|
|
|
May 2013
It’s a great time of year when the leaves pop out and the lawn never looks better. I hope you’re enjoying Spring and getting a chance to get out. I want to thank those of you who have been putting up with our new computerized sign in and my struggle with our new electronic record system. Make sure you bring your glasses!
If you’re over due for a visit (you know who you are) then use this opportunity to call or go to our website to request an appointment.
I can’t wait to see you!
Here’s an interesting thought:
“Ninety percent of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine.”
-Dr. Roger Sperry
Nobel Prize 1981
|
|
Bed Rest for Your Back Pain? Not the Best Idea
Upwards of 80 percent of adults suffer at least one episode of back pain in their lifetime, which means you’ve already felt the pain, are feeling it now or will feel it before you know it.
And chances are good that, like so many others, your first thought will be to get off your feet, lie down and rest. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that unless the pain is severe or accompanied by other symptoms, such as pain radiating down the legs, rest is exactly the opposite strategy if you’re trying to relieve your back pain.
If you’re suffering from back pain, staying active is an important piece of advice to follow in the majority of cases. That means avoiding bed rest, prolonged stretches of sitting, standing or inactivity; and doing all the things you usually do, within reason (no heavy lifting or intense physical activity, including twisting or other dramatic movements that could make the pain worse).
While it may sound counter-intuitive, abundant research suggests activity can help reduce the pain and shorten recovery time in most cases of non-complicated back pain. In fact, one study that summarized findings from an international task force on back pain stated, among other findings / recommendations: 1) bed rest is contraindicated in subacute and chronic cases of low back pain; in acute cases, bed rest should neither be enforced nor prescribed; and if authorized (based on pain indication), bed rest should be for the shortest duration possible.
The theory is relatively simple, if you think about it: Inactivity can make your spine and back muscles tight and stiff, increasing the pain, particularly when you bend or stretch. Prolonged inactivity can also make you weaker, not to mention that evidence suggests the longer you stay in bed with pain, the more likely that your pain will become chronic / more disabling, often because you avoid moving for fear it will exacerbate the pain.
Of course, the first step when suffering back pain is to make a visit with a health care provider who can evaluate your pain, make sure there’s nothing more serious going on, and then offer treatment and self-care recommendations (including activity) to help relieve it. Enter your doctor of chiropractic, the experts in treating spinal pain.
To Your Health 3/13
|
|
Glucosamine Chondroitin: Do you know what’s in yours?
Glucosamine with chondroitin is a very popular supplement to support healthy joints. Something that most people don’t realize, though, is the amount of adulteration that is occurring with this specific supplement.
Unfortunately certain manufacturers, in an attempt to maximize their profit, add cheaper ingredients that are not listed on the bottle, which generally are not harmful, but you are not getting what you purchased.
The glucosamine portion of the supplement is relatively inexpensive, so this ingredient is rarely adulterated. The problem lies with the chondroitin sulfate portion of the supplement. This ingredient is fairly expensive, so cheaper alternatives, such as keratin sulfate and cheaper polysaccharides, are substituted to produce a less expensive supplement. Even though the ingredients are changed, the manufacturer will still claim that the product contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Many times the manufacturer will tell you that they tested the product, but use an inappropriate testing process that is not specific enough to detect any adulteration.
If you are truly curious about what is contained in the supplement that you are interested in, request a certificate of analysis. If the certificate of analysis doesn’t specify the testing method, move on to another company or ask for further details.
When purchasing glucosamine with chondroitin it’s worth every penny to not just purchase the cheapest product on the shelf. When you can ensure the quality of the product that you are purchasing is exactly what it claims to be, you can have the most confidence of attaining the desired outcome of using the product.
We only use Thorne, Pure Encapsulations and Traditional Nutritionals because of their high quality and third party assays.
|
|
Eat Fish, Live Longer
We all know eating fish has a number of benefits, but what if we told you it can also help you live longer? That is what many researchers have found after doing numerous studies. According to a new study, eating fish could potentially slash an older person’s risk of dying prematurely by more than a quarter, and their risk of dying from heart disease by more than a third, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington.
In addition, researchers discovered that older adults with the highest blood levels of the fatty acids found in fish lived, on average, happened to find themselves living 2.2 years longer than those with lower levels.
Researchers have long linked the consumption of unsaturated fats in fish with a reduced risk of dying from heart disease. And the American Heart Association recommends eating fish, especially fatty fish, at least twice a week.
This new study has a lot of significance because now fish is being considered a key diet component for living a long time, not just avoiding heart disease. The study was published online April 1 in Annals of Internal Medicine.
In their study, researchers examined 16 years of data pertaining to 2,700 healthy U.S. adults aged 65 or older who participated in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). The researchers also analyzed the total proportion of blood omega-3 fatty acids — including three specific ones — in participants’ blood samples at baseline. After adjusting for dietary, lifestyle and other factors, they found that the fatty acids were linked with a significantly lower risk of mortality.
One type in particular — docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — was most strongly related to a 40 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease death. Of the other blood fatty acids measured — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) — DPA was most strongly associated with lower risk of stroke death, and EPA most strongly linked with lower risk of nonfatal heart attack, according to a press release. None of these fatty acids were dramatically related to other, non-cardiovascular causes of death.
Overall, participants with the highest levels of all three types of fatty acids had a 27 percent lower risk of total mortality due to all causes.
The types of fish that contain high levels of omega-3 include mackerel, trout, tuna, salmon, herring, sardines and anchovies. Make sure to get a few of these in your diet and reap the benefits of having a few extra years of life.
|
|
Smelly Hog Farms May Raise Neighbors’ BP
Exposure to bad smells emanating from industrial swine farms may acutely increase blood pressure among residents in nearby communities, researchers found.
On a nine-point scale, each additional unit of hog odor was associated with increases of 0.23 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure and 0.10 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure, according to Steve Wing, PhD, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues.
“Odorant pollution could also produce other changes in a person’s environment that cause acute changes in blood pressure; for example, irritability of a household member,” they wrote. Ya think?
When I take blood pressures I will be asking about hog farm proximity from now on. Fairfield County has a ton of them.
|
|
Spinal Steroids Diminish BMD in Older Women
A single epidural steroid injection led to a significant decrease in hip bone mineral density (BMD) among postmenopausal women, an observational study found.
These findings suggested that there could be a six-fold rise in annual bone loss at the hip among women receiving the injections, they noted.
They urged greater caution in the use of this treatment in patients at risk for fracture, and recommended the adoption of bone-protective measures such as exercise and increased intake of calcium and vitamin D.
|
|
Stymie gives it a twist
“Gee you cured me!” “Awww that’s nothin’!” Here
Thanks to Brian O.
|
|
|
Bed Rest? NO.
Comments are closed.