Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Bad Day?
Researchers found that adding just a couple extra minutes of exercise to your daily exercise routine can significantly increase your outlook on life.
Penn State, October 2012

Health Alert: 'Smoke-Free' Laws!
Laws that ended smoking at work and public places have resulted in lowered hospitalizations for heart attacks by 15%, strokes by 16%, and asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 24%. It has reduced health care costs and also increased quality of life.
Circulation, November 2012

Diet: Soda Consumption and Knee Osteoarthritis.
After controlling for risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (obesity, age, prior knee injury, extreme stress to joints, and family history), men who drank sugary soft drinks experienced worse knee osteoarthritis progression than those who did not. This correlation was not apparent in women.
American College of Rheumatology, November 2012

Exercise: Increased Life Expectancy!
Low amounts of physical activity (75 minutes of brisk walking per week) increased longevity by 1.8 years after age 40, compared with doing no such activity. Walking briskly for at least 450 minutes a week was associated with a gain of 4.5 years.
PLOS Medicine, November 2012

Chiropractic: Now That's Fast!
Your brain sends electric messages at 270 mph to every muscle and organ in your body.
Guyton's Physiology

Wellness/Prevention: High Blood Pressure and The Brain!
A recent study found evidence of structural damage in the brains of hypertensive and pre-hypertensive people in their 30s and 40s. This sort of damage to the brain has been linked to cognitive decline in older people. According to Dr. Charles DeCarli, professor of neurology and director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center at UC Davis, "The message here is really clear: people can influence their late-life brain health by knowing and treating their blood pressure at a young age, when you wouldn't necessarily be thinking about it."
The Lancet, November 2012

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Math Anxiety.
People who experience high levels of anxiety about mathematics have increased activity in the brain regions connected with the feeling of physical pain. Previous research showed children with a higher math anxiety have a decreased math performance level.
PLOS One, November 2012

Health Alert: Booster Seats.
States with booster seat requirements for children up to 6-7 years olds were found to have a 35% lower rate of mortality and incapacitating injuries. States which had booster seat laws for children up to ages 4-6 had 20% lower death and incapacitating injury rates from car accidents than those without the laws.
Pediatrics, November 2012

Diet: Red Meat and Dairy Products.
As part of the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, researchers analyzed the diets of 525,000 participants to determine whether there is an association between dietary fat and pancreatic cancer. This study showed that consuming fat from red meat and dairy products is associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. There was no association between plant-food fat and pancreatic cancer.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, June 2009

Exercise: 6,000 Steps.
Women 45-72 years old who walked 6,000 or more steps a day had a significantly lower risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
The North American Menopause Society, November 2012

Chiropractic: Savings!
Adding Chiropractic coverage to insurance plans decreased the total cost to treat back pain by 28%, reduced hospitalization for back pain by 41%, reduced back surgeries by 32%, and reduced the cost of medical imaging (ie X-Rays and MRIs) by 37%.
WebMD, October 2004

Wellness/Prevention: BMI.
The most frequently used measurement for body fat is the body mass index (BMI). BMI is figured by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by his or her height in meters squared. Obesity is a BMI of 30 or higher, while an ideal BMI is 18.5-24.9. The higher the BMI, the greater the risk for diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.
American Journal of Epidemiology, November 2012

What if Your Back Pain is a Herniated Disc?

What is a herniated disc?
Discs are shock absorbers for the spine – they’re flexible, almost gelatinous disks between vertebrae that cushion the spine and permit full range of motion. Sometimes these discs can degenerate and herniate, which means material from inside the disc can leak out. This can cause a great deal of pain, because when a disc herniates it presses on spinal nerves. Approximately 90% of disc herniations occur toward the bottom of the spine, known as the lumbar spine. A herniated disc with a pinched nerve can be extremely painful.

What are the symptoms of a herniated disc with a pinched nerve?
Symptoms of this nerve impingement are weakness in extending the big toe and ankle (foot drop), numbness can be felt on top of the foot, and can radiate into the buttock. If a different nerve is involved, the ankle reflex is lost and the patient cannot rise to their toes using their ankle. Pain in this case radiates down to the sole or outside the foot.

How is a herniated disc treated non-surgically?
Pain from a herniated disc often resolves on its own over time, as the prolapsed material is reabsorbed by the body, but until this happens (usually between four and six weeks) there can be considerable pain.

Bed rest is not recommended beyond a day or two for a herniated disc with a pinched nerve. Even in these cases, regular movement is advised to maintain muscle tone. Pain medication, cold and/or heat therapy, electrostimulation, bracing, traction, steroid injections and hydrotherapy are often used to control discomfort until the condition resolves.

While many people turn to medications and even surgery, they are very often ineffective and sometimes not necessary. It is during this period that chiropractic manipulations and physical therapy are often recommended, and in 80 to 90% of cases of a herniated disc with a pinched nerve, no surgery is required. New technological advances, such as class IV deep tissue laser and spinal decompression, comprise some of the latest non-surgical therapeutic modalities that can successfully resolve the problem and eliminate the need for surgery.

Other treatment options include medication to reduce the pain associated with herniated discs and, in severe cases where conservative treatments fail to relieve the symptoms, surgery may be performed to remove the protruding portion of the disc. Rarely, the entire disc may be removed and spinal stability may need to be provided by fusing metal hardware, or in some cases, an artificial disc may be implanted. Surgery should always be the last resort because of the statistically high failure rate and long recovery time.

Reprinted with permission from Think Teachers Magazine.

Fight to Stay Healthy NOW!

The song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year" and in many ways it is. However, it's also the most stressful when it comes to all of our obligation: no time, holiday parties, traffic, shopping, bills, eating is at it's worst, extra weight, etc. So, what's a smart person to do? My suggestion is that you do your absolute best to get in for your treatments.

Not everyone can stick perfectly to their treatment plan, but our experience is that the patients who completely stop treatments all together slide backward. We understand that our patients schedules are all over the place during the holidays. If that sounds like you - then call us to see how we can make your appointments easier for you until the holidays are over. And never forget that during this time of year, getting some of your treatments is infinitely more valuable then skipping all of them.

One patient told me today that she was going to drop out of care until after the New Year. I asked her if she was unhappy with her treatment. She said, "No. I am feeling much better". When I asked her why she would stop if she was feeling so much better, she said it was because she could only come once this week and once next week because of family obligation and she wouldn't be able to come 3 times per week. She was surprised to hear me say "That's fine. Do what you can right now and we will re-engage when the holidays are over". She said to me that she didn't think that was acceptable and she was thrilled to know that "doing her best" to get here this time of the year is just fine.

Does that sound like you? If so, call the office and ask the staff to help you schedule your visits in a way that works for you until the holidays are over. I promise - YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Reaction To Stress.
How people react to stress determines how that stress will affect their health. Study volunteers were separated in two groups: 1) those who let their troubles affect their emotional state and 2) those who didn't let stress bother them at all. At a 10-year follow up, those who let stress affect them (group 1) were more likely to suffer from chronic health problems.
Penn State, November 2012

Health Alert: Hip Replacement and Stroke Risk.
Hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke risk is ~4% higher within 2 weeks of total hip replacement surgery. A hemorrhagic stroke is brought on by bleeding in the brain, while an ischemic stroke is brought on by arterial blockage. Total hip replacement is extremely common in the United States. Around 1 million hip replacement surgeries are done around the world every year, 300,000 in the United States alone.
Stroke, November 2012

Diet: Vitamin D Levels Decreasing?
Women with health issues such as arthritis, hypothyroidism, cancer, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis are much more likely to have inadequate levels of vitamin D during seasons with decreased daylight. 28% of women had deficient levels and 33% had insufficient levels of vitamin D. Women taking supplements were able to significantly elevate their vitamin D levels.
American Society for Clinical Pathology, November 2012

Exercise: Exercise When You're Sick?
The choice to exercise or not sometimes depends on the sickness or disease. Our bodies work harder and use more energy when we are fighting an illness. If symptoms are above the neck (sore throat, runny nose), it is probably okay to exercise. If you're sick but still want to exercise, simply reduce your intensity and duration. You should not exercise if you have body aches, fever, diarrhea or vomiting, shortness of breath or chest congestion, dizziness or light-headedness. When resuming your regular exercise routine, try starting with 50% effort and 50% duration.
Loyola University Health System, November 2012

Chiropractic: Complexity of The Brain.
How complex is the brain? One cubic inch of brain cortex contains over 10,000 miles of connecting tissue.
Guyton's Physiology

Wellness/Prevention: Staying Healthy!
"The preservation of health is easier than the cure for disease."
~ B.J. Palmer

It's the Most Stressful Time of the Year (Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!)

A little STRESS is healthy... a lot is not!

Stress symptoms may be affecting your health without you even realizing it. We all experience stress at times in our lives. Stress can come from your environment, your body and your thoughts. No one is immune to it, and everyone handles it differently. It can be positive, keeping us alert and helping us avoid danger... and it can be negative when facing continuous challenges without relief or relaxation to recover from it.

Stress that is constant without any relief can lead to a negative stress reaction called distress. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, neck and back pain, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, insomnia, chest pains and more.

Recognizing common stress symptoms can give you a jump on managing them. You may think that illness is to blame for that nagging headache or persistent backache, but it could very well be your body's reaction to stress that is causing your pain. To get your stress under control, first find out what is causing the stress in your life. Then look for ways to reduce the amount of stress you're experiencing, and implement some healthy ways to relieve stress or reduce its harmful effects.

Strategies to prevent and manage stress include a positive attitude, regular exercise, a healthy diet, time with friends and social situations, massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments to release muscle tension and reduce irritation, mental health professional support, relaxation techniques and a night of good, restorative sleep.

Reprinted with permission from Think Teachers Magazine.

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: What You See Is What You Like.
After viewing images of successful women with varying body sizes, women who had strongly preferred only thin body types now had more favorable attitudes towards other body shapes.
PLoS One, November 2012

Health Alert: Children, Cars and Second-Hand Smoke.
Just ten minutes in the back seat of a car with a smoker in the front seat increased a child's exposure to harmful pollutants by 30%, even with the front windows completely rolled down.
British Medical Journal, November 2012

Diet: Cholesterol and Probiotics.
Two daily doses (200mg) of a probiotics lowered "bad" (LDL) and total cholesterol in study participants. Probiotics are live microorganisms (naturally occurring bacteria in the gut) thought to have beneficial effects. Common sources are yogurt or dietary supplements. Those taking the probiotics had LDL levels 11.6% lower than those on placebo after nine weeks.
American Heart Association, November 2012

Exercise: Belly Fat and Sleep Quality?
Losing weight can directly aid in improving sleep quality among obese or overweight people. Sleep quality was meaningfully associated with weight loss, either from changes in diet or a healthy diet combined with exercise. Sleep quality improvement was also observed with a loss in belly fat. With an average loss of 15 pounds and 15% belly fat, sleep scores improved by 20%. Chronic sleep disruptions can elevate the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and stroke.
American Heart Association, November 2012

Chiropractic: Spinal Degenerative Joint Disease.
Spinal DJD (degenerative joint disease) occurs in most people as early as 40 years of age. The degeneration is due to gravity, major traumas, and repetitive micro-traumas (activities of daily living). Once the spine degenerates, simple mechanical compression (moving) can change nerve impulses, and the central nervous system may interpret that as pain.
Pain, 1977

Wellness/Prevention: Sleep and The Immune System.
Sleep deprivation increases the risk for developing inflammation related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and diabetes.

Biological Psychiatry, September 2008

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Sleep?
Just one night of inadequate sleep can detrimentally trigger an increase (by as much as 60%) in brain activity related to anticipating negative emotional events.
UC Berkeley, October 2012

Health Alert: Stop Smoking!
Female smokers in the UK die 10 years earlier (on average) than non-smokers. However, women who stop smoking by age 30 are 97% less likely to suffer a smoking related, premature death.
The Lancet, October 2012

Diet: Grapes!
Grape consumption is linked to healthier diet habits and higher intake of nutrients. Individuals who consume products made with grapes also have higher intake of the following: dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Grape consumption is associated with higher vegetable, whole grain, seed, and nut intake, as well as a decreased intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, and total fat, compared with adults who did not consume grape products. Grapes can assist in lowering blood pressure, strengthen blood flow, and lower inflammation in men suffering from metabolic syndrome.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food, October 2012

Exercise: Yoga.
Yoga stretches all of the soft tissues of your body such as ligaments, tendons, and the fascia sheaths that surround your muscles. No matter your level of yoga, you most likely will see benefits in a very short period of time. Yoga participants had 35% improvement in flexibility after only 8 weeks.
American Council on Exercise, October 2012

Chiropractic: Why Wait?
The activities of every day living can cause micro-traumas to the musculoskeletal system. While these injuries may not result in pain, if left untreated they may lead to more serious problems such as back or neck pain (for example). Regular adjustments can help prevent these micro-traumas from becoming bigger problems in the future.

Wellness/Prevention: Keep Young Drivers Safe.
In May 2010, New Jersey implemented Kyleigh's Law, requiring all 16-20 year old drivers with a permit or intermediate license to display a reflective decal on the front and back license plates of vehicles they are operating. The decal is intended to help police officers enforce laws specific to younger drivers such as those related to night time driving and the number of permitted passengers. Since going into effect, Kyleigh's Law has decreased car accidents among 16-20 year old intermediate license holders by 9%. Tips for keeping your young driver safe: "[Start] them out in low-risk conditions. Keep the number of passengers to no more than one, limit nighttime driving to before 10 pm, always prohibit cell phone use while driving, and insist on seat belts for every occupant on every drive."
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, October 2012

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Hope For Lonely Seniors.
Lonely, older adults with higher levels of cortisol and c-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood are at greater risk for stress and inflammation related diseases (such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease). However, a new study has found that lonely senior citizens can decrease their cortisol and CRP levels by maintaining a positive outlook on life and by not blaming themselves for their problems.
Concordia University, October 2012

Health Alert: Fast-Tracked Drugs!
A recent study tracked a total of 434 new active substances (NASs) approved by Health Canada between 1995 and 2010. The NASs were then compared to see whether a difference in safety existed between those that had gone through Health Canada's standard 300-day review period vs. the 180-day priority process. Drugs streamed into Health Canada's accelerated review process are 15% more likely to be withdrawn from the market or to earn a serious safety warning.
Archives of Internal Medicine, October 2012

Diet: Happiness and Mental Health.
Happiness and mental health are highest among people who eat 7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Mental wellbeing appeared to rise with the number of daily portions of fruit and vegetables people consumed. Wellbeing peaked at seven portions a day. In Britain today, a quarter of the population eat just one portion or no portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Only a tenth of the British population currently consume the magic number of seven or more daily portions.
Social Indicators Research, October 2012

Exercise: Just A Few Minutes.
Participants who peddled a stationary bike as hard as possible at the highest resistance for 30 seconds, followed by 4 minutes of peddling at slow speeds with little resistance (5 rounds), burned as many as 200 calories despite only vigorously exercising for 2.5 minutes. For many people who want to be in better shape, a large chunk of time spent in an effort to work out is an annoying turn-off. This new finding could make exercise reasonable for potential fitness buffs by squeezing intense efforts into a smaller time slot.
Integrative Biology of Exercise VI meeting, October 10-13, 2012

Chiropractic: Athletes Feel The Difference.
"Were it not for Chiropractic, I would not have won the gold medal."
~Dan O'Brien, Olympic Gold Medalist and 3x World Champion Decathlete

Wellness/Prevention: Cherries and Gout.
Eating cherries over a two-day period reduced the risk of gout attacks by 35%.

Arthritis & Rheumatism, October 2012

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Chew On This!
People who maintain the ability to chew are less likely to develop dementia. This study shows a link between having no teeth and losing cognitive function more rapidly. The action of chewing makes more blood flow to the brain. People with few or no teeth will chew less, resulting in less blood flow to the brain.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, October 2012

Health Alert: Younger Adults and Strokes?
Stroke is becoming more common in younger adults. The reason may be an increase in risk factors like diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. Strokes among those under age 55 grew from around 13% in 1994 to 19% in 2005.
Neurology, October 2012

Diet: Omega-3 Intake & Young Adults.
For the first time, scientists have studied the effects of Omega-3 supplementation on young adults (ages 18-25). After 6 months of supplementation, subjects were able to improve their working memory (used for reason and comprehension) despite the belief that, at their age, they were operating at their cognitive best.
PLoS One, October 2012

Exercise: Take A Hike For Your Heart!
Going for a hike, a jog, or taking a brisk walk every day could reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke by 50%. Researchers found that people who jog or who walk briskly have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who lead more sedentary lives, or who walk at slower speeds.
British Heart Foundation, October 2012

Chiropractic: Pregnancy and Back Pain.
Approximately 60% of pregnant women suffer from back pain; however, only about 30% report symptoms to their prenatal provider and only 25% of providers recommend treatment. A review of 17 pregnant women who sought chiropractic care for back pain found 16 of 17 women demonstrated clinically important pain improvement within 4.5 days of seeking care, with no adverse side effects.
Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, January-February 2006

Wellness/Prevention: What Can I Do?
According to Leon Chaitow, ND, DO, "Even if conventional medicine tells you that your condition is incurable or that your only option is to live a life dependent on drugs with troublesome side effects, there is hope for improving or reversing your condition." There are many things we can do to stay healthy and overcome illness once we become ill. The benefits of an excellent diet, a strong exercise program, getting proper rest, and a strong mental attitude (which includes stress reduction) have been studied endlessly with positive results. Being healthy almost always improves your overall body function and decreases your risk of becoming ill.

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Benefits of Green Tea.
Previous studies have shown that green tea consumption aids in both weight loss and lowering cholesterol levels. Green tea is full of anti-oxidants and has also been known to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, depression symptoms, wrinkles, the risk of high blood pressure. Green tea also benefits diabetics because it slows the rise of blood sugar after eating. A new study reveals that it may also benefit memory and spatial awareness. (Note: Green tea decaffeinated with CO2 retains as much as 95% of the original anti-oxidant levels. If the ethyl acetate process was used, only about 30% of the anti-oxidants will be retained.)
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, September 2012

Health Alert: $750 Billion Lost A Year!
America's health care system is inefficient, suffers from data overload, and is both complex and costly. Each year, $750 billion (roughly $.35 per dollar spent) is wasted nationwide on inflated administration costs, fraud, and pointless services. These problems can also result in needless patient suffering and deaths.
Institute of Medicine. September 2012

Diet: Anorexia.
Patients with anorexia have trouble accurately judging their own body size, but not the bodies of others. In a test, when asked if they could pass through a doorway, anorexic patients felt they could not pass through the door even when it was easily wide enough. However, anorexic patients were more accurate at judging others' ability to pass through the doorway than their own. The study also found a correlation between the perception of the patients' own ability to pass through the aperture and their body size prior to becoming anorexic, suggesting that the patients may still think of themselves as their previous size.
PLOS ONE, August 2012

Exercise: The Elderly.
The benefits of exercise are positive for all seniors, including those who are considered frail. The advantages appeared after just three months and included increased cognitive and physical abilities, as well as increased quality of life.
Journals of Gerontology, August 2012

Chiropractic: Lack of Motion.
A joint that is not mechanically stimulated will atrophy, leading to degeneration. However, even passive motion (ex: someone else bending your leg for you) is beneficial to cartilage regeneration.
Arthritis Care and Research, 2006

Wellness/Prevention: Coconut Oil and Tooth Decay.
Digested coconut oil is able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay. The study found that enzyme-modified coconut oil strongly inhibits the growth of most strains of Streptococcus bacteria, including Streptococcus mutans (an acid-producing bacterium that is a major cause of tooth decay).
Society for General Microbiology, September 2012

Better Ways to Treat Headaches & Migraines

Headaches are one of the most common conditions known to man. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches, either occasionally or on a more chronic basis. Headaches are divided into primary headaches (which account for 95% of headaches) and those headaches that signal another physical condition.

Headaches can be dull, sharp, throbbing or extremely painful, as in migraine or cluster headaches. Nausea can be another symptom, along with increased sensitivity to light and sound. Several factors can trigger headache onset, the most common triggers include stress, tension, allergies, too much alcohol, colds and flu viruses, insomnia, and even food.

While medication is often the first treatment choice for headache and migraine sufferers, there are also drug-free options such as acupuncture
and therapeutic massage that have proven to be highly effective while eliminating the risk of dangerous side effects. The Consensus Statement on Acupuncture by the National Institutes of Health, released in 1997, stated that acupuncture was useful as an additional treatment or an acceptable alternative in a comprehensive pain management program for conditions including headache, carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain, and others. And one recent study showed the effects to be long-lasting, with acupuncture treatment reducing chronic pain in the neck and shoulder areas and associated headache for months.

For centuries, massage therapy has been used to alleviate stress and promote general wellness. It has also proven to be a remarkably effective means for combating chronic pain and improving range of motion, and can even be used to fight off headaches and depression. Non-invasive and extremely safe, massage therapy can be utilized on its own or as a supplement to physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, and a host of other therapies.

Originally published in Think Teachers Magazine

Reprinted with permission from Think Teachers Magazine.

Achieving Relief from Stress and Pain Without Drugs or Surgery

All teachers know their history. When it comes to pain and wellness, here’s a lesson worth remembering: acupuncture is one of the oldest healing practices in the world. The practice is based on belief in keeping the body’s vital energy flow, or qi (pronounced chee) in balance. Qi flows through the body along 14 ‘pathways’ or meridians. When energy becomes stuck or blocked, pain and illness can occur.

Many teachers suffer from painful sciatica, carpal tunnel and neck or low back pain due to repetitive motions and, often, stress. Acupuncture has been shown to help a patient mange pain for these disorders, as well as many others, such as migraines and joint pain. The process of inserting very fine needles along specific points in the body can release natural pain-relieving chemicals, promote circulation and balance the nervous system.

Acupuncture has become an increasingly popular option for patients who suffer from chronic pain. In fact, the FDA estimates that Americans undergo between 9 and 12 million acupuncture treatments per year – a number that is bound to continue growing, thanks to its safety and effectiveness. The procedure itself involves the use of ultra-thin needles, made from silver and steel alloy. After a patient has been diagnosed and acupuncture has been deemed appropriate, a licensed acupuncturist will map out the points on the patient’s body where the therapeutic needles can be used to effectively restore the body’s natural energy flow. Patients generally feel only a brief sensation when the needles are inserted, and are often surprised at how painless the treatment actually is. In fact, many patients find acupuncture to be soothing and relaxing.

Reprinted with permission from Think Teachers Magazine.

Questions About Sciatica Answered

What is Sciatica?
Back injury doctors will tell you that sciatica is a condition in which pain originating from the low back or buttock area travels down one or both legs. The pain of sciatica has been described as achy, sharp, tingling, or has sometimes been likened to electric shocks. Pain can be mild, moderate or severe, infrequent or constant, depending on the degree of nerve involvement.

What Causes Sciatica?
Sciatica is usually caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, a large nerve originating at the base of the spine. This compression can be caused by subluxations (misalignment) of the lower spine; herniated or bulging discs; pregnancy and childbirth (when pelvic bones shift and the tissues surrounding them are softer and more movable); tumors or diabetes.

Sciatica is often a result of Piriformis Syndrome. The piriformis muscle is located in the lower spine and is involved in hip rotation. The sciatic nerve is located directly beneath the piriformis muscle, so any injury or disorder affecting this muscle can result in pinching of the sciatic nerve.

How Does a Back Pain Specialist Treat Sciatica?
Initially the doctor will need to accurately diagnose the cause of a patient’s sciatica. This involves taking the patient’s medical history, conducting a thorough physical and neurological examination and employing various diagnostic tests, including X-ray, MRI, CT scans and, if needed nerve testing including electromyography. In most cases, sciatica can be treated non-surgically and non-invasively.

Therapy will be customized based on the most effective way for the patient’s body to begin to heal itself, and may include physical therapy, ice/cold therapy, electrical stimulation (TENS), and spinal manipulation. Advanced therapies such as spinal decompression and deep tissue medical laser therapy can also create dramatic results.

Reprinted with permission from Think Teachers Magazine.

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Don't Choke!
For many skilled athletes, the movements they execute in an athletic event have been practiced so much, they occur with little conscious thought. However, when athletes don't perform well under pressure, they may focus too much on their movements which causes their performance to decrease even more. Right handed athletes who squeezed a ball in their left hand before an athletic event were more able to perform under pressure. It's thought that clenching with the left hand helps activate the right side of the brain that is associated with automated behaviors, such as those used by athletes to dribble, kick, shoot, swing, etc.
American Psychological Association, September 2012

Health Alert: Improper Rinsing?
The improper use of neti pots, as well as other devices for rinsing out the sinuses, has been linked to a higher risk of infection. The FDA warns that if they are not used properly, the user runs a risk of developing serious infections, even potentially fatal ones. The devices are safe and useful overall, as long as they are properly used and cleaned.
FDA, September 2012

Diet: Why Some Fats May Be Bad.
Some fats (like animal fats) are linked to ailments like heart disease and diabetes while others (like those from fish, plants, and nuts) have health benefits. Why the difference? The results of one study suggest that some fats encourage the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive system. Our bodies recognize those fats and launch an immune response. The result is low-level inflammation that, over the long term, causes chronic disease.
Quarterly Review of Biology, September 2012

Exercise: Get Fit Dad!
According to a team of experts at the University of Melbourne's Department of Zoology, a father's obesity negatively impacts sperm, which results in smaller fetuses, poor pregnancy success, and decreased placental development.
Society for Reproductive Biology, August 2012

Chiropractic: What Causes Pain?
One possibility is ligaments or tendons being slightly torn or under physical stress or tension. These tissues can easily become damaged due to injury or long periods (weeks, months, or years) of overwork.
Physical Exam Spine and Extremities, Hoppenfeld

Wellness/Prevention: Healthy Lifestyle.
According to the World Health Organization, hypertension is the leading cause of mortality in the world, responsible for 7 million deaths a year (15% of all deaths). Healthy behaviors regarding alcohol, physical activity, vegetable intake, and body weight reduce the risk of hypertension by two thirds. Having two healthy lifestyle factors reduced the risk of hypertension by 50% in men and 30% in women.
National Institute for Health and Welfare, September 2012

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Cannabis and IQ?
A recent study indicates that daily cannabis use by teenagers (< 18 years old) results in neuropsychological decline, which persists even after they stop smoking. The group also had IQ scores that were 8 points lower than their counterparts who never smoked or started.
Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, September 2012

Health Alert: Bad Medicine?
Approximately one in five prescriptions to elderly people are inappropriate. Some of the medications with the highest rates of inappropriate use were the antihistamine diphenhydramine, the antidepressant amitriptyline, and the pain reliever propoxyphene.br />PLOS ONE, September 2012

Diet: Chocolate?
Chocolate may be beneficial for reducing stroke risk in men. Flavonoids found in chocolate may decrease blood concentrations of bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure. Flavonoids, a group of polyphenolic compounds known to have beneficial biochemical and antioxidant effects, appear to protect against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties. Men who ate the largest amounts of chocolate (63 grams - a third cup of chocolate chips - per week) had a 17% lower risk of stroke than men who never, or very rarely, ate chocolate. Also, for each additional 50 grams of chocolate consumed per week (a quarter cup of chocolate chips), there is a fall in stroke risk of about 14%. Many researchers maintain it is dark chocolate that is good for the heart, but about 90% of the chocolate intake in this study was milk chocolate.
Karolinska Institute, August 2012

Exercise: Lack of Exercise As A Medical Condition?
According to physiologist Michael Joyner, M.D., "physical inactivity is the root cause of many of the common problems that we have." These problems include obesity, diabetes, joint damage, and high blood pressure. If lack of exercise (deconditioning) was treated as a medical condition, then perhaps more patients and doctors would see exercise as a treatment that should be considered first for many medical complaints.
Mayo Clinic, August 2012

Chiropractic: What Causes Pain?
One possibility is joint pain due to inflammation of tissues between and around the joints. As a person ages, or with trauma (old or new), their joints lose flexibility. As muscles and ligaments tighten and shorten, inflammatory chemicals can become trapped. Over time, the joint complex can degenerate and osteoarthritis may develop.
Physical Exam Spine and Extremities, Hoppenfeld

Wellness/Prevention: TV Time?
31% of US children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Reducing TV viewing may be an effective strategy to preventing excess weight gain among adolescents. In this study, there was a clear association with reduction in TV hours and decreased weight gain over one year.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, September/October 2012

Low Back Pain and Sleep

Low back pain (LBP) can arise from a lot of causes, most commonly from bending, lifting, pulling, pushing, and twisting. However, there are other possible causes, including sleep. This not only includes sleeping in a crooked or faulty position, such as falling asleep on a couch, in a chair or while riding in a car, but also from the lack of sleep. So the question is, how much sleep is needed to feel restored and how much sleep is needed to avoid low back pain?

It’s been shown that the lack of sleep, or chronic sleep loss, can lead to serious diseases including (but not limited to): heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes. Sleepiness can also result in a disaster; as was the case in the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez, as well as the 1986 nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. With sleep deprivation, our reaction time is slowed down, and hence, driving safety is a major issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fatigue causes more than 100,000 crashes per year with 1500 annual crash-related deaths in the US alone. This problem is greatest in people under 25 years old. Job related injuries are also reportedly more frequently, especially repeat injuries in workers complaining of daytime sleepiness which resulted in more sick days. It’s also well published that sleep plays a crucial role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep impairs concentration, attention, alertness, reasoning, and general cognitive function. In essence, it makes it more difficult to learn efficiently. Also, getting into a deep sleep cycle plays a critical role in “consolidating memories” in the brain, so if you don’t get to a deep sleep stage (about 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep), it’s more difficult to remember what you’ve learned. An interesting study (U. of Pennsylvania) reported that people who slept less than 5 hours/night for 7 nights felt stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted. As shown in another study of 10,000 people, over time, insomnia (the lack of sleep) increases the chances by 5-fold for developing clinical depression. Other clinical studies have published many other negative effects of sleep deprivation, of which some include aging of the skin, forgetfulness, weight gain, and more.

Regarding low back pain, what comes first? Does LBP cause sleep interference or does sleep deprivation cause the LBP (or both)? It’s been shown that sleep loss can lower your pain threshold and pain tolerance, making any existing pain feel worse, so it works both ways. Specific to LBP, in a 28-year, 902 metal industry worker study, sleep disturbances (insomnia and/or nightmares) predicted a 2.1-fold increase in back pain hospitalizations with one and a 2.4-fold increase with both sleep disturbance causes (insomnia and nightmares). Other studies have shown patients with chronic LBP had less restful sleep and more “alpha EEG” sleep compared to controls. Similar sleep pattern differences using EEG (electroencephalogram – measures brain waves) have been shown when comparing chronic LBP patients with vs. without depression compared to controls (non-LBP, non-depressed subjects).

So the BOTTOM LINE, talk to us about how chiropractic helps reduce LBP, stress and facilitates sleep. There are also nutritional benefits from Melatonin, valarian root, and others that we can discuss. Now, go to bed and get a good night’s sleep!

We realize you have a choice in who you choose to provide your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Common Whiplash Myths

Whiplash is most commonly associated with the rapid, uncontrolled movement of the head as it whips back and forth during a motor vehicle collision. Though different types of injuries are associated with rear vs. front vs. side collisions, the net result is similar: the neck hurts! This month, we will look at several “myths” or untruths associated with the cause of whiplash or WAD, whiplash associated disorders.

MYTH #1: MEN ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO INJURY BECAUSE OF THEIR GREATER NECK MUSCLE MASS: FACT: This is exactly the opposite! Women are more vulnerable because they have LESS muscle mass, and hence, less tissue stopping the neck from going through a greater range of motion during the “crack the whip” process. Woman with long, slender necks are especially more vulnerable. They also take longer to recover and are more likely to suffer permanent residual problems long after their case settles.

MYTH #2: YOU CAN’T HAVE A CONCUSSION UNLESS YOU HIT YOUR HEAD: This seems logical as most concussions occur from direct head trauma. However, during the whiplash process the brain, which is suspended by ligament-like structures inside the skull, bathed in a liquid, can literally smash into the inside wall of the skull resulting in concussion just from the whipping action, without hitting anything. Permanent residuals such as memory problems, articulating thoughts, staying on task, and more can result. This is often called “post-concussive syndrome” or “mild traumatic brain injury.”

MYTH #3: NEGATIVE X-RAYS MEANS NO INJURY: Often, in the ER after a motor vehicle collision, x-rays are taken and read by the radiologist as “…essentially normal.” This can be confused as meaning, “…then there was no injury.” X-rays only show the bones in the neck and head region, not the muscles, tendons, ligaments or nerves. MRI (magnetic resonant imaging) shows more of these “soft tissues,” not just bone. But, due to the high costs of MRI, x-rays are performed first, and only later, if symptoms warrant it, is an MRI ordered. Soft tissue injury to the ligaments (the tissues that strongly hold bone to bone) can be assessed when we take flexion/extension (or bending forwards & backwards) x-rays, but many times these are not ordered in the ER.

MYTH #4: REST AND TIME ALONE WILL HEAL WHIPLASH: Though time for healing plays a role in recovery following all injuries, many patients find this approach fails and their pain persists. In fact, studies suggest that mobilization and manipulation performed as soon as possible after a whiplash injury yields significantly better outcomes than wearing a cervical collar and not moving the neck. Whiplash injuries, when not properly treated, often results in permanent loss of motion, pain, headache, and more. The days of rest and time only should be replaced by the sports medicine model of hot/cold packs, modalities such as interferential, pulsed magnetic stimulation, light or laser therapy, manipulation, massage, traction and guided exercise. Not, “…wait and watch.”

Tune in next month for addition myths about whiplash as there are MANY! Rest assured that prompt chiropractic care is the best approach for treatment of the whiplash injured patient.

We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Condition of the Month: Colds & Flu

When it comes to Colds and Flu this year the best offense is a great defense. Every year around this time millions of Americans suffer from colds and flu and they don't know what to do. Well it turns out the latest and greatest medications never work.

Even the Flu Vaccine is highly questionable. The top Flu Researcher at the FDA reported: "There is nothing based upon either epidemiology or controlled experiments, to show that the influenza vaccine yields a benefit toward the recipient." Further, many respected researchers around the world have claimed that the Flu Vaccine GREATLY increases your risk of developing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Dementia. So what they are saying is not only does it not work, but you risk far greater diseases if you take the shot.

So lets put logic to work here. During this time of year there are many different stressors that are at work: seasons are changing, schedules are changing, schools and sports are back in session - in other words there is a boat load of stress.

Typically, when we have more time demands we tend to neglect what we need -resulting in a "double negative" of more stress and less care. Stresses come in different forms, but they all have one thing in common - they RUN DOWN the nervous system and it's the NERVOUS SYSTEM that controls the immune system. So what do you need to know???

Don't neglect yourself. As a matter of fact, instead of getting less care during this time of the year, we suggest you get EXTRA CARE. Come in for EXTRA adjustments to boost your nervous system, EXTRA massage therapy to boost your lymphatic and immune system, and EXTRA Acupuncture to balance all the systems in your body!! Just a word of advice from the office that cares about more then just your spine!!

FREE ACUPUNCTURE OR MASSAGE!! As our way of helping you through the stress of the season Dr. Butler is offering every patient a free 30 minute massage or Acupuncture session. This is limited to the first 50 patients who call to reserve their appointment and is on a first come, first served basis. That's a value of about $5000 and is a GIFT just for our patients!!

HAVE YOU SCHEDULED YOUR APPOINTMENT YET?

Is It My Neck or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome?

Neck pain can arise from many different sources, and the patient’s clinical presentation can be quite similar making it a challenge to diagnose. One of those related, and sometimes co-existing conditions, is called thoracic outlet syndrome, or TOS. Let’s first discuss the anatomy of the neck and the thoracic outlet so we all have a good “picture” in mind of what we’re talking about.

TOS can arise from either blood vessel compression, nerve compression or both, making the ease of diagnosis difficult. Adding to the challenge, the “pinch” of the structure can occur at more than one place! The nerves and blood vessels can get pinched at the exiting holes in the spine (“neuroforamen”), by tight “scalene” muscles, under the collar bone (clavicle) and/or by a tight pectoralis minor muscle near the arm pit. Hence, the symptoms usually include pain and numbness in the shoulder, arm and hand (usually affecting the 4th & 5th fingers). It’s our job to run different tests to figure out where the primary pinch or pinches are located so we can treat the right area.

The causes of TOS can be many, with one of the obvious being a fractured collar bone or clavicle. Another is from having an extra rib. As there is not a lot of room for an extra structure, this can be a point of compression for some (but doesn’t create TOS in everyone). An overly tight scalene muscle, scar tissue, an extra large muscle and so on can also result in pinching of the nerves and/or blood vessels.

Purses, backpacks, carrying golf clubs, a mailbag and the like can also cause a pinch. A seat belt injury in a car accident is yet another cause, either from the direct trauma, or later when scar tissue forms in the area.

Our posture alone (without trauma), such as a slouchy, slumped posture where the shoulders roll forwards can cause TOS and, large breasts and obesity also add to the list of risk factors. Women are affected 3x more than men. Certain jobs where reaching overhead or outwards such as waitresses, carpenters, electricians, increase TOS risk.

You can depend on us to identify, locate and treat the areas that need attending as chiropractic includes many effective TOS treatment methods. The surgical outcomes are less than impressive so do EVERYTHING else first (a good surgeon will tell you that).

We realize that you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Fibromyalgia "101"

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a disorder that includes widespread musculoskeletal pain along with fatigue, sleep disturbance, memory changes, mood changes and more. Studies show that FM amplifies or increases painful sensations by changing the way the brain processes pain signals. FM is NOT a psychological disorder that only people with a troubled past or present acquire. Nor is it due to being inactive or lazy. If ANY doctor suggests that, PLEASE find a different doctor who understands the pathogenesis of FM. Unfortunately, this can be a challenge!

FM symptoms can begin after a physical trauma, surgery, an infection and/or after a significant stress experience. It can also just gradually appear over time without an obvious triggering event. Women are more vulnerable to acquire FM than men. Many FM patients have other conditions that may be associated with FM including (but not limited to) headache, TMJ, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression, thyroid/hormonal imbalances, endometriosis, and more.

Though the cause of FM may not be clearly identified, studies suggest there are a variety of factors that work together resulting in FM. Some of these include genetics, infections and physical and/or emotional trauma. Because FM tends to run in families, there may be certain genes or genetic mutations (changes that occur to genes) that make one more susceptible to developing FM. Infections appear to be a trigger for developing or aggravating FM. Post-traumatic stress disorder and less obvious physical or psychological trauma has been linked to the development of FM. The amplified or heightened pain response has been termed, “central sensitization,” meaning, increased sensitivity to normal pain stimulation in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Because of this heightened nervous system response, what normally isn’t processed as pain in the non-FM person, does reach and exceed the pain threshold in the FM patient (sort of like when amputation of a limb occurs and the brain still “thinks” there is a limb and “phantom pain” is felt). Studies show that repeated pain signals result in an abnormal increase in certain brain chemicals (called neurotransmitters). As a result, the brain’s pain receptors seem to develop a “memory” of the pain and become “sensitized” or they overreact to the pain signal input and pain is felt at an increased intensity. Certain risk factors come into play with developing FM, some of which include: your sex (female), family history (increased risk if other family members have FM), and rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Tests to establish the diagnosis of FM are few. In 1990, the American College of Rheumatology established 2 criteria for diagnosing FM. The first is widespread pain lasting at least 3 months, and the second is the presence of at least 11 out of 18 positive tender points. Since then, less emphasis has been placed on the exact number of tender points, while ruling out other possible underlying conditions that might be causing the pain is now utilized. There is no lab test to confirm a diagnosis of FM, but blood tests including a complete blood count, an ESR, and thyroid function tests are commonly done to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms. Treatment is best approached by a “team effort” combining the skills from multiple disciplines including a primary care doctor who “believes in FM” and is willing to work with chiropractors, and others. Exercising, pacing yourself, accepting your limitations, yoga, psychological counseling, nutritional counseling, and having strong family/friend support are all important in the management of FM.

If you, a friend or family member requires care for FM, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Bright Lights?
A new study shows that light therapy is beneficial to everyone, not just individuals who suffer from seasonal depression. When bright light therapy is administered through the ear canal directly to the photosensitive brain tissue, it improved cognitive performance and mood in all subjects. Students who received a daily, 12 minute bright light treatment through the ear canal for 3 weeks improved their reaction time by 25-30%. When channeled directly to the brain, bright light significantly increases activity in the neural networks, especially in regions of the brain linked to visual perception.
Scandinavian Physiological Society, September 2012

Health Alert: Tattoo Infections?
Some tattoo inks are tainted with nontuberculous Mycobacteria. This bacteria can cause lung disease, eye problems, and organ and joint infections. Tattoo inks and pigments may also be contaminated with fungi and mold. Tattoo artists should make sure that only sterile water is used to dilute the inks.
US Food and Drug Administration, September 2012

Diet: Stroke and Diet.
A poor diet may increase your risk of stroke in a few significant ways. Eating too much fat and cholesterol can lead to arteries that are narrowed by plaque, eating too much salt may contribute to high blood pressure, and eating too many calories can lead to obesity. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish may help lower your stroke risk.
American Heart Association

Exercise: Less Is More?
Good news, 30 minutes of exercise each day is better than one hour. On average, men who exercised 30 minutes a day lost ~8 lbs in three months, while those who exercised for a whole hour only lost ~6 lbs. One explanation is that half an hour of exercise is so doable that study participants had the desire and energy for more physical activity after their daily exercise session. Those who exercised for 60 minutes per day probably ate more, thus their weight loss was slightly less than anticipated.
American Journal of Physiology, September 2012

Chiropractic: What Causes Pain?
One possibility for pain is disk involvement. Pain may occur when a disk becomes inflamed, herniated (bulging), or ruptured. The mechanism can be due to an acute injury like a car accident or fall, or repetitive micro-trauma (long term wear and tear). In both cases, muscle spasms can occur, potentially causing severe pain.
Physical Exam Spine and Extremities, Hoppenfeld

Wellness/Prevention: Decrease Stroke Risk?
Chronic conditions that are risk factors for stroke: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. Behaviors that are risk factors for stroke: smoking, getting too little exercise, and heavy use of alcohol.
American Heart Association

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Prevention Tactics

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a very common problem that is often associated with work related activities. Our focus this month is on how to prevent CTS. Of course, if you already have CTS, read this Health Update to learn preventative measures that also work while you receive treatment for CTS.

The concept is to think about prevention as a matter of economics; as you lose time from work because of CTS, if affects your bottom line, and I’m sure you have bills to pay and mouths to feed (…or, at least one)! So please take the advice offered here seriously, as we are genuine about our concern for your well-being and not losing work time is a huge component of all of our “well-being!”

If you’ve experienced sore wrists, hands, sudden sharp jabs of pain up the forearm, noted numbness and/or burning in your fingers (especially the index through 4th/ring finger), wake up at night needing to shake and flick your fingers to “wake them up,” have weakness in your grip strength, are slowing down at work (whether it’s typing/computer work, assembly line work, cooking, waitressing, and so on), you NEED to do the following NOW! The goal here is prevent work loss and surgery (as up to 6 weeks lost work time will be required if surgery is needed).

1. Anti-inflammatory measures: This starts with a healthy diet. STOP eating foods that inflame such as omega 6 rich foods (“GOOGLE” omega 6 and print out the list of food). Emphasize fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and AVOID grains because of glutens, which many of us have a sensitivity against. Vitamins such as a multiple, magnesium, fish oil (omega 3’s), Vitamin D3, and CoQ10 are GREAT! Freeze water in a small cup and rub it on the wrist/carpal tunnel until it gets numb (takes 3-5 minutes) and do that 2-3 times a day. Consider natural anti-inflammatories such as ginger, turmeric, cercumen, bioflavinoides and others.
2. Stretch: Bear-claw, fist, “High-5” (opened hand with the fingers fanned out) reps, wrist extensions on the wall/table stretches (elbows straight).
3. Rest: Cock-up splint, take mini-breaks, and get sound/restoring sleep. IT REALLY HELPS!
4. Ergonomic modifications: Position your computer keyboard, mouse and monitor so that you are looking straight ahead at a slight downward angle and your elbows are at a 90° or slightly less of an angle when typing. Set an alarm on your computer to go off every 15 minutes as a reminder to “shake and flick” your hands, wiggle your fingers, do your stretches, and/or squeeze a soft ball. Write with a fat pen vs. a skinny one – this helps a lot!
5. Weight management: Obesity is a common risk factor for developing CTS.
6. Manage other health issues: Diabetes, thyroid disease, inflammatory arthritis, neck/shoulder or elbow problems can all contribute to or, even cause CTS.

Think of the above measures as minimums and obtain professional care to help you. You have choices between the traditional medical model of cortisone shots, anti-inflammatory medication, and surgery vs. chiropractic: manipulation and mobilization of the fingers, hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder and neck as needed, splinting at night, anti-inflammatory diet and nutrients, ergonomic modification and exercise training, which ALL will help to treat as well as prevent future CTS problems, EVEN IF you’ve had surgery already!

We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs. If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Violent Images?
People who watched more than four hours of TV a day relating to the 9/11 attacks and Iraq War coverage were more likely to report both acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms over time. According to study author Roxane Cohen Silver, PhD, "[It's] important for people to be aware that there is no psychological benefit to repeated exposure to graphic images of horror."
Psychological Science, September 2012

Health Alert: Bad Belly Fat!
People with a high waist-to-hip ratio (those with big bellies, but a normal body mass index score) are 2.75x more likely to die from a cardiovascular event.
Mayo Clinic, September 2012

Diet: Junk, TV, and Income.
Preschoolers from low-income neighborhoods and kids who spend more than two hours a day in front of a TV or video-game console have at least one thing in common: a thirst for sugary soda and juice. 54.5% of 4-5 year olds from poorer neighborhoods drank at least one soda per week, compared to 40.8% of kids from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. Preschoolers from low-income areas also drank less milk and consumed more fruit juice, which, like soda, is linked to rising sugar intake. Researchers found similar drinking habits among preschoolers who spent more than two hours of "screen time" per day watching TV or playing video games. Kids from poorer neighborhoods sat in front of screens more often, and drank larger volumes of sweetened beverages. Just 30% of children ate recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, and only 23.5% consumed the recommended amount of servings of grain products.
University of Alberta, August 2012

Exercise: Exercise and Cancer Recovery?
Studies have shown the powerful effect exercise can have on cancer care and recovery. For patients who have gone through breast or colon cancer treatment, regular exercise has been found to reduce recurrence by up to 50%.
Mayo Clinic, September 2012

Chiropractic: What Causes Pain?
One possibility is nerve pain. When a nerve becomes "pinched," compressed, or inflamed due to an impinging or degenerated disk, the nerves that innervate the spine can become injured. This mechanism can lead to a radiculopathy, where pain radiates down your arm or leg.
Physical Exam Spine and Extremities, Hoppenfeld

Wellness/Prevention: Drink Water!
Water is your body's principle chemical component and makes up 60% of your body weight. Water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose, and throat tissues. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, and even mild dehydration (as low as 1-2% loss of normal water volume) can drain your energy and make you tired.
Institute of Medicine

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Learning and Stress.
Stressed and non-stressed persons use different brain regions and different strategies when learning. Non-stressed individuals applied a deliberate learning strategy, while stressed subjects relied more on their gut feelings.
Journal of Neuroscience, August 2012

Health Alert: Calcium and Vitamin D?
It has been a long standing protocol for men at risk of bone loss from hormonal treatment for prostate cancer to take Calcium and vitamin D supplements. New research shows this type of supplementation does not prevent bone loss and may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and aggressive prostate cancer.
The Oncologist, July 2012

Diet: Deep Fried?
Fairs and boardwalks serve up plenty of deep-fried diet disasters. From fried cheesecake (around 500 calories), to fried macaroni and cheese (roughly 610 calories), and gigantic turkey legs (about 1,136 calories and 54 grams of fat), most eat-while-you-walk foods are a huge calorie overload, not to mention the grease!
American Heart Association

Exercise: Lower Your Diabetes Risk.
The World Health Organization estimates that 346 million people have diabetes, and deaths related to it are expected to double between 2005 and 2030, with more than 80% of them occurring in low and middle income countries. Men who weight train 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week may be able to lower their risk for type 2 diabetes by up to 34%. Also, men may be able to lower their risk further (by 59%) if they combine weight training with aerobic exercise, like brisk walking or running. The effects are probably due to increased muscle mass and improved insulin sensitivity.
Archives of Internal Medicine, August 2012

Chiropractic: Neck Posture and Whiplash.
Abnormal, pre-injury curves of the neck increase the risk of whiplash injury to the facet capsules, and predispose the patient to accelerated post traumatic long-term, degenerative changes of the spine.
Journal of Biomechanics, June 2005

Wellness/Prevention: 6 Tips For Injury Prevention In Young Athletes.
1) Take at least 1 day off a week to give your body time to recover. 2) Take breaks to reduce risk of injury and prevent heat illness. 3) Use correct gear that is right for the sport and fits properly, and don't assume because you are wearing protective gear you can perform more dangerous and risky things. 4) Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise to avoid heat illness. Coaches should reduce or stop practices when heat or humidity is high. 5) Use proper technique at all times. 6) Coaches should play it safe and enforce strict rules against head-first sliding, spearing, and body checking, and stop the activity if there is any pain.
American Academy of Pediatrics

NINE Days Left in Our iMac Give-Away!

Congratulations to Thomas W. who picked up his mountain bike from our last Referral Give-Away! Rob and the guys at Pedals were such a great help with fitting Tom with his new bike. We have coupons to Pedals in the office for anyone interested in purchasing their very own bike!

There are only NINE days left in this month's Referral Give-Away! There are THREE ways which you can gain entry into our "Change the World" Raffle Drum.

1. Refer a friend, family member, or co-worker into the office for a FREE consultation.
2. Invite someone you know who suffers from back pain to our next Pain Free Dinner Seminar (This Wed. 9/27)- call us at 862-226-0928 for more information
3. Share your personal success story with us through a testimonial.

Remember, in addition to Chiropractic Care, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Class IV Deep Tissue Laser, Decompression Therapy, we also offer Massage Therapy! These many different therapies allow us treat a wide range of conditions such as scoliosis, herniated discs, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, neck and back pain, headaches, and more. Have your loved ones call to set up a consultation.

The more friends and family members you refer, the more entries you receive! When you refer in 1 friend you will get 1 entry card. If you refer in 2 friends you will get an additional 5 entries. If you refer in 3 or more people you will get 10 entries per person!!

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Positive Emotion.
Older adults display more positive emotions and are quicker to regulate out of negative emotional states than younger adults. Older adults may be better at regulating emotion because they tend to direct their eyes away from negative material or toward positive material.
Current Directions in Psychological Science, August 2012

Health Alert: Alzheimer's Research.
The global market for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics could soar to $8 billion once therapies are approved that actually change the course of the disease. The current therapeutic market is valued at $3-4 billion and is shared among drugs that temporarily delay disease progression or address the symptoms but do not alter the underlying disease. Despite all the research on amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, there is still a debate on whether these biological phenomena are causative or symptomatic of Alzheimer's. Once scientists can clearly and unequivocally define key factors related to the actual biology of the disease itself, therapeutic advances could take place much more quickly.
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, August 2012

Diet: Summer Time Blues!
Barbequed hot dogs and sausages are common summer time treats, but are they the right choice for your diet? It's not just the high levels of fat or calories that are cause for concern, most hot dogs, bratwurst, and other sausages are also very high in sodium. The average hot dog contains 280 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 1,250 mg of sodium.
American Heart Association

Exercise: Micronutrients and Physical Fitness
Adolescents' blood levels of micronutrients are correlated with how well they perform in physical fitness tests. For cardio-respiratory fitness, concentrations of hemoglobin, retinol, and vitamin C in males and beta-carotene and vitamin D in females was positively associated with VO2 max (peak oxygen uptake).
Journal of Applied Physiology, Aug 2012

Chiropractic: Lack of Motion.
Back in 1933, a study showed lack of proper joint motion can cause Degenerative Joint Disease (osteoarthritis). An immobilized joint will develop cartilage changes similar to those of osteoarthritis.
Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics, 1933

Wellness/Prevention: Nutrition and IQ.
Children fed healthy diets at a young age may have a higher IQ when tested at eight years old. A study looked at the link between the eating habits of children at six months, 15 months and two years, and their IQ at eight years of age. Children breastfed at six months and who had a healthy diet regularly including foods such as legumes, cheese, fruit and vegetables at 15 and 24 months, had an IQ up to two points higher by age eight. Those children who had a diet regularly involving biscuits, chocolate, sweets, soft drinks and chips in the first two years of life had IQs up to two points lower by age eight.
University of Adelaide, Aug 2012

Low Back and Obesity (Part 2)

Losing weight can dramatically reduce low back pain (LBP). Like last month, we will look at easy ways to lose weight without the need for fancy, hard to follow diets. As the saying goes, this is a “no-brainer.”

1. Alcohol hints. When consuming alcohol, follow the first beverage with a glass of water. This will reduce calories and often reduces unhealthy snack intake such as chips or nuts.
2. Go “green” as in tea! Studies show green tea can “rev up” calorie burning.
3. Try Yoga! According to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, women who do Yoga tend to weigh less. Plus, yoga is calming and promotes self-awareness!
4. Eat at home. According to Consumer Reports, eating at home at least 5 days a week was a top habit of “successful losers.” Emphasize foods like fruits and vegetables!
5. Chew strong mint gum! Studies have shown a strong flavored sugarless gum can curb your risk for a snack attack. Chewing gum is a great substitute for “mindless eating” when socializing, watching TV, studying, or working on that computer project.
6. Shrink your dishes! By choosing a 10” vs. 12” plate, the amount eaten automatically reduces by 100-200 calories a day (according to Cornell University research)!
7. The “80-20 rule.” Eating until you are 80% full vs. 100% can be accomplished 2 ways: 1. Stop eating at the 80% full point or, 2. Dish out 20% less food.
8. Eating out options: A. Split an entrée with a friend; B. Order an appetizer as a meal; C. Use a small plate; D. Have them pack ½ the meal into a “doggie bag” BEFORE serving it and order a salad or extra veggies to substitute for the other half.
9. Reach for Red Sauce: Choose marinara over Alfredo sauce as it has fewer calories and much less fat than cream-based sauces. A serving = the size of a tennis ball.
10. Go meatless more often. Consider bean burgers, lentil soup, veggies and fruit and when you have to have meat, make it a lean variety, remove the fat, and cook in olive oil.
11. Burn 100 calories by doing one of the following: A. Walk a mile, or about 20 minutes; B. Pull weeds or plant flowers for 20 minutes; C. Mow the lawn (walking) for 20 minutes; D. Clean the house for 30 minutes; E. Jog for 10 minutes.

CELEBRATE! Once you’ve successfully kicked the habit of soda, ice cream or other “calorie-poor” foods, be PROUD of your accomplishment! You’ve also improved your quality of life, longevity, and reduced your chances of developing diabetes, heart disease and other health issues. PLUS, you'll feel better!

We realize you have a choice in who you choose to provide your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

We Have Extended our iMac Give-Away!

We have extended our iMac Give-Away until the end of September. This allows your friends and family TWO EXTRA weeks to schedule their appointment in order to have your name entered for a chance to win an iMac computer!

There are THREE ways which you can gain entry into our "Change the World" Raffle Drum.

1. Refer a friend, family member, or co-worker into the office for a FREE consultation.
2. Invite someone you know who suffers from back pain to our next Pain Free Dinner Seminar (This Wed. 9/12)- see the girls at the front desk for more information
3. Share your personal success story with us through a testimonial

The more friends and family members you refer, the more entries you receive! When you refer in 1 friend you will get 1 entry card. If you refer in 2 friends you will get an additional 5 entries. If you refer in 3 or more people you will get 10 entries per person!!

Whiplash: Does Chiropractic Work?

The term “Whiplash” is associated with neck injuries that frequently occur as a result of motor vehicle collisions. There is much published about how injury occurs, the most compelling of which is that we simply cannot voluntarily contract our neck muscles fast enough to avoid injury, as injury to the neck occurs within 500msec. and voluntary contraction or bracing takes 800msec or longer. The question this month is, does chiropractic work in managing patients with whiplash associated disorders (WAD)?

To answer this, a study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine reported that chiropractic was indeed superior to standard medical care. Most importantly, they studied chronic whiplash patients that (typically) are more challenging to treat compared to the acute, more recently injured whiplash patient. Their article starts out with the statement, “…conventional treatment of patients with whiplash symptoms is disappointing.” The term “conventional treatment” means medical (non-chiropractic) treatment. One of the studies referenced by the authors reported 26 of 28 patients suffering from chronic whiplash syndrome benefited from chiropractic treatment. The term “chronic” means that those injured have had ongoing complaints for longer than 3 to 6 months, and typically are less likely to respond compared to those more recently injured (acute injuries).

The authors interviewed 100 consecutive chiropractic patients being treated for chronic whiplash of which 93 completed the entire study. Those 93 were divided into 3 symptom groups: Group 1 consisted of neck to shoulder area pain, restricted neck movement with no neurological injury; Group 2 consisted of neck pain, restricted movement, and neurological loss; Group 3 consisted of severe neck pain but had full/normal neck movement, no neurological loss, but had unusual symptoms including blackouts, visual disturbance, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and non-anatomic neurological complaints, which means the pain or numbness does not correlate with exam findings or were inconsistent. An average of 19.3 chiropractic adjustments over a mean 4.1 month duration were rendered after which time the patients were surveyed and the results are as follows (“asymptomatic” = no pain or symptoms):

• Group 1: 24% Asymptomatic, 24% Improved by 2 symptom grades, 24% Improved by 1 symptom grade, 28% No improvement.
• Group 2: 38% Asymptomatic, 43% Improved by 2 symptom grades, 13% Improved by 1 symptom grade, and 6% No improvement.
• Group 3: 0% Asymptomatic, 9% Improved by 2 symptom grades, 18% Improved by 1 symptom grade, 64% No improvement, and 9% Got worse.

In their discussion, they reported that similar to the study where chronic symptoms improved in 26 of 28 patients (93%), here 69 of 93 patients improved (74%). They identified a “non-responders” group (Group 3), where neck movement was normal in spite of pain, bizarre symptoms, and ongoing litigation. The mean age was lower in this group vs. the other two (29.5 vs. 36.8 years old). They concluded, “The results from this study provide further evidence that chiropractic is an effective treatment for chronic whiplash symptoms. However, our identification of a group of patients who fail to respond to such treatment highlights the need for a careful history and physical examination before commencing treatment.” Bottom line, try chiropractic FIRST!!!

We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Think You Are Fat?
Researchers found that normal weight teens who perceive themselves as fat are more likely to grow up to be fat. 59% of girls who felt fat as a teen became overweight in adulthood while 31% of girls who did not consider themselves fat during adolescence were found to be overweight. Normal weight girls were more likely than boys to rate themselves as overweight (22% of girls vs. 9% of the boys). One reason for weight gain in later years may be due to psychosocial stress, which can be associated with gaining weight. Under this scenario, the psychosocial stress related to having (or not having) an ideal body type, along with the perception of oneself as overweight, can result in weight gain. Another explanation may be that young people who see themselves as fat often change their eating habits by skipping meals, which can lead to obesity. Also, a diet you can't maintain over time will be counterproductive, as the body tries to maintain the weight you had before you started to diet.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, July 2012

Health Alert: Depression Is A World-Wide Problem.
It's widely believe that depression is a phenomenon of Western culture, but researchers who analyzed studies involving over 480,000 people across 91 countries have found the opposite is true. They estimate the rate of depression in Middle Eastern and some Asian countries (~9%) is twice that found in countries like the United States and Australia (~4%).
World Health Organization, 2010

Diet: Bad BBQ News!
Barbecue can sabotage your waistline. A 20 ounce T-bone steak can weigh in at 1,540 calories, with 124 grams of fat. A cheeseburger has 750 calories and 45 grams of fat. Pork or beef ribs come from the fattiest part of the animal. Healthier options include pork tenderloin, skinless chicken breast, and lean ground beef.
American Heart Association

Exercise: Good Reasons.
Regular exercise maintains or improves joint flexibility, improves your glucose tolerance and reduces workdays missed due to illness.
Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Chiropractic: Motion and Nutrition.
Cartilage is avascular, meaning it does not receive nutrition via blood vessels. Like a sponge, it takes in fluid and releases the fluid when compression is applied. This alternating compression and re-expansion allows it to receive its supply of nutrients and remove metabolic waste.
Arthritis & Rheumatism, 1984

Wellness/Prevention: Lose To Gain?
People who are overweight or obese could gain ten years worth of health benefits by simply losing 20 pounds. Modest weight loss (average 14 lbs) reduced the risk of individuals developing Type 2 diabetes by 58%. Weight loss of just 10% of a person's body weight has been shown to have long-term impact on sleep apnea, hypertension, quality of life, and to slow the decline in mobility that occurs as people age.
American Psychological Association, July 2012

Neck Pain and Smoking – What’s the Connection?

There is a lot of convincing peer reviewed literature (research) that supports chiropractic as one of the first and best courses of care to consider when choosing a treatment option for neck pain and headaches. This is because there is low risk, few rare side-effects, and most importantly, IT REALLY WORKS! But, there are other considerations in the management of neck and headache pain that perhaps we haven’t thought about. One is smoking.

There are several convincing studies that have looked at the exposure to tobacco smoke and smoking in terms of its effect on neck pain. Let’s look at some statistics. One study reported that as many as 213 per 1000 people reported neck pain. The 12-month prevalence of neck pain ranged between 30-50% of which activity-limiting pain was reportedly as high as 11.5%. Women were found to be more at risk than men which peaks in middle age. Risk factors for neck pain include genetics, poor psychological health, and EXPOSURE TO TOBACCO. Interestingly, smoking/exposure to tobacco is listed as a risk factors but disk degeneration is not! Researchers also pointed out that the use of equipment made to prevent injury to the head/neck such as helmets and face shields was NOT associated with increased risk for neck injury in bicycling, hockey or skiing as some have suggested that wearing protective head gear increases vulnerability to injury. THIS IS NOT THE CASE, so wear your helmet! This study concluded that there are some things we can’t modify regarding increased risk of developing neck pain (such as gender, genetics, and age); however, the modifiable risk factors of smoking, exposure to tobacco, and psychological health CAN be helped so that’s the LEAST WE SHOULD DO!

Two new studies show that smoking is directly tied to neck/back pain and the development of arthritis. Interestingly, the Harvard study reported that the risk of developing psoriatic arthritis was twice as high for current vs. past smokers, and both current and past smokers were at greater risk when compared to those who had never smoked. The 2nd study (Paris, France) found that smokers had an earlier onset of inflammatory back/neck pain and a worse course of the disease than non-smokers. Taking these two studies together, the interactions between environmental factors and the onset, the degree of severity and the ultimate outcomes of rheumatic diseases, “…it’s becoming increasingly clear how detrimental the influence of smoking is on most of these diseases.” The worst scenario was found in those who smoked >25 years and, >20 “pack years” (>1 pack/day for 20+ years). The “bottom line” is that smoking and exposure to smoke have significant negative health affects, not only for present health, but also for future pain, suffering and quality of life. Thankfully, it’s been shown that if you quit smoking, the likelihood of improved health affects is high so of course, QUIT NOW and you’ll be ahead of the curve.

In fact, a conscientious surgeon recommending a spinal fusion may say, “…you must quit smoking or else I will not perform the surgery that you need.” The reason for this insistence is because the risk of fusion failure goes up 500% in smokers (fusions are needed in certain types of back and neck surgeries).

We realize that you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.