Harvard Report Points to Chiropractic Care for Pain Relief & The Safety of the Chiropractic Adjustment

Harvard Report Points to Chiropractic Care for Pain Relief

& The Safety of the Chiropractic Adjustment

By

Noah Herbert, D.C., CCSP®

William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP

Mark Studin DC, FASBE(C), DAAMLP, DAAPM

A recent article released by Harvard Health Publications at Harvard Medical School points to chiropractic care as a form of pain relief. There are currently many Americans that seek out chiropractors, but many people don’t realize the wide variety of treatments that a chiropractor can provide for pain relief. The article states “while the mainstay of chiropractic is spinal manipulation, chiropractic care now includes a wide variety of other treatments, including manual or manipulative therapies, postural and exercise education, ergonomic training (how to walk, sit, and stand to limit back strain), nutritional consultation, and even ultrasound and laser therapies. In addition, chiropractors today often work in conjunction with primary care doctors, pain experts, and surgeons to treat patients with pain.”

While this is nothing new for the chiropractic community, it may serve to further educate the public as to the many tools a chiropractor possesses to help patients. While the majority of research on chiropractic has focused on spinal manipulation, or adjustment of the spine, for pain relief, there have been studies done on the effectiveness of chiropractic for treating musculoskeletal pain, headaches, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia (Harvard Health Publications). The author goes on to state “a recent review concluded that chiropractic spinal manipulation may be helpful for back pain, migraine, neck pain and whiplash.” It should be pointed out there have been reports of serious complications, including stroke, but this has been shown to be extremely rare and some studies suggest this may not be directly caused by the treatment provided by the chiropractor (Harvard Health Publications).

Spinal manipulation, or adjustment of the spine, is a term used to describe providing a high velocity, low amplitude thrust to the vertebra. Chiropractors use this technique to correct the body’s spinal alignment to relieve pain and improve function and to allow the body to heal itself. Treatment usually takes between 10 to 20 minutes and most patients are scheduled 2-3 times per week initially. Patients generally see improvement of their symptoms in the first two to three weeks (Harvard Health Publications).

Harvard Medical School is now saying what chiropractors have been saying for over 100 years and although their article was based on pain, it does add more evidence to the false rhetoric of chiropractic patients having a greater risk of stroke. In the future, reports from Harvard and other medical academic institutions will embrace the growing body of scientific evidence of the varied maladies that respond to chiropractic care.

References:

Harvard Health Publications. (2015). Chiropractic Care for Pain Relief. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/chiropractic-care-for-pain-relief

4 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Energy

Here's a great article regarding ways to improve your energy level. It's from a website called Bel Marra. Check it out!

4 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Energy

As you get older, it seems the amount of energy you used to have to get through your day starts to diminish. Sure you may attribute this to aging, but is that really the issue?
When it comes to feeling awake and refreshed, age may not be the culprit zapping your energy. In fact, it could be your daily habits that are leaving you groggy and drained. Recognizing those habits and making some changes can put you back on the right track to feeling energized again.
And who doesn’t like a bit more energy to get things done – and do more of what you love?
Take a look at some of these habits, and see if they sound familiar. They may be the reason that you’re lacking in the energy department.

1. You’re not staying hydrated

Drinking water and staying hydrated is important – the recommend at least eight glasses a day isn’t for nothing! Besides water being essential to the human body, it’s also vital when it comes to energy.
Experts at Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine suggest that even when your body is slightly hydrated – two percent loss in fluid – that’s enough for you to notice a decline in energy. When dehydration occurs, blood volume decreases causing the blood to become thicker. When this happens, your heart pumps less efficiently, meaning there’s a lack of oxygen and nutrients reaching your muscles.
Less oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, the slower you become.
Combatting this is easy. Ensure you’re drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day. If you’re active, make sure you’re replenishing even more. Researchers suggest to calculate the proper amount of water you require, divide how much you weigh in pounds in half and drink that number in ounces. Handy!

2. You’re overly stressed

It’s natural to have some amount of stress in our lives. Maybe you have a tight deadline to meet, or plans you made fell through. Whatever is causing you stress, it’s depleting your energy.
The Stress Management Society in the United Kingdom defines stress as, “Not having enough energy to meet the demands of life.” Makes sense! By definition, stress is leaving you with little energy. As life demands more from us, the more energy we need. But when life starts to become too stressful, more energy is drained by stress, leaving you with very little energy left.
Stress can affect so many aspects of the body from migraines, to muscle cramps, to even blood pressure. It’s no surprise it can also affect your energy. If you’re continuously stressed, you may feel tired more often and for longer. Stress can also keep you awake at night leading to poor sleep, which only compounds the issue.
Reducing stress is a must, not only for ample energy but to ward off illness. What to do? Ways to lower your stress can be as easy as breathing techniques, exercise like taking a stroll, or removing yourself from a stressful situation to calm down. Whichever method you choose, stress management should be a priority, so you can stay energized (and calm, cool and collected!).

3. You skip breakfast

There truly is a reason why breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is your kick-start to all-day energy, and if you’re not having it you’ll feel the effects later on.
Breakfast plays a key role in starting our metabolism. In fact, when we sleep, our bodies are still burning off the food we’ve eaten. So when we wake up, we’re left with depleted energy. The easiest way to replenish these nutrients and fuel our body is by eating. That means breakfast!
But not just any breakfast will do. If you want continued energy throughout your day, stick with whole grains and protein which can keep you not only feeling full, but energized as well. Therefore, you may want to skip the coffee and donut, and opt for oatmeal, eggs or peanut butter instead.

4. You drink alcohol before bed

Oh the evening night cap! What better way to bring your day to an end than with your favorite alcohol beverage. Sure it may relax you and make you feel drowsy, which in theory is ideal to help you sleep, but in truth, it doesn’t help at all.
In fact, drinking alcohol before going to bed can disrupt how you sleep, leaving you waking up more exhausted than ever. When alcohol enters the body, it does have a sedative effect, causing relaxation and drowsiness. But when the alcohol starts to break down overnight, it actually creates surges of energy causing you to wake up numerous times. That’s hardly restful.
When we sleep, our bodies go through stages called rapid eye movement (REM). During a typical well-rested sleep, we experience about six to seven REM stages. When we drink alcohol, our bodies only have about one or two REM stages, making for extra fatigue the following morning.
Instead of reaching for the bottle before bed, opt for a warm cup of decaffeinated or herbal tea. The aroma will soothe you more so than alcohol and with so many varieties, you can find a perfect tea for you.

Change your habits for improved energy

Energy is essential to day-to-day life. Without it, getting work done, enjoying company, and even just staying awake can be difficult. If boosting your energy naturally is important to you, take a look at some of your daily habits. You may actually be sabotaging your own energy supply.
With a few simple changes, and greater awareness, you can be back to feeling energized and enjoying yours days to the fullest.

Toxic Sugar

Here's a great article written by a fellow chiropractor, Dr. Edward Group, III. The article explains the potential harmful effects sugar has own our own body. A link to the article on his website is found below.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about the dangers of refined sugars like corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and more. After decades of research, it appears the serious adverse effects of refined sugars on human health are finally making their way into mainstream attention. According to the CDC, more than 30% of adult Americans are obese. [1] These numbers exploded after health officials began pushing the high-carb, low-fat diet twenty years ago.

The Truth About Sugar

Decades of study on obesity, type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and hormone dysfunction reveal sugar isn’t just dangerous, [2] [3] it’s absolutely toxic. While it’s true that our cells rely on glucose for energy, our body in no way requires refined sugar for proper functioning. Despite this, food manufacturers continue to look for new ways to sneak sugar into every last food sold on market shelves. Here’s just a few reasons why you should reduce–if not eliminate–sugar from your diet:

You Can’t See A Natural Sugar

When it comes to sugar, if it’s not a natural component of the food (like a banana, apple, or honey), chances are it’s not a natural dietary sugar. Any sugar extracted from its plant source, processed, and added to food for sweetening purposes is considered refined. This includes the spoonful of raw, organic table sugar many people put in their coffee each morning. Natural sugars occur as starches and complex sugars and are bound to vitamins and minerals. The digestive process uses these nutrients to break this natural sugar down into monosaccharides, a usable nutrient.

Fruits and vegetables don’t have the same effect on blood sugar as a candy bar for most healthy individuals because fiber in produce tends to slow down the rate at which the sugars are digested and absorbed. Table sugar is created by separating sugar molecules, glucose, sucrose, fructose, etc., from their plant nutrients. This converts them into pure, refined, and empty carbohydrates.

Your Daily Poison

We know sugar eats through the enamel of teeth and causes cavities, but its damage doesn’t stop there. Sugar leaves a path of destruction as it passes through the body, causing inflammation and degradation to blood vessels. It also disrupts the digestive process. When sugar mixes with starches in the stomach, fermentation takes place, creating carbon dioxide, acetic acid, alcohol, and water. Carbon dioxide, acetic acid, and alcohol are all toxic substances.

Sugar causes digesting protein to petrify and creates ptomaines and leucomaines, toxic protein substances. Sugars also kill the ‘friendly’ bacteria that create vitamin B12, an essential nutrient for energy creation at the cellular level. Symptoms of B12 deficiency include depression, psychosis, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.

As I mentioned earlier, refined sugars have no nutritional value and lack the nutrients needed to encourage digestion. So, the body must steal these nutrients from other processes to digest sugar. This creates nutrient imbalances and deficiencies. From there, the sugar enters the blood stream.

Sugar Rots from the Inside Out

We know high blood sugar causes diabetes, but long before a pre-diabetic condition develops, widespread damage has already occurred. It all starts with one singular component–insulin. The pancreas releases insulin to trigger cells throughout the body to absorb glucose–a monosaccharide sugar–from the blood. The more constant this release of insulin, the more the cells stop listening to it. The liver then takes the excess glucose, converts it to glycogen, and stores it.

As sugar consumption continues, the liver swells and becomes damaged. This condition is known as fatty liver disease, and it’s on the rise wherever a carb-based diet is practiced. When the liver can no longer take the glucose, it gets sent to fat cells for storage. Weight gain and diseases follow.

Recent research done by Louisiana State University report those who consume sugar-sweetened beverages have a much higher risk of weight gain, type II diabetes, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease. The reason for this has been identified as the sugar load.

But this shouldn’t surprise us. Dr. Weston Price reported decades ago how primitive societies had good teeth and superior health to those in civilized societies on modern diets. Once a group of indigenous peoples were assimilated into modern society, individuals experienced physical degeneration and the onset of chronic disease all within one generation.

How to Avoid Sugar

Those who have given up sugar generally experience greater energy, a more positive mood, and successful weight loss. Plus, abstaining from sugar also reduces the risk of many diseases linked to sugar consumption, like diabetes, obesity, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, cardiovascular disease, depression, skin disorders, allergies, eye problems, kidney failure, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, hormone imbalance, accelerated aging, and cancer. To go sugar free, avoid it for two weeks. If you’re really ambitious, go for a month. Eat only natural, organic foods, and only use stevia or, better yet, raw organic honey whenever you need a sweetener.

Here’s a list of refined sugars to avoid:

•     Maltodextrin
•     Beet Sugar
•     Cane Juice
•     Rice Syrup
•     Maple Syrup
•     Cane Syrup
•     Dextrose
•     Fruit Juice Concentrate
•     Corn Syrup
•     Sucrose
•     High Fructose Corn Syrup

Here's a link to his website and the article...   http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/is-sugar-toxic/

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
References:

1.     Davy BM1, Zoellner JM2, Waters CN3, Bailey AN2, Hill JL2.. Associations Among Chronic Disease Status, Participation in Federal Nutrition Programs, Food Insecurity, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage and Water Intake Among Residents of a Health-Disparate Region. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2015 Feb 9. pii: S1499-4046(15)00004-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2015.01.001.
2.     Kostecka M1. Eating habits of preschool children and the risk of obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in adults. Pak J Med Sci. 2014 Nov-Dec;30(6):1299-303. doi: 10.12669/pjms.306.5792.
3.     Bray GA1. Soft drink consumption and obesity: it is all about fructose. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2010 Feb;21(1):51-7. doi: 10.1097/MOL.0b013e3283346ca2.

Does Cold Weather Cause Joint Pain?

Yes, the weather has been nasty.  Recently, I heard a TV weatherperson say that our normal highs for this time of the year is 60 degrees. I don't think we have made it over 45 degrees in the past 15 days or so.  So if you are feeling more pain than usual, this article could explain the reason why.  I found this on the weather channel website. At the end of the article is a link to it.

And of course, Chiropractic care can help to minimize the effects of cold weather upon our cold, creaky joints.

Does Cold Weather Cause Joint Pain?

"Every mile is two in winter" said poet George Herbert. A big chunk of our Facebook fans couldn't agree more, particularly the ones who have arthritis or joint pain. We polled them to find out what triggers their hip and knee pain, and 42 percent blamed cold weather -- by far the leading cause. But can the elements really make your joints ache?

The scientific evidence is conflicting. Some studies find a strong relationship between short, cold, damp days and arthritis flare-ups. Research from Tufts University suggests changes in barometric pressure worsen knee pain in people with arthritis, while colder temps can cause painful changes in joint fluid thickness. Other studies have found little or no link between weather and joint pain.

Whether your aches are sparked by the weather or something else, these three steps can help you feel better.

Eat Healthy

Load up on foods rich in:

• Omega-3 fatty acids. Think salmon and nuts to curb inflammation.
• Vitamin K. Make meals that feature greens, such as spinach, kale, and cabbage, for their pain-soothing properties.
• Vitamin C. Add color to your diet with juicy oranges, sweet red peppers and tomatoes, and other C-rich foods to halt cartilage loss (and resulting pain) that comes with arthritis.

Avoid foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, such as corn oil, which may trigger painful inflammation. Also swap refined grains for whole grains. Early research suggests refined grains have an inflammatory effect, whereas high-fiber whole grains may help reduce inflammation.

Take Supplements

Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin may help by nourishing cartilage and increasing lubrication in your joints. A large-scale study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that a daily combo of 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine and 1,200 milligrams of chondroitin might help ease symptoms in people with moderate-to-severe joint pain.

Also make sure you're getting plenty of vitamin D to help keep your bones strong and prevent joint pain. Look for a supplement with 1,000 milligrams of D3 (the kind your body manufactures from sunlight), but check with your doctor first because some supplements can interact with prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Keep Moving

One reason cold weather is linked to joint pain is people are less likely to work out when it's chilly and damp. Being a couch potato is bad news for your joints because exercise helps lubricate them to prevent pain.

Too cold out? Bring your workout indoors -- and don't overdo it! Choose low-impact aerobic moves that are easy on joints, such as a walking and yoga or tai chi, which enhance your range of motion. Lifting weights can also help because it builds joint-supporting muscles.

Here's the link to the article on weather.com...  http://www.weather.com/health/aches-pains/news/does-cold-weather-joint-pain-20120404