Archive for June, 2009
More Americans than ever before say they are suffering from asthma. It is one of this country’s most prevalent and costly diseases. In fact, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, every day 40,000 people are absent from school or work due to asthma; 30,000 people undergo an asthma attack; 5,000 people visit the emergency room due to asthma;1,000 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma;and, 11 people die from asthma.
Allergens or irritants that are breathe into the lungs, and result in inflammation that clogs and constricts airways, are most often the cause of asthma symptoms. Symptoms include distressed breathing, wheezing, coughing, and constriction in the chest. In extreme cases, asthma can be deadly. Medication may temporarily lessen the symptoms of asthma,but there is no medical cure.
Despite the fact that chiropractic is not a therapy for asthma, per se, recent research published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research documented the results experienced by 81 children with asthma who received chiropractic management. The two-month study reported that those under care experienced a 45% decrease in the number of “attacks” and that 31% of the subjects voluntarily chose to take less of their medication.
How can chiropractic care help to reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks? How can an adjust of the spine affect respiration? Nervous system impedance is removed through chiropractic adjustments. Most of nerves that are in charge of bodily functions exit between the spinal vertebrae and continue to their destination. This includes those nerves that affect the respiratory system. If restricted, nerves that control the diaphragm can have a detrimental effect on how well the respiratory system functions. It isn’t puzzling, then, why so many adults and children under chiropractic care report better breathing and a decline in their asthmatic symptoms.
Chiropractic may be beneficial for you, or someone you love, who has asthma, if it is caused by, or made worse because of spinal subluxations. Chiropractic could help you to breathe a little easier. Call your chiropractor today!
If you sit for extended periods at a computer, you may be experiencing lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that also radiates down one or both of your arms generating additional pain, pins and needles, or numbness. Neck and shoulder pain are, in fact, the most common upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems among computer users. In a 2002 study tracking 632 computer users newly hired at major Atlanta companies, Dr. Fredric E. Gerr, an occupational medicine physician and ergonomics investigator at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, and colleagues observed that roughly 60 percent developed neck or shoulder pain in the first year, though the study did not track how long symptoms persisted.
Younger generations growing up in the digital age are also joining the ranks of the “typing wounded.” Surveys at two universities found that 40 to 50 percent of undergraduates experienced upper-extremity pain from using their computers. Colleges do not build dormitory furniture to be ergonomically adjustable, said Dr. Benjamin Amick, scientific director of the Institute for Work and health in Toronto, who was a co-author of those studies. “They build it to be indestructible.”
In addition to repetitive stress problems, sitting at your computer too long places your upper back in a sustained, stressful posture, especially if you tend to lean forward when you’re working. This also puts your neck at an unnatural and strained angle. Lower back pain, in addition to being generated by simply sitting for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, is aggravated by bad posture.
Problems caused by extended computer use can not only lead to an inability to perform your work duties, but can keep you from enjoying the rest of your life, too. Your Orlando chiropractor can assist in eliminating the lower back pain, upper back pain, and/or neck pain that you are currently experiencing. After that, it is important for you to become mindful of your body as you sit at your computer, and to give your body what it naturally needs. You can cultivate the habit of both sitting straight in your chair (as opposed to slouching) and relaxing your shoulders. This will help to relieve tension in your lower and upper back and neck. Take time to stretch periodically to ease muscle tension and encourage healthy blood flow. If your work station permits, sitting on an exercise ball can not only aide in keeping you in a beneficial posture, but can help to strengthen your core muscles as well. (Make sure that the ball is the right size so that when you are seated on it your arms are at a ninety-degree angle to your keyboard.)
Good posture for ease of movement, variety in the motions that you do, and short breaks to relax and stretch will go a long way in keeping your computer work (or play) pain-free.
Partial source: The New York Times, Health Review, June 22, 2009
Chiropractors, like me, agree that “motion is life.” We, humans, were designed to walk, to run, to dance, and to move all the muscles of our body for our entire lifespan. So, naturally, it follows that we either “move it or lose it!” Our aging “Baby Boomer” population is discovering just how true this cautionary advice is when it comes to energy, vitality, mobility, and good health in later years. With every year of our life, we have much to gain from being physically active…and plenty to lose by living an immobile or sedentary lifestyle.
As our age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular physical activity can actually slow down the trend. In addition, research has shown that people who have already developed coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Type 2 diabetes, and other age-related chronic diseases can benefit substantially by increasing their physical activity and, therefore, often can manage their chronic illness with fewer medicines.
Furthermore, some studies suggest that the cardiovascular benefits an individual gets from physical activity may also help the brain stay healthy. “Physical activity influences the frontal region of the brain,” says Dr. Bradley Hatfield, professor of Sports Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. So, if you’ve been wondering what the best thing is that you can do to keep your brain young, the answer may be for you to take a long walk. A key factor is that exercise thickens the brain tissue and builds more synapses in the brain. The brain has 10 billion nerve cells, called neurons, and on average, neurons are connected to each other through 10,000 synapses. Every time we exercise, more synapses form and the active brain gets stronger.
On a regular basis, being physically active increases the quality of life (period). Some of the benefits include improved energy levels, mental sharpness, balance, strength, flexibility, and weight control. Moreover, regular aerobic exericise has been shown to help in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress.
So, even though the facts point conclusively to the validity of the “move it or lose it!” warning, they also confirm that it is never to late for you to “move it” and regain your health!
Allergies can turn our everyday life into misery. Unwelcome symptoms like itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash can be the consequence of a simple walk in the garden, a play date with Fluffy, a shellfish stew, or even something as small as a nut. But, occasionally our allergic reactions can progress from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as our air passageway begins to close and we have a difficult time breathing. If you have allergies, it may seem that, from time-to-time, your environment is a intensely hostile place and that the world around you is, truly, out to get you!
You may question why it is that other people appear to be so unaffected by the environment, while your body reacts, or rather overreacts, to it It’s a valid question. The answer is because some people, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that actually “freaks out” when they are confronted with ordinary substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.
Can your chiropractor help with your allergy symptoms? You may be surprised by the answer. Many individuals have noticed that they experience relief from their allergy symptoms after chiropractic treatment, even though chiropractic care doesn’t actually treat allergies. The reason for this is because chiropractic manipulation affects the complete nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s an impedance in the nervous system, along with other problems, the autoimmune system, whose job it is to assist us in adapting and responding appropriately to our environment, can become under-active or overactive. The problem is the latter when it comes to your allergies. Because chiropractic manipulations lessen or remove disturbances in the nervous system and bring the body back into balance and harmony, the treatments provide that same balance and harmony to the auto-immune system as well. A healthy immune system reacts appropriately to supposed allergens in the environment.
So, as pointed out above, your chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies. You could say, instead, that relief from your allergies is simply the by-product of a well-adjusted nervous system. Make an appointment, today, to see your chiropractor and get back into harmony with your environment.
We all know how “irritating” it can be when someone is talking loudly on a cell phone (as long as that person isn’t us!). Honestly, doesn’t it seem as if you can’t even take a quiet walk along the beach or in the park without someone walking by shouting into their cell phone? You could say, in fact, that nowadays the excessive use of cell phones has become a pain in our psyche. Well, the detrimental effects of excessive cell phone use apparently doesn’t stop with “pain in the brain.” A new report outlines the prevalence of “cell phone elbow,” an affliction in which users experience pain and numbness in their elbow due to extensive cell phone use. The idea is similar carpal tunnel syndrome, and the effect on the muscles and tendons concerned is essentially the same except a different nerve is pinched. Instead of being located in the wrist, cell phone elbow (”cubital tunnel syndrome”) cell phone elbow originates in the elbow region and results in pain or numbness in forearms, as well as tingling in pinkie and ring fingers. According to a study from the Cleveland Clinic, doctors are seeing more and more individuals experiencing these symptoms.
What exactly produces the problem? Holding a cell phone to the ear causes the elbow to bend, thereby stretching the nerve between muscles and tendons. When the arm is bent for long periods of time, the nerve gets inflamed. “Repetitive, sustained stretching of the nerve is like stepping on a garden hose,” said Dr. Peter J. Evans, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center. “With the hose, you’re blocking the flow of water. With the elbow, you’re blocking the blood flow to the nerve, which causes it to misfire and short circuit.” The first symptom of cell phone elbow is usually pain just below the elbow in the forearm. This is usually followed by the sensation of pins and needles in the pinkie and ring finger. In the most severe case those fingers can curl up and become difficult to use.
The good news is that the condition is easily preventable and treatable. Users are simply encouraged to avoid holding their phone in one position for too long in order to reduce the amount of strain on the affected muscles. For those who are already feeling strain, it is advisable to do simple stretches in order to help prevent some of the damage.
And, of course, a quiet walk in the park or along the beach with your cell phone turned off or, better yet, left behind, would not only go along way in reducing cell phone elbow, but it might do a lot to improve the health of your psyche as well!
This study was published in the May issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
You may have read on this website, or elsewhere, about recent studies that have shown that physical activity is requisite to getting and staying healthy, especially as we age. But, if you’ve been inactive for awhile, even the idea of exercise might seem “exhausting.” The best way, then, to approach this much-needed addition to your lifestyle is, literally and figuratively, to do it one step at a time. A smart “first step” is to see a health care professional, like your chiropractor, for a full physical examination. Once it is confirmed that you won’t make matters worse through movement, then the next step is simply to start moving a bit each day.
Any movement is a step towards better health and physical fitness. Walk a lap (or two) around your house or apartment. Put that TV remote away and get up to change the channels. As your body becomes accustomed to moving again, you will probably discover that you actually want to move more. Then you can slowly add additional movement to your daily routine. Increase the walk around your house to a walk around the block, a walk in the park, or even a walk through the shopping mall. Walking with a friend can often help to keep you on track(especially on those days when you’d rather sit and veg, then get your body moving). If you are physically able, take the stairs instead of using the elevator as often as you can. Park farther away from the entrance to the supermarket and make it a goal to put more and more parking spots between you and the entrance.
After a few weeks of regular physical activity, you will begin to feel the healthful benefits of movement. Then you’ll be ready for new ways to build flexibility, fitness, and muscle strength. Your chiropractor can advise you on how to become more physically active and help you to development an individualized program.
You may have heard that chiropractors treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Well, that’s not entirely accurate. Even though chiropractic care can definitely help children, and adults too, who suffer from it, chiropractors don’t really “treat” ADHD. The reason that chiropractic treatment is effective is that ADHD is a neurological disorder. chiropractic manipulations not only effective in reducing nervous system disruptions in general, but an adjustment can be intentionally directed to stimulate under-active areas of the brain and calm over-active areas as well. Quite a few parents are choosing chiropractic care over the conventional medical practice of giving children Class 2 psychotropic drugs that often have intense side effects including personality changes and permanent alterations in the brain. The chiropractic approach to ADHD is natural and drug-free. Nearly all of parents who’ve looked to chiropractic treatment for their children have noted extraordinary behavioral changes as a result.
Due to the differences between the manner in which boys and girls employ the left and right hemispheres of their brain, ADHD seems to happen to more boys than girls and, additionally, is frequently more obvious and easily discernible in the behavior of boys as opposed to of girls. Evident symptoms include a hard time concentrating and sitting still, inability to control impulsive thoughts and behaviors, easily distracted by noises and activities, incessant movement of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs.
Many children who manifest ADHD symptoms are hypersensitive to particular foods, such as dairy or gluten products, and sugars and artificial sweeteners. Additionally, they routinely have a hypersensitive reaction to additives in foods, herbicides and pesticides used to grow non-organic fruits and vegetables, and laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, and other chemicals. As a general rules, the exclusion of these environmental factors can do a lot to reduce ADHD symptoms.
Determining the presence of spinal anomalies and particular responses to specific neurological tests are included in the thorough examination given by your Orlando Chiropractor.
You may be able to help your child to get his or her life back in balance through natural, safe chiropractic care. Before taking drastic pharmaceutical measures, if your child exhibits the symptoms of ADHD, make an appointment with your chiropractor for a complete evaluation. For a healthier, happier, more well-adjusted child, call today!
Are you ready for this? For years (and years) chiropractors like me, plus nutritionists and other health-conscious professionals have been advising men, women, and children to lay off the fast foods. Everyone is aware already of the artery-clogging, fat-producing effects of a fast food diet. So, tell you something you don’t know, right? Well, here it is: It’s not just the fast food, itself, that can shorten your life span, but the wrapper it comes in that is a risk to your health and longevity, as well!
Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.
PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.
“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?
For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001
If you drive a big car and you’re in an accident if your car looks “uninjured,” it’s easy to assume that you are not hurt, either. After all, isn’t that the reason you’re driving a big vehicle? It’s for safety, right? Well, research has revealed that occupants of vehicles, both large and compact, can be hurt a lot more than might be expected from a minor auto accident. In reality, as far as your body is concerned, there’s really no such thing as a “minor fender bender.”
When your body is compelled to stop suddenly and without warning, there are going to be reverberations. You might be offered a clean bill of health by an emergency room attendant if you haven’t sustained any broken bones, and you may be given a prescription for drugs to ease the muscle spasms that you are doubtless experiencing as a result of the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you received from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained, your problem can go from bad to far worse. In fact, many people experience problems years after an auto accident because they didn’t get the help they needed in the first place.
Your Orlando Chiropractor unequivocally understands what your body undergoes during an auto accident. Chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics dysfunction. And your chiropractor is an expert in rehabilitation strategies.
If you’ve experienced a minor auto accident, even if your car may not require much repair, more than like you do. Neck and back injuries are not only painful in the regions in which they take place, but they can also generate pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and result in headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.
You can get back on the road to feeling good again with drug-free, natural chiropractic care. It will assist in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – in the past. Moreover, because your chiropractor has experience dealing with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you undergo less physical stress, but less emotional stress, as well!
Doesn’t it seem that healthy lifestyle information is everywhere you look these days? There are magazines and TV shows all about healthy foods and beneficial exercises. There are even recipes for nutritious meals in the newspaper. But, even though more Americans today are aware that eating nutritious meals, getting exercise, and keeping their body weight down is essential for health and longevity, a new study reported in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Medicine has found that the number of middle-aged and older Americans who have adopted a healthy lifestyle has actually declined substantially in the past two decades. Using data from a large government health survey, researchers found that in 2006, only 26 percent of Americans ages 40 to 74 said they ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. That’s down 16 percent from the 42 percent who responded in the 1988 survey! When it came to exercise, the same kind of decline was reported. Only 43 percent said they worked out at least 12 times per month, versus 53 percent in 1988. Not surprisingly, the rate of obesity in the United States went in the opposite direction, from 28 percent in 1988 to 36 percent in 2006.
The findings were based on data from the National Health and nutrition Examination Survey, a regularly conducted government health survey. Researchers focused on surveys conducted between 1988 and 1994 and between 2001 and 2006, which together included more than 15,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 74. They looked at rates of five lifestyle factors involved in preventing a range of health risks: maintaining a normal weight, getting regular exercise, eating enough fruits and vegetables, not smoking, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol.
Though the study cannot tell us why healthy lifestyle habits are on the decline, lead researcher, Dr. Dana E. King, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said that one reason may be that these changes are just difficult to make. “People’s increasingly hectic lives may be making it hard to fit in regular exercise, or to sit down to healthier, home-cooked meals rather than eating take-out.” He suggested some simple steps can make a difference. “It’s not hard, for example, to take some fruit to work with you, instead of going to the vending machine.” (Parking a little farther away from your destination and walking a bit can help, too.) Most importantly, Dr. King stressed that “it’s never too late” for middle-aged and older adults to make lifestyle changes for the better. In fact, in an earlier study, King and his colleagues found that when middle-aged adults newly adopted a healthier lifestyle — including regular exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables — their risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying over the next several years fell by as much as 40 percent.
If you think about it, there aren’t many things in life that carry an “it’s never too late” guarantee. So, why not start today, no matter what your age may be? Your healthy future is depending on you!