cherok-chiropractic

A Simple Method to Decompress

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:07:35 GMT

How many times have you gone to your medical doctor and been told…”In order to get better, you’re going to have to find a way to reset your nervous system so that it recoups from the stress of regular life.” Most likely…never!

At most, doctors will say, “Of course stress affects your health”, as they write you a prescription for a drug.

Now contrast that to a good chiropractor or other alternative health care practitioner, and you probably have been asked that question and given more natural treatments, like a great adjustment, and other recommendations to assist you with that.

But what else can YOU do?

Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the world’s leading Functional Medicine Doctors and 10 times New York Times Best-Selling Author, has a different opinion that is more in alignment with how I approach the human body and help it restore health and healing.

As he says, “There are three things that are critical for healing: it’s what you eat, moving your body, and learning how to reset your nervous system.”

And what does he recommend for resetting your nervous system…? He recommends “Tapping”, and says that “Tapping is one of the most directed and powerful ways to peel those layers away of chronic stress. It’s very effective for very difficult problems.”

If you want to learn about how you can overcome illness, create long-term, lasting health, or just get over regular stress and feel better, then I highly recommend you consider “Tapping”, also called EFT. EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique was discovered well over a decade ago, and there is lots of data about it available on the web. I suggest this link for a good short explanation of Tapping and how to do it:

Video by The Tapping Solutions

Chiropractic Care Instead of Opioids?

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 19:43:24 GMT

New Hampshire Study Concludes That Patients Who Receive Chiropractic Care are 55% Less Likely to Require Opioid Prescriptions.

OBJECTIVE:

Pain relief resulting from services delivered by doctors of chiropractic may allow patients to use lower or less frequent doses of opioids, leading to the reduced risk of adverse effects. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the association between the utilization of chiropractic services and the use of prescription opioid medications.

Image by Freepik

Chiropractic Care Instead of Opioids?

DESIGN:

The authors used a retrospective cohort design to analyze health insurance claims data.

SETTING:

The data source was the all-payer claims database administered by the State of New Hampshire. The authors chose New Hampshire because health claims data were readily available for research, and in 2015, New Hampshire had the second-highest age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in the United States.

SUBJECTS:

The study population comprised New Hampshire residents aged 18-99 years, enrolled in a health plan, and with at least two clinical office visits within 90 days for a primary diagnosis of low-back pain. The authors excluded subjects with a diagnosis of cancer.

OUTCOME MEASURES:

The authors measured likelihood of opioid prescription fill among recipients of services delivered by doctors of chiropractic compared with nonrecipients. They also compared the cohorts with regard to rates of prescription fills for opioids and associated charges.

RESULTS:

The adjusted likelihood of filling a prescription for an opioid analgesic was 55% lower among recipients compared with nonrecipients (odds ratio 0.45; 95% confidence interval 0.40-0.47; p < 0.0001). Average charges per person for opioid prescriptions were also significantly lower among recipients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Among New Hampshire adults with office visits for noncancer low-back pain, the likelihood of filling a prescription for an opioid analgesic was significantly lower for recipients of services delivered by doctors of chiropractic compared with nonrecipients. The underlying cause of this correlation remains unknown, indicating the need for further investigation.

Opioid Addiction Epidemic

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 17:49:51 GMT

Opioids Misuse and Addiction: How Chiropractic Can Help

Thirty-five-year-old Megan presented with chronic neck and upper back pain. Megan’s pain began four years

earlier, following a car accident where she injured her cervical spine and

upper thoracic spine. The pain became a daily part of Megan’s routine. When she became pregnant with her first child, she was taking opioid pain medication daily, but she was able to stop during the first trimester.

After her first pregnancy, Megan continued to have pain and began to retake opioids. Pregnant with her

second child, Megan struggled to stop the medication. Seeking help, she found support from her husband, family and friends. However, the pain continued to rule her life, making stopping difficult.

The treatment of chiropractic care—or any other complementary therapy—was never provided as an option to

Megan for her chronic neck and back pain.

Chronic Pain Is a Widespread Problem Megan’s story is not an unfamiliar one. News stories about the opioid addiction abound. It is a major problem throughout the U.S., and it does not discriminate. We live in a society

that is in pain. According to the American Academy of Pain Management, 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. ¹ In addition to the reports of chronic pain, opioid medications have been overprescribed. Intended

for pain associated with cancer and the end stages of life, opioids are less effective in treating noncancerous, chronic pain. ^2,3

The opioid crisis is not new. Its usage in the U.S. can be traced back to the late 1800s when morphine and

heroin became readily available. During that time, the most commonly addicted were white females. In the early 1900s, opioids, such as heroin, were used as cough suppressants, and not much was known about the drug’s long-term effects.

As usage became widespread, it became apparent that opioids were addictive. In 1914, the Harrison Narcotics

Act was initiated, and a tax was imposed on anyone making, selling or importing any type of opium. In 1924, heroin became illegal. ⁴

In the 1980s, published articles attested to the safety of long-term heroin usage. An escalation of

usage began, resulting in a significant impact on the country.

A wide variety of opioids can be prescribed within the following categories:

Natural Opioids like morphine, which is derived from the poppy plant
Semi-synthetic like hydrocodone and heroin
Fully synthetic-like
tramadol or fentany l

When opioid prescriptions are no longer available, many individuals begin using heroin due to its low cost

and ready availability. ⁵

Prescription rates vary across the country. The highest overdose rates are found in West Virginia, New Mexico,

New Hampshire, Kentucky, and Ohio. ⁶ Women are twice as likely to use prescription opioids as their male counterparts, and they tend to be between the ages of 25-54. A correlation between deaths due to opioid misuse

and benzodiazepines has been found. ⁷ Many patients are simultaneously prescribed both drugs.

One study found that women have been prescribed opioids for low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy even

though the long-term effects were well known. ⁸ The prevalence of low back pain and pelvic pain is common and ranges between 68 and 72 percent of pregnant women. ^{9, 10} For chronic pain in pregnancy, the American Pain Society guidelines ¹¹ suggested that women be counseled regarding the risks and benefits of opioid therapy, with the recommendation that there should be little to no use during pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists makes numerous recommendations to minimize

opioid use and highlight nonpharmacological options for chronic pain. ¹² For those who are addicted, abrupt discontinuation of opioids during pregnancy can lead to preterm labor, fetal demise, or fetal distress. Opioid agonist therapy with methadone or buprenorphine is the standard recommendation. Infants exposed to opioid use may develop neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which was first described in the clinical literature in the 1970s. In 2012 alone, 21,000 infants were diagnosed, a five-fold increase from the previous 12 years.

There is a high correlation between opioid exposure and death from birth to five years of age. ^{13, 14} Opioid exposure tends to be accidental, such as a child accidentally ingesting a pill or being stuck by a heroin needle. Since infants and small children have a low body mass, even a small amount of exposure can have long-term and damaging effects.

Exposure tends to decline before it starts to elevate beginning at age 12 and increasing until ages17-18, where it plateaus. Opioid use in adolescents is much different than in the younger counterparts, as it tends to result from leftover prescriptions found in medicine cabinets. ^{13, 14}

The Role of Chiropractic Chiropractic can often help with chronic pain as an alternative to medications. Typically, after a regimen of chiropractic treatment, patients are able to reduce or eliminate unnecessary medications. Also, we can frequently help patients avoid unnecessary surgeries. Our community has drug drop boxes for opioid disposal, drug take-back programs, and testing programs. Also drug lock boxes are available. Check with your local pharmacist and city hall.

References

¹ Institute of Medicine Report from the

Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education: Relieving Pain in

America, A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education and Research.

The National Academies Press, 2011.

² Trescot AM, Glaser SE, Hansen H,

Benyamin R, Patel S, Manchikanti L. Effectiveness of Opioids in the Treatment

of Non-Cancer Pain. Pain Physician. 2008; 11. 181-200.

³ Chou R, Deyo R. Devine B. The

Effectiveness and Risks of Long Term Opioid Treatment in Chronic Pain. Agency

for Healthcare Research and Quality. September 2014

⁴ Kolodny A, Courtwright D, Hwang C,

Kreiner P, Eadie J, Clark T, Alexander G. The Prescription Opioid and Heroin

Crisis: A Public Health Approach to an Epidemic of Addiction. Annual Review of

Public Health. Vol 36 (2015) pp559-574

⁵ Jones CM. Heroin use and heroin use risk

behaviors among nonmedical users of prescription opioid pain relievers – United

States, 2002-2004 and 2008-2010. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013;132(1-2):95-100.

⁶ CDC https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/opioid-prescribing/

⁷ American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Opioid Addiction Fast Facts(2016) https://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf

⁸ Maeda A, Bateman BT, Clancy CR, Creanga

AA, Leffert LR. Opioid Abuse and Dependance During Pregnancy: Temporal Trends

and Obstetrical Outcomes. Anesthesiology 2014. Dec;121 (6):1158-65

⁹ Wang SM, Dezinno P, Maranets I, Berman

MR, Caldwell-Andrews AA, Kain ZN. Low back pain during pregnancy: prevalence,

risk factors, and outcomes. Obstet Gynecol 2004;104(1):65–70

¹⁰ Mogren IM, Pohjanen AI. Low back pain

and pelvic pain during pregnancy: prevalence and risk factors. Spine

2005;30(8):983–991

¹¹ American Pain Society

Guidelines:Guideline for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy in Noncancer Pain:

Evidence Review: http://americanpainsociety.org/uploads/education/guidelines/chronic-opioid-therapy-cncp.pdf

¹² Committee on Obstetric Practice American

Society of Addiction Medicine August 2017: American College of Obstetricians

and Gynecologists https://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Opioid-Use-and-Opioid-Use-Disorder-in-Pregnancy

¹³ Patrick S and Schiff D. A Public Health

Response to Opioid Use During Pregnancy. American Academy of Pediatrics.

Pediatrics. Vol 139/Issue 3 (2017)

¹⁴ Allen J, Marcel C, Spiller H, Thiphalak

C, Hodges N, Smith G. Prescription Opioid Exposures Among Children and

Adolescents in the United States: 2000-2015. Pediatrics. Vol 139. No 4(2017)

Sciatica

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 22:46:24 GMT

The sciatic nerves are the largest and longest nerves of the body, reaching about the size of your thumb in diameter, and running down the back of each leg. When these nerves are irritated or affected by the inflammation of nearby soft tissues, doctors refer to this as sciatica

One of the most common causes of sciatic leg pain is the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. It can be accompanied by the bulging or herniation of the soft pulpy discs which separate each spinal bone. This can irritate or put pressure on the sciatic nerve roots as they leave the spinal cord. The result can be pain, numbness, tingling, or lack of normal muscle contraction down either or both legs.

In the past, treatment has involved pain medications, muscle relaxers, physical therapy, and even surgery. The chiropractic approach is to use high precision chiropractic adjustments to remove interference from spinal structures, as well as hip, knee, ankle, and foot. These chiropractic adjustments can be quite effective in reducing nerve irritation and its associated symptoms.

Sciatica, like other health problems that can be traced to the spine, often responds dramatically to the restoration of normal spinal function through conservative chiropractic care. While it can take time, chiropractic care can be quite successful in removing the cause of sciatica and low back pain. Research shows that when treated with conservative chiropractic care, sciatica has an 8-9% greater rate of recovery than if patients were to use physical therapy or standard medical care.

Straight Leg Raise, which stretches the sciatic nerve, is one of the tests we use to determine sciatic nerve involvement and possible lumbar disc irritation.

How to Use a Computer

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 22:33:30 GMT

Not sure if you are sitting efficiently and appropriately at your computer desk? Watch this video and make adjustments as needed!

World Health Organization: Burnout is a Legitimate Syndrome

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 22:22:08 GMT

Below is a link to mental health resources in San Mateo County from Melissa Platte. Melissa is a fellow member of my San Mateo Rotary club and the director of San Mateo nonprofit mental health agencies.

www.smccontractors.org

The World Health Organization has a new definition of Occupational Burnout: “A syndrome resulting from chronic stress at work that has not been successfully managed.” This new definition of burnout will be published in the International Classification of Diseases, ICD-11, which will go into effect in January 2022.

Not technically a medical condition, the WHO calls burnout an occupational phenomenon which is a “factor influencing health status or contact with health services.”

There are three primary symptoms:

Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
Increased mental distance from one’s job or negativity and cynicism related to one’s job
Reduced professional efficacy

Burnout is reaching epic proportions in many industrialized countries. Recent Gallup research, for example, showed that 2.7 million workers in Germany report feeling the effects of burnout. A 2013 survey of human resource directors in the United Kingdom found that nearly 30% reported that burnout was widespread within their organization. Doctors in the US experience symptoms of burnout at almost twice the rate of other workers, resulting in more medical errors and patients with worse outcomes. The economic impacts are also significant, potentially costing the economy $4.6 billion a year.

Just as the impact of burnout stifles healthy professional growth, emerging research shows that the chronic psychosocial stress that characterizes burnout not only impairs people’s personal and social functioning, it also can overwhelm their cognitive skills and neuroendocrine systems — eventually leading to distinctive changes in the anatomy and functioning of the brain.

According to a study led by Armita Golkar at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, burnout changes neural circuits in the brain and inhibits the ability to cope with stressful situations. It’s a vicious cycle: The more stressed one is, the harder it is to deal with stressors in the future.

For the study, researchers recruited 40 participants with diagnosed burnout symptoms. All participants attributed their condition to prolonged work-related stress: They worked 60 to 70 hours a week continuously over the course of several years. The researchers also recruited 70 healthy participants with no history of chronic stress to serve as the control group.

All participants performed an emotion-regulation task, in which they looked at neutral and negative pictures and were asked to either suppress, intensify, or maintain their emotional response. While the participants were looking at the picture, the experimenters played a startling sound and measured the participants’ reaction to the stimuli using electrodes placed in participants’ cheeks.

Results showed that burnout subjects had a harder time suppressing their reactions to the loud sound. In other words, the people who were stressed to begin with had a harder time dealing with new stressors.

Researchers also scanned participants’ brains while they were sitting quietly and found that the amygdala, a part of the brain associated with fear and aggression, was bigger among participants in the burnout group. More stressed participants also had stronger connections between the amygdala and brain areas linked to emotional distress.

As for why the burned-out participants had trouble regulating their emotions, the brain scans revealed that they had weaker connections between the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with executive function.

In addition to dysregulation in brain function, emerging evidence suggests that — much like other chronic stress conditions — burnout also leads to turmoil within the regulation of the neuroendocrine system. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is an important component in the regulation of the stress response, controlling the release cortisol. Under normal conditions, when the body perceives a threat, cortisol is released from the adrenal cortex. Under conditions of prolonged stress, however, the HPA axis ceases to produce higher-than-normal levels of cortisol. When cortisol levels remain too high for too long, the body responds by eventually downshifting cortisol production to abnormally low levels. These abnormally low levels of cortisol are associated with severe stress and trauma, as though the body’s stress response system itself has been burned out.

So what can be done?

Providers are in a unique position to help their patients see the link between burnout and health. Each patient is different in how they perceive stress in their lives and whether they feel consumed by it. For this reason, testing HPA axis function and neurotransmitter secretion can be an important tool in helping to address the imbalances that can result from long term chronic stress. Essentially, they provide a way to objectively measure the degree of a patient’s burnout, allowing health care providers to provide much needed support.

While the ICD’s 11 ^th edition will not go into effect until 2022, with this announcement, the WHO is presently helping to bring attention to a serious health issue

By Lylen Ferris, ND | June 11, 2019

References

Golkar A, et al. The Influence of Work-Related Chronic Stress on the Regulation of Emotion and on Functional Connectivity in the Brain. PLOS One. Published September 3, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0104550

Michel A. Burnout and the Brain. Association for Psychological Science. February 2016. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/burnout-and-the-brain . Accessibility verified 5/29/19.

Oaklander M. Physician Burnout Costs the US Billions of Dollars Each Year. Time Magazine. May 28, 2019. http://time.com/5595056/physician-burnout-cost/ . Accessibility verified 5/29/19.

Lymphatic Drainage

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 22:00:19 GMT

Something Simple to Give Your Immune System A Boost

Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, it’s pretty quick, just a few minutes, to do a daily drainage routine.
If you feel under the weather, I suggest two times per day, morning and evening.
Otherwise once per day is sufficient.

Here’s a video from Rochelle Clark:

Many people don’t realize that regular Chiropractic care also makes a significant difference in the functioning of the nervous system.

This is because, either directly or indirectly, every cell in our bodies is supplied via the nervous system.
The Autonomic Nervous System supplies all our organs, including the liver and spleen, which are the bulwark of our immune system.

Pressure on the spinal nerves which supply these organs can cause organ malfunction or impaired function.

Therefore, periodic adjustments keep the spine and nervous system balanced and functioning optimally.

This has been demonstrated in studies which measure the effect of Chiropractic adjustments on blood pressure and heart function. Here are two examples, one from the University of Chicago and another from Science Direct: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics .

Are you ready to enjoy the health boosting benefits of chiropractic? Get in touch with us to make an appointment.

Stay Hydrated.

Tue, 30 May 2023 04:05:04 GMT

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, approximately 71 percent of the earth’s surface is composed of water. Similarly, 60 to 70 percent of the average adult human body is composed of water. If you’re a 120-pound female, you’re made of at least 72 pounds, or 36 quarts, of water. If you’re a 175-pound male, you’re carrying around at least 105 pounds, or 52 to 53 quarts, of water. In either case, that’s a lot of liquid. But that water isn’t in your body for ballast. It’s there for work. Water provides the medium in which all our physiological processes take place. In other words, water makes our lives possible.

This makes sense when we consider that the proportion of water on earth and in our bodies is approximately the same. Water is the conduit that makes things happen. From the perspective of complex biological organisms, without water there are no organs, no tissues, and no cells. And if there are no cells, there is no life.

Thus, water is essential to our survival. But our internal supply of water is dynamic. We use up more or less water depending on our activities. Of course, being more physically active causes more water to be consumed in metabolic processes such as releasing energy from ATP adenosine triphosphate) molecules.1 Rebuilding ATP supplies requires water as well. Additionally, your kidneys maintain dynamic control over the amount of water in your blood as one of the primary means of regulating blood pH, which must be in a very narrow range of 7.35 to 7.45. Even minor deviations from optimal pH levels can result in symptoms such as fatigue, headache, increased heart rate, muscle pain, and jaundice. Maintaining sufficient water intake is as important a requirement for good health as is regular exercise, a healthy diet, and obtaining necessary rest.

The question naturally arises, how much water should I drink each day? Drinking sufficient water takes a little bit of effort, but there is a big payoff. In fact, the recommendation to drink more water is possibly the most important nutritional advice one could receive. If one is not drinking enough water, any other nutritional improvements will have less of an impact. Specifically, take your body weight and divide it in half. That’s the number of ounces of fluid you need per day. You can use water, juice, soup, herbal teas, anything which is mostly fluid. Because they are “diuretics” or eliminate fluid from your body, alcohol and caffeinated beverages don’t count as part of your daily fluid. In fact you have to add fluid to make up for their deleterious effect. Example: I weigh 122 pounds. 122 x 1/2 = 61, i.e. I need 61 oz of fluid per day. If I have a cup of caffeinated coffee for breakfast, now I need 69 oz. of fluid today. If I have a glass of wine with dinner, then I need to add another 8 oz. To make up for it (78 total for today).

Hikers and those living or working at altitude know that by the time you feel thirsty (or your mouth feels dry), it’s too late. (2,3)

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed a lot more of my friends, patients and loved ones complaining about pain in their neck, back, and joints.

And it makes sense… with everyone staying home, people just aren’t moving around as much these days.

So…I did a little research and came up with a quick routine to help improve joint comfort and better mobility.

It only takes about 30-seconds to do, but it will make a HUGE impact on how you feel all day long.

All you need is an empty glass and the alarm on your phone.

Every time you sit down — whether it’s to work, to watch a show, or to simply read through your emails — set an alarm for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, walk to the kitchen and get a drink of water. DON’T just keep a glass of water next to you (I’ll tell you why in a second…)

First, I’m going to explain WHY you’re getting water:

Believe it or not, a lot of joint and back pain is actually due to dehydration .

In-between each vertebra is a disk that acts as a cushion for your spine. The inner layers of these disks are filled with water…and when we bend our spines to sit, the disks compress and some of that water leaks out.

This isn’t a problem if you’re properly hydrated; those disks will simply get refilled by your body. But if you don’t drink enough water, that won’t happen…and your vertebrae will be left grinding against each other, causing you an extreme amount of stiffness and pain. It’s estimated that roughly 70% of Americans don’t drink enough water — which means there’s a good chance you’re dehydrated without even knowing it. By reminding yourself to drink more water, you’ll decrease back pain and improve your overall health.

So… Why not just keep a glass of water next to you?

You won’t be surprised when I tell you: Humans just weren’t meant to sit around a house all day! As strange as it sounds, moving around is one of the best ways to decrease back and joint pain. In fact, a 2011 study conducted in Minneapolis showed that people who sit less also experience much less back and neck pain. Researchers challenged sedentary workers to stand up more frequently — reducing their sit-time by 66 minutes a day. After 7 weeks of this, participants reported 54% less back and neck pain.

When it comes down to it, you and I weren’t designed to sit for more than 30 minutes at a time. When you sit down for hours and hours at time, it’s a recipe for back and joint pain. By setting an alarm and making yourself get up to drink a glass of water, you’ll give your body two of the most important tools it needs to keep your joints healthy and happy.

1. Graham MJ, et al: Low-Volume Intense Exercise Elicits Post-exercise Hypotension and Subsequent Hypervolemia, Irrespective of Which Limbs Are Exercised. Front Physiol 2016 May 31. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00199

2. Thornton SM: Increased Hydration Can Be Associated with Weight Loss. Front Nutr 2016 Jun 10. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2016.00018

3. Johnson EC: Hormonal and Thirst Modulated Maintenance of Fluid Balance in Young Women with Different Levels of Habitual Fluid Consumption. Nutrients 2016 May 18. doi: 10.3390/nu8050302

DIY Recyclable Lumbar Support

Tue, 30 May 2023 04:02:25 GMT

Not sure what to do with all those extra plastic bags? How about you make your own lumbar support pillow! It’s easy, environmentally friendly, and can save your back.

Materials: You will ONLY need plastic bags!!

1) Several dozen plastic bags, no size requirement

2) One sturdy plastic bag, preferably 11”x17”

(Optional: small pillowcase)

Step 1:

Tie the two ends of a plastic bag into a knot.

Continue to tie knots in the plastic bag 2-3xs until its a small, somewhat compressible ball. The knots do not have to be excessively tight but should hold

Step 2:

Put the plastic knot into the sturdy bag.

Step 3:

Repeat step 1 and 2 for each plastic bag until the sturdy bag is plump and full with knots.

Step 4:

Roll the opening of the sturdy bag downward and tie the two ends twice, which will secure the plastic knots in the bag.

Step 5 (Optional):

Poke 1-2 holes into the bag so that the air will slowly leave when you lean against it. (You want it to conform to your spine, but still hold its shape.)

Step 6 (Optional):

Drop the filled and tied plastic bag into a pillowcase. If it’s a larger pillow case, roll the rest of the hanging pillowcase around tightly.

How to Use

While seated in a chair, place the completed lumbar support between the small cavity of your back (i.e., from the bottom of your rib cage to your buttocks) and the back of the chair. Move your buttocks backward until the support is wedged finely against the chair.

Recumbent Bike.

Tue, 30 May 2023 03:46:40 GMT

Recumbent stationary bikes provide an excellent way to condition, improve cardiovascular function, and burn fat. Even for people who have bulging or herniated discs, they are usually a safe form of exercise.

When pedaling the legs should not have to be wider than the position they would normally be.
The pedal at its highest point should come no higher than ½ inch below the front of the seat (use a level to determine the height). You can add a firm foam pad to lift your buttocks if necessary. It may put less strain on the hips, knees, and back to lift higher than ½ inch.
When the foot is fully extended there should still be ideally 7 degree bend in the knees. (5 degrees is absolute minimum), or else undue strain will be placed on the knees.

All American Fitness (in San Jose) has a smaller bike for shorter people (5′ 4” and shorter): Body Guard. Their products and service are excellent, so I highly recommend going there for your sports equipment needs.

It’s crankcase is 2” less than Precor and Lifecycle (3.5”) which helps put less stress on a short person’s body.

Top 6 Immune System Boosters

Tue, 30 May 2023 03:41:44 GMT

1) Regular chiropractic care

Research shows that removing or reducing nerve pressure boosts organ function. Because the spleen and liver are the backbone of our immune system, this means that regular Chiropractic treatments help boost our immune systems. Because the nerves also control vasoconstriction and vasodilation, keeping the spine and nervous system in balanced harmony also improves circulation, which is crucial for the normal function of every cell in our bodies.

2) Decrease fear levels.

Research shows that the more you’re in fear the lower your immune functioning is. If you do a quick search online you’ll get hundreds of articles on the correlation between fear and lowered immune function specifically related to the pandemic.

How do you decrease fear?

Refocus your attention on positive things in your life like the beautiful day, the fact that you have your health, your family, your pets.
Consider a media fast – disconnecting for a day, several days, a week, or if that’s too difficult try a half a day. Media outlets are television, news, radio, social media, and the internet. You might be surprised how much better you feel ��
Practice gratitude – make this a daily practice. Before bed write down five things that you are grateful for on this day.
Pay attention to what you’re letting into your mind and heart – the body thrives with peace, calm, and positivity. You have the power to create this with a little extra attention and intention!

3) Feed your body healthy whole foods.

The nutrition we put into our body helps it run – when you put in high quality nutrients, the better your body functions, the stronger your immune system is and the better you feel.

Eat the rainbow – make sure you’re getting a large variety of veggies and some fruits – it’s a great way to get antioxidants
Eat whole grains – these provide fiber and nutrients
Eat healthy fats like avocados, coconut oil, raw organic nuts, and olive oil decrease inflammation and are essential for the body.
Eat clean healthy proteins to give your body the building blocks for functioning.

4) Move and rest your body.

Getting exercise regularly has been challenging for us during the pandemic however, It is still incredibly important that you are moving your body in some way and then getting the rest your body needs to repair.

Walks, stretching, jumping jacks, etc.
Just move!
Try exercising for 1 minute each hour – you’d be surprised how effective it is
Get 7-8.5 hours of sleep every night

5) Connect with friends and loved ones.

This is essential! And I know it’s challenging. Social isolation is detrimental to your well-being including your immune system.

Reach out to your friends and family – make the effort
Create or find a group of friends to connect with – create your pod
If you don’t have a pet consider getting one – they love you unconditionally!
Get outside and connect with nature – nature has so many living beings and it’s healing!
Be of service for an elderly neighbor, a friend that needs help, or an organization.

6) Make sure you’re getting your basic nutrients!

Research has shown that vitamins D, C, and zinc are helpful. I’ve also added vitamin A because it boosts T-cells which help to fight infections!

Vitamin C – 1g 3x daily
Vitamin D – 5000 IU daily
Zinc – 30mg daily
Vitamin A – 10,000 IU daily

Incorporate these basic immune system boosters into your daily life to support your immune system, create a healthy and calm mental emotional environment, and feel good that you are taking your health into your own hands!

This article was originally published by Dr. Laura Enfield and has been edited for our website.

Tips to Lose Weight or Maintain a Stable Weight

Tue, 30 May 2023 03:36:09 GMT

As we all adjust to our new way of living, many of us have experienced the “COVID 15” weight gain. I have compiled some tips that have helped me personally maintain a healthy weight for many years, and throughout the pandemic.

1) Walk briskly 5-10 minutes after every meal. This helps to:

Aid digestion
Increase metabolism 10-15% (extremely significant over time)
Reduce stress
Improve blood oxygenation, improving energy level

2) Eat 3 hearty wholesome meals per day and don’t snack in between. Give your organs of digestion a chance to rest.

3) Drink plenty of water every day (see article on my Blog: Stay hydrated) have water at hand in every room, in your car, and everywhere you go. Make a point of sipping all day long.

4) Think of hunger as your friend . Be present with it. Explore the sensation. Realize that just because you’re hungry, doesn’t mean you have to eat. Remember that “hunger is the best sauce”. Food tastes truly incredible when you’re really hungry. i.e. really look forward to the next full meal. It will taste so good that it will really be worth the wait!

5) If you think you’re hungry, try drinking 8 oz of water, then see if you still feel hungry. Our bodies are programmed, when dehydrated, to feel hungry because almost all true food (non-processed), has water in it..

6) Chew every mouthful at least 30 times. Put your fork or spoon down on the table between bites and focus on the food in your mouth. Enjoy your food. Do not eat and do something else at the same time.

7) If you’re stressed, go for a walk or better yet, do some aerobic exercise. Or you could meditate to alleviate the stress. or take a nap. or watch some comedy. Find alternatives. Don’t eat food to reduce stress.

8) If I gain a pound, I have a fresh fruit yogurt smoothie for breakfast and/or lunch, i.e. semi-fast.

9) Take probiotics every day. Research shows that people who are overweight have fewer helpful gut flora than people who are not. We have 3-4 pounds of flora in our gut normally. This is not insignificant. Studies have shown that having a half cup of nonfat yogurt everyday helps people to lose weight. It’s easy to turn it into a tasty treat by making a fresh fruit smoothie. or you can use crushed unsweetened pineapple. If you freeze the pineapple in small portions, making a smoothie with it turns it into ice cream. You can use nonfat powdered milk to make this as well.

10) If you’re craving sweets, rather than get a piece of cheesecake or some cookies, try a more nourishing sweet.

Examples:

fresh fruit with a few nuts or sliced and spread with nutbutters (I actually have this with every meal. It almost always satisfies my sweet tooth)
Unsweetened granola, soaked in unsweetened almond milk for 24 hours, ( I keep a few 1/3 c. servings in the fridge). Chop up a couple slices of apple or some berries. Put in a covered glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, put a dollop of nonfat yogurt on it, add a couple chopped walnuts, and you basically have apple or berry cobbler.
Get a slice of whole grain, multigrain bread, toast it well, spread it with butter, and T.J’s low sugar jam or with honey.

11) If you are going out to eat or going to a party, bring healthy food with you to eat. Otherwise you will eat whatever poison is available.

12) As much as possible, eat organic true food= Unprocessed or minimally processed. Think of “junk food” as “poison”, not as food. That will make it easier to avoid. After all, it truly is poison and is destroying our health and the health of the nation. Almost all processed food is laden with sugar, fat, salt, and MSG, all of which are extremely addictive. (of course, the food companies do this on purpose) And the ads we see incessantly on every device, constantly urge us to waste our money and our health on this poison. Limit device usage and ads as much as possible.

13) When you go out to eat, wear tight pants, without spandex, and button them up! Avoid dining at buffets.

14) Stop eating immediately when you no longer feel hungry . Don’t eat until stuffed. When I leave the table, I always like to feel that I still have some room for more. When eating out and anytime really, my motto is, “I love leftovers”.

15) I weigh myself before going to bed every night. This is great motivation to not eat anymore than I need. The reckoning comes at bedtime!

16) Truly, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” . Apples aid digestion and have fiber. I have either a small apple or a third of a large apple with each meal (+ some other seasonal fruit or part of a fruit. They keep well in tupperware). In fact I have 3 fruits a day, one with each meal, either with a few nuts or spread with nut butter. This almost always satisfies my sweet tooth.

17) “Just because you eat it doesn’t mean it isn’t going to waste”. It was a revelation when I came to understand this phrase. I had been raised by parents who went through the Great Depression and so was loathe to ever throw anything out. However, if you eat more than you need, then then in actuality, you’re wasting your health.

18) There are only 2 ways to burn fat:

eat fewer calories than you burn
do aerobic exercise (heart rate 270 minus your age, x 70%). This makes you feel good and more energetic. Always do this at least one hour and up to three hours after a meal. This helps to burn the calories you ate. If you do it just before a meal, it will make you want to eat more!

The best way to lose weight healthfully is a combination of both.

19) I highly recommend having your clothes altered. The motivation is significant for me to not gain weight, because I love my old classic clothing which I can’t buy anymore. All I have to do is gain a few pounds, and they start getting tight. Then I say to myself: “Do I really want to say ‘Goodbye’ to my favorite clothes ?” For 45 years the answer has been a resounding, “No”!

Repetitive Motion Injuries

Tue, 30 May 2023 02:49:49 GMT

A repetitive motion injury (or overuse injury) involves doing an action over and over again, as with a baseball pitcher throwing a baseball, a tennis player hitting a tennis ball, typing at a computer keyboard, and most notoriously, typing with your thumbs on the tiny keypad of your phone. It may be reasonably asserted that our musculoskeletal systems were not designed for such repeated motion sequences utilizing small muscle groups, but rather for a wide variety of tasks involving bending, lifting, twisting and turning, and walking and running that confronted early human progenitors a million and more years ago.

The repeated movements implicated in overuse injuries cause inflammatory reactions, which affect muscle-tendon units that move bones and ligaments that hold joints together.1 The short-term result may be achy or sharp pain localized to a specific muscle or joint. Longer-term results of repetitive motion injuries include more frequent pain, possibly experienced throughout the day, and more significant structural damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments. In the case or carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive use may permanently damage nerve bundles that supply the muscles and other soft tissues of the hand. 2

Overall, it would be optimal to avoid repetitive motions altogether, but for almost all of us this is simply not an option. It would certainly be sensible to restrict typing on the keypad of our phones, but limiting typing on a full-size keyboard would conflict with the work environment in which most of us earn our livelihood. Whether we are writers, healthcare professionals, members of a sales team, data analysts, or human resource administrators at government or nonprofit agencies, working at a computer comprises a substantial portion of our work week, and may even extend into one or both days of what used to be known as a “weekend”. Similarly, athletes are not going to stop or limit participation in their sport owing to the possibility of a future repetitive motion injury.

The solution lies in a prevention program that incorporates graduated, comprehensive strength training activities into our regular exercise routines.3 Performing upper and lower body strength training exercises each week trains both large and small muscles groups to adapt to mechanical loads throughout a full range of motion. Beginners start with light weights and gradually increase the number of repetitions and the amount of the weight being lifted. Those who have done strength training in the past may have a shorter learning curve and more quickly re-adapt themselves to this critical and rewarding exercise environment. The key for everyone is to exercise each major muscle group, that is, the chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs, at least one time per week on a consistent, ongoing basis.

Regular chiropractic care assists all of us in our exercise activities and in achieving our long-term health and wellness goals. By detecting and correcting spinal misalignments and sources of nerve interference, regular chiropractic care enables our bodies to receive and incorporate the full benefits of our healthy lifestyle choices, including healthy nutrition, sufficient restful sleep, and regular vigorous exercise. In this way, regular chiropractic care helps our families and ourselves to live full, healthy lives.

1 Warrender WJ, et al A Seasonal Variation in the Prevalence of Common Orthopaedic Upper Extremity Conditions. J Wrist Surg 7(3):232-236, 2018

2 Inge Petter Kleggetveit IP, Jørum E: Diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome Scand J Pain Published Online: 2018-06-12; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjpain-2018-0089

3 Pogorzelski J, Nonoperative treatment of five common shoulder injuries: A critical analysis. Obere Extrem 13(2):89-97, 2018; doi: 10.1007/s11678-018-0449-1

This article was originally posted on the website for Dr. Marilyn Carmona.

Learning From History

Tue, 30 May 2023 02:43:49 GMT

Whether we’re driving a car, riding a bike, or trying to record a spare at our local bowling alley, our musculoskeletal system bases its decision-making on past history, that is, what it has learned before. Drawing on years of experience, recorded deep within our muscle memory, we’re able to avoid an unexpected obstacle in the middle of the road, or adapt quickly to a slip on a slick spot on the bowling lane. The history embedded within our physiology immediately directs our actions in the present moment. We don’t have to think about these things. We react — and act — instantaneously, and more often than not, the right result just happens.

Similarly, with a different type of training, a child soon learns not to touch a hot stove and not to pull the cat’s tail. A few years later, when the child begins school, she or he starts to acquire the skills that will lead to the critical accomplishments of being able to read, write, and do arithmetic. If learned properly, these capabilities become lifelong resources. In adulthood, if we’re appropriately motivated, we continue to learn. Among the primary fields of such learning is the realm of taking care of one’s health.

In the area of health care, we learn that if we don’t eat right, get enough vigorous exercise, or obtain sufficient restful sleep, then the good health we took for granted will begin to fade away, to be replaced by problems, symptoms, and diseases. Some of us had parents who encouraged a healthy lifestyle and demonstrated by example, others played high school sports and continued their fitness activities into adulthood, and yet others never had these advantages but understood that the demands of adult life required them to be able to function at their peak.

In other words, being healthy is a learned behavior. Our personal history teaches us that we need to do certain things to keep being healthy and well. The good news is that if we haven’t been leading a healthy lifestyle, it’s usually not too late to start. Regular chiropractic care provides great assistance for all of us, adults and children, who are or want to be on a healthy path. Regular chiropractic care detects and corrects sources of nerve interference and helps restore and maintain full function in our spine and all the other components of our musculoskeletal system. In this way, regular chiropractic care helps our bodies to function at maximum levels of good health, and helps us achieve our goals of ongoing health and well-being for our families and ourselves

If you are ready to learn some new healthy behaviors, contact us for an appointment and we will help you in reaching your health goals.

Sources:
Masley SC, et al: Lifestyle Markers Predict Cognitive Function. J Am Coll Nutr 14:1-7, 2017
Karlsson L, et al: Intramuscular pain modulatory substances before and after exercise in women with chronic neck pain. Eur J Pain. 2015 Sep;19(8):1075-1085, 2015
Alger SE, et al: The role of sleep in human declarative memory consolidation. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 25:269-306, 2015

From the website for Dr. Carmona..

Slowing Brain Aging with Vitamin B12

Tue, 30 May 2023 02:22:45 GMT

An important study appeared in JAMA Psychiatry in June 2016, providing additional evidence that high blood levels of vitamin B12 can slow the shrinking of the brain that commonly occurs after age 60. Previous studies have shown that vitamin B12 and other B vitamins (folic acid and vitamin B6) can slow the rate of brain atrophy in older subjects with mild cognitive impairment and decrease the risk of progression to Alzheimer’s disease. Overall, the emerging scientific evidence suggests if you can slow or prevent the shrinking of the brain, which is Common after age 60, you may decrease your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease quite substantially. The latest study presented data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care

The study followed 501 subjects, ages 60 years and older, from 2001-2009. All subjects were free of dementia at the beginning of study. MRI imaging of their brains was conducted in 299 of the subjects routinely during the six-year follow-up period. Results showed individuals with higher blood levels of vitamin B12 showed a significant decrease in the rate of total brain tissue volume loss (atrophy) compared to individuals with lower blood levels of B12.

Understanding the B12 /Homocysteine Connection

Vitamin B12 is required to make a number of brain neurotransmitters and has been shown to have neuroprotective effects, which may directly slow brain shrinking. It also lowers a chemical in the blood called homocysteine. High homocysteine is known to be extremely damaging to the brain and cerebrovascular blood vessels, and high blood levels of homocysteine are strongly correlated with brain atrophy and risk of Alzheimer’s disease in many studies. In the JAMA Psychiatry study, higher homocysteine also was linked to more rapid brain volume shrinkage. So, there are at least two ways by which vitamin B12 may slow brain shrinking – by directly preventing loss of brain cells and by lowering homocysteine blood levels. What’s more, study participants with lower vitamin B12 levels and/or high homocysteine levels also showed increased white matter hyperintensity

(WMI) on their MRI scans, which is strongly tied to increased risk for cognitive decline and other mental health disorders.

Why Preventing Brain Shrinkage Matters

These studies are important because we know mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the step that precedes development of Alzheimer’s disease. 1 We also know people older than age 60 who do not have MCI still have a brain shrinkage rate of 0.5 percent a year; while people with MCI have a brain shrinkage rate of 1 percent – double that of someone with no cognitive decline. Alzheimer’s patients show an average brain shrinkage of 2.5 percent per year. Thus, anything that slows brain shrinkage is considered to be an invaluable way to preserve cognition as we age.

Other B Vitamins Matter

This brings us to the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Aging (OPTIMA study and VITACOG study), for which researchers recruited 172 individuals older than age 70 who already had MCI. They gave half the subjects folic acid (800 mcg), vitamin B12 (500 mcg) and vitamin B6 (20 mg) per day for two years; the other half received a placebo pill. B-vitamin supplementation slowed brain atrophy by 30 percent, on average, and in some cases up to 53 percent. Cognitive tests showed that the greater the rate of brain atrophy, the more rapid the decline in cognitive function.2

This article was originally published on the Dynamic Chiropractic Website. It was written by James P. Meschino, DC, MS.

References

Hooshmand B, et al. Association of vitamin B12, folate, and sulfur amino acids with brain magnetic resonance imaging measures in older adults: a longitudinal population-based study. JAMA Psychiatry, June 2016;73(6).
Smith AD, et al. Homocysteinelowering by B vitamins slows the rate of accelerated brain atrophy in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. PLOS One, September 2010;5(9):e12244.

Wildfire Inside of You.

Tue, 30 May 2023 02:14:02 GMT

Comparisons between the inner world and the outer world have been frequently drawn by philosophers, nature writers, and visual artists. For example, “seeing the universe in a grain of sand” is a well-known aphorism. The number of neurons in your brain has been compared to the number of stars in the Milky Way. The golden ratio (1.618), derived from the Fibonacci sequence, is demonstrated in flower petals, pine cones, nautilus shells, and human DNA. In this same manner, another comparison may be made between wildfires and our internal system of fires known as inflammatory processes.

These inflammatory processes are unleashed by the immune system in response to a real or perceived attack by foreign cells and foreign proteins. This response includes destroying cells that are recognized as “non-self,” such as microbes but including malignant cells and virus infected cells. Additionally, the immune response involves the release of cell signaling molecules (cytokines) that facilitate cell-to-cell communication. This signaling network modulates the immune response, heightening or diminishing the course of inflammation as needed. Problematically, certain inflammatory processes may be extended unnecessarily or inappropriately, as in anaphylactic shock. Such out-of-control inflammation may be likened to destructive forest wildfires.

Inflammatory processes may also affect joints of the neck, low back, hip, knee, and ankle. Inflammation of a joint is termed osteoarthritis, a painful disorder which also may cause redness, increased warmth, and swelling. Joints affected by osteoarthritis tend to develop limited mobility and use of these structures may become quite difficult over time owing to pain and decreased motion.

Osteoarthritis is not necessarily abnormal and may occur as a result of daily physiological weight-bearing forces. But, as osteoarthritis may cause pain and debility, we could and should employ preventive measures to counter these degenerative processes (processes involving breakdown of tissues). One of the most effective proactive and protective methods to prevent or delay the onset of osteoarthritis is regular vigorous exercise. Physical activities including walking, running, biking, and strength training teach the body how to handle mechanical loads. By training the musculoskeletal system and other connective tissues, physical activity helps to build up “resistance,” in a sense, to the degenerative forces of osteoarthritis. In this way, regular vigorous physical activity helps us to continue to be healthy and well over the course of a lifetime.

Additionally, regular chiropractic care supports our long-range goals of vibrant good health. Regular chiropractic care helps our nerve system to be free of interference and function at peak levels of performance, and helps to optimize our spinal mechanics. By providing these benefits, regular chiropractic care helps us get the most out of the time we spend exercising and achieve greater good health today and into the future.

Article originally posted on the website for Dr. Marilyn Carmona.

Hügle T, Geurts J: What drives osteoarthritis?-synovial versus subchondral bone pathology. Rheumatology (Oxford) 56(9):1461-1471, 2017
Lambova S: Exercise programmes for osteoarthritis with different localization. Curr Rheumatol Rev 2017 Aug 10. doi: 10.2174/1573397113666170810153808. [Epub ahead of print]
Kirihara RA, et al: Intensity, duration and type of physical activity required to improve function in knee osteoarthritis. Acta Ortop Bras 25(1):25-29, 2017

Basic Tenets of a Healthy Diet

Tue, 30 May 2023 01:56:32 GMT

Use fresh unprocessed or minimally processed plant based food whenever possible. Ex. Cooked brown rice is more nutritious than brown rice cakes. Salad made with fresh greens is more nutritious than canned or frozen greens, cooked oatmeal is better than packaged breakfast cereals. Vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and whole grains are more nutritious than animal products, including dairy products. If beans give you gas, use “Beano” digestive enzymes. For best result, chew 1-2 tabs just before eating beans.
Buy organic. It’s more nutritious than natural or conventional and tastes much better. It also helps reduce pesticide and insecticide poisoning of our environment and methane (greenhouse gases) released from massive food animal factory farms. These methane gases from food animal factory farms are contributing more to global warming than ALL the greenhouse gases released from ALL the auto exhaust from vehicles in America combined!
When reading food package labels, never believe anything on the front. Always turn it over and look at the “ingredients” list on the back. Ingredients listed first will be the majority of what makes up the product. Ex. If it doesn’t say “whole wheat” as an ingredient at the beginning then it’s made with white flour which is much less nutritious than whole wheat.

4.When reading food package labels, never believe anything on the front. Always turn it over and look at the “ingredients” list on the back. Ingredients listed first will be the majority of what makes up the product. Ex. If it doesn’t say “whole wheat” as an ingredient at the beginning then it’s made with white flour which is much less nutritious than whole wheat.

5. Beware of high salt items. The rule of thumb is to have no more salt per serving than calories per serving.

6. Have something fresh and raw at every meal. Ex. Carrots, jicima, fresh fruit, avocado, green salad, etc.

7. Serve whole grain products whenever possible. Ex. Whole wheat or multi grain breads, brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, corn, etc. White rice, white bread, pasta, etc., are practically devoid of nutrients.

8. Avoid soda pop- beverages made with phosphoric acid (i.e. Pepsi, Sprite, etc.). Phosphoric acid demineralizes bones. Soda pop also contains large amounts of sugar, caffeine, and toxic chemicals. Good quality bottled water is best. Sparkling water is made with carbonic acid which is healthy.

9. Does a 200 pound person need the same amount of fluids per day as a 120 pound person? It may surprise you to find that there’s a specific way to accurately calculate how much fluid you need per day.

See my blog Stay Hydrated for more information on how to accurately calculate the amount right for you.

Balancing Your Systems With Mindfullness

Tue, 30 May 2023 01:39:46 GMT

Mindfulness has become a very hot topic and is now consistently featured in mass media. This may be considered a good thing, as more and more of us allow ourselves to become distracted throughout the day by the never-ending onslaught of text messages, emails, and the pings of calendar reminders. Instead of turning off our phones, we persist in peering down at them, and our awareness of the world around us becomes dim and dimmer as the pull of our technological devices becomes ever stronger. The important solution to our loss of presence and control is the willingness to take on a mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness may be practiced in many forms, including breath awareness, guided imagery, and meditation. All methods are effective to the extent that we are consistent in our practice. A person may derive as much benefit from one form of mindfulness practice as from another, and one should trust one’s instincts regarding the specific method with which to begin.

The primary benefit of mindfulness practice, of course, is the generation of awareness. ^1,2 It’s so easy to let the hours of the day slip by without any real sense of what is occurring. By the time we get ready for bed, we often think, “where did the day go?” As days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years, we may quickly have the experience of our lives slipping away, of losing control of the content and quality of our lives. The ongoing rush of the stream of time cannot be stopped, but we can subjectively slow things down dramatically by increasing our levels of awareness

F or example, when a Major League Baseball player is consistently seeing the ball well and spraying hits to all portions of the ballpark, his coach will say the player has “slowed the game down.” The player himself will say, “when I’m in the groove, I feel like I can see the seams on the ball.” Such an experience is that of heightened awareness. All of us have had the experience, after some sort of meaningful life event, that we were much more aware of the colors of the sky, trees, and flowers, and the songs of our neighborhood birds were much brighter and sweeter. At such times, we’re able to notice, in great detail, the things that are actually going on all around us. ³ For a brief while, our enjoyment of and participation in life becomes that much greater. We may even notice, regretfully, the loss of that expanded sense of being once it has faded away. Engaging in mindfulness practice is the key to obtaining and enhancing self-awareness. In this way, we are enabled to become healthier, happier, and more effective human beings.

Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

Brown KW, et al: Mindfulness Enhances Episodic Memory Performance: Evidence from a Multimethod Investigation. PLoS One 2016 Apr 26;11(4):e0153309. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153309. eCollection 2016.
Bilevicius E, et al: Banks JB, et al: The protective effects of brief mindfulness meditation training. Conscious Cogn 2015 May;33:277-85. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.016. Epub 2015 Feb 10.

Altered Neural Activity Associated with Mindfulness during Nociception: A Systematic Review of Functional MRI. Brain Sci 2016 Apr 19;6(2). pii: E14. doi: 10.3390/brainsci6020014. New Paragraph

Proven Osteoporosis Treatment Via Exercise

Tue, 30 May 2023 01:27:37 GMT

Effect of two jumping programs on hip bone mineral density in premenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial.

Tucker LA, Strong JE, LeCheminant JD, Bailey BW.

Abstract
PURPOSE:
To determine the effect of two jumping programs on hip bone mineral density (BMD) in women.

DESIGN:
Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING:
Approximately 20 cities in the Mountain West.

SUBJECTS:
Sixty premenopausal women, aged 25 to 50 years, completed the intervention.

INTERVENTION:
Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group or one of two jumping groups. The Jump 10 group performed 10 jumps with 30 seconds rest between jumps, twice daily for 16 weeks, while the Jump 20 group performed the same protocol but with 20 jumps.

MEASURES:
Hip BMD was measured by using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

ANALYSIS:
Analysis of variance and covariance.

RESULTS:
At 8 weeks, unadjusted percentage change in hip BMD was significantly different among groups (F = 5.4, p = .0236). Specifically, compared with controls, the Jump 20 women had significantly greater gains in hip BMD and the Jump 10 women had marginally greater improvements. Following 16 weeks of jumping, differences between the Jump 10 and the Jump 20 groups compared with controls were significant (F = 4.2, p = .0444), especially after adjusting for the covariates (F = 7.3, p = .0092).

CONCLUSION:
After 16 weeks of high-impact jump training, hip BMD can be improved in premenopausal women by jumping 10 or 20 times, twice daily, with 30 seconds of rest between each jump, compared with controls.

Points to remember:

• If you have below a -3.0 T-Score in the hip or spine DO NOT Jump!!

• A sedentary individual who begins ANY (safe) exercise program will likely see results.

• Doing the same exercise program or type for years and years will likely not produce good results.

• Swimming and cycling should not be considered bone-building exercises.

• Start where you are…if you are in poor condition, DO NOT begin a jumping program, progress slowly, building your lower body and core strength, preparing your joints for higher-impact activities.

Smart Summer Footwear

Tue, 30 May 2023 01:20:18 GMT

Summer has arrived and, on the weekends at least, many of us have replaced our boots, oxfords, heels, and pumps with sandals and flip-flops. We want to lose all traces of the long winter and revel in warm, fragrant summer breezes. The summer experience is enhanced by freeing our feet from their long confinement and exposing our toes to the sunshine and fresh air. The only downside is the potential, for some of us, to suffer a foot and/or ankle injury owing to the inadequate support offered by summer footwear.

From a biomechanical perspective, during the eight months or so of the year that you’re wearing regular shoes and boots, your feet and ankles adapt to the configuration and support provided by your footwear. In fact, your feet and ankles come to depend on your footwear and your built-in physiological support systems “dumb down.” As weight-bearing support is being provided by footwear, your innate neurological mechanisms don’t have much to do. These integrated networks receive less information, send reduced numbers of signals, and begin to lose cohesion. The summer switch to flip-flops and sandals withdraws the artificial support, and your deconditioned neurological networks are unprepared to provide the critical services of maintaining integrity of balance and gait. The unwelcome results may include foot muscle strains, depressed foot arches, and ankle sprains. Any of these would seriously impact your summer fun.

Of course, our choice of footwear represents our own personal sense of style and may even be situated in a personal cultural context. We do need to be aware of the impact of these apparel choices on our overall health and welfare, and the availability of actions we can take to restore the optimal functioning of our internal physiological support systems. The primary action is to engage in exercises that enhance the function of proprioceptors, specialized nerve cells found in all joints, especially weight-bearing joints such as the spine, hips, knees, and ankles.

Proprioception is your body’s awareness of position in three-dimensional space. Your ability to walk is based on extensive training of the proprioception system when you were a toddler. Ballet dancers and gymnasts take years of daily classes in order to obtain the results of highly efficient and robust proprioception. Even tasks such as writing and typing are based on years of similar training. The good news is that the training we need to make a smooth transition from winter to summer footwear is simple and easy. ^1-3

The single exercise required is known as the “flamingo” or “stork” exercise, which provides specific training for ankle and foot proprioceptors. You stand near a wall and lightly touch the wall with your fingertips (thus, preventing falls). To begin, stand on the right leg and place the left foot beside the right knee, so that the left knee is bent and facing front. Balance on the right leg and maintain this position for 20 seconds. You’ll notice that your right ankle will wobble back and forth as it readjusts to stabilize your weight. Then switch sides, and repeat. This simple method, done two or three times each day during the winter, will maintain the intelligence and awareness of your proprioception system even though you’re wearing enclosed footwear. When you break out your sandals and flip-flops in June, right around the summer solstice, you’ll be prepared to enjoy the long, sun-filled days of summer.

Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

Hall EA, et al: Strength-training protocols to improve deficits in participants with chronic ankle instability: a randomized controlled trial. J Athl Train 50(1):36-44, 2015
Hale SA, et al: Bilateral improvements in lower extremity function after unilateral balance training in individuals with chronic ankle instability. J Athl Train 49(2):181-191, 2014
Wright CJ, et al: Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Rehabilitation Efficacy in Chronic Ankle Instability. J Sport Rehabil 2016 Feb 26. [Epub ahead of print]

Improving your Health and Well-Being.

Tue, 30 May 2023 00:47:40 GMT

We all know people who are light on their feet. Fred Astaire comes immediately to mind, as do tennis star Andy Roddick, the great Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, and WNBA star Candace Parker. Closer to home, we may recognize similar combinations of grace and athleticism in a family member or friend. We may believe that such qualities are inborn and represent natural abilities. But each of us can develop comparable qualities of fluidity and ease of motion. We may not achieve the skill levels possessed by professional athletes, but we can acquire improved posture, greater balance, and heightened skills in day-to-day tasks requiring dexterity and coordination. In other words, we can all develop a spring in our step.

Such a springiness and lightness are the direct result of efficient biomechanical functioning of the spinal column and weight-bearing bones and joints including the pelvis and hips, knees, and ankles. ^1,2 Such efficient biomechanical functioning is innate, but these abilities are gradually lost as we grow up, encounter the stresses of life, and become more and more sedentary. Over time, our musculoskeletal system loses flexibility, dynamism, quickness, and the ability to respond to sudden changes in the environment. The overall result is an impression of stiffness and heaviness. Gracefulness is lost as soon as physical motion becomes conscious and planned, rather than instinctive and spontaneous. But these losses are not necessarily the inevitable accompaniment to growing up and getting older. The good news is that such lightness can be recovered. We can restore that spring to our step and, in fact, learn to turn back the clock. ³

The great benefit is that the processes involved in reacquiring gracefulness, lightness, and springiness also lead directly to improved health and well-being. The primary action is to engage in regular, vigorous exercise. Any form of exercise, done consistently, will enhance biomechanical functioning. Your muscles learn how to dynamically support increasingly heavier loads against gravity. Proprioceptors, specialized nerve endings located in weight-bearing joints throughout the body, learn to rapidly respond to mechanical alterations in three-dimensional space. Your heart and lungs become more efficient as your body learns to adapt and respond to increasing physiological demands. You begin to lose weight as your daily desire for excess calories naturally decreases in response to a more physical lifestyle. In many ways, your body becomes much smarter and you soon find yourself noticing a certain ease, a certain economy of physical movement, as you go through your day.

The innate grace that begins to be recovered is the wellspring of the newfound spring in your step. As you continue to exercise and achieve your optimal weight, such physical ease perpetuates and becomes an integral component of your overall enhanced health and well-being.

Iorio JA, et al: Biomechanics of Degenerative Spinal Disorders. Asian Spine J 10(2):377-384, 2016
Du CF, et al: Biomechanical response of lumbar facet joints under follower preload: a finite element study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016 Mar 15;17(1):126. doi: 10.1186/s12891-016-0980-4
Huang ZY, et al: The location of Modic changes in the lumbar spine: a meta-analysis. Eur Spine J. 2016 Feb 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Fruits and Vegetables Friday,

Tue, 30 May 2023 00:43:31 GMT

In decades past, very few urban kids had ever even heard of a parsnip, a fennel bulb, or a bunch of kale. In those days, fruit and vegetable consumption typically consisted of apples, bananas, corn, potatoes, peas, and lettuce. Oranges were infrequent and grapefruit was a rarity. Today a veritable cornucopia of produce is available year-round, providing the possibility for substantial variety in a family’s daily diet. But with the exception of families that include dedicated foodies, most diets could still be considered reasonably barren with respect to consumption of a range of healthful fruits and vegetables. Importantly, taking the single step of providing a variety of produce for the daily table will lead to multiple benefits in terms of health and wellness.1

Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is so valuable that this daily habit ranks high on the list of federal health and public policy recommendations focusing on nutrition. In the United States, the Department of Agriculture has launched the ChooseMyPlate campaign to support public policy, highlighting the five main food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. The ChooseMyPlate program recommends that fully one-half of every plate of food consist of fruits and vegetables.

Physiologically, all bodily systems, most especially the gastrointestinal system and immune system, depend on nutrition gained from fruits and vegetables.2,3 Consuming fresh produce daily enables the gastrointestinal system, that is, your stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, to process food effectively and facilitate the transit of food throughout the stomach and intestines. Deficiency of fresh fruits and vegetables will slow transit time, resulting in blockage, bloating, and compromised regularity. Similarly, immune system functioning depends critically on the availability of specific nutrients derived from fresh produce. These nutrients, known as phytochemicals, provide biochemicals that aid immune system cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer cells in defending the body against bacteria, viruses, and other microscopic disease-causing invader s.

Nature has provided us with an easy means of identifying the types of produce that contain the most healthful nutrition: the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more phytochemicals and other nutrients it contains. For example, foods rich in phytochemicals include blueberries, carrots, greens such as kale and chard, broccoli, apples, oranges, beets, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. Produce such as bananas do not contain many phytochemicals, but are still valuable sources of complex carbohydrates.

Thus, all of us, both children and adults, need our daily portions of fresh fruits and vegetables. Of course, merely having this information is not sufficient. Action is required. A four-week trial of adding fresh produce to your family’s daily diet should provide many indicators of the available health benefits of these marvelous foods. Such evidence will likely be sufficient to cause a healthful long-term shift in your family’s dietary habits with numerous positive outcomes in the years to come.

Sources

1Zhang YJ, et al: Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases. Molecules 20(12): 21138-21156, 2015
2Guillermo Gormaz J, et al: Potential Role of Polyphenols in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases: Molecular Bases. Curr Med Chem. 2015 Nov 27. [Epub ahead of print]
3Ghosh N, et al: Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: Progress and Prospect with Herbal Medicine. Curr Pharm Des. 2015 Nov 12. [Epub ahead of print]

Good Pain vs. Bad Pain

Tue, 30 May 2023 00:36:57 GMT

Being able to distinguish between a good pain and a not-so-good pain is critically important for all of us who engage in regular vigorous exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Even highly trained athletes such as those on high school and college teams, dancers, and those training for long distance races or multisport events may have difficulty knowing when they are able to work through some pain and discomfort verses needing to pay attention to a real injury.

Being able to accurately assess the difference between these two sets of circumstances is crucial to your success and short- and long-term outcomes. An overlooked injury will get worse and, ultimately, the type and amount of treatment required will be more serious and the recovery time considerably prolonged.

Of course, pain itself does not necessarily mean stopping what you’re doing. Everyone who does strength training knows that performing the last couple of reps with heavier weights often involves some form of discomfort — occasionally intense discomfort. But in order to progress, it’s important to tolerate and work through the discomfort, and even pain, associated with temporary muscle fatigue and failure. Similarly, those doing interval types of cardiorespiratory training may experience the intense pain of anaerobic fatigue toward the end of a very fast sprint. But such pain is expected and temporary, and being able to work through such pain represents the training benefit. Working through the pain implies that your strength and endurance are improving. However, the blithe philosophy of “no pain, no gain” needs to be consistently contrasted with the intelligent ability to clearly acknowledge when the experienced pain represents a problem. ¹

How are you able to recognize when the pain you’re experiencing is a problem? First, the pain you feel during intense effort is temporary and should subside fairly quickly as you move on to your next exercise activity. In contrast, pain that persists or increases during a workout or training session is probably not a good thing. If you continue to feel that pain throughout the course of the day and into the next day, then you should likely interpret that pain as an injury. In this context, it’s important to distinguish the pain of an injury from that of normal muscle soreness. Normal muscle soreness is generalized, not local. You feel such soreness in the entire muscle, rather than in a specific spot. Additionally, muscle soreness resolves within 24 to 48 hours with most usually resolving within a day. Pain that persists beyond 48 hours should be reasonably interpreted as an injury.

Importantly, not all injuries require treatment. Less severe injuries such as mild muscle strains may heal on their own with appropriate rest. In general, any injury that persists beyond seven days should be evaluated by a health care professional. Your family chiropractor will be able to accurately assess your health problem and answer questions regarding the nature of the injury and the recommended course of care. ^2,3

Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

¹ Gisselman AS, et al: Musculoskeletal overuse injuries and heart rate variability: Is there a link? Med Hypotheses 87:1-7, 2016

² Faizullin I, Faizullina E: Effects of balance training on post-sprained ankle joint instability. Int J Risk Saf Med 2015;27 Suppl 1:S99-S101. doi: 10.3233/JRS-150707

³ Cools AM, et al: Evidence-based rehabilitation of athletes with glenohumeral instability. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 24(2):382-389, 2016

The Core is the Core

Tue, 30 May 2023 00:33:02 GMT

Whether the topic is education or exercise, core content and core activities tie everything together. In education, core content includes the specific information upon which the course is based. Students are expected, at the very least, to demonstrate mastery of the core content. In exercise, core activities establish the musculoskeletal foundation that supports and enables all other components of physical fitness, including strength training, cardiorespiratory exercise, and sports readiness.

The term “core” in core exercise is relatively new, but athletes and other persons participating in physical fitness activities have been doing core routines since at least the time of the ancient Greeks, more than 2500 years ago. For example, wrestling, the ancient Greeks’ most popular organized sport, is grounded in core stability and strength. More recently, in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, high school “phys ed” classes emphasized squat thrusts, jumping jacks, pushups, pullups, and abdominal strengthening. Thus, before the advent of today’s ubiquitous fitness centers and the plethora of personal trainers teaching members how to do an abdominal curl-up on a physioball, core exercises were part of the regular curriculum of all public school students in ninth grade and beyond. Core exercise is not new, but the need for core training became lost in the 1980s fitness boom that focused on “aerobics” and “cardio”, and secondarily on strength training.

The importance of core training and the need to learn core exercises has undergone a resurgence recently, as the quantity and frequency of exercise-related injuries has skyrocketed. People eager to make healthier lifestyle choices, including those anxious to lose weight, have thronged their local fitness centers. But although it seems simple and straightforward to pedal an exercise bike, lope up and down on an elliptical stair-stepper, lift a dumbbell, or press down or pull up on a machine-assisted exercise bar, if the exerciser’s core muscles are deconditioned, injury is the likely result, sooner or later. ^1,2

The most important core muscle is the transversus abdominis, a sheet of horizontally oriented muscle fibers that lies beneath the more familiar abdominal muscles, that is, the rectus abdominis, internal obliques, and external obliques. ³ Core muscles include the mutifidi and rotatores, small, deep spinal muscles that connect and help move pairs and groups of spinal vertebras, and other back muscles such as the erector spinae and longissimus thoracis. Everyone needs to train the core as a primary component of an ongoing program of regular, vigorous exercise. There are innumerable highly effective core exercises and most do not require any equipment. A physioball provides the opportunity for variety and increasing levels of difficulty. Such accessories are low cost and usually available in local fitness centers. As with all forms of exercise, start slow and build strength and endurance gradually. It doesn’t take long to notice the benefits of a regular core routine, including enhanced spinal flexibility, improved balance, and a flatter abdominal region.

1Chang WD, et al: Core strength training for patients with chronic low back pain. J Phys Ther Sci 27(3):619-22, 2015
2Southwell DJ1, et al: The acute effects of targeted abdominal muscle activation training on spine stability and neuromuscular control. J Neuroeng Rehabil 13(1):19, 2016
3Leonard JH, et al: Changes in Transversus Abdominis Muscle Thickness after Lumbo-Pelvic Core Stabilization Training among Chronic Low Back Pain Individuals. Clin Ther 2015;166(5):e312-6. doi: 10.7417/T.2015.1884

Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

Idle Free Bay Area

Tue, 30 May 2023 00:28:31 GMT

Did you know that…

If you stop idling your parked car you can reduce greenhouse gas, protect our planet and save $$$

-Your car uses more fuel when your engine idles for 30 seconds than when you turn it off & restart your car.

-Idling for more than 60 seconds wastes money & fuel, & produces greenhouse gases.

-Idling tailpipes spew pollutants linked to: asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and cancer.

-The best way to warm up a car is to drive it, not idle it: idling puts wear and tear on your engine.

This information provided by Idle Free Bay Area

Support Idle Free Bay Area & cut your carbon emissions today!

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Microbreaks

Tue, 30 May 2023 00:08:29 GMT

Microbreak Basics

A microbreak is a break that lasts anywhere from 30 seconds to as long as 5 minutes, and is meant to be taken frequently – as often as every 10 minutes. Evidence suggests microbreaks actually reduce muscle fatigue by as much as 20-50 percent in an eight-hour day. ² Obviously, not all jobs or tasks are amenable to the use of microbreaks, but for those that are, they make a great deal of sense.

It’s important to contrast the microbreak with the traditional break at work. As an example, workers often begin their shift at 8 a.m. Around 10 a.m., they take a scheduled 15-minute break, after which they return to work. At noon or so, they get another break for lunch (also scheduled). They return to their jobs at 12:30 p.m., with another 15-minute break scheduled at some point in the afternoon.

To illustrate the microbreak, I’ll use the following example. When someone uses a manual typewriter (remember those?), regardless of how fast a typist they are, at some point the sheet of paper runs out. The typist must stop the act of typing long enough to put in a new sheet. While this only takes a few seconds, it forces the typist to take a microbreak.

Contrast this to someone using a modern computer, who thus has a never-ending sheet of paper and can type for an indefinite period of time. With that in mind, it’s no real surprise that conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome are more common in computer users.

To offset the effects of constantly striking the computer keys, I’ve long suggested drinking a glass of water every hour. This has significant benefits for the typist. First, it stops the typist long enough to take a microbreak. Second, it forces the typist to stop periodically, leave their computer, walk (to get a new glass of water) and perhaps even go to the bathroom. In other words, it makes them become physically active. Finally and perhaps most importantly, it hydrates the typist, which is always a good thing.

Microbreaks as Prevention

Stanford University provides the following tips to minimize the development of health issues by taking microbreaks and/or changing up your routine ³ (I’ve made a few changes):

Take microbreaks (approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute in duration) every 10 minutes.
Avoid extended periods of continuous tasks (e.g., typing) by taking short breaks or performing other tasks (e.g. filing, talking on the phone, etc.).

It is important to build microbreaks into the daily routine. As such, Stanford also provides the following ideas for making breaks a part of the workday:

Move the printer to an area that requires you to stand up and walk to get a printout. (My printer is in another room.)
Stand up when talking on the phone (the use of a stand-up desk is also helpful),
Go to the restroom or get a cup of coffee / water (frequently; remember the glass of water every hour),
Break up continuous computer time with tasks such as checking phone messages, reading reports, etc.

The folks at Stanford also provide the following exercises and stretches as suggestions:

Eyes – Eye strain is particularly problematic for those who stare at computer screens for long periods:

Eyes around the clock – Look straight ahead. Without moving the head or straining the eyes, focus on the 1 o’clock position of an imaginary clock placed in front of you. Next, focus on the 2 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions, and so on, until reaching the 12 o’clock position. Repeat the same exercise in a counterclockwise direction.
Close both eyes tightly for a second or two and then open them widely (repeat several times).
Refocus the eyes momentarily on an object at least 20 feet away

Neck and Shoulders – We seem to live in an environment that places a constant strain on the neck and shoulders:

Shoulder circles – Lift the shoulders toward the head. Pinch the shoulder blades to roll the shoulders back, and let the shoulders drop down to the starting position. Try to move the shoulders in a circular fashion. Repeat.
Shoulder shrugs – Lift the shoulders toward the head. Hold for 1-3 seconds and then relax. Repeat.
Shoulder pinches – Pinch the shoulder blades together. Hold for 1-3 seconds and then relax. Repeat.
Slowly turn the head to the side and hold for 10 seconds. Alternate sides and repeat.
Slowly tilt the head to the side and hold for 5-10 seconds. Alternate sides and repeat.

Hands – Problems with the hands and wrists are endemic in the workplace:

Catch and release – Clench the fists slowly and hold for a few seconds. Slowly open the hand and spread the fingers. Hold this position for a few seconds and repeat.
Flex and extend – Raise the arms out in front with the palms facing down and the fingers flat. Slowly extend the wrists and fingers so they are pointing up. Hold this position for a few seconds. Slowly lower the wrists and fingers so they are pointed toward the ground and hold for a few seconds. Repeat.
Place the hands together with the fingers spread apart and fingertips at chin level. Slowly lower the hands, peel them apart and then reverse the process. Repeat.

Low Back – Even though we know more about low back pain than ever, it doesn’t seem to be going away:

Stand with hands on the hips and feet about shoulder-width apart.
Slowly lean the hips forward while keeping the shoulders slightly back. Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds.

Chiropractic and Microbreaks

It is worth pointing out many of these positions are similar to the Brugger position (i.e., all joints and muscles are in extension). Since for many people, much of the work day is spent in a forward-bent position (i.e., flexed), extending periodically makes a great deal of sense. The forward-bent position also makes a case for conditions such as “ texter’s neck. ”

Does anyone else remember the Alexander technique? It focuses on producing appropriate posture. Then there’s Joseph Pilates – he made postural exercise a part of the dancer’s routine before we knew anything about the “core.”

Exercise and other aspects of healthy living have always been a part of the armamentarium of the chiropractic profession. In my classes over the years, I’ve taught that many conditions have multiple causes and multiple solutions. It would appear that the use of microbreaks is one such part of the puzzle.

Original article posted on the Dynamic Chiropractic website.

References

Henning RA, Sauter SL, Salvendy G, Krieg EF. Microbreak length, performance, and stress in a data entry task. Ergonomics, 1989;32(7):855-864.
Dul J, Douwes M, Smitt P. A work-rest model for static postures. Designing for Everyone: Proceedings of the 11th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, 1991;1:93-95.

“Egonomics: Work Breaks, Exercises and Stretches.” Stanford University, Environmental Health and Safety.

Training Day

Mon, 29 May 2023 21:47:37 GMT

Many of us want to improve our level of fitness, but don’t know what to do or how to begin. Others have begun a fitness program, but don’t know what types of activities to include to make their program more comprehensive and healthful. Yet others have been exercising for a while, but don’t know how to keep going or how to make their exercise activities appropriately challenging. Most of us have encountered such questions and the lack of sufficient answers may represent roadblocks to our effective participation in regular vigorous exercise. The good news is practical answers are available and adaptable to all persons, regardless of their age or current level of physical fitness.

Of course, the most important thing about exercise is actually doing some. And, although any exercise is better than none at all, achieving and sustaining optimal good health requires doing at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. What is needed is the will to commit to and ongoingly engage in such activity. For most people, the hard part is getting started. But once you choose to take action on your own behalf, the many benefits and sheer physical joy in doing something that is so good for you pretty much take over. You find yourself looking forward with glad anticipation to the next round of exercise and it becomes easier and easier to get up in the morning and go out for your walk or run or go to the pool or the gym. Not too long after you begin your exercise program, you find these activities have become an integral, important, necessary component of your life and your daily routine.

A complete program of regular vigorous exercise consists of both cardiorespiratory exercise and strength training. Cardiorespiratory exercise (1,2) is directed at causing your heart and lungs to become stronger, with the result that your heart pumps more blood on each beat and your lungs take in more air on each breath. Thus, cardiorespiratory exercise makes your heart and lungs more efficient. Tasks that previously left you huffing and puffing now are easy to accomplish. Regular cardiorespiratory exercise puts a new spring in your step. Your heart and lungs are now doing what they were designed to do, without unneeded effort or strain.

Similarly, a comprehensive strength training program, one that trains your chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs, increases the overall strength of your musculoskeletal system. (3) Typically, combined with a healthy diet, strength training causes people to lose fat and add lean muscle mass. The increased sense of muscular power you derive from strength training also leads to an increased sense of confidence and well-being.

We can choose that every day is a training day. We’re training for life, that is, for a lifetime of health and well-being. The types and forms of exercise you should do are those that work for you. These activities are the ones you enjoy and feel good about doing. As always, the key is to get started and keep going.

Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

1Hellsten Y, Nyberg M: Cardiovascular Adaptations to Exercise Training. Compr Physiol 6(1):1-32, 2015
2Burich R, et al: Aerobic training alone or combined with strength training affects fitness in elderly: Randomized trial. Eur J Sport Sci 15(8):773-783, 2015
3Orlando G, et al: Neuromuscular dysfunction in type 2 diabetes: underlying mechanisms and effect of resistance training. Diabetes Metab Res Rev 32(1):40-50, 2016

The Far Country

Mon, 29 May 2023 21:41:01 GMT

Long ago, in the American West, settlers from the eastern seaboard would describe having yearned for the “far country”. Their imagination and wanderlust led them to actualize their vision of a good life for themselves, their families, and their communities. The amount of time and effort involved in manifesting their goals and dreams was, of course, stupendous. Today, all of us have our own goals and dreams of a far country, a distinct yearning for the good health and ongoing well-being of our families and ourselves.

When we think about the action steps required to obtain such ongoing good health we primarily think about a healthy diet and a consistent program of regular vigorous exercise. The component of healthy living that we don’t often consider is that of a positive mental attitude. But how we think, that is, the kind and quality of thoughts that we pay attention to throughout the day, has much to do with our health and welfare. As an example, most people are aware of the relationship between having so-called negative thoughts and experiencing outcomes in life that are less than desirable. A plethora of best-selling self-help books tell us that we need to develop the habit of thinking positive thoughts. But despite the abundance of this well-intentioned advice, most of us do not know how to successfully create such a beneficial internal environment.

The concept of mindfulness provides an effective solution. One of the goals of mindfulness training is for the person to become increasingly “present”, that is, to become an integral part of this moment, rather than paying attention to thoughts regarding what is past or thoughts regarding what is to come. It’s easy to see that such mindfulness, that is, being present, would require a great deal of practice. In contrast, for most of us, our thoughts are jumping around pretty much at the speed of light. The numerous and diverse thoughts pressing upon us in any instant pull us in multiple directions. However, it’s important to realize that it is ourselves, our conscious intentions, who do the pulling. We are the ones who are choosing to be so distracted. Making the choice, moment by moment, to be focused on the here and now provides a powerful solution. Meditation, one of the practices of being present, is a powerful and freely available method for developing life-affirming mindfulness.1

No equipment is required in order to learn to meditate, other than a comfortable cushion or chair. You close your eyes and focus on your breath, imagining your breath going up your spine in the back on the inhalation and going down your spine in the front on the exhalation. That’s it. After the first cycle of breathing you count “1” and add “1” to your count on each breath cycle until you reach “10”. Then you begin again with “1”. But if you notice your thoughts going to anything other than your breath, you start over again from “1”. Even the most experienced meditators rarely get beyond the count of “4” or “5”. The benefit is in the practice itself, not how far you can get in the count. The practice itself teaches you to be present and this is a benefit that will be of great value to you and how your interact with your family and the members of your community. Meditation practice will provide substantial assistance in your process of becoming healthy and well.2,3

Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

1Zeidan F, et al: Mindfulness Meditation-Based Pain Relief Employs Different Neural Mechanisms Than Placebo and Sham Mindfulness Meditation-Induced Analgesia. J Neurosci 35(46):15307-15325, 2015

2Reiner K, et al: A Brief Mindfulness Meditation Training Increases Pain Threshold and Accelerates Modulation of Response to Tonic Pain in an Experimental Study. Pain Med 2015 Aug 8. doi: 10.1111/pme.12883. [Epub ahead of print]

3Neuendorf R, et al: The Effects of Mind-Body Interventions on Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2015;2015:902708. doi: 10.1155/2015/902708. Epub 2015 Jun 16.

Shouldering the Load

Mon, 29 May 2023 21:36:33 GMT

We don’t often think about the integrity of our musculoskeletal system. Rather, we expect our bodies to work efficiently without giving any thought to their physical and mechanical requirements. But there are numerous critical requirements for healthy functioning of our joints, muscles, and ligaments. The primary specification involves mechanical integrity of the spinal column.

A healthy spine has full range of motion in three-dimensional space. Any loss of this capability will interfere with the function of other joints and muscle groups that are attached to the spine. For example, loss of spinal joint integrity in the neck will transmit mechanical faults to the upper ribs. Such mechanical compromise will then be transmitted to the collar bone and shoulder joint. Thus, shoulder joint problems often have their root cause in mechanical problems of the neck and elsewhere in the spine. Regular chiropractic care, by detecting and correcting these biomechanical issues, helps restore improved functioning to the shoulder and other important joints. As a result, regular chiropractic care helps you and your family become healthier and enjoy higher levels of wellness and well-being.

As with much in life that we take for granted, we are not usually concerned with the mechanisms of how our bodies work and how they do what they do. Such knowledge is not required for use of these magnificent machines that have been freely given to us. But just as a wise consumer will care for her or his car in terms of regular scheduled maintenance, our bodies require ongoing attention in order to maintain proper function. The shoulder joint, in particular, requires such proper care.

The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the human body. The shoulder is capable of 360º of mobility from front to back (the sagittal plane), 360º of mobility in the frontal plane, and 180º of mobility to the right and the left (horizontal plane). Taken together, these optimal ranges are termed circumduction. But the shoulder’s remarkable capabilities come at a price. The shoulder girdle is the least stable joint structure and is readily subject to sprains (of the acromioclavicular joint) and dislocation injuries (of the glenohumeral joint). Additionally, the rotator cuff, the group of muscles that protect the shoulder girdle and move the shoulder joints through three-dimensional space, is commonly injured, owing to the substantial mechanical stresses involved in such extensive motion.1

We can help prevent such injuries by engaging in regular physical exercise such as yoga and strength training. These activities place weightbearing loads on the shoulder, progressively training the muscles, tendons, and nerves that supply the shoulder joint structures to handle mechanical stresses.2,3 As a result of such training, when called upon to manage the shock of an unusual mechanical force, the shoulder will be able to respond effectively while likely preventing injury.

The choice of yoga versus strength training is not mutually exclusive. Many people will enjoy taking one yoga class per week and doing two strength training sessions per week. For persons taking yoga class, the two strength training sessions could focus on (1) the chest and back and (2) the shoulders and arms. Almost every yoga exercise involves weightbearing loads on the arms. Regarding strength training, a representative shoulder program includes seated dumbbell or barbell press (for the entire shoulder girdle), standing lateral raise (for the middle deltoids), and seated bent-over raise (for the rear deltoids). If you’re doing yoga, strength training sessions for the legs may not be necessary. Of course, a complete exercise program includes specific cardiovascular exercise such as walking, swimming, bicycling, or running.

It may not be possible to prevent every shoulder injury. Engaging in a regular program of vigorous exercise, including yoga, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise, is the best means of ensuring optimal biomechanical health and wellness and the best overall method for preventing injury.
Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

Sources

1Camargo PR, et al: Eccentric training as a new approach for rotator cuff tendinopathy: Review and perspectives. World J Orthop 5(5):634-644, 2014
2Miller RM, et al: Effects of exercise therapy for the treatment of symptomatic full-thickness supraspinatus tears on in vivo glenohumeral kinematics. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2015 Nov 24. pii: S1058-2746(15)00485-1
3Awad A, et al: Effect of shoulder girdle strengthening on trunk alignment in patients with stroke. J Phys Ther Sci 27(7):2195-2200, 2015

Problems With Calcium Supplementation

Mon, 29 May 2023 19:21:08 GMT

For decades, we – and especially women – have been conditioned to think a high level of calcium intake is required for maintaining bone health as we age. The mantra is crystal clear: “Calcium equals bone health,” which translates into, “Consume dairy and take calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis and promote bone health.” But is this actually misguided advice?

In 2004, I wrote an article published in JMPT that focused on important non-calcium intake factors that influence bone health, including dietary acidity, essential fatty acids and magnesium. ¹ It was clear even then: Consumption of alkalizing vegetation (vegetables, fruits, roots / tubers) positively correlated with bone mineral density, but this was not the case for dairy intake, despite the fact it was / continues to be touted as being beneficial for bone health due to its calcium content.

However, despite the availability of this information, the message continues to be drowned out by the ongoing calcium propaganda, which has been dominant for decades. I personally never bought into the propaganda that women, in particular, should supplement with 1,000-1,500 mg of calcium per day for three main reasons:

Bone loss is promoted by diet-induced chronic inflammation.1
We cannot consume 1,000-1,500 mg of calcium by diet alone, which means such amounts are supraphysiologic and not something the human body is accustomed to.
The calcium-magnesium balance in whole foods is close to a 1:1 ratio, which means high-dose calcium supplementation leads to abnormally high cal:mag ratios.

For at least the past two decades, my perception has been that if calcium is to be supplemented, it should be no more than a 1:1 ratio with magnesium to match the balance found in food. It also has been my opinion that we may actually not need to supplement with calcium and should instead focus on magnesium as the key mineral supplement, along with eating an anti-inflammatory (alkaline) diet. ^1-3

Recent Research Questions Benefits for Bone Health

In 2015, three published papers focused on the ineffectiveness and potential problems with calcium supplementation. ^4-6 Two appeared in the British Medical Journal, ^4-5 demonstrating dietary and supplemental calcium had no significant effect on bone density and no preventive effect against bone fractures. [See links to abstracts of both papers in the reference list below.] Consider the authors’ conclusion:

“Dietary calcium intake is not associated with risk of fracture, and there is no clinical trial evidence that increasing calcium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures. Evidence that calcium supplements prevent fractures is weak and inconsistent.”

The third paper , published in JAMA Opthamology , examined the relationship between calcium supplementation and the expression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The average age of subjects with AMD was 67 years. Subjects who reported supplementing with more than 800 mg of calcium per day were more likely to develop AMD compared to subjects who did not report supplementing with calcium. There was a stronger association with AMD expression in 67-year-olds compared to 55-year-olds, and the impression is that a longer time span of calcium supplementation may be the reason. ⁶

Getting Practical: What Should We Do With This Information?

My overall impression is that calcium should be supplemented in no more than a 1:1 ratio with magnesium. It may even be appropriate to supplement with more magnesium than calcium. Patients also should be educated that anti-inflammatory foods such as vegetables, fruits, and roots/tubers are alkaline and have been associated with maintaining bone mineral density. Supplementation with vitamin D and fish oil also should be considered.

Article originally posted on the Dynamic Chiropractic website. Written by David Seaman, DC, MS, DABCN.

Please refer to our Supplementation of Calcium and Magnesium blog for more information.

References

Seaman D. Health care for our bones: a practical nutritional approach to preventing osteoporosis. JMPT, 2004;27(9):591-
Carpenter TO, DeLucia MC, Zhang JH, et al. A randomized controlled study of effects of dietary magnesium oxide supplementation on bone mineral content in healthy girls. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006;91:4866-72.
Dimai H-P, Porta S, Wirnsberger G, et al. Daily oral magnesium supplementation suppresses bone turnover in young adult males.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1998;83:2742-48.
Tai V, Leung W, Grey A, Reid IR, Bolland MJ. Calcium intake and bone mineral density: systematic review and meta-analysis . BMJ, 2015;351:h4183.
Bolland MJ, Leung W, Tai V, Bastin S, Gamble GD, Grey A, Reid IR. Calcium intake and risk of fracture: systematic review . BMJ, 2015;351:h4580.
Kakigi CL, Singh K, Wang SY, Enanoria WT, Lin SC. Self-reported calcium supplementation and age-related macular degeneration. JAMA Ophthalmol, 2015;133(7):746-54.

Riding the Brakes

Mon, 29 May 2023 19:11:27 GMT

We’re all familiar with the highway driving experience of being behind a person who is continually braking for no apparent reason. This is especially problematic if you’re in the left-hand lane. You’re zipping along at the posted speed limit and suddenly the brake lights of the car in front go on. You have to immediately react and hit your brakes. If this happens more than a couple of times, you look for the first opportunity to pass this unskilled driver. The person riding their brakes may thoughtlessly cause a serious traffic problem or worse. Metaphorically, you may be physiologically “riding the brakes” without knowing it, creating ongoing problems for your long-term wellness and well-being.

For example, many of us are not aware that lack of regular vigorous exercise results in a slowing down of our metabolism. Without such exercise, our daily metabolic processes simply do not operate at peak levels. In the absence of critical energy demands imposed by regular vigorous exercise, a low level steady state takes over. Fat cells accumulate, reflexes dull, and our overall sense of awareness deteriorates. But your body is a finely crafted machine and it is designed to fulfill very high performance metrics. The aphorism, “what you don’t use, you lose” applies specifically to human physiological performance. Without regular vigorous exercise, you’re riding your physiological brakes and your body systems will degrade accordingly.

The good news is that these entropic effects can be reversed. Our bodies are dynamic and remarkably adaptive. Beginning or renewing an exercise program will quickly result in noticeable benefits. Many people will begin observe such benefits within four to six weeks. The important health benefits derived from regular vigorous exercise include slowing of the heart rate, increased capacity of the heart to pump blood, increased capacity of the lungs to take in oxygen, accumulation of lean muscle mass, increased creative abilities, increased ability to focus and perform useful work, and improved restful sleep.

These benefits all derive from any basic exercise program that includes some form of strength training and some form of cardiovascular exercise. Thirty minutes per day, five days a week, is the recommended standard. A program that incorporates three days of cardiovascular exercise and two days of strength training, or three days of strength training and two days of cardiovascular exercise, will be sufficient to derive maximum results. Cardiovascular exercise includes walking, running, swimming, bicycling, cross-country skiing, and sports such as basketball and lacrosse. Strength training should comprise routines including exercises for the chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs. Certain forms of exercise such as yoga simultaneously incorporate strength training and cardiovascular exercise.

Most important is the consistency of exercise. What works for one person may not work for another. Find the types of exercise that you like to do and want to do and keep going. There will be times when you need to take a break for a week or two. Trust your instincts and return to your exercise program as appropriate. Encourage your family members to participate so that everyone can achieve peak performance, health, and wellness.

Article originally posted on Marilyn Carmona’s website.

Can Energy Drinks Cause Heart Attacks?

Mon, 29 May 2023 19:04:51 GMT

The Mayo Clinic is recommending that doctors routinely ask patients about energy-drink consumption because of an increased risk of cardiac events.

A Bend cardiologist who treated healthy young soldiers serving in Afghanistan for irregular heartbeat seconds the advice.

“Even healthy people, if they use it in excess, it can be bad,” said Dr. Ian Riddock of Bend Memorial Clinic. He previously served in the U.S. Air Force and in 2013 was the cardiology consultant for Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Until we can regulate these things a little more and know what’s in them, I think you’ve got to caution people. We ask about alcohol, activity, other habits. We should ask about energy-drink consumption.”

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, found that one 16-ounce energy drink, Rockstar, raised blood pressure and stress hormone responses in a group of 25 healthy volunteers with an average age of 29. Previous research found the increase in blood pressure, but the increase in norepinephrine, a stress hormone chemical, is a new finding, the Mayo Clinic stated in a news release. The spike in stress hormone could predispose an increased risk of cardiac events, said Dr. Anna Svatikova, a Mayo Clinic cardiology fellow and author of the study.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2015 and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Each participant consumed a 16-ounce drink and placebo drink within five minutes in random order on two separate days, which were at a maximum two weeks apart.

The placebo drink was similar in taste, texture and color but lacked caffeine and other stimulants like taurine, guarana and ginseng.

The study volunteers’ norepinephrine levels increased almost 74 percent after consuming the energy drink, compared with a 31 percent increase after the placebo drink, Svatikova said. Systolic blood pressure increased with the energy drink by 6 percent, compared with 3 percent after the placebo.

“These results suggest that people should be cautious when consuming energy drinks due to possible health risks,” Svatikova said in a news release. “Asking patients about energy drink consumption should become routine for physicians, particularly when interpreting vital signs in the acute setting.”

Showing up to the ER

In an interview, Svatikova said the research was prompted by reports from emergency departments around the world of young people showing up with chest pain and irregular heartbeats. Larger studies are needed to confirm the Mayo Clinic’s results, she said, but the effect on blood pressure and stress hormone levels was significant enough to warrant a recommendation for doctors. “It’s something to bear in mind when we see patients,” she said.

Riddock, who previously was director of preventive cardiology at the David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California, reached a similar conclusion after reviewing data from seven previously published studies. His review, conducted with University of the Pacific pharmacologist Sachin Shah, was presented at the American Heart Association’s 2013 Scientific Sessions.

They found energy-drink consumption raised blood pressure. It also lengthened the QT level, which is a segment of an electrocardiogram, by 10 milliseconds. Increased QT levels are associated with irregular heartbeats and sudden cardiac death.

‘Completely wired’

Riddock saw firsthand how energy drinks and other stimulants affected soldiers and treated several of them for irregular heartbeats. One Marine gunnery sergeant felt himself go into atrial fibrillation on the day that he ate a caffeinated MRE (meals-ready-to-eat) and one day after drinking three or four energy drinks. “He was very exhausted, but he was completely wired at the same time,” Riddock said. The Marine was transported from a small base in Afghanistan to Bagram Airfield, where Riddock treated him.

Irregular heartbeats in young people are usually benign, Riddock said. They can be accompanied by passing out and if the heart is beating very fast, make people uncomfortable, he said. But it’s also a sign that the heart is irritated, and if it happens frequently or goes on too long can weaken the heart, he said.

Energy drinks were part of a steady diet of stimulants that soldiers would take while trying to stay alert for shifts, or before lifting weights, Riddock said. Riddock saw several cases of soldiers who had to be shocked out of arrhythmia, and a few were even transported to Germany.

So he and the brigade commander banned energy drinks and dietary supplements. “We just shut it down,” he said.

Civilian doctors don’t have that luxury.

In Bend, Riddock said he’s received referrals of patients who have had some heart problems. He thinks young people don’t see the difference between energy drinks, which have several sources of caffeine at a high concentration, and beverages like coffee, where caffeine is at a lower dose and consumed throughout the day.

“Young people in particular kind of think they’re invincible.”

Article By Kathleen McLaughlin

Full article can be found The Bulletin

The Platonic Ideal

Mon, 29 May 2023 18:58:20 GMT

Plato’s Ideas were perfect templates, of which everything we perceive are tangible representations. But the Ideas were not to be found in the world around us. Rather, they were conceptions of rational thought, transcendental objects of knowledge existing in a realm beyond our own. And yet, Plato’s Ideas continue to be a source of inspiration and wonder, more than 2400 years after he first described them. These ethereal notions continue to function as critical guideposts, significant markers along our various life journeys, standing for ideal outcomes we are striving for and hope to achieve.

For example, we all have our own ideal image of what physical fitness is supposed to look like. These ideal images may vary from person to person, but each image ultimately derives from a Platonic Idea of physical human beauty, strength, and musculoskeletal proportion. Our conundrum, if we care about health, wellness, and fitness, is how we’re going to go about achieving our ideal. As we proceed along our path to optimal physical fitness, it’s very important to keep in mind that the Idea, as such, is not an actual part of our world. We will fail if we seek to achieve such perfection. A reasonable goal is to do what needs to be done and continue to do our best in all such endeavors.

A primary major access to physical fitness is starting and maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet. Such a diet involves making consistent choices from all of the five food groups, that is, fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy products. Each of us has our own specific preferences, and some of us may have specific requirements, such as being gluten-free or lactose-free, but the requirement for variety and obtaining the nutrition provided by each group remains the same for everyone. Importantly, international health agencies strongly recommend eating five portions of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. In the United States, this recommendation has been termed, “Five to Stay Alive”.

A healthy diet, maintained over months and years, provides across-the-board benefits for fitness and wellness. When combined with a program of regular vigorous exercise, healthy eating results in conversion of unneeded fat to lean muscle mass, weight loss, and an enhanced sense of well-being. Research consistently demonstrates that a healthy diet reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. ¹ A healthy diet reduces the risk of cancer, diabetes, and obesity. ² Thus, a healthy diet not only helps us achieve our own representation of the Platonic Idea of physical fitness. A healthy diet helps us achieve our own demonstration of other important Platonic Ideas, those of happiness and harmony. ³

Article originally posted on Dr. Marilyn Carmona’s website.

¹ Koutsos A, et al: Apples and cardiovascular health–is the gut microbiota a core consideration? Nutrients 7(6):3959-3998, 2015 ² Esposito K, et al: A journey into a Mediterranean diet and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review with meta-analyses. BMJ Open 2015 Aug 10;5(8):e008222. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008222 ³ Richard A, et al: Associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and psychological distress: results from a population-based study. BMC Psychiatry 2015 Oct 1;15(1):213. doi: 10.1186/s12888-015-0597-4

The Science of Chicken Soup

Mon, 29 May 2023 18:53:17 GMT

A pediatrician recently told me that to treat colds, chicken soup may be a better choice than over-the-counter cough and cold medicines.

Now, with government experts questioning the safety and effectiveness of cold medications for kids, the best option for parents this cold and flu season may be home remedies like chicken soup. As it turns out, a handful of scientific studies show that chicken soup really could have medicinal value.

The most widely cited of these studies, published in the medical journal Chest in 2000, is by Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He conducted laboratory tests to determine why chicken soup might help colds, beginning with his wife’s homemade recipe, handed down by her Lithuanian grandmother. Using blood samples from volunteers, he showed that the soup inhibited the movement of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell that defends against infection. Dr. Rennard theorizes that by inhibiting the migration of these infection-fighting cells in the body, chicken soup essentially helps reduce upper respiratory cold symptoms.

The researchers couldn’t identify the exact ingredient or ingredients in the soup that made it effective against colds but say it may be the combination of vegetables and chicken that work together. The tested soup contained chicken, onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery stems, parsley, salt and pepper. The full recipe, as well as the scientific article, are available on the university’s Chicken Soup Web site. The researchers also compared commercial soups and found many of them also had a similar inhibitory effect.

Another study by Mount Sinai researchers in Miami also suggests that chicken soup has more than just a placebo effect. They looked at how chicken soup affected air flow and mucus in the noses of 15 volunteers who drank cold water, hot water or chicken soup. In general, the hot fluids helped increase the movement of nasal mucus, but chicken soup did a better job than the hot water, according to the 1978 report, also published in Chest . Chicken soup also improves the function of protective cilia, the tiny hairlike projections in the nose that prevent contagions from entering the body, according to a 1998 Coping With Allergies and Asthma report .

None of the research is conclusive, and it’s not known whether the changes measured in the laboratory really have a meaningful effect on people with cold symptoms. However, at the very least, chicken soup with vegetables contains lots of healthy nutrients, increases hydration and tastes good, too.

To lift or not to lift?

Mon, 29 May 2023 18:48:40 GMT

If a great Shakespearean protagonist had, anachronistically, joined a gym, his internal existential inquiry might have been, “To lift or not to lift?”. Many centuries later, the identical inquiry, or controversy, persists. Joining a gym (health club) usually implies the new club member is going to engage in strength training in one form or another. Such exercise provides an abundance of benefits and is a valuable lifestyle choice for most people. But the possibility of injury exists. The key to safe, beneficial exercise is to learn how to do strength training correctly, then develop a plan, and follow the plan.

Government health and wellness guidelines recommend doing 150 minutes of (at least) moderate exercise per week. This translates to at least 30 minutes of exercise five times per week. Strength training is an important component of any exercise program designed to fulfill these recommendations. In combination with cardiorespiratory exercise, strength training greatly improves muscular capabilities and endurance. Your body becomes fit, toned, and honed, and as a result, you become much better equipped to successfully manage the mechanical stresses and strains that everyone encounters during the course of a normal day. ^1-3

If you are new to strength training or haven’t done this form of exercise in a while, then the most important rule is to start slowly. Scientifically determine how much weight you should be lifting by experimentation. Choose a very light weight and see whether you can do eight repetitions with that weight comfortably. If it’s difficult to do eight reps, then start over with the next lighter weight. If it’s too easy to do eight reps, then start over with the next heavier weight. If eight repetitions feels just about right, then that’s the weight with which to begin that particular exercise. Follow these steps for each of your exercises and you’ll have established your beginning routine on a personal and safe foundation.

Strength training need never become boring, as you can change your routine with almost infinite variety. For example, for a 12-week period you could do chest and back exercises one day, then leg exercises a second day, and shoulder and arm exercises a third day. You would do your cardiorespiratory exercise on the remaining two days (for a total of five weekly days of exercise). During a different 12-week period, you could do cardiorespiratory exercise on three days and do arm and leg exercises on one day and chest, back, and shoulder exercises on a second day. Or you could choose to “work light” and exercise all your body parts on a single day. You could do your total-body strength training two or three days a week, filling in the other days with cardiorespiratory exercise. The only guideline in the context of these routine designs is whether the routine works for you. If it works, then it works.

As with all exercise programs, the more consistent you are, the greater long-term benefit you’ll derive. Be sure to build-in recovery time by taking a week off here and there for rest and recharging. A modern Hamlet would find his or her exercise time enjoyable and rewarding, and would answer the perplexing question with a resounding, “Yes. I will lift.”

Article originally posted on Dr. Marilyn Carmona’s website.

¹ Granacher U, et al: The importance of trunk muscle strength for balance, functional performance, and fall prevention in seniors: a systematic review. Sports Med 43(7):627-641, 2013

² Grier T, et al: The effects of cross-training on fitness and injury in women. US Army Med Dep J Apr-Jun:33-41, 2015

³ Liu Y, et al: Effects of combined aerobic and resistance training on the glycolipid metabolism and inflammation levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Phys Ther Sci 27(7):2365-2371, 2015
These are very good points. With expanded research funding it may be possible to fulfill the assumptions of parametric analysis with greater confidence.

Nuts Reduce Risk of Heart Disease, Cancer and Other Health Problems

Mon, 29 May 2023 18:45:40 GMT

Several recent studies suggest regular consumption of nuts may provide a significant degree of protection against certain types of cancer, heart disease, possibly type 2 diabetes and some neurodegenerative diseases.

The Netherlands Cohort Study

A 2015 prospective study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found individuals who ate at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day (a handful) had a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death compared to individuals who didn’t consume nuts or peanuts. The reduction in mortality was strongest for respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease and diabetes, followed by cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The protective effects were equal in men and women. In this study, carried out within the Netherlands Cohort Study, which began in 1986, following 120,000 Dutch men and women, 55-69 years old, peanuts showed at least as strong a reduction in mortality risk as tree nuts.

However, no protective effect for peanut butter was found. This may be due to the fact that peanut butter also contains added components like salt and vegetable oils, and in the recent past, trans-fatty acids. The adverse health effects of salt and trans-fatty acids could supersede the protective effects of peanuts in commercial peanut butter products.

The associations between nuts and peanut intake and cardiovascular death in this study confirmed earlier results from American and Asian studies, which focused on cardiovascular disease. Data from the Netherlands Cohort Study found mortality due to cancer, diabetes, respiratory, and neurodegenerative diseases also was lower among consumers of peanuts and nuts. ¹

Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations

Emerging evidence suggests regular consumption of nuts may be an additional way of reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, some cancers and possibly type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence appears to be quite impressive for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. In the past, we cautioned patients about eating nuts because they are quite high in total fat, which may contribute to weight gain and obesity. The trick appears to be controlling the quantity consumed – getting enough to acquire the protective effects, but not so much that it promotes weight gain.

The American Heart Association recommends eating four servings of unsalted, unoiled nuts a week. A serving size is defined as a small handful or 1.5 ounces of whole nuts, or 2 tablespoons of natural nut butter (unprocessed). ²

Peanuts and tree nuts both contain various compounds such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (including alpha-linolenic acid – an omega-3 that is quite high in walnuts), various vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds (such as arginine) that may explain their purported protective effects. Some of these effects are likely related to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and endothelial function-maintaining properties. ^1-2,4

Based on the emerging research, I suggest you encourage patients to eat nuts as a healthy alternative snack to other undesirable “chippy-dippy” types of snacks (e.g. potato chips, nacho chips etc.). Even for lower-income patients, peanuts remain affordable and provide some additional protein to the diet.

It appears including walnuts in a person’s nut intake may be particularly desirable, if budget allows for it. Walnuts are particularly rich in protective nutrients and are associated with positive health outcomes in many studies. The protective effects of walnuts may even include a reduction in risk of breast and prostate cancer, according to epidemiological studies and intervention trials with mice.

Given the emerging studies suggesting nut consumption may help reduce risk of major health conditions, as well as all-cause mortality, I believe it is time to encourage patients to consume at least a handful of nuts (particularly walnuts) per day as a part of a health-optimization program.

Full article originally posted on the website for Dynamic Chiropractic.

References

van den Brandt PA, Schouten LJ. Relationship of tree nut, peanut, and peanut butter intake with total and cause-specific mortality: a cohort study and meta-analysis. International Journal of Epidemiology, June 2015 (epub ahead of print).
Luu HN, Blot WJ, Xiang YB, et al. Prospective evaluation of the association of nut / peanut consumption with total and cause-specific mortality. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015 May;175(5):755-66.
Wu L, Wang Z, Zhu J, et al. Nut consumption and risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews, epub June 16, 2015.
Guasch-Ferré M, BullÃ³ M, Ã?ngel MartÃnez-GonzÃ¡lez M, et al. Frequency of nut consumption and mortality risk in the PREDIMED nutrition intervention trial. BMC Medicine, 2013;11:164.
Reiter RJ, Tan DX, Manchester LC, et al. A walnut-enriched diet reduces the growth of LNCaP human prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice. Cancer Investigation, 2013;31(6):365.

One, Two, or Three Miles?

Mon, 29 May 2023 18:38:41 GMT

Even experienced exercisers sometimes find it difficult to know how much to do. For the beginner this uncertainty represents a significant stumbling block. Fortunately well-established guidelines and protocols exist to provide assistance to all exercisers, regardless of your skill level.

In general, the beginning exerciser requires the most instruction. The key is to build up strength and endurance slowly and not do too much too soon. In terms of strength training, the best plan is to determine at what weight you can comfortably perform three sets of eight repetitions. If you can’t do three sets of eight reps at the weight you’ve selected, it’s too heavy. If doing three sets of eight reps with the weight you’ve chosen doesn’t feel like anything at all, then the weight is too light. Overall, of course, too light is better than too heavy. The majority of strength training injuries occur when you’re attempting to train with an inappropriately heavy weight.

For example, you’ve selected 15-pound dumbbells with which to perform your bench press routine. You can comfortably do three sets of eight reps. Fifteen pounds is not too light and not too heavy. During the course of your next several weight training sessions, build up to three sets of 12 reps using the 15-pound dumbbells. When you can do three sets of 12 reps successfully, the next time you do your bench press routine you’ll increase the weight by approximately 10%. In other words, you’ll use the next heaviest weight, which is usually 17.5 pounds in a well-equipped gym. Begin with three sets of eight reps with the 17.5-pound dumbbells, and progress over the next several sessions to three sets of 12 reps. Then you’ll repeat the sequence with 20-pound dumbbells, starting at three sets of eight reps and building up to three sets of 12 reps. You’ll follow this formula with all of your strength training exercises. In this way, using a safe, smart, and graduated program, you’ll consistently build lean muscle mass, gain improved strength and efficiency of your cardiovascular system, and most likely lose several pounds as stored fat is converted to muscle. ¹

The same principles apply to cardiovascular exercises such as walking, running, biking, and swimming. If you haven’t exercised in a very long time, walking is a good method with which to begin. ^2,3 On your first day, go for a normally paced 10- or 15-minute walk. Don’t be concerned that your walk feels like it’s over only a few minutes after it’s begun. Your main focus should be on getting started, not on how much or how little you’re doing in the first few sessions. Over the course of four to six weeks, build up a minute or two each session until you’re able to comfortably walk for 30 minutes at a moderate pace. At this point you can begin to increase your pace gradually, building up to a 30- or 40-minute walk at a brisk pace. At this level, you’re doing a very good, vigorous cardiovascular workout and your heart, lungs, and other components of your cardiorespiratory system are becoming stronger, healthier, and more efficient.

In this gradual, steady, measured way, all exercisers, of whatever age, prior experience, and skill level, can gain a lifetime of benefit from their fitness programs and minimize the likelihood of setbacks or injury.

Article originally posted on Dr. Marilyn Carmona’s website.

¹ Hawkins M, et al: Impact of an exercise intervention on physical activity during pregnancy: the behaviors affecting baby and you study. Am J Public Health 2014 Oct;104(10):e74-81. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302072. Epub 2014 Aug 14 ² Hanson S, Jones A: Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2015 Jan 19. pii: bjsports-2014-094157. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-094157. [Epub ahead of print] ³ Varma VR, et al: Low-intensity daily walking activity is associated with hippocampal volume in older adults. Hippocampus 2014 Dec 7. doi: 10.1002/hipo.22397. [Epub ahead of print]

Tips for Good Hip Health

Mon, 29 May 2023 17:54:38 GMT

Having a pair of healthy hips is a key to healthy aging. But healthy hips are not only important for people in their60s, 70s, and beyond. Your hips are one of your most important structural components, regardless of how old you are. Whether you’re 20, 30, or 40, your hip joints provide biomechanical support to your entire body. Thus, keeping your hips healthy is a necessary consideration for everyone who wants to be healthy and well throughout a long life.

Healthy hips do not happen automatically. Your body’s physiology follows the biomechanical principle of “use it or lost it”. Muscles, bones, and joints that do work on a regular basis are strengthened and enhanced. Those musculoskeletal elements that don’t do much physical work are broken down, so that molecular building blocks such as amino acids and nutrients such as calcium can be put to better use elsewhere. In other words, if you’re haven’t done much exercise in a while, weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees, and ankles will begin to degrade. However, even as these joints lose optimal structural integrity, gravitational forces persist. The long-term result of such weakened joints is strains and sprains, degenerative arthritis, and possibly other inflammatory conditions. These disorders likely involve daily ongoing pain, which may become moderate or severe.

I n the absence of conservative treatment and rehabilitative exercise, such conditions may ultimately require joint replacement. These procedures are becoming increasingly common, with total hip replacements and total knee replacements being performed on younger and younger patients. For example, annual rates for total hip replacement in the United States in patients aged 45 and older have almost doubled between 2000 and 2010. ¹

Importantly, many hip joint problems can be prevented by instituting appropriate lifestyle changes. As the cause of many of these degenerative conditions is long-term lack of use, the solution lies in activity and physical work. In Western nations, physical labor is becoming increasingly uncommon. Most of us work in service-type industries and spend most of our days sitting at a desk. As a result, physical work is now typically obtained by engaging in regular, vigorous exercise. By performing five 30-minute sessions of vigorous weight-bearing exercise every week, we will restore and maintain sufficient healthy stress on our muscles, bones, and joints.

As these musculoskeletal structures undergo physical loads and perform mechanical work, your body responds by making them stronger. ^2-4 New blood vessels are built to supply these structures with increasing amounts of oxygen and other nutrients. New cells are built to support existing tissues. Worn-out cells are removed more efficiently. The entire musculoskeletal system is revitalized in response to regular, vigorous exercise. The long-term result is healthy hips, knees, and ankles, as well as a healthy spine. These weight-bearing structures work synergistically to help provide you with long-term health.

Article originally posted on Dr. Marilyn Carmona’s website.

¹ Hospitalization for Total Hip Replacement Among Inpatients Aged 45 and Over: United States, 2000–2010. NCHS Data Brief No. 186, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2015 ² Qian JG, et al: Effectiveness of Selected Fitness Exercises on Stress of Femoral Neck using Musculoskeletal Dynamics Simulations and Finite Element Model. J Hum Kinet 41:59-70, 2014 ³ Bolam KA, et al: The effect of physical exercise on bone density in middle-aged and older men: a systematic review. Osteoporosis Int 24(11):2749-2762, 2013 ⁴ Hill KD, et al: Individualized home-based exercise programs for older people to reduce falls and improve physical performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas 2015 Apr 29. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.04.005. [Epub ahead of print]

21st Century Challenges to Health & Wellness

Mon, 29 May 2023 17:43:48 GMT

Unlike the health challenges doctors faced in the past (mostly due to infectious diseases), our current health epidemics are the chronic diseases of aging, diabetes, heart disease and obesity – epidemics fueled by the one-two punch of free-radical damage to cells and chronic, systemic inflammation.

Inflammation – The First Great Threat to Wellness

Inflammation is a natural part of the body’s defense system, particularly against acute injury and infection. However, there are times when the appropriate immune response to “shut down” is disrupted and the patient’s immune system doesn’t get the word. In fact, it does just the opposite, forcing the patient to suddenly, without notice, transform into a state of chronic inflammation.

This new state can easily be evidenced by any doctor who is on the lookout for the typical host of inflammatory changes that take place; and can be confirmed by performing a few non-invasive chronic inflammation marker tests. These non-invasive measurements can be readily used in clinical practice to get an impression of a patient’s potential for chronic inflammation and pain.

Chronic inflammation is a totally different type of condition that requires a totally different treatment protocol. The emerging interpretation is that chronic inflammation leads to pain chronicity because the associated non-resolving systemic inflammation promotes pain in injured musculoskeletal tissues and prevents healing and pain resolution. When the immune system shifts into a chronic state of inflammation, this begins the process considered by established research throughout the world as the major factor in the initiation of most of the recognized chronic health diseases.

Free Radicals – The Second Great Threat to Wellness

Free radicals are the other great threat, causing a condition known as oxidation or oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is defined as having more free radicals that antioxidants to neutralize them, contributing to inflammation and tissue damage.

Free radicals only last for a tiny fraction of a second, but they cause serious structural damage. Once a molecule is oxidized by a free radical, it often starts a chain reaction of oxidation until an antioxidant can stop it. Without antioxidants, free radicals would cause so much damage that the cell’s repair systems couldn’t keep up.

Not all antioxidants are created equal. Each one “lives” in a different part of the cell, so a patient needs lots of different ones to get full protection. Antioxidants also need other antioxidants to work properly, so a patient doesn’t get the full benefit if they only have a few.

A good case can be made that health depends on a balance between free radicals, oxidative stress and the body’s antioxidant reserves. Aging and chronic diseases reflect the inability of our antioxidant reserves to cope with oxidative stress over time.

Oxidative stress and chronic, systemic inflammation are intimately connected, each fueling the other. A vicious cycle is created: Inflammation causes free-radical damage and free-radical damage leads to inflammation. The good news is there is a way to build strong antioxidant reserves, quench free radicals and reduce inflammation. A long life without disease is possible.

The Key to Preserving Wellness and Health

The key to recovering from acute and chronic conditions, and preserving our patients’ health and state of wellness, requires both the reduction of inflammation and the prevention of excessive free-radical damage. In other words, we need to consider a two-pronged solution for the two most pressing health needs: comprehensive anti-inflammatory support and comprehensive antioxidant protection for the entire body.

Antioxidants are the body’s defenders against free-radical damage. In the past, patients could generate adequate antioxidants from a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables. However, it is estimated that only 10 percent of the U.S. population consumes even five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Their nutrient-deficient diets, coupled with ongoing, lifestyle-induced stressors, put patients in desperate need of more antioxidant protection.

The real key is the number of different types of antioxidant; having a variety of phytonutrients so the synergy created is much more beneficial than the sum of the parts in counteracting the problems associated with free radicals and inflammation. The most important treatment recommendation is focusing on the dual solution of offering anti-inflammatory support and antioxidant protection to help comprehensively improve our patients’ natural defenses and make staying well easier.

Article originally posted on the Dynamic Chiropractic website and has been edited for length.

Your Personal Cloud

Mon, 29 May 2023 17:29:58 GMT

The concept of cloud computing has become a buzzword in recent years. The notion of “the cloud” originally referred to data storage. You could backup your computer files or even an image of your hard drive to a server bank in some remote location. Now you can access fully featured software programs via the cloud, including well-known productivity and photo editing programs. Cloud computing enables you to save money you would have spent on costly software packages and frees up valuable space on your home or office networks. The only drawback involves security issues, but such issues exist on your local networks as well.

The computing paradigm has taken over more and more not only of our work day, but our recreational environments as well. As a result, it has become increasingly easy to neglect and ultimately forget about the precious components of human physiology upon which all computing systems are based, that is, our very own brain and central nervous system.

There are serious downsides to such neglect and lack of care. Most of us are aware of the need to engage in regular vigorous exercise and eat a consistently nutritious diet. We do these things because we’ve learned the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Of course, these healthful activities support the functioning of your brain and central nervous system. But your brain requires more than mere physiological sustenance. Your brain itself requires the performance of actual work so that it can continue to do what it was designed to do. ¹ The critical function of your brain is to provide you with creative, innovative solutions to the challenges you face every day to the survival and welfare of you and your family.

Your brain is staggeringly complex. It is estimated there are more connections among your brain cells than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Specifically, there are more than 100 billion neurons in your brain, with several 100 trillion (10 ¹⁴ ) and possibly as many as 1 quadrillion (10 ¹⁵ ) connections. This massive network is built for heavy lifting, but most of us now fritter away this priceless resource as we spend seemingly endless hours talking and texting on our cell phones and playing games on our phones, tablets, and laptops.

Now we may be developing eye-hand coordination when we lose an entire afternoon playing race car and other arcade-style games. ^2,3 But as the great philosophers have known for almost 3000 years, actual thinking is the best and most worthwhile use we can make of the free gift of self-awareness we receive as humans. Only thinking will provide us with the tools and techniques we require to grow, develop, and thrive in our increasingly complex and shrinkingly small global village. But the skill (or art) of thinking is based on training. Fortunately such training is available everywhere and the cost is frequently only that of time. Reading books is the primary training ground for developing the skill of critical thinking that will make a difference in our lives. Reading books that challenge you, followed by study and practice, will hone and refine your ability to actually think and make use of your brain, your own personal cloud. Surprisingly, and possibly shockingly, everything we need for such life-enhancing thinking is available right there “within” us.

¹ Vigliecca NS, Baez S: Screening executive function and global cognition with the Nine-Card Sorting Test: healthy participant studies and ageing implications. Psychogeriatrics 2015 Mar 3. doi: 10.1111/psyg.12104. [Epub ahead of print] ² Moisala M, et al: Brain activity during divided and selective attention to auditory and visual sentence comprehension tasks. Front Hum Neurosci 2015 Feb 19;9:86. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00086 ³ Banerjee S, et al: Interests shape how adolescents pay attention: the interaction of motivation and top-down attentional processes in biasing sensory activations to anticipated events. Eur J Neurosci 41(6):818-834, 2015

Article originally posted on Dr. Marilyn Carmona’s website.

Changing Your Lifestyle

Mon, 29 May 2023 17:21:30 GMT

Everyone knows what he or she “should” do to obtain good health. But the mere knowledge of what we should be doing is never enough. If we’ve not been in good shape for some time, if we can’t remember the last time we did any meaningful exercise on a consistent basis, and if we’ve added more pounds over the years than we care to admit, then the task of getting back in shape seems an impossible mission. But like the Mission Impossible team in the fabled television series and the hugely successful film adaptations, we too can turn the task of regaining high levels of fitness into “mission possible”.

The primary requirement for your personal restoration project is establishing a new mindset. No one wants to do what other people think they “should” do. Having your spouse tell you that you should lose weight or having your doctor tell you that you need to do more exercise is never pleasant. These admonitions never really work and only serve to create stressful encounters and interactions. Even though the people close to you have good intentions and want the best for you, they usually don’t realize the willingness to change is never sourced from outside a person. The only way you’re going to take on the time and effort of implementing new lifestyle activities is if you yourself choose to do so. Making the active choice to exercise and making the active choice to eat healthy foods will create the powerful difference by which you begin to actually accomplish the action steps necessary to change the quality and characteristics of your health and well-being. ^1,2

Thus, your own personal choice is what’s required to get you started. Importantly, making such a choice is not a one-time event. Circumstances always intervene and your choice to exercise and eat nutritious foods will need to be reinforced frequently. There may come a time when you choose to sleep late and skip your exercise session for that day. Or you may choose to eat a whole pint of ice cream in the middle of the week. It will be helpful to recall that such deviations from your main plan are always your choice, and returning quickly to your regular exercise routine and regular food program will also be your choice.

None of this needs to be dull, boring, or onerous. Remember that if you think you “have” to do your exercise and “have” to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, then you probably won’t do these things for very long. But if you remind yourself that you have actively made a personal choice to engage in healthy activities, then you will recreate your opportunity for powerfully participating in the ongoing restoration of your own vibrant health and well-being. ³

¹ Sardinha LB, et al: Criterion-referenced fitness standards for predicting physical independence into later life. Exp Gerontol 61:142-146, 2015 ² Hafstad AD, et al: How exercise may amend metabolic disturbances in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Antioxid Redox Signal 2015 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print] ³ Crous-Bou M, et al: Mediterranean diet and telomere length in Nurses’ Health Study: population based cohort study. Brit Med J 2014 Dec 2;349:g6674. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g6674

Article originally posted on Dr. Marilyn Carmona’s website.

Is the Next Pandemic XDR Tuberculosis?

Mon, 29 May 2023 17:11:31 GMT

While policymakers and many in the scientific community are worried about measles, a deadlier threat from drug-resistant diseases like tuberculosis lurks on the horizon. Action Alert!

The measles outbreak in California has unleashed a storm of heated debate across the country, including multiple calls for mandatory vaccinations at both the federal and state level. What is the extent of this outbreak that has unleashed such energetic debate, you might ask? A total of 178 cases out of a population of 320 million people.

While we certainly do not want to disregard the seriousness of measles, there are important questions being asked about the efficacy of the vaccine as well as its safety. And good sense seems to dictate that the response should be proportionate to the severity of the threat. With measles getting all the headlines, there is a much more serious problem that is not getting the attention it warrants.

As we’ve reported before , tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s most common diseases mainly because it is so highly infectious—it’s spread with a mere cough or sneeze. It’s second only to HIV as the leading infectious killer of adults worldwide.

The World Health Organization estimates that two billion people —that’s one-third of our planet’s population—are infected with the bacteria that cause TB. Ten percent of these carriers will become sick, and if left untreated, half of those will die from the disease.

TB is becoming resistant to multiple drugs, and many health experts fear it may become “ virtually untreatable .” One particularly scary strain of TB, known as XDR-TB (XDR stands for “extremely drug resistant”), has no known cure . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that multi-drug resistant TB is one of our “most significant global threats.”

This isn’t just a problem for developing countries, either. Just a few weeks ago, twenty-eight high school students in Kansas were infected with TB. In 2011, the most recent data available , 536 Americans died from TB, and in 2013 there were over 9,500 cases of TB reported.

As we’ve shown before , t he overarching problem that produces these superbugs is antibiotic overuse—both by doctors who rely too heavily on antibiotics and by industrial farming operations. Consider these statistics: a Medscape poll found that 95% of healthcare professionals said they prescribe antibiotics when they aren’t sure they’re needed . A whopping 7 0% of all antibiotics used in the US are used on livestock. There’s even evidence that pesticide and herbicide use contributes to antibiotic resistance .

Fortunately, some health experts are starting to realize the flaw in conventional medicine’s paradigm. D r. Justin Denholm , an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, put it this way : “The reality is that this one-size-fits-all approach is a major part of what’s led to this drug resistance issue. I think individualized treatment is what we should be aiming for. ”

There are other ways to fight disease. Two studies have now linked vitamin D to the successful prevention and treatment of TB. In the first study , white blood cells converted vitamin D to an active form of the vitamin, which helps make a protein that kills the TB bacterium. In the second study , Indonesian scientists compared vitamin D to a placebo, testing them on seventy patients for nine months. The patients who received 10,000 IU of vitamin D (rather than the 600 IU recommended by conventional medicine) led to an astounding 100% cure rate.

There have also been studies which show that ozone therapy—which increases the amount of oxygen in the body—can be an effective treatment for TB. There are many other integrative strategies for controlling pandemic bugs. We need these to be ready for the next pandemic.

One immediate measure we could take is to support efforts such as the new bill from Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), which would preserve antimicrobial drugs for human use only. That is just a start, but a good start.

Action Alert! Tell Congress to support Rep. Slaughter’s Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act, which would reduce the use of antibiotics on livestock and thus take steps towards addressing drug-resistant diseases like TB.

Article originally published on the website for Alliance for Natural Health.

Comparative Risks of Chiropractic and Medical Treatments

Mon, 29 May 2023 17:01:07 GMT

Chiropractic malpractice insurance costs about $2000 per year; whereas, medical malpractice insurance costs about $50,000-$100,000 per year, depending on the specialty. This speaks volumes about the potential dangers of chiropractic care compared with medical care!

There has never been a reported case of stroke following Activator Chiropractic care or Cox flexion/distraction technique. That’s one of the reasons I use these two techniques, because of their track record of safety.

Please read this article from Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics for more information on the safety of Activator Chiropractic adjustments.

The first population-based study in the United States to evaluate stroke risk following spinal manipulation – and the first involving older adults – suggests that “[c]hiropractic cervical spine manipulation is unlikely to cause stroke in patients aged 66 to 99 years with neck pain. For patients who saw a chiropractic physician, the adjusted probability of any type of stroke was lower than those who saw a primary care physician at days 1 through 24 after office visit, but higher at days 25 to 30, but these temporal associations are of doubtful clinical significance.” ¹

JMPT Editor-in-Chief Claire Johnson, DC, MSEd, underscored the value of the study findings for chiropractic practitioners and the profession: “This new study offers additional information that will help practitioners inform older patients about the safety of chiropractic manipulation. Keeping in mind that there are different types of stroke and that we must always be alert for stroke signs, this study suggests older patients with neck pain can be reassured that manipulation is an unlikely cause of vertebrobasilar stroke.”

Published as an open-access paper in the February 2015 issue of JMPT , the study reviewed Medicare administrative data on beneficiaries ages 66-99 with neck pain who utilized either chiropractic or primary (medical) care exclusively for one or more visits in 2007. Eligible beneficiaries had at least one allowed Medicare B claim that year for a chiropractic office visit with spinal manipulation or a primary care office visit for evaluation and management. Beneficiaries with one or more visits to both provider types were excluded.

The study authors pointed out that although Medicare does not require the manipulation site to be specified, the site must be related to the patient’s complaint. Thus, all patients presenting with neck pain should have received cervical spine manipulation.

Select observations / recommendations made by the investigators appear as follows:

“[Our results] are consistent with reports by Rothwell et al and Cassidy et al, which suggest that VBS is uncommon in older adults.”
“The specific incidence of VBS was too low to report, but the incidence was less than 9.8 per million Medicare part B beneficiaries aged 66 to 99 years with office visit for neck pain. This result is remarkably consistent with the incidence rate of 9.7 cases of VBS per 1,000,000 population reported by Lee et al.”
“Because vertebral artery dissection and associated thromboembolism are the most plausible mechanism by which spinal manipulation could cause stroke, our findings support current best evidence suggesting that manipulation of the cervical spine is unlikely to be a significant cause of stroke in older adults.”
“The true probability of stroke is probably unaffected by an office visit to either type of provider.”
“Chiropractic physicians must be able to recognize symptoms of stroke to provide early detection and when necessary refer patients for appropriate treatment.”

Reference

Whedon JM, Song Y, Mackenzie TA, et al. Risk of stroke after chiropractic spinal manipulation in Medicare B beneficiaries aged 66 to 99 years with neck pain. JMPT, 2015 Feb;38(2):93-101.

Original article posted on the Dynamic Chiropractic website.

The Home Stretch.

Mon, 29 May 2023 16:56:39 GMT

Regular stretching provides numerous benefits, including enhanced flexibility and adaptability of your musculoskeletal system, that is, your bones, muscles, and joints. ¹ As a result, regular stretching helps improve overall mobility and range of motion. Regular stretching helps reduce injury by improving circulation, bringing increased supplies of oxygen and critical nutrients to the large muscles of your thighs and legs and the small muscles of your back. As a bonus, regular stretching helps to reduce stress. It’s clear that stretching activities provide a very big return for a modest investment of time and effort. ^2,3

In order to derive the greatest benefits from your stretching program, knowledge of stretching “best practices” is essential. First, it’s critical to conceive of stretching as a journey rather than a destination. In stretching, we have to give up all our notions of how much we think we should be able to achieve. On any given day, our muscles will be tighter or less tight. On any given day, it will be “harder” or easier to obtain the stretchability of the day before. The best practice is to pay attention to your body, focus on what you’re doing, and work with what you have on a particular day. This “centering” approach is in direct contrast to trying to force your muscles to conform to the stretching length you think they should achieve. Using force while stretching will always result in injury. Instead, the activity of stretching calls for a calm, steady, and methodical approach.

What is it that you’re doing when you stretch? Primarily, you’re using a process of visualization. You’re visualizing the particular muscle getting “longer”. When you do a stretch for your hamstring muscle group (there are three muscles that comprise this group), you have an image in your mind of the muscles of the back of your thigh and you’re “seeing” these muscles lengthening. You’re not actually “doing” anything other than performing the activity of the stretch itself. In other words, you’re not actively making the hamstrings longer. But you are “seeing” them lengthen in your mind, and the result is an effective stretch, that is, increased length and flexibility of the hamstring group.

Pictures of the quadriceps muscle group (the muscles on the front of your thigh), the hamstring muscle group, the calf muscles (the surface gastrocnemius and the deeper soleus), and your spinal muscle groups will provide great assistance with your visualization process. Such images are widely available on the Internet. Your “Zen-like” process of visualization will make your 10 or 15 minutes of stretching time more effective and may also be applied to various other tasks throughout your day, providing additional ongoing benefits to your health and well being.

¹ Peck E, et al: The effects of stretching on performance. Cur Sports Med Rep 13(3):179-185, 2014 ² Morrin N, Redding E: Acute effects of warm-up stretch protocols on balance, vertical jump height, and range of motion in dancers. J Dance Med Sci 17(1):34-40, 2013 ³ Avloniti A, et al: The Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Speed and Agility Performance Depend on Stretch Duration and Conditioning Level. J Strength Cond Res 2014 Jun 17 [Epub ahead of print]

Article originally posted on Dr. Marilyn Carmona’s website

B Vitamins Found to Improve Memory and Prevent Brain Atrophy.

Mon, 29 May 2023 16:13:54 GMT

The 2010 OPTIMA [Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing] study showed that the accelerated rate of brain atrophy in elderly with mild cognitive impairment could be slowed via supplementation with homocysteine-lowering B vitamins, which included folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.

This is an important finding, as 16 percent of individuals older than age 70 have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 50 percent of whom realize further progression to Alzheimer’s disease. It is well-documented that brain atrophy is a characteristic of subjects with mild cognitive impairment who progress to Alzheimer’s disease.

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McDonald’s Begins Closing Restaurants

Mon, 29 May 2023 16:07:25 GMT

Finally our efforts to avoid processed foods and Frankenfoods are paying off. For the first time in decades McDonald’s is struggling and has to close more restaurants than it opens after worldwide drops in sales. According to an Associated Press review of McDonald’s regulatory filings, this hasn’t happened since 1970.

Earlier this year the fast food giant announced the closing of 350 underperforming locations, but recently admitted it had to close an additional 350 restaurants in the U.S., Japan, and China. The closings include both franchises and company-owned locations.

While this number may seem small compared to their total of about 14,300 locations, the iconic “Golden Arches” are under fire.

McDonald’s has reported an 11 percent decrease in revenue and a 30 percent drop in profit for the first three months of 2015. This is a continuation of their struggle as the competition in the US and Europe is getting tougher and food safety issues in Asia had to be addressed.

Rising fear

Other growing fast-food chains, like Burger King, Five Guys Burgers, and Chipotle, are luring customers to their side with better deals and healthier options. But that’s not their biggest concern at the moment. Our rising interest in nutrition and our demand for healthier, organic foods is what’s truly troubling them.

The fast food giant has known a rapid expansion through history. Since McDonald’s opened his doors for the first time in 1955 it has known great growth and prosperity by offering affordable and addictive meals. It even thrived during the economic crisis with the Dollar Menu.

But times have changed. People are getting more aware about what they are putting into their body and demand fresh, unprocessed ingredients in their menu options.

Article By: Organic Consumers Association

Annual Mammograms.

Mon, 29 May 2023 16:02:30 GMT

Do annual mammograms save lives?

Several studies over the past few years have concluded that mammograms do not save lives, and may actually harm more women than they help, courtesy of false positives, overtreatment, and radiation-induced cancers.

According to research ¹ published in 2010, the reduction in mortality as a result of mammographic screening was so small as to be nonexistent — a mere 2.4 deaths per 100,000 person-years were spared.

Another study ² published in The Lancet Oncology in 2011 demonstrated, for the first time, that women who received the most breast screenings had a higher cumulative incidence of invasive breast cancer over the following six years than the control group who received far less screenings.

Now, researchers from Harvard and Dartmouth have published a paper ³ in which they present similar conclusions.

Mammograms Have No Impact on Breast Cancer Mortality

After analyzing cancer registry data from 16 million women in 547 counties across the United States, they found “no evident correlation between the extent of screening and 10-year breast cancer mortality.”

The researchers concluded that mammograms primarily find small, typically harmless, or non-lethal tumors, leading to widespread overdiagnosis.

As explained by Dr. Otis Webb Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society and author of the book, How We Do Harm , the term “overdiagnosis” in cancer medicine refers to:

“…a tumor that fulfills all laboratory criteria to be called cancer but, if left alone, would never cause harm. This is a tumor that will not continue to grow, spread, and kill. It is a tumor that can be cured with treatment but does not need to be treated and/or cured.”

Also, echoing results found in 2011, higher screening rates were associated with higher incidence of breast cancer. As reported by The LA Times : ⁴

“For every 10-percentage-point increase in screening rates, the incidence of breast cancer rose by 16 percent… That worked out to an extra 35 to 49 breast cancer cases for every 100,000 women…

The researchers also examined breast cancers according to their stage at diagnosis, a marker of a tumor’s aggressiveness. More screening was associated with a higher incidence of early-stage breast cancers but no change for later-stage tumors, according to the study.

How can this be?

The simplest explanation is widespread overdiagnosis, which increases the incidence of small cancers without changing mortality,’ the study authors wrote. ‘Even where there are 1.8 times as many cancers being diagnosed, mortality is the same.’”

Common Core

Mon, 29 May 2023 15:50:50 GMT

Core strength is critical for everyday activities such as placing heavy grocery bags into the trunk of your automobile, carrying a gallon jug of milk from the refrigerator to the dining room table, and even walking to the mailbox. When your core strength is diminished, even bending over to pick up a pencil may result in a serious spinal injury. Weakened core musculature causes simple, daily physical activities to be problematic. When standing up from a seated position or getting into a car causes you to experience twinges in your back, you may be sure your core muscles are not working in the manner for which they were designed.

Your core muscles consist of the four abdominal muscles – the transversus abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus abdominis – and back muscles such as the erector spinae, longissimus thoracis, and multifidi. The most important core muscle may be the transversus abdominis, a sheet of horizontally oriented muscle that lies underneath the other abdominal muscles and provides deep mechanical support to the low back and pelvis. Similarly important are the multifidi, a group of small, powerful, deep spinal muscles that interconnect pairs and series of vertebras.

In times past, when the concept of work meant actual physical labor, there was no need to pay attention to training the core. In those days, your core muscles were being trained all day long by lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling loads with heavy resistances and/or bending, digging, hoeing, planting, and raking. Working on a farm or in a factory provided more than sufficient exercise for the core. But in today’s developed world, farming and manufacturing jobs have been greatly reduced and the large majority of work is done in the so-called service sector. In the 21st century, people living in developed nations spend the largest portion of their day sitting at a desk. In such circumstances the core musculature will weaken drastically, unless specific attention is paid to training these muscles. ^1,2

The good news is that a wide variety of exercises are available for training the core. Most of them require no equipment. Many of them may be done at home and do not even require a gym membership. For example, yoga provides thorough and complete exercise for core muscles. Self-motivated persons might only need a yoga DVD and a yoga mat, minimizing financial cost and doing their yoga training at home. For others, taking yoga classes at a gym or yoga center might be more appropriate. But yoga is only one possible solution. Numerous highly efficient core exercises may be done on a physioball. Dynamic exercises such as the plank provide substantial core benefit and the only equipment requirement is a mat. Other dynamic exercises include squats, gluteus bridge, lunges, jumping jacks, and the grapevine.

When you spend the time to make sure your core musculature is strong, daily physical activities begin to be done with ease and grace. Back pain and other mechanical aches and injuries fade into memory. ³ The overall result is a body that works efficiently and optimally. Thus, a strong core helps provide for a lifetime of health and well-being. ¹ Kumar T, et al: Efficacy of core muscle strengthening exercise in chronic low back pain patients. J Back Musculoskel Rehabil 2014 Dec 2. [Epub ahead of print] ² Granacher U, et al: Effects of core instability strength training on trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility, dynamic balance and functional mobility in older adults. Gerontology 59(2):105-113, 2013 ³ Huxel Bliven KC, Anderson BE: Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health 5(6):514-522, 2013

Article by: Marilyn Carmona

Alternatives to Coffee

Mon, 29 May 2023 15:37:15 GMT

Many studies have found that coffee is not as bad for the health as was once thought, and that it does have valuable anti-oxidant properties not previously understood. Even so, there are still good reasons for eschewing America’s favorite addictive substance. Many do not like the energy crash they experience when the caffeine wears off; others feel jittery after a cup of java or have medications that do not mix well with coffee. If looking for a substitute, read below to find out more about five popular alternatives.

Green Tea

Green tea is one of the best choices for those looking for a drink that will stimulate the metabolism, strengthen one’s overall health and most importantly help to boost the energy levels. It does contain some caffeine, though not as much as coffee, and by brewing it at home, it is possible to avoid the additives and the artificial sweeteners that have been packed into commercial green tea energy drinks. It is also rich in cancer-fighting and immunity-boosting antioxidants.

Carob Powder

If looking for a chocolate-fix without the guilty associated with extra fat and calories, carob might be the best bet. It blends beautifully with milk (as well as almond or soy milk) and fruits such as bananas for a high-powered, healthy shake and at only 25 calories per tablespoon, it is okay to indulge a little. There are many carob recipes to be found on health-conscious Internet sites.

Green Juices and Smoothies

Both leafy and solid green vegetables are a great basis for healthy juices and smoothies: they are low on the glycemic index, so they are digested slowly by the body and provide sustained energy throughout the day. There are a number of recipes on the Web which offer a nutritious combination of fruits and vegetables for these beverages which will regularize the blood sugar and boost the immunity and the energy level.

Peppermint Tea

Even though there is no caffeine in peppermint tea (make sure to buy the herbal version of this and not simply peppermint-flavored black tea, which does contain caffeine) it can still provide a natural energy boost. In addition to giving a little pick-me-up, it is also excellent for digestive health and will treat complaints like nausea and indigestion: it has been used for these purposes as far back as the Egyptians and works just as well in modern times!

Teeccino

If wanting to give up coffee, but missing the flavor, teeccino may be just the product to buy. This coffee-flavored, all-natural blend of grains, herbs, fruits and nuts imitates the taste of coffee and provides a gentle, natural energy boost but does not cause a caffeine bust like coffee when it wears off.

These drinks still provide needed energy boosts but do not cause the caffeine crashes which so often happens with coffee. Also, many of them bring with them added health benefits that make them an even more attractive choice for a daily beverage.

Combining Foods

Mon, 29 May 2023 15:11:38 GMT

Rice and beans is a well-liked combination of foods that is not only delicious, but also good for you. Other well-known examples of food combinations, such as corn and lima beans (succotash), tomatoes and avocados, and even orange juice and oatmeal, provide benefits beyond those gained by eating these sound nutritional choices individually. ¹

For example, the combination of rice and beans provides complete dietary protein (containing all the essential amino acids we need to build all the other proteins in our bodies). Similarly, the succotash combination of lima beans and corn contains high concentrations of essential amino acids. When you combine avocados and tomatoes, the fat from the avocado helps your body more efficiently use heart-healthy and cancer-fighting antioxidants such as lycoprene contained in the tomato. A heart-healthy breakfast consisting of real oatmeal, such as oatmeal made from rolled oats or steel cut oats, and real orange juice (not from concentrate) provides a potent combination of phenols that are associated with reduced atherosclerosis and cancer. ^2,3

These combinations are specific examples of the more general principle of food combining by which you combine proteins and complex carbohydrates at every meal. When you combine these complementary sources of nutrition on a regular basis, you retrain your body’s metabolism. By consuming a “slow-burning” energy source, you’re providing high-quality fuel for the next three to four hours. Several very good things occur as a result. Energy utilization is optimized, that is, your body gets more benefit out of every calorie it’s burning. Additionally, insulin levels are stabilized throughout the day. Over time, food combining helps a person become a leaner machine and helps reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. These benefits are especially important for people who have been told they are hypoglycemic or pre-diabetic. Of course, you should always check with your doctor to make sure a food combining strategy is right for you.

When you add a program of regular, vigorous exercise to your food combining lifestyle choice, you obtain even more profound benefits. The vigorous exercise you’re doing raises your body’s basal metabolic rate. Your body begins to burn calories even when you’re asleep. Owing to the increase in lean muscle mass you’re gaining from exercising over time, you’re burning more calories throughout the day. You find yourself craving more nutritious foods, that is, those that will provide higher-quality nutrition, such as the nutrition contained in such combinations as rice and beans and oatmeal and orange juice. Thus, your positive lifestyle choices contain their own positive feedback system. The better choices you make, the healthier you become, and the healthier you want to be. The long-term results are enhanced health and well being for you, your family, and your friends.

¹ Liu RH: Health-promoting components of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Adv Nutr 4(3):384S-392S, 2013 ² Hu D, et al: Fruits and vegetables consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Stroke 45(6):1613-1619, 2014 ³ Thomburg KL, Challis JR: How to build a healthy heart from scratch. Adv Exp Med Biol 814:205-216, 2014

Article by: Marilyn Carmona

Social Media and Health.

Mon, 29 May 2023 15:01:17 GMT

An Epsilon study found that 40% of online consumers use social media for health information. Social media refers to the many online tools that allow people to communicate with each other and share information and resources. Social media can include text, audio, video, images, podcasts, and other multimedia platforms.

What to look for on social networking sites
Many people turn to social networking sites to help them deal with their health problems. It is easier for many to ‘open up’ to their anonymous online friends, especially if they do not want their loved ones to worry about them. People on these Web sites can sometimes offer more objective and impartial advice. However, some of these sites are nothing more than a forum for marketers, and many offer advice that actually is far different from what current clinical guidelines would recommend.

The following is a short list of what to look for when determining whether or not to join a social networking site:
* A credential moderator with credentials – someone should watch the boards to make sure that nothing inappropriate is said
* Accessible privacy policies
* Prompt correction of misinformation by a moderator or other professional
* Ability to change privacy settings, for instance, if you do not want to display your name, geographical location, age, etc
* Clear labeling of advertisements vs other content
* Basic medical information that is in line with what your physicians have recommended.

Tips to stay safe online:

Hackers : Understand that hackers can break into people’s accounts and send messages, so they look like they came from your friends. Avoid clicking links in messages that you receive if you at all question the validity of them.

Your address book: Do not agree to let these sites scan your e-mail account’s address books to invite your friends to join you or to find out if any of your contacts also are on the network.

Fake profiles: Social engineering is when an identity theft creates fake profiles on sites. Use caution about who you accept as a friend on social networking sites.

Permanent content: What you write on these sites is permanent. Even if you later delete your account, someone could have previously saved or printed the information.

Think about what you post regarding your personal life. Many people let others know when they are going on vacation, post photos of their house or children, include their phone number in posts, and divulge other information that a criminal could use.

A few good sites:
Barbara Ficarra RN, BSN, MPA, an award-winning journalist, media broadcaster, speaker, medical blogger, consultant, media trainer, and health expert, recommends the following sites for individuals looking to delve into the world of health social media:

Better Health
http://getbetterhealth.com/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://cdc.gov/

Cleveland Clinic
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/default.aspx

Dr Greene
http://www.drgreene.com/

Health Commentary
http://healthcommentary.org/

Health News Review
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/

Health Tech Today
http://www.microsoft.com/industry/healthcare/healthtechtoday/default.aspx#0-0

Inspire
http://www.inspire.com/

Kevin MD
http://kevinmd.com/

Kinetics
http://www.caroltorgan.com/

Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/

MedlinePlus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

OrganizedWisdom
http://organizedwisdom.com/Home

PatientsLikeMe
http://www.patientslikeme.com/

Sharecare
http://www.sharecare.com/

The Health Care Blog
http://thehealthcareblog.com/

References and recommended readings
Ficarra B. Social media: medical social networking?part 2. Available at: http://healthin30.com/2011/03/social-media-medical-social-networking-part-2/. Accessed on March 8, 2011.

iVillage Health. Diabetes social networking Web sites vary in quality. Available at:
http://www.ivillage.com/diabetes-social-networking-web-sites-vary-quality/4-a-324634. Accessed on March 8, 2011.

Landro L. Social networking comes to health care. Available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06363/749317-96.stm. Accessed on March 8, 2011.

Morrison K. Health care meets social networking. Available at: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2009/01/19/daily9.html. Accessed on March 8, 2011.

Navy Hospital Twentynine Palms. 10 tips for social networking safety. Available at:
http://robertebushnavalhospital.blogspot.com/2009/07/10-tips-for-social-networking-safety.html. Accessed March 8, 2011.

Sachoff M. Consumers turn to social media for health support: social media plays important role in healthcare. Available at: http://www.webpronews.com/2010/04/11/consumers-turn-to-social-media-for-health-support/. Accessed March 8, 2011.

Sharp J. Social media in health care: barriers and future trends. Available at: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/perspectives/2010/social-media-in-health-care-barriers-and-future-trends.aspx. Accessed on March 8, 2011.

Text Neck

Mon, 29 May 2023 14:47:40 GMT

Please read this article t o find out what everyone should know about texting and the problems it can cause for your spine.

Biggest Bang For Your Buck

Mon, 29 May 2023 14:44:19 GMT

Busy, but want to know what can give you the biggest bang for your buck as far as improving your health?

Watch this 9 minute video to find out.

Traditional Diets, Modern Misunderstandings

Mon, 29 May 2023 14:39:18 GMT

One of the biggest mistakes I see in nutrition is that we look at life in these narrow “slices” of time and think this is how things always have been. We might think that nutritionally we’re a little worse than a while ago (or not), but we don’t have any perspective or context to help us see exactly how different things are now. After all, we think to ourselves, how different could cheese be? Or meat? Or bread? Or vegetables? We simply don’t remember what people ate before cereal or sandwiches came into the picture.

Low Fat Fad

Let’s take, for example, the current fad of eating low fat. At no point in human history had we ever eaten low fat until the past 30 to 40 years when research linked hydrogenated fats and trans fats to heart disease. While those man-made fats absolutely contribute to heart disease, there has never been a study that linked butter or lard to plaques or any other cardiovascular problem. Yet without solid research on which to justify this change, the national recommendation then became to avoid ALL fats. We then invented fat-free yogurt with more sugar in it than even a candy bar, but with all the “wholesome goodness” that yogurt seems to imply.

Did you know that back in the 1940s, the inexpensive cut of meat was the lean piece? When you wanted a rich, mouth-watering steak, it was the fat you looked for. If you couldn’t afford the good cut with the fat, you could buy inexpensive pork belly and, using a larding needle, sew strips of it to the lean meat to give it flavor. Check out cookbooks from the 1930s and you’ll see what I mean.

Fat traditionally was so prized for its nutritive value that fish eggs (which are fantastic sources of fat-soluble vitamins A and D) were given as a wedding present in Japan to a new couple to increase fertility. The Eskimos also prized fish eggs. Natives in the Andes carried fish roe from the ocean hundreds of miles to their villages in the mountains to bring nutrition to women of child-bearing age. Native Americans would save fat from animals like buffalo and bear killed in the summer to use when cooking the lean animals like rabbit and deer during the winter.

Researcher Weston Price saw that traditional foods in cultures untouched by the modern Western diet had 10 times the amounts of fat-soluble vitamins than in the 1930s and four times the amount of minerals and water-soluble vitamins. He referred to the fat-soluble vitamins as the “catalysts” upon which the absorption of all other nutrients — proteins, minerals and vitamins — relied. One can only wonder how much more deficient we will become in the following century with our low-fat diets.

Vitamins

Where does one get those vitamins now? We could get vitamin D from the sun … if we were outside without sunscreen. The traditional food source was lard, from pigs fed in the sun. Vitamin A is only found in animal products, like full-fat dairy, butter and liver. Beta-carotene is actually a precursor to vitamin A and needs to be converted in the body and the conversion rate can be quite poor. The ratio of conversion of beta-carotene to retinol can be as bad as 28:1 and is especially low in diabetics, people with hypothyroidism and celiac disease and babies.

The Raw Food store Que SeRaw SeRaw in Burlingame, CA has many choices of raw vegetables, entrees, wraps, and more. How many people do you know think raw-food diets are vegetarian or vegan? It is completely true that raw foods can have higher amounts of enzymes and nutrients. Cooking may add the damaging effects of processed oils, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that speed aging and cellular damage, will kill off any beneficial bacteria, and potentially can add toxins and chemicals, depending on how processed it is.

The problem is that, again, we have “forgotten” that while all healthy cultures had some source of raw foods, it wasn’t just fruits and vegetables. There were also sources of raw meats, raw seafood and raw dairy (in some cultures). Beef carpaccio, sushi, steak tartar and raw oysters are all examples of traditional raw foods, as well as cod liver oil, raw butter and raw milk.

Researcher Francis Pottenger saw in his studies that cats fed a diet of cooked meat and pasteurized milk had, after three generations, more difficult pregnancies, narrow faces and crowded teeth, frail bones and weak ligaments, parasites and diseases. The cats that ate the raw meat and raw milk did not, and continued their health for subsequent generations. There are people who think that many of us, with our need for braces and wisdom-teeth extractions, never mind the rates of degenerative diseases, are the nutritionally deficient human versions of Pottenger’s cats.

Fad Diets

What else did traditional cultures do? A lot of these cultures didn’t have the unlimited food we have now, so they didn’t do anything insane like voluntarily stop eating meats or fats, and they certainly didn’t squander any parts of an animal. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts? Not a chance. Bones gave you flavor and minerals, and chicken skin is actually in the same category as olive oil, a monounsaturated fat. You kept the bones because in making soup with them and by adding any water you might have boiled vegetables in, you kept the vitamins and minerals.

Of course, what we do now is throw away everything besides the muscle, not realizing that bone broth made from real bones was how people got their minerals like calcium and nutrition like glucosamine for joints, gelatin for healing the gut lining, and glycine for heme synthesis, collagen formation, detoxification and neurotransmitter function. Organ meats gave us mineral content far surpassing vegetables, as well as a full complement of vitamins.

When people argue that meat is inflammatory, they’re nearly always surprised when I agree, but that’s because how we eat meat now is inflammatory and this is for two reasons. First, we took cows off of grass and fed them corn, and this ingestion of inflammatory omega-6 oils changed the nutritional profile of the meat, causing it to be more inflammatory. Second, how we eat meat currently is not how it was traditionally eaten.

Eating only the muscle meat causes high levels of inflammatory homocysteine in the body. If we had ample B vitamins, we could convert homocysteine safely back to methionine, but most people are B-vitamin deficient … and why? Because stress and eating refined carbohydrates depletes the body of B vitamins. The best source of B vitamins is liver, but who’s eating that now? If we continued to eat the whole animal, instead of arbitrarily deciding to only eat the muscle meat, it wouldn’t actually be inflammatory, as evidenced by cultures like the Masaai (Africa) and the Eskimos. They ate little to no vegetables, nearly all animal protein and animal fats, and had next to none of the degenerative diseases we have now and a .01 percent cancer rate.

Meat is Good

Again, cultures that weren’t replete in food as we are today might not have eaten a lot of anything, including meat, but they certainly didn’t shy away from it when it was served. People will quickly point out to me that people from India ate a vegetarian diet and were healthy, and I will just as quickly point out that they ate animal protein unknowingly in the form of insects mixed in among the grains they ingested. We know this because vegetarian Indians who relocated to England were shown to contract megaloblastic anemia for the simple reason that even though they were eating the same diet, the food was now “cleaner” and without the added nutrients from the insects, they contracted the same B12 anemia that is so prevalent among many vegetarians.

Sometimes people will say that “we live longer now, so we must be doing something right.” Actually, the mid-Victorians had the same lifespan as we do, with 10 percent of the degenerative diseases. If you made it beyond the age of 5 (approximately one in three children died young), and didn’t catch something infectious that could kill you, your lifespan would be the same as now, you would be active for nearly your whole life, rarely be sick, and you would probably die in your sleep.

The mid-Victorians ate locally grown, seasonal produce, local dairy products and eggs, “crazy” foods (at least, for modern Americans) like steak-and-kidney pie and liver, and very little sugar. Around 1880, shipping became much more common and people started eating different foods, like canned and tinned meat (instead of fresh), wheat from North American for baked goods, along with a huge influx of sugar.

By the year 1900, sugar had rotted teeth to the degree that people could not eat fruits, vegetables and nuts, and this malnourishment caused a change in health so severe that the military had to drop their admission height by six inches, to 5 foot, 0 inches. Regarding our lifespan now, we only live longer because of life-saving measures; there’s little to argue regarding our decline in quality of life as we age.

As you look around at the food in your kitchen and refrigerator, or the food you’re ordering in restaurants, the question to ask yourself is, “Would your grandmother (or someone 75 to 100 years ago) recognize any of this food?” Nearly everything that comes in a bag, box or can nowadays is a newly invented, “modern” food, complete with everything from high-fructose corn syrup to GMO grains, to corn-fed beef. Vegetables grown on over-farmed soil with no nutrients are sprayed with pesticides because when plants don’t have nutritional health, they can’t defend themselves either.

Soy protein and soy oil is in nearly everything (it’s our second largest crop, after all) — none of it fermented to make it more digestible and less damaging. Corn oil, vegetable oil, soy oil — those are all modern inventions, with their highly inflammatory profiles, used in restaurants and salad dressing everywhere. Artificial sweeteners, “Real fruit flavor!” chemicals, preservatives in everything from meat to chips — those are all new chemical inventions. Add in the scientific formulations designed to create addiction, with high levels of salt, sugar and fat hidden in the ingredient list and in the taste, cutting-edge marketing, and easy access to food everywhere — it’s no wonder people make poor food choices.

There has been a small shift toward buying locally and from farmers markets, and a bit more awareness, with articles in the mainstream media regarding the damage of the low-fat policy and ingredients like sugar. I would be lying, though, if I thought that cleaning up our diets for the past couple of years was going to offset the decades of damage we’ve done to ourselves, along with the potential generational damage we’ve had.

This is actually why I use high quality supplements in my practice — because simply making dietary changes is like filling a pothole with a teaspoon and low quality supplements with their unnatural profiles and synthetic derivatives are actually damaging.

Personal Journey

Just so you know, I’m personally working on this myself. I take fish oil, avoid processed foods, buy free range meats and small wild fish, am learning to eat organ meats, take a top of the line multivitamin, and eat organic vegetables at every turn. I eat real food, and try to eat in a way that my great-grandparents would recognize. It’s been a journey, but one I recommend for my patients and recommend to you as well.

Curing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Naturally, without Drugs or Surgery. Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014

Mon, 29 May 2023 14:27:26 GMT

For years we believed that carpal tunnel syndrome was a repetitive stress injury stemming from overuse of the hands, wrists and fingers, particularly from spending long hours at the computer keyboard. But a recent study from Harvard casts doubt on this notion and suggests that most people who develop CTS are genetically predisposed to do so, perhaps because of the structure of their hands and wrists. (Researchers led by David Ring, M.D., an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, published in the February 2007 issue of Human Factors: the Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.)

Another new slant on CTS came from ergonomics researchers at the University of California at San Francisco and McMaster University in Canada, who concluded that the angle of wrist flexion can increase pressure on the median nerve and established limits on how much the wrist can be flexed in each direction before nerve damage sets in. The study was published in the February 2007 issue of Human Factors: the Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

My take on this, after many years in practice, seeing CTS often respond well to gentle, specific Activator adjustments, is that structure = function. If the bones are not aligned properly, it can put pressure on the median nerve, and removing that interference, improves function. If Activator adjustments don’t alleviate the problem, I refer to a hand therapist. Another non-drug, non-surgical approach is to supplement with B6. Studies have shown that you may need to take megadoses of B6 (50 mg or more/ day) for 60-90 days before you can evaluate its effectiveness. Below is the dosage which Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, recommends.

“ The most effective treatment that I’ve found is B-6 or pyridoxine, 100 mg two or three times a day. At this dosage, B6 acts as a natural therapeutic agent for nerve compression injuries. (B6 at doses higher than 300 mg a day have caused nerve damage in a few individuals; discontinue use if you develop any unusual numbness.)”

Office Pains. Wednesday

Mon, 29 May 2023 05:00:31 GMT

Ergonomic Devices

Ergonomic devices can be hazardous to your health.

Don’t use wrist rests or splints while typing, experts warn. They can put pressure on nerves and make repetitive-stress injuries worse. “If you’re going to use a wrist rest, use it to rest.” says David Rempel, director of the ergonomics laboratory at the University of California in San Francisco.

earing splints too frequently can lead to muscle atrophy, Dr. Rempel says. Splints can be useful to immobilize wrists at night, but they can force arms into awkward positions at the keyboard and lead to elbow injuries. Squeezing rubber balls, meanwhile, can strengthen certain finger muscles but the exercise should be avoided by people already suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, experts say.

Tilt keyboard

Tilt keyboard platforms away from the typist, new research suggests. Workers bend their wrists less when they type at keyboard platforms that slope 12 degrees away from them, says Alan Hedge, an ergonomics professor at Cornell University. The negative tilt- where the back of the keyboard is lower than the front- changes the angling of the keys, improving postures and reducing typists chances of developing repetitive-stress disorders, Mr. hedge says. A study of 38 employees at Honeywell Inc. found that those who used negative tilt keyboard platforms kept their hands in safe positions 67% of the time, compared with 28% to 42% of the time for workers using other arrangements.

The research impresses other scientists, but they say long-term studies are still needed. A negative tilt also allows workers to maintain safe postures while lowering their keyboards. Lower keyboards- about an inch above the legs at the lowest point- can reduce shoulder shrugging, neck tension, and elbow problems, ergonomists say.

Computer Vision Syndrome

Millions have headaches and focus problems.

Eyestrain tops the list of computer users’ complaints. More than 10 million workers visit optometrists each year because of computer-related vision problems, and 40% of them get special glasses for their video display terminals, says James Sheedy, optometry professor at the University of California Berkeley. Working at a computer can be more visually demanding than other tasks, given that the screen can cause glare and the monitor is outside the range of most reading glasses. Some doctors now simulate computer screens in their offices to test patients’ eyes.

Positioning the monitor about 26 inches from the eyes is optimal, making focusing easier than at closer distances, says Jeffrey Anshel, a California optometrist and president of Corporate Vision Consulting. he recommends high-contrast colors on the screen; black on a white background is best.

Workers should look down slightly at the computer to avoid neck problems, keeping the screen’s center about four to eight inches below the eyes, Mr. Sheedy says.

Lighting Overlooked

Workers’ computer screens should be as bright as everything else in their field of vision, experts say. Most offices are too well lit for employees to be staring at a black monitor with white letters. Working with a window in the background can cause eye problems, too.

Wrist Injury Toll

More than 41,000 workers suffered from cases of carpal tunnel syndrome in 1993 severe enough that they took time off from work, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. It is unclear what caused almost 40% of those injuries, but at least 8,000 occurred from typing. Wrist injuries account for 20% of claims paid at Liberty Mutual Group, the nations largest workers compensation insurer. The company spends about $50 million a year on these claims.

Please Don’t Squeeze

lease don’t squeeze the mouse, experts warn. Keeping the mouse platform about 20% higher than the workers elbows and in front of the body, not to the side, is also recommended.

Typing as a Sport?

Warm-ups and rest breaks can reduce potential injury. “Typing is an athletic activity for ones hands and fingers,” says Stephanie Brown, CEO of Ergonome Inc., a New York ergonomic software publisher. Hands need a quick warm-up before typing, just as legs do before a long run, she says, since cold muscles are more prone to injury. She recommends a five-minute routine, including fingers push-ups and hand massages.

Typists should rest their hands about 10 minutes an hour, using short, frequent breaks rather than long ones, experts say. Many recommend microbreaks; dropping hands to the lap for just five seconds can be helpful.

The Checkoff

Let the fingers do the walking? In an eight-hour day, typists’ fingers can travel more than 16 miles; in one week they move more than 500,000 times. … Computer users’ eyes often dry out because they blink only seven times a minute, compared with the regular rate of 22 times a minute, optometrists say.

Obtaining Regularity

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Mon, 29 May 2023 04:46:27 GMT

We all know how important obtaining regularity can be for our health. Here are some tips on how to get yourself in a normal bowel routine!

DRINK SUFFICIENT WATER DAILY:

Use high quality, filtered water. To calculate the right amount of water for yourself, take your body weight and divide by 2. The resultant number, in ounces, is the correct amount of water daily for you. Ex. If you weigh 150 lbs., you need 75 oz. of water daily. 75 oz./ 8oz = ~ 9.5 standard-8 oz. glasses of water per day.

Caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating agents. For example, for each 8 oz. cup/glass of caffeinated beverage or alcoholic beverage which you drink, you need an extra glass of water above and beyond your normal daily quota to make up for the effect. The easiest way to get in the habit of drinking sufficient water is to fill 2-3 one-qt. bottles with water in the morning. Put them at the office, in the car, etc., so they’re always at your elbow. At the end of the day, make certain you’ve finished them. It takes 21 days to make a habit; so take heart, after a mere 21 days, drinking sufficient water will be automatic!

TAKE ULTRAFLORA DAILY:

NCFM Superstrain normalizes intestinal flora & is proven to boost the immune system 10%. (Contact us, we carry it in the office).

EAT WHOLE GRAIN PRODUCTS:

EAT WHOLE VEGETABLES & WHOLE FRUITS:

Avoid processed products and juices because they have no fiber and fewer nutrients.

ADD THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ONE AT A TIMES, TRYING EACH DAILY FOR 2 WEEKS BEFORE ADDING THE NEXT ITEM.

New Paragraph

Controlling High Cholesterol

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Mon, 29 May 2023 01:27:08 GMT

High cholesterol is a well-known risk factor in heart disease. This waxy, fat-like substance comes from the diet, but is primarily made by the liver, and is an essential component of cell membranes. The body also uses it to produce hormones and vitamin D.

Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream attached to two different compounds called lipoproteins: (1) low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and (2) high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is commonly known as the “bad cholesterol;” it carries cholesterol from the liver throughout the body, making it available and potentially allowing it to be deposited in artery walls. HDL is known as the “good cholesterol;” it picks up cholesterol from the blood and delivers it to cells that use it, or back to the liver to be recycled or eliminated from the body.

Causes and Symptoms

The body needs cholesterol to function, but too much of it in the blood, or too much of the wrong kind, can add up to trouble. The factors leading to heart disease are as follows:

High Cholesterol, especially high LDL level. These two factors combine to form a well known risk factor for heart disease (though people can have heart disease without having high cholesterol). Lifestyle may influence cholesterol levels in part, especially the consumption of saturated fats, but the tendency toward high cholesterol diet and nutritional supplementation is moderately effective. Medications to lower cholesterol are usually very effective.
Low HDL cholesterol and high triglyceride (blood fat) levels. This is a different pattern than high total and LDL cholesterol although someone may have both. This pattern, sometimes called “Syndrome X,” is associated with insulin resistance. It is frequently influenced by diet and lifestyle, but also is genetically driven and appears to affect about 30 percent of the population. It carries with it an increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes as well as heart disease. Dietary and nutritional supplement treatments for this pattern are different from those for high total and LDL cholesterol levels. Here, lifestyle changes are generally quite effective.

Suggested Lifestyle and Low Cholesterol Diet Changes

To improve your cholesterol profile, try the following:

Lose weight. Even a modest amount of weight loss can lower cholesterol levels.
Reduce the amount of sugar and flour that you eat. Recent evidence indicates that added sugar – in the form of table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup – is probably a greater contributor to heart disease than is saturated fat. In fact, certain components of full-fat dairy foods may be cardio-protective. As a general rule, don’t consume food with added sugars. In particular, don’t consume soft drinks, which, because they contain no fiber to slow metabolism, cause rapid spikes and dips in blood sugar levels. The result can be overeating, obesity, and heart disease.
Avoid trans-fats. These heart damaging fats can reduce HDL level and raise LDL levels. If you find “partially hydrogenerated oil” listed in the ingredient list on food labels, find a healthier, low cholesterol diet substitute. There are many spreads available on the market today that are free from trans-fat. Trans-fat is found in many margarines and in most heavily processed foods, as well as in snack foods like chips, crackers and cookies, and in the oils used to cook fast-food French fries, doughnuts, and movie popcorn.
Exercise. Daily aerobic exercise is one well-proven method to increase HDL levels.
Don’t smoke. Smoking is a risk factor for heart disease all by itself, but can also significant lower HDL cholesterol.
Relax. Emotional stress may trigger the body to release fat into the bloodstream, raising cholesterol levels. Practice daily breathing exercises and a stress-reduction technique that works for you, such as yoga, meditation, guided imagery, or tai chi.

Nutrition and Supplements

The following low cholesterol diet may help to reduce cholesterol levels:

Eat some nuts every day. Nuts, especially almonds, walnuts, and cashews, contain heart healthy monounsaturated fat.
Substitute organic soy protein or other beans for animal protein. The protein in soy foods and other beans has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Try to incorporate two servings a day into your meals. Choose from tofu, tempeh, soy milk, whole soy beans, and roasted soy nuts. Non-organic soy is genetically modified and may cause an allergic reaction. “Beano” supplement helps reduce gas when eating beans.
Use fresh garlic regularly in you meals. Garlic has been shown to lower both cholesterol levels and blood pressure – and it tastes wonderful, too! Use one or two raw or lightly cooked cloves a day.
Drink organic decaffeinated green tea daily. The antioxidants in green tea help lower cholesterol and prevent the cholesterol in your blood from oxidizing.
Eat plenty of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber has a powerful cholesterol-lowering effect. The best sources of soluble fiber are beans and lentils, apples, citrus fruits, oats, barley, peas, carrots, ground flax seed, and oat bran daily.
Limit refined carbohydrates . A diet full of cookies, cakes, crackers, fluffy bread, chips, and sodas can increase triglyceride levels and lower HDL.
Take coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to be beneficial for healthy heart by protecting LDL cholesterol from oxidation and by reenergizing the mitochondria in the heart cells, which is where energy metabolism occurs. CoQ10 may also help lower blood pressure.
Take fish oil. Fish oil contains an abundance of essential fatty acids known as omega-3s. Daily fish oil is an effective preventative strategy against heart disease, and has been shown to lower triglyceride levels, minimize inflammation and clotting, and increase HDL cholesterol.

Niacin for Lower Cholesterol

Niacin (B3) is the best thing to lower triglycerides, and the cheapest. This works better than the prescription drugs. Use “short acting” 500mg, 1000 tablets for $21. Can get at Costco. Cheaper than the sustaining acting niacin.

Note: Aspirin use is optional. It lessens the “niacin flush” somewhat, but any dose of aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach. Aspirin has no effect on cholesterol levels.

First week: After dinner, take one 500mg niacin pill. Taking the niacin after a meal slows absorption and works better. ( Optional: before dinner, take 81mg baby aspirin.)
Second week: Take 500 mg niacin after breakfast. Take 500 mg niacin after dinner. ( Optional: Take 81mg baby aspirin 1x per day before breakfast.)
Third week and thereafter: Take 500 mg niacin after breakfast, 500 mg niacin after lunch, and 500 mg niacin after dinner. ( Optional: Take 81mg baby aspirin 1x per day before breakfast.)

Measure the cholesterol levels 2 to 3 months after taking the treatment. 70% of patients were down to acceptable levels in the 2 to 3 month period. Recommended not to take any more than 2000 mg per day of niacin.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Mon, 29 May 2023 00:00:05 GMT

Certain substances increase prostaglandin’s formation, which then increased inflammation. There are other foods that are high in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and/or antioxidants. All of these substances can help reduce inflammation.

Foods to Avoid:

Red meat

Dairy products

Refined grain products:

Ex. White flour pasta, white rice, etc.

Alcohol

Sugar

Fruit Juice

Fruit:

(Restricted to 3 whole fruits per day)

Focus on these foods:

Fish:

Especially Halibut and wild Salmon. Farm raised Salmon is full of dye and low in omegas. Halibut and wild Salmon are high in omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation.

Walnuts:

High in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

Organic chicken and turkey

Vegetables:

Especially dark green, bright yellow, and orange vegetables which are high in anti-oxidants.

Flax seed and Flax seed oil:

High in omega 3 fatty acids. Do not cook with flax oil or the fatty acids will be destroyed. Sprinkle on cold cereal or fruit; put in soymilk smoothies. Make flax seed tea.

Whole grains:

Especially organic sprouted whole grain breads like those made by “Alvarado Street Bakery”- found at most supermarkets. Many other whole grains are available besides whole wheat, i.e. corn, millet, brown rice, amaranth, oats, rye, quinoa, barley, etc. Read the whole list of ingredients. If it does not say “ whole wheat” or “ stone-ground whole wheat” then it’s not whole grain. “ White ” flour is disguised using the terms “ unbleached flour ,” “ wheat flour, ” “ all natural .” If the product has “ 0 gm ” of fiber in it, it’s not whole grain.

Supplementation of Calcium and Magnesium

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Sun, 28 May 2023 23:07:38 GMT

Calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiency, an epidemic in America, results in osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones). By the age of 60, 75% of American women and 25% of American men have osteoporosis. Bone fractures in the U.S. Due to osteoporosis account for $10 billion/year towards the health care system. According to the National Institute of Health, most Americans get less than 500 mg per day of calcium in their diets, as compared to the suggested adult daily dose of +1000 mg (varying by gender and age). If you are dairy intolerant and not eating a primarily plant based diet, you are getting even less.

Importance of Magnesium

Another crucial mineral that works in conjunction with calcium, and is often lacking in one’s diet, is magnesium. New research shows that the ration of Calcium: Magnesium should be 1:1.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is critical for the uptake of minerals into bones. Unless you are out in the sun without sun block for 20-30 minutes per day, it’s important that you take vitamin D supplements daily. If under age 60, 400 IU/day is recommended; if over age 60, 700 IU/day. Because vitamin D is crucial to many body functions, it is wise to get a periodic blood test to determine your vitamin D level.

How much do you need to supplement?

The best way to assess your calcium and magnesium intake is to keep a food diary of calcium-rich and magnesium-rich items for 1 week. At the end of the week, calculate your daily averages. With supplements, you will need to make up the difference.

According to the National Institute of Health, daily calcium and magnesium intake (in mg) should be:

Infants

Birth-6 months: 400

6 months-1 year: 600

Children

1-5 years: 800

6-10 years: 800-1,200

Adolescents/Young Adults

11-24 years: 1,200-1,500

Men

25-65 years: 1,200

Over 65 years: 1,500

Women

25-50 years: 1,200

Over 50 years (postmenopausal):

On estrogens: 1,000
Not on estrogens: 1,500

Over 65 years : 1,500

Pregnant and nursing: 1,200-1,500

GOOD SOURCES OF CALCIUM:

1 C. Yogurt plain low fat = 400mg

1 C. Mustard greens cooked = 105 mg

1 C. Broccoli cooked = 42 mg

1 C. Chinese cabbage = 70 mg

1 C. Kidney beans cooked = 70 mg

1 C. Cooked Collards = 220 mg

1 C. Pinto beans cooked = 250 mg

1 fig = 22 mg

3.5 oz. cooked tofu = 100 mg

1 oz. sesame seeds = 38 mg (approx. 2 T. sesame butter)

1 C. Turnip greens cooked = 105 mg

Calcium fortified soy milk ( check label )

NOT Spinach (Calcium bound to oxalates and not bioavailable)

GOOD SOURCES OF MAGNESIUM:

1 C. Yogurt plain low fat = 40mg

1 C. Mustard greens cooked = 18 mg

1 C. Chinese cabbage = 13 mg

1 C. Kidney beans cooked = 79 mg

1 C. Pinto beans cooked = 94 mg

1 C. Turnip greens cooked = 17 mg

1 C. Broccoli cooked = 22 mg

1 fig = 11 mg

1 C. Cooked Collards = 3.2 mg

1 kiwi = 23 mg

1 oz. sesame seeds = 38 mg

proving calcium absorption:

Calcium is poorly absorbed. Absorption, in general, can be improved by:

1 – Eating a primarily plant-based, non-processed diet (i.e. avoid animal products).

2 – Choosing calcium and magnesium supplements with better absorption rates (AAA Cal; Calcium Hydroxy Apatite; Calcium Citrate, Natural Calm).

3 – Taking no more than 500 mg at a time.

4 – Taking Calcium and Magnesium between meals or according to package instructions.

5 – Avoiding a diet high in sodium and animal protein.

6 – Avoiding a diet high in oxalate*, phytate, or wheat bran.

7 – Consuming aluminum – containing antacids.

8 – Using glucocorticoids ex: cortisone.

9 – Avoiding a diet high in phosphorus (soda pop, diet soda, processed foods such as

lunch meats, etc. – read label).

* food high in oxalates: chocolate, spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, soybeans, almonds, cashew, kale, rhubarb.

At the office we carry the best absorbed form of calcium/magnesium on the market, AAA Calcium and Natural Calm Magnesium supplement.

Please feel free to call us for more information.

Improving Your Sleep

Sun, 28 May 2023 22:31:46 GMT

Healthy Sleep has been empirically proven to be the single most important determinant in predicting longevity, more important, that diet, exercise, or heredity.”

William C. Dement, M.D., Ph. D.

Americans today sleep an average 25% less than in 1900.

Here are suggested sleeping times for children. It is essential during this period of growth to be getting the recommended amount of sleep.

For children 1 Week: 16.5 hours

For children 1 Year: 13.75 hours

For children 10 Years: 9.75 hours

For young adults 20 Years: 8 hours

The amount of sleep you get can be directly correlated to the length of one’s lifespan, so it’s important to do everything you can get the healthiest sleep possible.

Healthier Sleep Recommendations:

Reduce pain or discomfort (sometimes the most effective way is through chiropractic care).
Use a mattress with proper support, comfort, and temperature.
Arise at the same time every day- have a sleep schedule.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine for 4 hours before bed.
Time your exercise: regular exercise can help improve your sleep, but don’t do so too close to bedtime, again at least 4 hours.
Use your bed only for sleeping. Refrain from using your bed to watch TV, pay bills, do work, or read.
Take a hot bath: While a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime will raise your body temperature, the drop in temperature afterwards may make you feel sleepy.
Cool your room: sleeping in too hot an environment can be difficult. A cooler room, at a sleep-promoting 65 degrees with enough blankets to stay warm, is recommended.
Avoid large meals less than 4 hours before bedtime.
Difficulty falling asleep, maybe be due to vitamin B12 deficiency, while difficulty staying asleep may be due to a vitamin E deficiency.
Studies show warm hands and feet induce sleep quickly i.e. If your feet are cold, wear socks to bed.
Time-released melatonin (available over the counter) or “sleepy-time” teas may be helpful (available at health food stores, Trader Joe’s etc.)
Have a dark and quiet sleep environment (black out curtains, eye nightshades, a white noise machine, and/or earplugs may be helpful.)
Have a relaxing routine at bedtime.
Limit daytime naps to less than 1 hour.
Go to bed at the same time every night.

Boost Your Immune System Naturally.

Sun, 28 May 2023 22:22:17 GMT

A good rule-of-thumb to determine how much you need to drink per day is 1/2 your body weight in ounces. For example, if I weigh 120 lbs., I would need to drink 60oz. Per day. A standard glass is 8oz., therefore I need 7 ½ glasses per day.

Daily:

Drink good, quality bottled water (not coffee, soda, etc.).
Take a quality multivitamin, such as Multigenics from Metagenics.
Take antioxidants, if not already part of your multivitamin: vitamin C (3000 mg.), selenium (200 mcg.), beta carotene (10,000 IU), zinc (15 mg.), vitamin E (400 IU), vitamin D (1000 IU).
Take a probiotic, preferably in powder form, such as Metagenics’ Ultra Flora . Start with 1/4 t. Daily; if you experience upset stomach or diarrhea, cut back to 1/8 t. Daily. Remember to refrigerate your probiotics!

Use garlic as frequently as possible (i.e., in soups, salads, pasta, etc.). Raw, fresh garlic is the most beneficial.
If you suffer from low blood sugar and/or sugar cravings, consider taking 200 mcg. Chromium picolinate.
Try Metagenics’ Apatite with Magnesium in 2:1 ratio (2 cal/1 mag) or any AAA Calcium.

F emales:

-Take 700 mg. calcium citrate or calcium hydroxyl.

-If post menopausal, take 1000 mg. calcium.

Males:

-Take 700 mg. calcium.

If you feel an illness starting:

In addition to the above routine, add:

Echinacea tincture (in stock at our office)
Coldcalm, if symptoms are definitely those of a cold
Increase consumption of raw garlic, if possible (or else add to soup, etc.)
Eliminate citrus, such as oranges/orange juice
Eliminate sweets, including fruit juice, except for 2 whole fruits per day
Eliminate dairy products
Increase vitamin C to 1,000 mg. every 3 hours (if stomach can tolerate) until you are completely well
Appropriate homeopathic remedy (call our office)

How to Meditate.

Sun, 28 May 2023 22:07:36 GMT

In today’s frenzied world it is crucial to practice a DAILY stress reduction technique. Thousands of studies have shown the physiological and psychological benefits of meditation. It relaxes the body as well as the mind and boosts the immune system.

How to Meditate:

Set aside an uninterrupted time of at least 10 minutes, preferably 20 minutes.
Sit in a firm, straight back chair with your feet flat on the floor and hands resting lightly on your thighs. Before you start to mediate, affirm that you will not get up for any reason other than an emergency.
Close your eyes.
Choose a word or image on which to focus your attention, or you might choose to focus on your breath. Pay attention to it going in and out.
Each time during your meditation that you realize you have stopped focusing on your word, image, or breath, gently bring your attention back to it.

Please be assured that it does get easier as the months go by. It can be quite a change for us to take the time to center ourselves.

Your goal should be to meditate at least 1 time per day, preferably 2 times.

Insight Meditation Center

We recommend visiting the Insight Meditation Center.

The center is located at 108 Birch Street Redwood City, California 94062
You can contact them by calling (650) 599-3456 or by visiting their website.

Their classes are taught by experienced meditation students. You will find attending one or two classes can be helpful as you begin your meditation practice. There is no cost for classes, events and retreats at IMC. Donations are welcome. No pre-registration is required for their Basic Meditation classes.

Their Basic Meditation classes are held:

Every Thursday, 6:15 – 7:15 pm
First Monday of each month, 6:15 – 7:15 pm
First Thursday of each month, 10:45 – 11:45 am

EWG: Your Green Holiday Kitchen

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Fri, 26 May 2023 02:17:21 GMT

‘Tis the season to be in the kitchen, whether you’re hosting an event, heading to a potluck or cooking a traditional meal for your family. Whatever the reason, you’re probably going to buy ingredients, cook, clean — and enjoy some leftovers.

Environmental Working Group makes it easy to prepare your holiday feasts with your family’s environmental health in mind. Just follow these simple tips as you shop, cook, eat and clean:

Choose food low in pollutants and added chemicals
Avoid toxic chemicals in cookware
Store and reheat leftovers safely
Clean Greener

Choose Food Low in Pollutants and Added Chemicals

Food can contain ingredients we don’t want to eat — from pesticides to hormones to artificial additives to food packaging chemicals. Some simple tips to cut the chemicals:

Buy organic when you can. Make sure fresh fruits and vegetables are on the menu, and go organic when you can. Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides. Organic meat and dairy products also limit your family’s exposure to growth hormones and antibiotics.
It’s OK to choose non-organic from EWG’s “Clean 15” list of less-contaminated conventional fruits and vegetables, too. EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce ranks popular fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticide residues found on them. Check out EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
Cook with fresh foods, rather than packaged and canned, whenever you can. Food containers can leach packaging chemicals into food, including the estrogenic bisphenol A that’s used to make the linings of food cans. Go for fresh food or prepared foods stored in glass containers. Pick recipes that call for fresh, not canned, foods.

When planning a grocery trip, check in with EWG’s Healthy Home Tip: Go organic and eat fresh foods .

Avoid toxic chemicals in cookware

Using a great pan makes a huge difference when cooking. EWG staffers skip the non-stick so that their families don’t have to breathe toxic fumes that can off-gas from non-stick pans over high heat.Non-stick cookware is in most American kitchens. Is it in yours?

For safer cooking, we suggest cast iron and oven-safe glass. Yes, there are many new products on the market, but most companies won’t tell you exactly what’s in them. Even if they’re advertised as “green” or “not non-stick,” manufacturers do not have to release their safety data to the public.
If you’re ‘stuck’ with non-stick, cook safer with it. You can reduce the possibility of toxic fumes by cooking smart with any non-stick cookware you happen to own: Never heat an empty pan, don’t put it in an oven hotter than 500 degrees F and use an exhaust fan over the stove.

Learn more about cooking safely in our Healthy Home Tip: Skip the non-stick .

Store and Reheat Leftovers Safely

Leftovers can extend the joy of a holiday — by giving you a break from the kitchen! But be sure to avoid plastic when storing and (especially) when heating them. Here’s why — and how:

Skip plastic food storage containers if you can. The chemical additives in plastic can migrate into food and liquids. Ceramic or glass food containers (such as Pyrex) are safer.
Don’t microwave food or drinks in plastic containers, even if they claim to be “microwave safe.” Heat can release chemicals into your food and drink. Microwave ovens heat unevenly, creating hot spots where the plastic is more likely to break down.
If you do use a plastic container, handle it carefully. Use it for cool liquids only; wash plastics by hand or on the top rack of the dishwasher, farther from the heating element; use a paper towel instead of plastic wrap to cover food in the microwave. Also, avoid single-use plastic as much as possible — reusing it isn’t safe (it can harbor bacteria) and tossing it out fills up landfills (and pollutes the environment).

Clean Greener

You clean before holiday guests arrive and after they leave — and while you cook. But do you clean green? We recommend that you do, because our homes aren’t safe and clean if the air inside is polluted with chemicals from household cleaners. It’s really quite easy:

Visit E WG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning to find safer cleaning products. Try natural alternatives like vinegar, baking soda and water. Get EWG’s DIY Cleaning Guide filled with recipes and easy tips on how to make your own non-toxic cleaners. Avoid anti-bacterials ( here’s how ). Avoid the biggest hazards (acidic toilet bowl cleaners, air fresheners, oven cleaners, and corrosive drain openers).
Adopt safe cleaning routines. Open the window. Use gloves. Keep kids away from toxic products. Dust and vacuum often because dust often contains toxins.
Tips for the kitchen. Microwave your sponge. Wash your hands with plain soap and water — it’s just as effective. Use a baking soda & water paste instead of commercial oven cleaner.

Supplements for Menopausal Women.

Fri, 26 May 2023 02:11:18 GMT

If you are eating good, nourishing, whole foods, drinking plenty of clean water, getting some exercise, and have good digestion, your need for vitamins should be minimal. However, older people have less efficient digestive systems; and in addition, it’s helpful to protect against environmental pollutants with anti-oxidants. If you are at risk for osteoporosis, see Dr. Lee’s articles on osteoporosis . which includes information about prevention and treatment. Otherwise, it is suggested to take:

A multivitamin; those over the age of 70 might want to consider taking a powdered vitamin that is mixed with juice, such as All-One (made by All One People, Santa Barbara, CA). These are easier to absorb than tablets.
Vitamin C, 1000 milligrams twice daily, or up to 5000 to 10,000 milligrams daily in a buffered form.
Vitamin E, 400 to 800 IU daily.
Magnesium, 500 milligrams at bedtime. If you have leg cramps at night, try taking a calcium/magnesium supplement before bed with a little yogurt.

Excerpted from: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, John R. Lee M.D.

EWG: Good Food on a Tight Budget

Fri, 26 May 2023 02:05:52 GMT

Now, there is no excuse to not shop for healthy, filling food! I recommend looking at the Environmental Working Group’s “ Good Food on a Tight Budget ” guide. It includes tips for shopping on a budget; the best 100 foods that pack the most nutrients for their buck; 15 recipes that average $1 per serving; and a printable shopping list, meal planner, and price tracker.

You can download the guide here or visit the EWG website for more information.

Peninsula Special Interest Lion’s Club Wednesday

Fri, 26 May 2023 02:02:15 GMT

S ince 2012, when I joined Peninsula Special Interest Lion’s Club, we have been working with Dr. Mehmet Oz on a pilot project to change the health of the nation. With one third of the children in our country under the age of 18 obese, and another one third suffering from diabetes, we absolutely have to change the lifestyle habits of not only the children, but also their parents.

Dr. Oz has designed a brilliant program, administered through his “HealthCorps” organization which does free health screenings in the community. It also is working to teach college students healthier eating and exercise habits and then have the college students teach the high school, middle school, and grade school students (because kids can more readily relate to kids, rather than adults).

I f you would like to learn more about Peninsula Special Interest Lion’s Club: h ttps://www.facebook.com/psilionsclub

Our next free community health clinic is scheduled for Oct. 30th at College of San Mateo. Hope to see you there!

Tasty Nutritious Snacks and Meals Which Kids Will Eat

Fri, 26 May 2023 01:57:13 GMT

Soups are easy to make and last 4-5 days in the refrigerator. They freeze well and are quick and easy to prepare. Fresh soup is also available at many supermarkets and health food stores. If buying it at a store, check for salt content. Some are very high in sodium. Avoid canned soup as it is almost always very high in sodium.
Brown rice cakes and Corn thins spread with nut butters (try peanut, almond, cashew, sesame) and low sugar fruit spreads.
Plain unsweetened organic yogurt mixed with fresh chopped fruit and nuts. Canned crushed unsweetened pineapple is a quick and tasty addition,if you don’t have time for fresh fruit.
Organic cheese grilled on toasted wholegrain bread with fresh or dried basil on top, covered with sliced organic tomatoes– a big improvement over pizza.
Find a salad dressing which your child likes (Whole Food’s Honey Mustard Vinaigrette is a favorite), and try to get in at least a small serving of greens with organic tomatoes on a regular basis.
Mexican food made with soft corn tortillas (not fried), whole beans (refried beans have lard), fresh salsa, and guacamole is a fast nutritious choice.
Mix steamed greens (spinach, collards, kale, chard, etc.) of any type with a little “Asian sauce”and many kids will eat them this way. Recipe: Mix hot steamed greens with a small amount of butter or oil and toss until coated. Afterward add a small amount, to taste, of a sauce made of 1 part each: tamari or soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. You can make sauce in advance and put in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator. It will last for months.
Oatmeal for breakfast. Cook oatmeal with cinnamon, banana, raisins, nuts, and mix with plain yogurt just b efore eating.

Sources: A Diet for All Reasons, Michael Klapper, M.D.; Diet for a New America, John Robbins; The China Study, T. Colin Campbell.

30 Ways to Sneak More Fruits and Vegetables into Your Diet

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Sat, 20 May 2023 19:11:40 GMT

Morning, noon, or night, its can be easy to include more fruits and vegetables into your meals! Try some of these yummy tips from Nutrition411.com. Breakfast 1. Add blueberries to pancakes, waffles, or muffin batter 2. Mix raisins, diced apple, or dried apricots into oatmeal 3. Add peppers, onions, spinach, broccoli, or shredded carrots to a morning omelet.

Breakfast

1. Add blueberries to pancakes, waffles, or muffin batter

2. Mix raisins, diced apple, or dried apricots into oatmeal
3. Add peppers, onions, spinach, broccoli, or shredded carrots to a morning omelet
4. Make a smoothie with fruit, low-fat yogurt, and ice
5. Add peppers and onions to hash browns, and serve with a little ketchup on the side
6. Top a toasted waffle with warmed applesauce

Lunch

7. Top a pizza with mushrooms, peppers, onions, or pineapple
8. Put a slice of avocado on a regular sandwich

9. Add mushrooms, peppers, onions, or diced carrots to spaghetti sauce

10. Place a few slices of tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich

11. Add some extra mixed vegetables to soup

12. Add celery, onions, carrots, or peppers to meat loaf

13. Place sliced bananas on a peanut butter sandwich instead of jam

14. Add apples, grapes, or raisins to chicken salad

15. Spread some cranberry sauce on a turkey sandwich

16. Top pork chops with apples, pears, or raisins

17. Roast fish under a layer of lemon, orange, or lime slices

18. Add layers of frozen spinach or eggplant to lasagn

Sides and Snacks

19. Top a baked potato with salsa
20. Replace half of the oil in a recipe with applesauce when bakig

21. Slice a sweet potato, toss with a little olive oil, season as you wish, and bake to make sweet potato chips

22. Add mandarin oranges or diced pears when making Jell- ^® saladO

23. Mix dried fruit with almonds, and add few M&M’ ^® s

24. Stir fresh fruit and granola into yogurt

25. Use broccoli or diced pepper in macaroni and cheese

26. Blend cooked cauliflower into mashed potatoes

Dessert

27. Choose fruit sorbet instead of ice cream
28. Enjoy a baked apple stuffed with raisins and topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce

29. Dip strawberries in chocolate syrup and top with low-fat whipped cream

30. Roast pears with honey and a sprinkling of ginger

Reference and recommended reading

Healthy cooking with fruits & vegetables: healthy servings—from morning to midnight. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters Web site. ht tp://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=5.

Introduction to Activator Chiropractic

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Sat, 20 May 2023 18:53:31 GMT

Fibromyalgia

Sat, 20 May 2023 18:50:05 GMT

Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Tender points are distinct from trigger points seen in other pain syndromes. Unlike tender points, trigger points can occur in isolation and represent a source of radiating pain, even in the absence of direct pressure.

The soft-tissue pain of fibromyalgia is described as deep-aching, radiating, gnawing, shooting or burning, and ranges from mild to severe. Fibromyalgia sufferers tend to wake up with body aches and stiffness. Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression, and anxiety.

For some patients, pain improves during the day and increases again during the evening, though many patients with fibromyalgia have day-long, unrelenting pain. Pain can increase with activity, cold or damp weather, anxiety, and stress.

Chiropractic care may be useful in alleviating the symptoms of fibromyalgia because it helps balance the nervous system and improve its function. The nervous system has two parts: sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (relax and rebuild).

By balancing the sympathetic nervous system, chiropractic care may help with the symptoms of:

Body aches
Chronic facial muscle pain or aching
Multiple tender areas (muscle and joint pain) on the back of the neck, shoulders, sternum, lower back, hips, shins, elbows, knees
Numbness and tingling
Reduced exercise tolerance

By balancing the parasympathetic nervous system, chiropractic care may help with the symptoms of:

Sleep disturbances
Tension or migraine headaches
Fatigue
Irritable bowel syndrome

Pregnancy Care

Sat, 20 May 2023 18:44:46 GMT

Many women find that their pregnancy is more comfortable and their labor shorter and more comfortable if they’ve received chiropractic care. This period of rapid development, hormonal changes, the laxity of connective ligaments, and shifting of weight-bearing structures, may cause many pregnant women to experience low back and leg pain.

As the center of gravity changes, so does stress on the spine and the body as a whole. Activator chiropractic technique is an incredibly comfortable and stress-free method of spinal alignment, which pregnant mothers really appreciate. Besides helping to relieve the discomfort many expectant mothers experience, chiropractic care helps normalize nervous system function. This is an important component of overall good health. The benefits of chiropractic care may also be noticed during delivery. Many chiropractic patients report that their deliveries were faster and more comfortable than their deliveries prior to chiropractic care!

Women who exercise moderately, quit smoking, eat healthy foods, and avoid alcohol during their pregnancies are to be congratulated. Those receiving prenatal chiropractic checkups can increase their nervous system capacity to function at its very best. This is an important element in creating a healthy foundation for developing babies.

With our special pregnancy pillow, which allows the chest to be supported while the abdomen is relaxed, we have been able to treat patients up to 2 weeks of delivery!

Sciatica

Sat, 20 May 2023 17:51:40 GMT

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

The sciatic nerves are the largest and longest nerves of the body, reaching about the size of your thumb in diameter, and running down the back of each leg. When these nerves are irritated or affected by the inflammation of nearby soft tissues, doctors refer to this as sciatica.

Straight Leg Raise, which stretches the sciatic nerve, is one of the tests we use to determine sciatic nerve involvement and possible lumbar disc irritation.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

admin@coaxconsulting.com (Ada Boneth) — Sat, 20 May 2023 17:41:04 GMT

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

Every day, keyboard operators, grocery store clerks, assembly line workers and many others, receive micro-traumas to their hands and wrists. Vibration and repetitive motions, when combined with spinal problems and other joint dysfunction, can result in a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Symptoms may include pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or a loss of strength in the hands. The major nerve controlling the thumb, index, and parts of the middle and ring finger is called the median nerve. From the tip of your fingers, it travels through the bones in your wrist, past your elbow, up your arm, through your shoulder and neck, and finally to your spinal cord. Problems can develop in one or more of these areas.

Nerves that pass through the “carpal tunnel” originate from the spine in the lower neck area. They travel all the way down the arm to the hand.

If placing your hands back to back produces an increase in numbness, tingling, or pain, you could have a carpal tunnel problem.

Have someone try to pull your thumb and finger apart. If your fingers seem weak, it could be related to a carpal tunnel problem.

Specific, high precision Activator chiropractic adjustments anywhere along this nerve pathway can help return malfunctioning joints to a more normal position and function.

Migraine Headaches

Sat, 20 May 2023 17:36:15 GMT

In the beginning, spots or lines or colored lights may dance before your eyes. Soon a whole range of symptoms may appear: redness swelling, tearing, hallucinations, loss of vision, nausea, vomiting, and irritability. Then the pain hits! It can range from minor discomfort to immobilizing agony and last from minutes to days. This is the classic migraine that millions of people, including children, live with.

Typically migraines are treated with painkillers, but this does not get to the root of the problem. It only addresses the symptoms. The side effects of these painkillers can often be deleterious and, if they are used on a regular basis, they may even cause “rebound headaches”.

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

For over a century, chiropractic’s natural, drug-free approach to health has been a blessing to migraine sufferers. Chiropractors are the only healthcare professional trained to analyze and correct the Vertebral Subluxation Complex, a condition that affects your spine, nerves, joints, discs and other structures. This common, often painless condition can cause malfunction of the nervous system and set the stage for disease.

The cause of migraines has been a mystery, but new research reveals sufferers have abnormal nerve firings in the brain and spinal cord. This may be why chiropractic’s traditional approach helps so many migraine sufferers and agrees with prior findings that headaches can be caused by problems in the spine, specifically the neck.

One of the possible causes of migraines is an imbalance in blood vessel constriction and dilation in the head. Nerves in the neck control structures in the head, including the blood vessels. Subluxations can therefore cause malfunction of these nerves and affect blood supply to the head.

In my office I take a multifaceted approach to treating migraines. Often there are several components to the underlying cause of the problem. I not only test for and treat subluxations, which are causing malfunction of the nervous system, but also locate and correct imbalances in the hormonal and gastrointestinal systems.