Topic of the Week: How Do Multivitamins Benefit Your Health?

Multivitamins are a long-time staple in the ever expanding world of supplements. They have been around for decades and have been the subject of much debate among health researchers. Can multivitamins actually help prevent serious diseases?
The debate is still not over. However, most health professionals agree people in North America do not eat enough healthy foods and frequently fail to meet their daily minimum nutritional requirements. Studies show calcium, magnesium, vitamins C, D and E are especially low in our population.
Other factors also contribute to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Many fruits and vegetables grow in nutrient deficient soil. Today’s produce often has much lower levels of nutrients compared to only a couple of decades ago. To make matters worse, fruits and vegetables lose even more nutritional content during transport and storage.
The support for daily multivitamin use is confirmed by a number of well-regarded medical institutions, including the Harvard Medical School. In an article that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Harvard medical specialists commented that low nutrient intake increases the risk of long-latency deficiency diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological problems. Taking a multivitamin with minerals has proven effective at protecting health in numerous studies. Research reveals consistent multivitamin use may help your body by reducing inflammation, cutting the risk of chronic disease, boosting the immune system and protecting neurological function.
However, the National Institutes of Health responded to the Harvard article by cautioning people that more research is needed, and taking a multivitamin does not guarantee protection from developing serious diseases.
Also, multivitamins do not contain fiber and some other beneficial plant nutrients, which is why eating plenty of healthy whole foods is important. Of course, your chiropractor also recommends you exercise and maintain an appropriate weight level.

Everybody Is Different
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to multivitamins. Your age, your sex and your state of health all must be taken into consideration.
Your best option is to talk to your chiropractor before purchasing a multivitamin. He or she is familiar with your health background and can recommend what multivitamin – or any other supplements – would be right for you.

Men
Studies show multivitamin supplementation can benefit men in a number of ways. A randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled study enrolled 215 men between the ages of 30 and 55. After being divided into two groups, half of the men received a multivitamin and the other half received a placebo. After 33 days, the multivitamin group reported feeling less stress, improved mood and enhanced energy. This group was also more successful at completing mental tasks. The placebo group saw no health benefits.
Men should not take a multivitamin that includes iron (unless they have an iron deficiency). Their bodies do not require as much iron as women, and getting too much iron can damage the internal organs.
Women
Research also confirms multivitamin’s therapeutic value for women. A long-term study of 88,000 women who used multivitamins consistently over 15 years showed a reduced risk for colon cancer.
Human Psychopharmacology published a study that revealed women taking multivitamins performed better in extended multi-tasking activities and felt less fatigue. The same research indicated the multivitamin group slashed levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is a risk factor for heart attacks and stroke.
And in a Swedish study, women aged 45 to 70 who took multivitamins reduced their risk of first time heart attacks.
Children
Like adults, today’s kids do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, and eat too much low nutrient processed foods. Their immune systems face an uphill battle against ever increasing environmental toxins and pollution. Obese children have additional stress inflicted on their bodies by excessive weight.
Unfortunately, many multivitamins for children contain too much sugar and chemical binders. Children should never be given adult multivitamins, as it could overwhelm their smaller livers. Talk to your chiropractor for advice and recommendations about multivitamin options for your kids.
Seniors
Your nutritional needs change throughout your life. As you age, your digestion system becomes less effective at absorbing nutrients. Seniors are more likely to suffer from serious or chronic diseases that can impact nutrient levels in the body. Multivitamin supplementation may be effective at counteracting some of the nutritional challenges that seniors’ face.
* * *
If you are not eating as well as you should, a daily multivitamin may help you to meet proper nutritional requirements. But make sure you are not overdosing on vitamins if you combine your multivitamin with other supplements. If you are not sure about this, ask your chiropractor! Do you have a history of cancer? Talk to your doctor or chiropractor before consuming multivitamins.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes
only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained
herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.

Exercise of the Week: Exercise Ball in a Supine Position

Difficulty: Moderate to advanced

Start: Lie on back with arms to side, palms up. Position ball behind legs so it can be lifted off floor with hamstrings/adductors.

Exercise: Lift ball just off floor. Pull stomach inward while inhaling and lift head and shoulders. As you exhale, tilt sideways, reaching for ball. Keep arms parallel to floor at all times. Return to starting position, then switch sides.

Quote of the Week:

“I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” - Brian Tracy

The Next Ten Years

What does the future hold in store? None of us can know with certainty, although some predictions are possible. Stock market indexes will rise. Then they'll fall. Then everyone will hope that the indexes will rise again. Hemlines will fall. Then they'll rise. Then in two or three years they'll fall again.

The French have a saying for all this - plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. But is this really true? Superficially, it appears as if things have changed a lot in 10 years. The Internet exploded. Cell phones are everywhere. In the United States an African-American man was elected president. Longstanding dictatorships were toppled in the Middle East.

But if we look below the surface, not much is different. Cell phones are primarily used to indulge in time-wasting chatter. The Internet serves three main functions, all of which embody the most mundane aspects of human existence - as a shopping mall, a center for interminable and meaningless gossip, and a convenient platform for gambling and other illicit activities. The U.S. federal government is embroiled in policy debates which have stagnated for more than 40 years. Global geopolitics appears similarly entrenched.

So the French saying gets it right. The more things change, the more they do stay the same. But if this is true for us personally, the existential bind we encounter can have disastrous results. If in ten years our lives are exactly the same as they are now, if neither growth nor development has taken place, what is the point of it all? If nothing I do makes any difference, why do anything at all? Why exert any effort? Of course, many people find themselves in exactly this position. Personality disorders are the direct result of such ennui. Many global pharmaceutical companies have been built on the billions of dollars spent annually on antidepressant medications, anti-anxiety medications, and sleep aids by millions of people in great distress.

But the next ten years have the possibility of being gloriously impactful.1,2,3 Things do not necessarily remain the same. The actress Betty White has reinvigorated her career at age 89. Jeff Bridges won a Best Actor Academy Award at age 61, highlighting a 40-year career. The 2010 Best Original Screenplay Academy Award went to the 73-year-old first-time winner David Seidler. Leon Russell, the beloved musician/songwriter, was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Well into his 60s, Russell observed that he had been "lying in a ditch on the side of the highway of life" when he his career was suddenly, unexpectedly resurrected by Elton John.

In the next ten years, for us, anything is possible. But in order to move beyond the "same old, same old" we are required to make a choice. Another old saying, "if it's going to be, it's up to me", remains true today. We need to make choices on our own behalf, choices that will further our growth and development and the growth and development of our loved ones. We can create a spectacular next ten years.

Chiropractic Care and the Next Ten Years

It is very possible to have a rewarding, fulfilling life when one's health is not good. But most people would acknowledge that good health, or at least improving health, helps to make the road much easier. With good health one has more energy, and with more energy one can do more things.

Chiropractic care addresses many components of good health and helps a person achieve good health from a holistic or global perspective. Chiropractic care primarily focuses on the spinal column and nerve system. Improving spinal biomechanics and optimizing nerve system function improves energy levels throughout the body. Chiropractic care helps reduce pain, so you can get more out of your exercise. Chiropractic care helps makes rest more efficient, so you can get more out of your time spent sleeping.

The many benefits of chiropractic care help you achieve higher levels of health and wellness. Chiropractic care supports all your other activities and endeavors in the field of health care.

Run with Team LWC!

Come run with the staff of Life Wellness Center at the Lakeville Pan-O-Prog Run - Saturday, July 9th. Once again, LWC is a proud sponsor in this annual event. LWC and Puravida Fitness staff members will be running and stretching out the runners. The running course will take you along the beautiful west side of Lake Marion. Race lengths include a 1 mile, a 4 mile and a 1/2 mile Fun Run for kids. Live DJ music provided by 'Stellar Sounds'.

Welcome Dr. J!

Please help us welcome our new Physical Therapist, Dr. Josiah "Dr. J" Thunshelle to our clinic. Feel free to leave him a greeting here on Facebook or say hi to him the next time you are in our clinic.

Topic of the Week: Facet Joint Syndrome – A Chiropractic Specialty

You may not have heard of facet joints, but they are extremely important to the well-being and function of your musculoskeletal system.

Facet joints are special articulations in the spine that allow one vertebra to move over another. They come in pairs, located in the very back of each vertebral body (except for the very top vertebra – the atlas). Depending upon their orientation, they will influence the plane of movement that each vertebra will typically move through.

For instance:
• In the lumbar spine (lower back), the facet joints are oriented more front-to-back. This allows these vertebrae to move more easily in flexion/extension – and less in rotation.
• In the thoracic spine (attached to the ribs), the facet joints shift to a more side-to-side orientation, which allows for less flexion/extension and more rotation.
• In the cervical spine (neck), the angle the facet joints assume will vary from level to level. The very uppermost two vertebrae have facet joints that are almost horizontal and a bit dome shaped, allowing for a great freedom of movement in all directions?

The facet joints of the spine belong to a group of joints called synovial joints. These are fluid filled spaces, with a smooth layer of cartilage covering both joint surfaces. Since the joint cartilage does not receive direct blood supply, movements of the joints themselves will create a variable pressure gradient that brings nutrients in and out of this enclosed space. This is why you do not want to have vertebral joint restrictions, or subluxations. Without proper movement, the joint surfaces will not receive their proper nutrition, and accelerated aging or degeneration may result.

The term facet syndrome defines a collection of symptoms associated with these joints when they get irritated, inflamed and/or arthritic. This term was first used in the 1930’s to describe lower back pain that was thought to have originated from these joints.
Since then, researchers have confirmed the facet joints can be a source of pain – as injections of fluid directly into the facet joints can reproduce the patients’ symptoms. On the other hand, by directly injecting an anesthetic into the same joint, the symptoms can be reduced.

It makes sense that facet joints can become painful because:
• They contain a number of nerve endings inside them. These nerves relay information to the brain regarding joint position and movement, allowing for proper balance, coordination, and postural alignment. These nerves can become irritated by compression or inflammation, resulting in pain.
• Facet joints are surrounded by ligaments. Ligaments are connective tissue structures that provide stabilization, or a limited range of motion, to the joints. However, these ligaments are also innervated and pain-sensitive – so, if a joint is moved too far past its normal range, these ligaments can become sprained (i.e. rolling over on your ankle).

What Causes Facet Joint Syndrome?
Although facet joint pain is not always consistent, typically a person with this condition will complain of sharp pain in the area of the facet joint, with restricted movement of the spine – especially extension or rotation. The area involved is usually sensitive to the touch, and often you will find muscle tightness and spasm in the immediate area surrounding the joints.
Irritation of the facet joints is common, and can be caused by a number of factors. Although facet joint syndrome can be caused by acute trauma (like hyperflexion and hyperextension), the most common cause of this syndrome is misalignment of the spine. Focal areas of misalignment, called subluxations, will predispose the facet joint to abnormal stress and strain, which in turn can create inflammation and irritation.
Postural stress and muscle tension can also make it more likely that you will experience facet joint syndrome.

What Is the Best Treatment for Facet Joint Syndrome?
Chiropractic adjustments are specifically designed to alleviate the pressure and pain caused by vertebral subluxations. The positive effects of the adjustment are felt immediately when the joint cavitates (pops). This sound is generated by the release of pressure within the joint, and with less hydrostatic pressure on the intra-articular nerves, the joint is less painful. In addition, with better joint alignment, all the structures that support the joint are alleviated of abnormal stress and strain, and the patient is able to relax. Of course, if inflammation still exists in and around the joint, other measures are usually required to bring down the sensitivity of the joint (like ice or other anti-inflammatory substances); however the positive effects granted by the chiropractic adjustment are usually more immediate, and more long-lasting than other treatment options.
If you think you might be suffering from facet joint syndrome, see your chiropractor!

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™

Exercise of the Week: Exercise Ball plus Upper Body Crunch

Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Lie on back with arms relaxed overhead. Position ball behind legs so it can be lifted off floor with hamstrings/adductors

Exercise: Lift ball just off floor. Pull stomach inward while inhaling. As you exhale, simultaneously bring knees up toward chest and try to reach both hands to top of ball. Pause at top, then slowly return to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.

Quote of the Week:

“It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute...that gives meaning to our lives.” - Tony Robbins

Topic of the Week: The Vital Importance of a Healthy Liver

When it comes to keeping our internal organs healthy, we usually hear lots of advice for the brain and heart. We do not hear too much information on how best to take care of our liver. Although it may not have a high profile in the health media like the brain and heart do, our liver is extremely important to our survival.
The liver performs a number of important functions:
• Filters blood and remove toxins
• Produces substances important for blood clotting
• Stores nutrients for future use
• Processes medicine
• Breaks down saturated fat
With all these essential tasks, you can see how it is key for you to take good care of your liver, but how do you actually maintain the health of this organ?
Today we look at problems that affect the liver and lifestyle changes and herbal substances that can help protect it.

Problems of the Liver
Your liver can be affected by a number of serious conditions.

Cirrhosis
This liver condition is the 12th leading cause of death from disease in North America. Cirrhosis is a progressive condition where scar tissue overtakes normal liver tissue. The overwhelming cause of cirrhosis is alcohol abuse, although other causes, such as hepatitis, fatty liver (see below) and environmental toxins, can spur cirrhosis. As the scarring destroys healthy tissue, the liver starts to malfunction. Making lifestyle and dietary changes can help slow damage. In serious cases, a liver transplant is required.

Fatty Liver Disease
This condition has seen a dramatic rise in our population, and the obesity epidemic can take part of the blame. Fatty liver occurs when this organ is overwhelmed by fat, and its proper function is affected by inflammation. Without medical intervention, this can progress to liver cirrhosis, and even life-threatening liver failure. Alcohol abuse contributes to creating fatty liver as do metabolic problems, gastric bypass surgery and some medications.

However the increasing rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease – where alcohol abuse is not a factor – is often associated with excessive body fat. Another consequence of fatty liver is the increase risk for developing type 2 diabetes. In a study published by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers discovered that people with fatty livers were five times more likely to develop this type of diabetes than those without fatty livers, and it occurred regardless of insulin levels.

Hepatitis
The two types of this viral infection that affect the liver most significantly are hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis B does not always show symptoms. It is spread through contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids. A long term infection of hepatitis B can harm the liver. Hepatitis C is spread through blood and not by sexual contact. If an infected person progresses to the chronic type of hepatitis C, liver damage can be severe. Like hepatitis B, this type of hepatitis does not always show symptoms; the disease can easily go undiagnosed for years. Blood tests can detect hepatitis.

Giving Your Liver a Helping Hand
You can do your liver a big favor by not abusing alcohol, eating a healthy diet and keeping your weight level in an appropriate range.
Are there other ways to help keep your liver running smoothly? Health researchers have determined some herbal substances that may be beneficial for your liver. Although they are natural, these herbal substances may react dangerously with some medications and certain health conditions. Always talk to your chiropractor before using supplements and herbal remedies.

Milk Thistle
The tall milk thistle plant has been used for medical purposes for thousands of years. Physicians in ancient Rome and Greece used the seeds from the milk thistle’s fruit to detoxify the liver and to treat snake bites. Today, healthcare practitioners prescribe it for cleaning your liver and reducing damage from alcohol and some chemotherapy medications. The most powerful therapeutic ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which is a robust antioxidant.

Turmeric
Part of the ginger family, turmeric is a spice widely used in India, especially in curried foods. But it also has a long history of medicinal use in India and Chinese traditional medicine. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric that delivers most of this spice’s medicinal properties. Like silymarin in milk thistle, curcumin is a strong antioxidant. Throughout its long medical history, turmeric was prescribed for liver disease, flushing out toxins and soothing digestive disorders. Turmeric is available in supplement form, such as capsules, tablets and tinctures. Two recent studies show that curcumin can help slow liver damage caused by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™

Quote of the Week:

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Exercise of the Week: Reverse Crunch with Exercise Ball plus Oblique Twist

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Start: Lie on back with hands behind head, elbows out. Position ball behind legs so it can be lifted off floor with hamstrings/adductors.

Exercise: Lift ball just off floor. Pull stomach inward while inhaling. As you exhale, simultaneously bring knees up toward chest and try to touch right elbow to left knee. Pause, then return to starting position. Switch sides. Repeat 10 times.

Topic of the Week: The Health benefits of Stretching

“Have you done your stretches?”
You probably hear this question all the time from your chiropractor. But why is stretching so important to your health? It all has to do with proper alignment in the musculoskeletal system.

The Musculoskeletal System
Your skeleton is a collection of over 200 bones that give your body its shape and structure. In between adjacent bones you have joints, or articulation, and holding the joints together, are ligaments. These are the main components of the system that gives your body support, protects your vital organs, and allows for the foundation around which movement occurs.
The skeletal system is a static structure on its own. However, when you add muscles you create a dynamic, functional musculoskeletal system capable of performing work, maintaining an upright posture, transporting your body from one place to another, and allowing for personal expression using language and gestures.
With few exceptions (like the movement of the eye or tongue), a muscle attaches to two separate bones. As it contracts and shortens, the muscle creates relative movement of these bones by bringing the two ends of the muscle closer together.
The coordination of muscles turning off and on allow for the complete range of human performance.
Examples include the powerful, explosive movements created by a sprinter’s legs, or the delicate, intricate finger movements of a professional violinist. This coordination is facilitated by a constant loop of feedback messages among the muscles, the nerves and the brain. The length and tension of a muscle determines its capacity for strength and movement. The variable length of a muscle defines the functional range of motion of the joint it crosses, and its capacity to create tension allows it to perform work for you. Although a certain degree of tension in a muscle is necessary, too much tension can create imbalance, functional restrictions and/or pain.

What is Wrong with a Little Tension?
Whether it is caused by stress, overuse, repetitive strain or acute trauma, abnormal muscle tightness is unhealthy for your body. It places an excessive amount of stress and strain on the joints involved, predisposing them to arthritis and early degeneration. In addition, many nerves and blood vessels pass directly through muscle. If the muscle is too tight, this can irritate the nerves or compress the blood vessels, causing numbness, tingling, pain or decreased circulation. Muscles around an imbalanced joint can lead to misalignment or subluxation – this can be very debilitating!

Do You Have a Muscle Tightness Problem?
Your chiropractor can determine whether you have a problem with muscle imbalance and tightness by first assessing the range of motion and sensitivity of the involved areas. Problems in muscles are usually quite obvious, as direct touching of the affected areas is usually uncomfortable for the patient.
Tight muscles located in your spine may contribute to vertebral subluxations. Misalignment of the vertebrae is particularly damaging, as this can cause irritation of the nerves exiting the spine. This can further disturb normal muscle function, leading to more symptoms. Thankfully, chiropractic adjustments are particularly effective at reducing nerve irritation caused by spinal joint dysfunction!

Can You Do Anything to Help Fix the Problem?
Once your alignment has been restored with chiropractic adjustments, you should do stretching – this helps maintain proper mobility, alignment and function. Although there are a number of stretching techniques that have developed over the years, there are two basic stretching protocols: dynamic and static.

- Dynamic stretching involves movement to increase range of motion (like performing arm circles).

- Static stretching involves little or no movement while increasing your end-range (holding a stretch). Static stretching usually involves a more relaxed mindset and can be considered more effective for postural muscles.
Dynamic stretching is more commonly used before strenuous exercise. There are also stretching techniques such as PNF, whereby muscles are stretched immediately following a strong contraction - taking advantage of neuromuscular reflexes to achieve better results.
Regardless of which technique is used, the goal is always the same: warm up the muscles first with some gentle calisthenics, then bring the target muscle into an elongated position and encourage it to stay there. As the muscles are trained to stay in their lengthened position, less pressure is exerted on the joints, and a more natural, balanced state will be achieved in the musculoskeletal system.
Ask your chiropractor what stretching exercises would be best for you.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™ .

Exercise of the Week: Reverse Crunch with Exercise Ball

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Start: Lie on back with arms relaxed on abdomen. Position ball behind legs so it can be lifted off floor with hamstrings/adductors.

Exercise: Lift ball just off floor. Pull stomach inward while inhaling. As you exhale, bring knees up toward chest, trying to lift buttocks off floor. Pause at top, then slowly return to starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.

Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week: “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” - Jim Rohn