Huh? What’s That About Painkillers?
Posted by author in chiropractic on March 6th, 2010
As a chiropractor I believe that there are many reasons for people to avoid taking painkillers whenever possible. Most people know that not only can painkillers become quickly addictive, but that they carry risky side effects. Though many of us are familiar with many of the negative side effects of painkillers, here’s one that surprised me. A new study in men hints that taking over-the-counter painkillers on a regular basis can actually lead to hearing loss, especially in younger men. And, an even bigger surprise, the study focused on the most common over-the-counter painkillers, Tylenol and Advil. So listen up!
Researchers found that men younger than age 50 who regularly took acetaminophen more than two times a week had roughly double the risk of hearing loss compared to men who did not take acetaminophen regularly. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and certain other pain relievers. They also found that men within this same age group who regularly took ibuprofen (the main ingredient in Advil) or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) at least twice a week had a nearly two-thirds higher risk of hearing loss than men who took NSAIDs less often. Men who took aspirin twice a week had a one-third higher risk.
The findings, which were published in the American Journal of Medicine March 2010, stem from nearly 27,000 men enrolled since 1986 in the health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study. As part of the study, the men, who were between 40 and 74 years old at the outset, provided information on analgesic use, hearing loss and other relevant factors every 2 years for 18 years, during which time 3,488 men were diagnosed with hearing loss. For more information on this interesting study, go to Reuters.com
A Good Diet May Taste Better Than You Think
Posted by author in chiropractic on February 19th, 2010
As a chiropractor I believe that a healthy lifestyle not only includes getting chiropractic treatment for acute injury, chronic conditions, and all-around health maintenance, but also includes a nutritious diet, lots of water, and plenty of routine exercise. Up until now, I would not have added ice cream, chocolate, cheese, beef, and pizza to the “pro” side of my healthy lifestyle list! But, according to a new study, all five have surprising health benefits. Too good to be true? Maybe, but let the following article provided online by Prevention help you decide.
1) Ice Cream
As long as you choose the right ice cream, you’ll get a very impressive dose of calcium for your bones and your blood pressure. Look for a variety with 15% of the Daily Value (DV) for calcium in every 1/2-cup serving-about the size of a tennis ball. Stick to this amount if you’re eating calorie- and fat-loaded premium ice cream (one with 250 calories or more per 1/2 cup). But if you’re eating regular or low-fat brands, 1 cup is a more realistic serving size. If you can’t keep a half-gallon on hand, go to an ice cream shop and buy just one scoop.
2) Chocolate
Chocolate, especially the dark or bittersweet kind, is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants that protect your heart by preventing blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots that could cause a heart attack. But even milk chocolate is good: A typical 1.5-ounce bar packs as much antioxidant power as a 5-ounce glass of red wine. If you crave a daily dose of chocolate, stick to about 100 calories’ worth. That’s about four Hershey’s Kisses or two individually wrapped mini or fun-size bars such as Nestle plain chocolate or crunch. Or dilute your chocolate with other flavors: Mini peppermint patties are only 35 calories each, so have three!
3) Cheese
The exciting news about cheese–except the fat-free kind–is that it contains a special kind of fat called conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, that scientists are investigating as a new weapon against breast cancer. And all that concentrated calcium–300 mg, as much as a glass of milk, in just 1 1/2 ounces of Cheddar–is a boon for bone health. Finally, there’s your smile: Eating hard cheese at the end of a meal can protect your pearly whites from tooth decay. But keep in mind that cheese contains cholesterol-raising saturated fat–1 1/2 ounces of Cheddar packs 9 grams. For most women, that’s more than half of the saturated fat that you should have in a day, so stick to 1 1/2 ounces, max.
4) Beef
Beef is one of the richest and best-absorbed sources of zinc, a key mineral in your immune system’s fight against many enemies, from viruses to cancer. Getting enough zinc is also critical for appetite, taste, and night vision, yet only half of adults over age 50 come close to the DV of 15 mg. Still, plate-size portions of fatty meats such as hamburger and prime rib are loaded with saturated fat, which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk. A restaurant-size 14-ounce sirloin steak has 27 g of saturated fat–nearly twice the saturated fat that women should have in a day, so stick to a 3-ounce portion, which is about the size of a computer mouse or a bath-size bar of soap.
5) Pizza
Pizza recently got rave scientific reviews for fending off prostate cancer. Pizza sauce delivers tons of lycopene, a carotenoid found at high levels in the blood and prostate of men with lower rates of prostate cancer. And the cheese provides calcium, which helps build bone, lower blood pressure, and inhibit colon cancer. Choose two slices of thin-crust veggie pizza, which weighs in at just 300 calories (add a side salad for a 400-calorie meal) and 2.5 g of saturated fat
Weight Loss: Could It Take a Village?
Posted by author in chiropractic on February 6th, 2010
I read this article on the Integrative Nutrition Blog and thought that it was definitely worth sharing…
Can One City Lose a Million Pounds?
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett hopes so. He wants to inspire the residents of his city to be healthier and lose weight. Mayor Cornett’s appeal is in response to his city listed as of one of the unhealthiest in America. The OKC Million community challenge to lose a total of 1,000,000 pounds is open to all and everyone is encouraged to join. Individuals, families, friends, corporations, churches, local organizations, community groups, sports teams, police departments, fire departments and schools are all welcome.
When Oklahoma City residents join the site www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com they have access to nutrition information, recipes, weight loss programs and success stories. Sounds like a recipe for success!
Watch this report from NBC Nightly News to see how Mayor Cornett’s city is accepting the challenge.
How healthy is your city?
What Is Tendinitis (Tendonitis)?
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on January 11th, 2010
- Tendonitis is "Inflammation of a tendon."
Some common lay terms for tendinitis include:
- Golfer's elbow
- Jumper's knee
- Pitcher's shoulder
- Swimmer's shoulder
- Tennis elbow
What are tendons?
A tendon is tissue which attaches muscle to bone. It is flexible, tough and fibrous and is capable of withstanding tension. A ligament extends from bone to bone at a joint, while a tendon extends from muscle to bone. Tendons and muscles work together and can only exert a pulling force. Although tendons and ligaments are tough and fibrous, they are referred to as soft tissue, because of their common comparison to bone or cartilage.
The Latin word tendere and the Greek word teinein mean "to stretch". Inflamed tendons (tendinitis) are more likely to get ruptured. If the sheath around the tendon becomes inflamed, rather than the tendon itself, the condition is called tenosynovitis. People can have tendinitis and tenosynovitis simultaneously.What are the signs and symptoms of tendinitis?
A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.
Tendinitis signs and symptoms occur where the tendon attaches to a bone; and usually include:- Pain – if the affected area is moved the pain worsens
- A feeling that the tendon is crackling or grating as it moves. This sensation is more common on examination.
- Swelling in the affected area
- The affected area may be hot and red
- A lump that develops along the tendon
If there is a rupture a gap may be felt in the line of the tendon and movement will be very difficult. Read more…
No Evidence that Chiropractic Causes Stroke According to Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on January 8th, 2010
Amidst a great deal of emotion and rhetoric coming out of Connecticut this week regarding the stroke issue The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation has just released a very clear position statement on the issue of chiropractic and strokes.
Atlanta, GA, January 07, 2010 –(PR.com)– According to the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation there is no human experimental evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations are causally related to strokes. “While plaintiff’s attorneys and expert witness make claims and statements contending that such a causative link exists, the fact remains that these are based largely on anecdotes, case reports, and case controlled studies and cannot be used to prove causation” stated Foundation President Christopher Kent DC, JD a chiropractic researcher and attorney. According to researchers and the scientific method itself there are all sorts of biases and distortions that effect conclusions drawn from such studies and other criteria must be used to determine whether such a link exists. “What this boils down to is a simple lack of understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology” stated Foundation Vice President Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, a chiropractic researcher and public health expert. “Words like ‘association’ and ‘causation’ and ‘risk’ have very specific meanings when it comes to their use in epidemiology and it’s clear that laypersons involved in this debate are using these terms inappropriately.” While the experience of a stroke can be devastating and no one would suggest ignoring the concerns of those who have suffered one, the reality is that when it comes to the contention that chiropractic causes strokes – the evidence just isn’t there. And while the strokes these people have experienced are indeed real, McCoy suggests there are often other issues involved and offered an example. “Millions of people visit a dentist every year and a certain number of those same people get into car accidents on their way home. If we were to run the stats on it we might find that there is a statistical association between visiting a dentist and getting into a car accident on the way home. But no one would even consider suggesting that the dentists are causing the car accidents.” Self described chiropractic stroke victims say there is a risk and that people should be advised about it prior to undergoing chiropractic care. The majority of chiropractors would agree that patients should be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of any health care intervention, but according to Dr. Kent “Such informed consent must be based on appropriate information and since there is no scientific evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations actually cause strokes, it is inappropriate to require a doctor to suggest that such a risk exists.” Dr. McCoy added another often overlooked issue “Chiropractors utilize a number of techniques to address joint dysfunction and vertebral subluxation and in fact there are over 300 named chiropractic techniques and many do not employ the type of manipulation that has been alleged to be a factor in vertebrobasilar accidents. This adds to the inappropriate nature of such a disclosure.” In the end, chiropractic has an impressive safety record compared to traditional medical care with estimates are that anywhere from 100,000 (Institute of medicine) to 750,000 (Null et al) people die every year from medical care. In comparison, other than some minor soreness following chiropractic treatment, research has shown chiropractic to be very safe.Even with Fewer Risk Factors, Heavy Men Die Earlier
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on January 5th, 2010
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Overweight middle-aged men may have a higher risk of heart problems and strokes and die earlier than their thinner peers — even in the absence of some traditional risk factors, a new study suggests.
Some past research has suggested that when obese and overweight adults do not have the so-called metabolic syndrome, their risks of diabetes, heart disease and stroke are no higher than those of normal-weight people. Metabolic syndrome refers to a collection of risk factors for diabetes and heart problems — including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides (another type of blood fat). It is typically diagnosed when a person has three or more of those conditions. In the current study, which followed more than 1,700 Swedish men for 30 years, overweight and obese men had increased risks of conditions including heart attack and stroke, even when in the absence of metabolic syndrome. Among all men without metabolic syndrome, those who were overweight were 52 percent more likely to have heart attacks, strokes, and other complications than normal-weight men were, while obese men had nearly double the risk. The findings are published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Read more…
Costa Mesa Chiropractic Answers the Question: What is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help?
Posted by admin in balance problems on January 3rd, 2010
What does the term, “vertigo, ” mean? Vertigo is the name for the dizzy disturbance a person suffers within a fixed setting. The perception is that the outer world is tilting or perhaps spinning. Vertigo can be abrupt and short- lived or unceasing. Nevertheless, in either case, the exact reason for vertigo should be identified and the correct professional treatment plan carried out.
There are many causative factors for the symptoms of Vertigo. An inner ear affliction, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, may sometimes take place as the outcome of a sustained head injury or very bad cold. Often this particular vertigo may be the result of the aging process. The origin, though, oftentimes is not known. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it characterizes completely this non- progressive affliction that is the result of, as its name indicates, a sudden change in head posture. The difficulties are most often unpredicted and varied.
It will be helpful to look at the function of the inner ear in an endeavor comprehend what induces the ofttimes disabling complaints of this sort of vertigo. The brain senses changes in position and keeps balance employing the fluid found in the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are miniature calcium carbonate crystals, known as otoconia. These crystals are inclined float in the inner ear fluid if dislodged. As the crystals strike against the delicate nerve endings in the inner ear, they trigger the disorder of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo or BPPV.
The good news is that chiropractic therapy can eliminate the problems of BPPV very quickly and effectively employing a technique that is called the Epley maneuver. By means of the use of this approach, a chiropractor rotates the head of a BPPV sufferer into several different positions, letting gravity carry the calcium carbonate crystals into a local of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they will stimulate no further wooziness.
Your chiropractor has helped numerous people for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo applying the Epley Maneuver technique. Quite often, with just one treatment most patients no longer suffer from wooziness. Costa Mesa chiropractic can help. Call today!
Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on December 21st, 2009
Arteries appear to be less clogged in those who nurse infants, study finds
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
Although many women choose to breast-feed because of the numerous health benefits it offers their offspring, new research suggests that breast-feeding may also help the health of the mothers’ hearts later in life.
In a study of nearly 300 women, researchers found that those who had not breast-fed were much more likely to have calcification or plaque in their coronary artery, aorta and carotid artery. When calcification and plaque build up in the arteries, blood flow can be reduced, and, if enough of these deposits build up, they can cause a heart attack or stroke.
“Women who had not breast-fed were more likely to develop changes that might lead to symptomatic heart disease,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Eleanor Schwarz, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on Health Care. Read more
Make Sure That You Absolutely Need that CT Scan…
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on December 15th, 2009
Each year that today’s scanners are used, 14,500 deaths could result, researchers say. When healthy people are exposed to the radiation, the imaging may create more problems than it solves.
(Los Angeles Times) Widespread overuse of CT scans and variations in radiation doses caused by different machines — operated by technicians following an array of procedures — are subjecting patients to high radiation doses that will ultimately lead to tens of thousands of new cancer cases and deaths, researchers reported today.
Several recent studies have suggested that patients have been unnecessarily exposed to radiation from CTs or have received excessive amounts, but two new studies published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine are the first to quantify the extent of exposure and the related risks.
Each year that current scanners are used, researchers reported, 14,500 deaths could result. In one study, researchers from UC San Francisco found that the same imaging procedure performed at different institutions — or even on different machines at the same hospital — can yield a 13-fold difference in radiation dose, potentially exposing some patients to inordinately high risk. Read more…
21 Ways to Boost Energy
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on December 11th, 2009
You can do it in just 10 minutes a day!
By R. Morgan Griffin
WebMD Feature
Feeling rundown and foggy on the job? Does the prospect of an afternoon’s worth of housework seem unspeakably grim? It’s time for a break to refresh and boost your energy.
Although you may not be able to take the afternoon off, you can surely afford 10 minutes to recharge yourself, no matter how hectic your life might be. And although a 10-minute break might not be quite as reinvigorating as 10 days on a Caribbean beach, it can boost energy and mood.
So how can you do it? How can you use a 10-minute break for something more energizing than aimless web surfing or yet another game of Minesweeper? To find out, WebMD turned to experts from different fields — therapists, dietitians, and integrative medicine specialists. Read more and find out about their 21 tips for quick ways to boost energy.
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