters,” Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer for the American Red Cross, said in a statement. “In fact, in some instances the stress of a disaster can lead to a medical crisis for some individuals battling sickle cell disease.”Dr. Young said that the need for blood was constant, and that someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds.With the Atlantic hurricane season now peaking, Red Cross officials have turned a watchful eye to the coastlines and were monitoring the track of Hurricane Lee, although it was unclear whether the storm would pose a threat to the United States. If it does, the Red Cross said the storm could further disrupt the collection of blood products.The demand for blood is not new, and the Red Cross has issued warnings in the past. In the summer of 2021, the Red Cross announced a blood shortage, causing some hospitals to slow the pace of elective surgeries until blood levels had rebounded. Another shortage was announced the year before, when donation centers had to close because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Last fall, the university’s law school joined other top programs in dropping out of the magazine’s annual list. The medical school’s dean said the rankings “cannot meaningfully reflect” the school’s goals.Harvard Medical School will no longer submit data to U.S. News & World Report for the magazine’s annual “best medical schools” rankings, becoming the university’s second graduate school to boycott the list in recent months, the school’s dean said on Tuesday.In a letter, Dr. George Daley, dean of the faculty of medicine, said he had been debating the decision since becoming dean six years ago and was inspired by a group of top of law schools that withdrew from the rankings last fall.“My concerns and the perspectives I have heard from others are more philosophical than methodological, and rest on the principled belief that rankings cannot meaningfully reflect the high aspirations for educational excellence, graduate preparedness, and compassionate and equitable patient care that we strive to foster in our medical education programs,” Dr. Daley said.U.S. News has published the rankings for decades, and while they have come under growing criticism, they continue to be an influential guide for students and their parents during the college selection process.Dr. Daley said the rankings create what he called “perverse incentives” for institutions to report misleading information and set policies that boost rankings. Although Harvard’s medical school will no longer share key data with the magazine, it will continue to share some of the data on its admissions website.More on America’s College CampusesAffirmative Action: With the Supreme Court widely expected to overturn or roll back affirmative action in college admissions, schools may need to rethink everything about the process.Hamline University Controversy: After an outcry among Muslim students, a professor who showed a painting of the Prophet Muhammad in class lost her job. Some scholars take issue with the idea that the incident was Islamophobic.Columbia’s Business School: On the developing Manhattanville campus, the architecture reinforces a social movement in business education to do good as well as make money.U.S. News & World Report: Under pressure amid a boycott by top law schools, the magazine said that it would make several changes in the next edition of its influential ratings.Harvard Medical School was ranked first in the magazine’s 2023 best medical school for research list, released last spring, and the Grossman School of Medicine at New York University was ranked second. Tying for third were the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.Medical schools are evaluated on faculty resources, the academic achievements of entering students and qualitative assessments by schools and residency directors, according to U.S. News. More than 190 medical and osteopathic schools were surveyed by the magazine. That information, coupled with the results from peer-assessment surveys, was used to calculate the overall rankings.“What matters most to me as dean, alumnus, and faculty member is not a #1 ranking, but the quality and richness of the educational experience we provide at Harvard Medical School that encourages personal growth and lifelong learning,” Dr. Daley said.U.S. News did not immediately return a request of comment on Wednesday, and it was unclear if the magazine planned to make adjustments to how it ranks medical schools.It was also unclear what effect Harvard’s decision would have on other medical schools’ participation. Last fall, many of the country’s top law schools announced that they would no longer participate in the rankings after the ones at Harvard and Yale said they were pulling out.In response, the magazine said this month that it would make several changes in the next edition of the law school rankings, including giving more weight to those whose graduates pursue advanced degrees, or school-funded fellowships to work in public-service jobs that pay lower wages. Factors including indicators of student debt or the schools’ spending per student would no longer be considered. The magazine said its rankings would also rely less on surveys of law schools’ reputations submitted by academics, lawyers and judges.While top-tier schools can weather potential fallout from dropping out of the rankings, there is a sense of hesitation among lesser known schools, which depend on the ratings to attract students.Angela Onwuachi-Willig, the dean of Boston University, which was ranked 17th among law schools, said lower-ranked schools, applicants and employers get some benefit out of the “free marketing” of rankings.

Several children have died from strep A this season, health officials said on Tuesday. Here is a quick list of symptoms and other important information.Health officials in Britain said several children had recently died after being diagnosed with invasive Group A streptococcus, sounding the alarm for schools and prompting parents to spring to action.“We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A strep this year than usual,” Dr. Colin Brown, the deputy director of the U.K. Health Security Agency, said in a news release on Friday. While the bacteria usually causes mild infections, he said, in rare circumstances it can cause more serious illnesses.He urged parents to be vigilant of symptoms and to seek medical attention as quickly as possible if their child began showing signs of deteriorating health.Jim McManus, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health in Britain, expressed similar concerns to the BBC, telling the network that the number of severe cases would rise.“We seem to have forgotten that strep A is around,” he said. “In some cases perhaps we had thought this had gone away because we had been thinking about other infections.”Here’s a breakdown of what we know.What is Group A streptococcus?Group A streptococcus is a common bacteria that can be found in the throat or on the skin, according to the U.K. Health Security Agency. The bacteria doesn’t always cause illness, but it can cause tonsillitis, sore throat, skin rashes, scarlet fever and impetigo.In older adults, very young children or immunocompromised people, the bacteria can also sometimes get into the bloodstream and cause a more serious illness known as invasive Group A streptococcus, or iGAS.Necrotizing fasciitis, necrotizing pneumonia and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome are some of the infections caused by iGAS. They are frequently fatal.Is it contagious?Yes. Group A streptococcus is highly contagious and spreads through close contact with an infected person. It could be passed through a few different ways, including coughs, sneezes or by contact with a wound, health officials said.Even if a person isn’t feeling sick or showing symptoms of infection, the bacteria can be passed on. The risk of spread is greater, however, when a person is visibly unwell.Officials note that infections rarely become serious and that, when treated with antibiotics, a patient with a mild illness stops being contagious about 24 hours after starting medication.What are the symptoms?Symptoms can include sore throat, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and a rash.How serious is the situation?As of Tuesday, seven children in England had died after being diagnosed with invasive Group A streptococcus, a U.K. Health Security Agency spokesman said. Additional deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland and Wales.Government officials have said there has been an increase in invasive Group A strep cases this year, mostly in children under 10. So far this year, there have been 2.3 cases per 100,000 children 1 to 4 years old. Between 2017 and 2019 there were an average of 0.5 cases in that age group. The next age group older has seen a similar increase in cases: 1.1 per 100,000 children between 5 and 9 this year, compared with 0.3 from 2017 to 2019.In the 2017 to 2018 winter season, four children in England under 10 died.Why are cases rising now?It is unclear. Health officials have said that there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating but that the increase in infections is most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria.Doctors said a combination of factors, including more social mixing compared with previous years and a rise in other respiratory viruses, may be contributing.I’m a parent. What can I do?Trust your own judgment, health officials said. You may want to contact a doctor for a number of reasons, including if your child is getting worse, if you observe your child eating less than normal, if you notice signs of dehydration or if your child is feeling very tired.Parents may want to call emergency services if they notice their child having difficulty breathing or observe pauses in a child’s breathing.Also, do not underestimate the importance of good hand and respiratory hygiene — washing hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds and using tissues to cover coughs and sneezes — to help stop the spread of viruses.

Kroger, the national supermarket operator and one of the nation’s largest retailers, has restructured its Covid-19 benefits for unvaccinated employees and will charge some of them if they remain unprotected, a spokeswoman for the company confirmed on Wednesday.Last year, before coronavirus vaccines were available, the company began offering two weeks of paid time off to employees who contracted Covid-19. Kroger told employees last week that, beginning Jan. 1, that benefit would no longer be available to people who were unvaccinated, the spokeswoman said. The news was reported by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.Unvaccinated employees will still be eligible for other forms of leave, but the special time off will now be open only to fully vaccinated employees.Kroger also said it would charge salaried workers who are enrolled in a company health care plan $50 a month if they remained unvaccinated. That surcharge would not apply to unionized workers and hourly-wage associates enrolled in a company health care plan.“We created and amended several workplace policies at the onset of the pandemic to support our associates during immense uncertainty,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “The administration of the vaccine to our associates has been an integral part of our efforts and continues to be a focus.”It was unclear how many of Kroger’s approximately 500,000 employees have been vaccinated.Earlier this year, Kroger said it would give a one-time payment of $100 to all associates who received the Covid-19 vaccine, joining a wave of companies, cities and states in offering similar incentives. Kroger said it would continue that program.In September, the Biden administration issued three vaccine mandates, one for federal contractors, another for health care workers, and a third for companies with more than 100 employees. All three of the mandates affecting the private sector have been put on hold by courts because of legal challenges.Employers and governors, mostly in Republican states, have opposed President Biden’s mandates that employees of large companies must either be vaccinated or get tested weekly, arguing that it was overreach.When asked about Kroger’s new policies, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said during a news briefing on Tuesday, “We know different private sector companies and entities are going to take different steps to incentivize people to get vaccinated, to keep their employees safe and their work force safe.” She stressed that the company’s new policy did not come from the federal government.Kroger, which was founded in 1883 and is based in Cincinnati, operates more than 2,500 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia under a number of brand names, according to its website.

Juli Mazi, who identifies as a naturopathic doctor, also sold “immunization pellets” to patients, federal prosecutors said.A homeopathic doctor in California is the first person to face federal charges for selling fake Covid-19 vaccination cards, the authorities said.The doctor, Juli A. Mazi of Napa, Calif., also sold Covid-19 “immunization pellets” to patients, federal prosecutors said. She was arrested on Wednesday and charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health care matters, according to a criminal complaint. Ms. Mazi faces up to 20 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, the authorities said.Ms. Mazi sold pellets for $243 that she said contained a “very minute amount” of the coronavirus that would trigger an immune response and provide “lifelong immunity to Covid-19,” the complaint said. To encourage customers to purchase the pellets, prosecutors said, Ms. Mazi falsely told them that the three Covid-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States contained “toxic ingredients.”She also offered homeopathic immunizations for childhood illnesses that she falsely claimed would satisfy immunization requirements for California schools, according to the complaint.Ms. Mazi could not immediately be reached for comment. It was not immediately clear if she had a lawyer.She describes herself on her website as a naturopathic doctor who received her doctorate from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Ore. She is trained in “traditional medical sciences” and “ancient and modern modalities” that use nature to heal, the site says.She also offers “classical homeopathy,” a medical system developed more than 200 years ago in Germany. It uses the theory that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms, and the notion that medications are more effective at minimum dosages, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. There is little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for illnesses, the center said, citing a 2015 assessment by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council. A number of concepts in homeopathy are not consistent with fundamental scientific concepts, the center said.The authorities began investigating Ms. Mazi after someone filed a complaint in April saying that relatives had purchased the Covid-19 immunization pellets from her and that they had not received any of the approved Covid-19 vaccinations. In addition to the pellets, prosecutors said, Ms. Mazi also sent the family Covid-19 vaccination cards that listed Moderna. She instructed them to mark the cards to falsely state that they received the vaccine on the date they ingested the pellets.Ms. Mazi distributed Covid-19 vaccination cards to patients falsely indicating that they had been given the Moderna vaccine, prosecutors said.Jeff Chiu/Associated PressIt’s unclear how many people purchased Covid-19 immunization pellets from Ms. Mazi, but she received more than $200,000 through Square, a digital payment processing company, from January 2020 to May 2021, the complaint said. A majority of the transactions did not indicate the purpose of the payments, but 25 transactions amounting to more than $7,500 were noted to indicate that they were for Covid-19 treatments, according to the complaint.“This defendant allegedly defrauded and endangered the public by preying on fears and spreading misinformation about F.D.A.-authorized vaccinations, while also peddling fake treatments that put people’s lives at risk,” Lisa O. Monaco, deputy attorney general, said in a statement. She added that the use of false vaccination cards allowed people to “circumvent efforts to contain the spread of the disease.”Steven J. Ryan, special agent in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, said the department would continue to investigate “fraudsters” who mislead the public.“This doctor violated the all-important trust the public extends to health care professionals — at a time when integrity is needed the most,” he said in a statement.In May, the authorities in California arrested the owner of a bar on charges that he had sold fake Covid-19 vaccination cards at his business. There are also concerns that people sharing photographs of their vaccination card, complete with their name and birth date, could make themselves vulnerable to identity theft or scams.

The insects have emerged by the billions this year across the Eastern United States and have curious foodies salivating. But their similarities to crustaceans makes them an allergy risk, health officials warned.Cicadas are popping up by the billions across the Eastern United States this season, and are subsequently finding their way to the dining tables of adventurous foodies.But people with a seafood allergy should avoid the crunchy insect, which are related to crustaceans, federal health officials warned on Wednesday.Yep! We have to say it!Don’t eat #cicadas if you’re allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters. https://t.co/UBg7CwrObN pic.twitter.com/3qn7czNg53— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) June 2, 2021
The advice from the Food and Drug Administration comes as the current group of cicadas, known as Brood X, emerges from the ground on its regular 17-year cycle. The shrimp-sized, beady-eyed bugs with almost translucent wings are being prepared by professional chefs and at home in a variety of ways this year.Some prefer them deep fried and others like them tossed into their Caesar salad. Bun Lai, the chef of a sustainable sushi restaurant in Connecticut, will present them in a fine-dining experience at his farm. And Frank’s RedHot, the 100-year-old hot sauce brand, released a string of cicada recipes including: caramel ’cada corn, chili lime ’cada tacos and a cicada “parm” slider.Cicadas, which do not bite or sting and are not toxic, are also eaten by predators including birds and small mammals. They are gluten-free, high in protein, low in fat and low in carbohydrates, according to National Geographic.But insects and crustaceans belong to the arthropod family. And according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the potential allergenic risks associated with edible insects needed further investigation.People with existing allergies to crustaceans may develop allergic reactions to edible insects, which contain similar proteins, the report said.The cicadas, whose quantities could reach tens of billions, are expected to appear in about 18 states for about six weeks. The Washington, D.C., area, Indiana and around Knoxville, Tenn., are the three Brood X cicada epicenters around the country.While cicadas are generally not harmful to humans, the sharp buzz they make when looking for mates can be annoying.The chance to feast on cicada dishes won’t last forever. Once the insects have mated and their eggs hatch, the developing cicadas, known as nymphs, will begin their 17-year cycle, feeding underground.The next opportunity to feast on fresh Brood X cicadas will be in 2038.

More than 160 illnesses and dozens of hospitalizations have been reported across 43 states, officials said. “These are not house pets and a lot of people confuse that,” a poultry educator said.A salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry has prompted U.S. health officials to issue a stern warning: Don’t kiss or snuggle your ducks and chickens.There have been 163 illnesses and 34 hospitalizations reported across 43 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week. North Carolina had the most reported cases, with 13, followed by Iowa, with 11. About a third of the cases were in children under 5, the agency said.The true number of sick people is most likely higher as many recover without medical attention and are not tested for salmonella, the C.D.C. said.The likely source of the outbreak is contact with backyard poultry, the agency said.“Don’t kiss or snuggle the birds, as this can spread germs to your mouth and make you sick,” the agency said.That was among the guidelines that the C.D.C. offered to people who keep poultry at home, whether they are experienced owners or building their first backyard coop. They should always wash their hands for 20 seconds after contact with birds or related supplies, the agency said, and should not allow children under 5 to touch the birds.Emily Shoop, a poultry educator at Penn State Extension, said on Monday that raising poultry was “the fastest-growing animal-related hobby in the United States.”The C.D.C. has routinely issued similar guidelines over the years, she said, adding that this is the time of year when hatcheries and feed stores sell chicks to people starting at-home flocks.“They get those chickens home, they snuggle them close to their face or they kiss them, and then we see some mistakes and a salmonella outbreak,” Ms. Shoop said. “The best way to prevent that is to wash your hands after you touch chickens, their manure, their eggs or their meat.”Animals can pick up salmonella from contaminated food, or the bacteria can live naturally in their intestines. Some can even pick up the bacteria from their mothers before they are born, according to the C.D.C.’s website.Raising backyard poultry has become more common in recent years and some have described the process of raising chickens as an exercise of cross-species respect.Chick sales often rise in periods of anxiety or economic stress, such as stock market downturns and presidential election years. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, a combination of unemployment, anxious free time for those not struggling with illness, and financial instability led to people panic-buying chickens much as they did toilet paper. Many were first-time buyers.Though their intentions may have been good, there were health consequences. By the middle of December 2020, there had been more than 1,700 salmonella infections across all 50 states, the C.D.C. said, noting that contact with backyard poultry was the likely source of the outbreaks. More than 300 people were hospitalized and one death was reported. The number of illnesses reported was higher than in any previous outbreak linked to backyard flocks, officials said.Ms. Shoop said there was a risk with any type of livestock. “These are not house pets, and a lot of people confuse that,” she said. Poultry, she said, are typically kept outside and away from food-preparation areas.“If you are going snuggle them close to your face or mouth, you probably ought to wash your face and brush your teeth too just to prevent any cross contamination from those birds,” she said. “Chickens aren’t dirty animals by any means, but they naturally have a lot of bacteria around their bodies.”

The death of George Floyd and other high-profile police killings have helped encourage African-Americans to seek treatment, mental health experts say.In the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, mental health experts around the country say they have seen an increase in the number of African-Americans seeking therapy, a group whose skepticism of the practice has been documented by researchers.Jamil and Sara Stamschror-Lott, the founders of Creative Kuponya, a mental health practice in Minneapolis just minutes from where Mr. Floyd, a Black man, was murdered, said the demand for therapy had “gone through the roof” over the past year. The couple said 31 percent of their practice’s clientele are Black.“We’ve seen everything that the nation has seen from afar, from folks in civil unrest and devastation, despair,” said Mr. Stamschror-Lott, who is Black. The couple said that some residents were overwhelmed and exhausted by the events of the past year, and that there remained a “great deal of pain and trauma.”Researchers have often found a hesitancy toward therapy among Black people. A 2013 study found that they were not very open to acknowledging psychological problems and were concerned about stigma, especially Black men. In 2007, researchers called the underuse of mental health services among Black people a “serious concern.”Mr. Stamschror-Lott’s therapy practice, Creative Kuponya, is near where George Floyd was killed by the police in Minneapolis last year.Caroline Yang for The New York TimesSara Stamschror-Lott, left, the co-founder of Creative Kuponya, and Asha Williams, a licensed therapist at the practice.Caroline Yang for The New York TimesThat skepticism is part of a broader mistrust of the medical establishment by Black people, whose illnesses are more often misdiagnosed compared with other groups, researchers said. Historically, groups of Black people have been exploited by the federal government for medical studies. Black patients also tend to receive lower-quality health services, including for cancer, H.I.V., prenatal care and preventive care, according to research.However, there are signs of changing cultural attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment.Douglas E. Lewis Jr., a clinical and forensic psychologist in Decatur, Ga., said he was seeing more Black people willing to seek therapy now than in the past.“I think people are starting to see therapy for exactly what it’s always been, which is more of an insight, building, more of an opportunity to see things in a different perspective, reframing,” Dr. Lewis said. “It’s something that everyone could benefit from, not just people who may be diagnosed with a severe persistent mental illness.”About a third of Creative Kuponya’s clientele are Black, its founders said.Caroline Yang for The New York TimesDr. Lewis said some Black people were experiencing a form of “shared trauma” as a result of the news media’s coverage of the George Floyd case and other high-profile police shootings, sometimes resulting in increased anxiety or nervousness.“We’re being inundated with these things repeatedly,” he said, “and what I think increases and compounds these issues is that Black Americans in the United States already experience difficulties that seem to be linked to race already in their daily lives.”Racism, economics and parenthood are sometimes topics of discussion for Str8 Mental, a virtual group that provides a space for Black men nationwide to discuss issues affecting their lives, said Brad Edwards, the community organizer for Dear Fathers, a platform that tells stories of Black fatherhood. Str8 Mental meets monthly, and sessions, which allow at least 30 participants, are led by two Black male therapists.“Oftentimes as Black men, because we have not been taught to open up and discuss what we’re dealing with, we often think we’re dealing with those things alone,” said Mr. Edwards, who is Black. “These guys are really forming bonds. It’s purely strangers coming together, being an open vulnerable safe space and pouring into each other.”Mr. Edwards said Str8 Mental started nearly a year ago and was born out of the effects the pandemic had on the Black community. “We created this just to have an opportunity for guys to come and start to unpack,” he said. “I think that the talks around therapy and therapists has started to become more and more common in the Black community” over the past couple of years. At least 700 men have participated, he said.A string of large pharmacy chains have recently entered the mental health market. Since January, CVS has added licensed clinical social workers trained in cognitive behavioral therapy in more than a dozen locations, and Walmart and Rite Aid are working to provide similar services.In addition, there has been a growing chorus of celebrity voices advocating for mental health treatment, including the actress Taraji P. Henson, who started a foundation to eradicate the stigma around mental health issues in the Black community.Dr. Lewis said that he was pleased by the recent crop of programs and discussions around normalizing therapy in the Black community, but that more needed to be done.“We should all be working toward maintaining our mental health,” he said, “particularly when we’re facing increased visibility of police aggression seemingly without any justice.”