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.
Herbal Remedies for a Good Night’s Sleep
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on December 7th, 2009
From Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Information by Primmy
Sleep is vital to good health, yet many people do not get an adequate night’s sleep. The average number of hours for the best rest possible is eight; however, did you know that 100 years ago, the average was nine to ten hours? These days, even eight hours is a dream. While occasional insomnia is no big deal, frequent sleepless nights can cause a host of health problems. If you are not keen on prescription or over the counter sleep aids, there are several safe herbal remedies that can help as long as you do not have any underlying medical conditions that prevent you from sleeping.
Tension Tamers
Sometimes, working late at night or experiencing great stress can cause insomnia. If you fall into this category, there are a few herbs brewed in tea form that can help you unwind so you can get some shut-eye. Catnip is a popular herbal ingredient in relaxing teas because it in non-habit forming and has light sedative-like qualities.
Chamomile is a well-known tension tamer which soothes the nerves and calms the stomach. Teas or even tinctures with passion flower have sedative-like qualities which help clear the mind and ease worry and anxiety. Hops, an ingredient in beer, is also an effective herb for mild insomnia and works best in teas and tinctures as well.
Herbal Sleep Supplements
Valerian is one of the most researched herbs for insomnia, mainly because it has been used for thousands of years. It is an unpleasant tasting herb which is the primary reason why the supplement form of valerian is best. It is a non-addictive insomnia remedy which produces sedative-like effects. It is important to note though that some people experience vivid dreams and other side effects such as changes in heart rhythm and blurred vision, so it may not be for everyone.
Kava kava is a popular herbal remedy and can be found in drinks as well as supplements. This herb soothes frayed nerves and helps you achieve a deep sleep. Some people may experience more dreams or even elation with kava kava and it may cause liver problems with extended use. It is best to take this effective herbal sleep remedy infrequently.
Skullcap is an herb helpful for insomnia, especially when you are suffering from restless legs or extreme physical exhaustion. California poppy is an herbal ingredient safe enough for children with sleep problems.
Physical Problems Caused by Lack of Sleep
If you have trouble sleeping several times a week and you are not quite ready to try prescription medications, herbal remedies can be quite helpful. There are a whole host of physical problems that can occur when you consistently do not get enough sleep and rest. Your memory becomes faulty and your capacity to learn is affected. Weight gain can occur and metabolism can slow down as well. Lack of sleep and rest can alter your mood causing impatience, irritability and even irrational thought. Lack of concentration is normal and you may even put yourself at risk and compromise your safety when driving or even operating machinery when you doze off during the day because of lack of sleep.
Sleep is important to a fully functioning immune system. When you do not get enough of it, you are more susceptible to illness. Sleep problems have also been directly linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and other heart health issues. Sleep is clearly a vital part of your overall health and herbs can help you achieve it. Talk with your doctor about the different herbal remedies for a good night’s sleep to make sure they will not interfere with any current health condition or prescription medication.
Young Adults Who Exercise Get Higher IQ
Posted by author in Costa Mesa Chiropractic on December 4th, 2009
The results were published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study involved 1.2 million Swedish men doing military service who were born between 1950 and 1976. The research group analysed the results of both physical and IQ tests when the men enrolled.
The study shows a clear link between good physical fitness and better results for the IQ test. The strongest links are for logical thinking and verbal comprehension. But it is only fitness that plays a role in the results for the IQ test, and not strength. "Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen," says Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy and chief physician at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. "This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength. We are also seeing that there are growth factors that are important." Read more…
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