Thursday, February 28, 2013

Exercise Smarter Not Harder

(This newsletter issue for February 2013 is brought to you by Life Wellness Center)


We all want to get the most out of the time we spend exercising, and it's natural to think that exercising harder is going to provide a bigger, faster payoff. But exercising harder without adequate preparation often leads to injury. Then there's recovery time, possibly the need for rehabilitation, and ultimately you're back at the beginning in terms of fitness, strength, and endurance. Injuries are to be avoided, if at all possible. The best way to avoid injury is to exercise smarter. Exercising smarter is also the best way to achieve continual, progressive gains in fitness, health, and well-being.


Exercising smarter means doing what you're capable of doing, and then doing a little bit more. For example, if you're a runner and typically run three miles a day, three times a week, it wouldn't be smart to do an eight-mile run the next time you go out. The likely outcome would be a strained muscle, shin splints, or worse. If you lift weights and typically bench press 100 pounds, it wouldn't be smart to find out what it feels like to bench press 150 pounds. What it could feel like is a back, neck, or shoulder injury. In either scenario, the price paid for attempting to train "harder" is at least two weeks of down time, possibly much longer, while you recover from your injury. Of course, we've all made mistakes and sometimes training injuries just happen, but tempting fate by doing too much is not, in fact, "smart."

The goal with any type of exercise is to progress gradually over time.1 For example, if you're 60 years old and haven't exercised for many years, a walking program is a good way to begin. On your first day, walk at a comfortable, steady pace for 10 minutes. That may not feel like much, but you will be increasing your total time over the next four to six weeks. The next day, add a couple of minutes. As long as you're continuing to feel good, add a couple of minutes on every second day or so, building up consistently to a total of 30 minutes per day. At this point, you're walking 30 minutes per day, five times per week. Next, every second day or so, increase your pace by a bit.

Don't increase your pace if you feel uncomfortable or feel as if you're working too hard. Be in tune with what you're doing. After four to six weeks of gradually increasing your pace, you'll probably be able to walk 30 minutes per day, five days a week, at a nice brisk pace.2 You may also notice that you've lost some weight,3 you feel more flexible, you're standing more upright, your skin has a nice, healthy glow, and you're sleeping more soundly and more restfully.

Use the same gradual approach with strength training. Start with lighter weights, not heavier weights, than you think you can use. With lighter weights, you can build up your strength over time. With weights that are too heavy, there's always the danger of incurring an injury that will set you back and interfere with your training. Exercising smarter leads to consistent gains in strength, muscle mass, ability to do physical work, and overall health.

It's natural to want to exercise harder. But exercising smarter is the way to go for long-term benefit without the danger of time-wasting injuries. Exercising smarter is the effective way to maximize the value of our investment in physical fitness.

1Braham R, et al: Can we teach moderate intensity activity? Adult perception of moderate intensity walking. J Sci Med Sport 15(4):322-326, 2012

2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Vital signs: walking among adults - United States, 2005 and 2010. MMWR Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 61:595-601, 2012

3Exercise training and impaired glucose tolerance in obese humans. McNeilly AM, et al: J Sports Sci 30(8):725-732, 2012

Monday, February 25, 2013

Topic of the Week: Children & Sports

Introduction
Most of us were introduced to sports and physical activity at an early age, and the relationship we formed with those activities helped shape our understanding of health, fitness and quality of life. Encouraging your child to participate in sports or physical activities (either organized or informal) can have a significant and long-lasting effect on his or her physical, mental and social health. According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, parental support and influence are two key variables that can either optimize a child’s experience of extracurricular activities or contribute to a negative experience. In this edition of the Wellness Express we discuss the role of sports for children and how you can help your child find the activities that are best suited for him or her.

The Benefits of Sports for Children
Sports participation can yield significant health benefits for children. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that physical activity in children helps boost cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength, decreases body fatness, improves metabolic disease risk profiles, bolsters bone health and helps decrease depression and anxiety symptoms. The possible benefits of sports participation in children goes beyond physical health to include improved mental health, as long as the sports environment surrounding your child is positive and encouraging. Your child’s participation in sports and physical activity can elevate his or her self confidence and help your child realize significant psychological benefits through continued sports participation in adolescence and adulthood.

Improved social health is another possible benefit of sports participation for children. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, sports can help children expand their social network, have fun, learn team values and boost self esteem. Sports participation may also teach children about the importance of fair play, how to control their impulses and how to manage success and disappointment. Sports that bring boys and girls together in active play may be particularly beneficial in cultivating social health and they can teach girls that they are capable of excelling in physical activity while teaching boys to be welcoming, inclusive, and supportive.

Children & Organized Sports
Organized sports are one avenue for physical activity available to children. Some children participate in organized sports to improve their skills and hone their athletic prowess, while others participate simply to be part of a team. Organized sports present an opportunity for increased physical activity and a more appropriate matching of competitors and they can help reduce your child’s risk of developing common adult health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. If played for the wrong reasons, however, organized sports can be humiliating for some children and have lasting effects on a child’s self-esteem.

Dr. John Douillard, a chiropractor and author of Body, Mind and Sport, notes that almost 50 percent of Americans experience their first major failure in life as a sports failure and he suggest that the motivation for sports participation needs to shift from being goaloriented to being process-oriented. This means that a greater emphasis should be placed on how the sport is played and experienced by children, instead of what children accomplish on the playing field. Emphasizing how the sport is played and the acquisition of skills, rather than winning at all costs, is a constructive way to help your child experience joy and success in sports and keep them interested in sports and physical activity.

Aptitudes & Activity Selection
The health benefits of sports are best realized when the circumstances of participation match your child’s interests and aptitudes. If your child is playing a sport or performing a physical activity that celebrates his or her talents and abilities, he or she will be more likely to experience a greater quality of life, personal growth, and success (in whatever way he or she defines it). Helping your child find the physical activities that are most appropriate for him or her involves understanding his or her interests as well as his or her body type and physical constitution (and how these factors affect athletic ability and the enjoyment of certain sports). In his book, Douillard discusses how a person’s physical constitution or makeup can predispose that individual to optimal functioning in certain activities.

Your chiropractor is an important part of your child’s healthcare team and can keep your child healthy and active through regular checkups. Your chiropractor can also provide advice on activities that are most beneficial for your child’s spine and general health.

Disclaimer: Information contained in The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM

Quote of the Week:

“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game”~ Michael Jordan

Exercise of the Week: Low Back Stabilization

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Milk Myth: What Your Body Really Needs

A recent study claims that young adults are not drinking enough milk -- at least according to press reports on the matter. But according to the study’s lead author Nicole Larson, the focus on the study was on calcium.
The words "milk" and "calcium" are often used interchangeably in the popular press. But while milk is a calcium source, no standard other than that of the National Dairy Council considers it the best calcium source.
The suggestion that you need to drink three glasses of the secretion of a cow's mammary glands in order to be healthy is a bit outrageous and doesn't fit the human evolutionary profile. In fact, most humans around the world cannot easily digest cow milk.
Yogurt has more calcium than milk and is easier to digest. Collards and other greens also have about as much or more calcium than milk by the cup. Greens, unlike milk, have the added benefit of vitamin K, also necessary for strong bones. Sesame is also very high in calcium.
When you measure calcium by cup of food product, milk is high on the list. When you view it by calorie, though, milk is at the bottom. A hundred calories of turnip greens have over three times as much calcium as 100 calories of whole milk.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The idea that you have to drink milk for strong bones is deeply ingrained – the result of very successful PR by the commercial dairy industry. But what most people do not realize is that pasteurized milk has little to do with strong bones, or good health, for that matter.
In fact, pasteurized milk has no important health benefits at all, and I do not recommend it to anyone.
As stated in the article above, calcium is the issue being investigated, not necessarily the consumption of (pasteurized) milk. The study in question found that during the transition to young adulthood, the daily intake of calcium decreased an average of 153 mg for high school girls, and 194 mg for boys.
Interestingly, time spent watching television was one factor associated with lower calcium intake, whereas an attitude toward a healthy lifestyle was cited as being associated with higher calcium intake. Which makes sense, regardless of the milk issue, since eating vegetables is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting sufficient amounts of calcium, and is part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle.

The Vast Difference Between “Milk” and Raw Milk as a Source of Calcium
Whenever people talk about “milk” they automatically refer to pasteurized milk, which is the only variety you can find in every grocery store in the U.S. However, the drawbacks of drinking pasteurized milk are so many they overshadow any potential benefit from the calcium it contains.
And, in fact, there’s serious doubt about the calcium in pasteurized milk because one of the worst side effects of pasteurization is that it renders much of the calcium contained in raw milk insoluble… This can lead to rickets, bad teeth, and nervous troubles, for sufficient calcium content is vital to children. Additionally, with the loss of phosphorus also associated with calcium, bone and brain formation can suffer serious setbacks.
Pasteurization also destroys part of the vitamin C contained in raw milk, and encourages growth of harmful bacteria.
Worst of all, however, dairy products from cows treated with Monsanto‘s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST) could sharply increase your risk of cancer and other diseases, especially in children.
These detrimental side effects are not associated with drinking RAW milk, however.
In fact, raw milk is an excellent source of not only calcium but also a number of other nutrients such as vitamins, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus.
 One other significant issue may actually be the species of cow that the milk is taken from. Milk from older cows, Jerseys, Asian and African cows may not cause problems, while milk from new cows like Holsteins, which has a mutation on one of the amino acids of casein, causes many people to not tolerate it well.

Do You Really Need Calcium for Strong Bones?
This long-held belief may not be as accurate as you’d like to think. Numerous studies have found NO association between high calcium intake and lower fracture risk. As is often the case, modern science may have picked apart and simplified the issue too much.
As Dr. Robert Thompson M.D. describes in his excellent book The Calcium Lie, your bone is composed of at least a dozen minerals, and if you focus exclusively on calcium supplementation you are likely going to worsen your bone density, and can actually increase your risk of osteoporosis.
Dr. Thompson believes that the overconsumption of calcium in the goal of preventing osteoporosis creates other mineral deficiencies and imbalances that will also increase your risk of:
•Heart disease
•Kidney stones
•Gallstones
•Osteoarthritis
•Hypothyroidism
•Obesity
•Type 2 diabetes

A Surprising Alternative to Calcium for Bone Health
Interestingly, he proposes that one of the best practical alternatives is the use of naturally occurring ionic mineral supplements. He believes that almost everyone needs trace minerals, not just calcium, because you simply cannot get all the nutrients you need through food grown in mineral depleted soils.
According to Dr. Thompson, unprocessed salts are one of the best sources of these ionic trace minerals that are so vital for strong bones (as well as numerous other biological functions).
I have long been a fan of high quality salt, and Himalayan salt is, I believe, one of the healthiest salts on the planet. It contains vitally important trace minerals that are very difficult to get in your food due to the challenges of modern agricultural practices.

The Healthy Bone Diet – Going Beyond Milk
Even if you don’t have access to raw milk or other raw dairy products, and have the good sense to avoid pasteurized milk, there are plenty of dietary options to ensure you’re getting enough calcium in your diet.
But first, it’s important to understand that processed foods will produce biochemical and metabolic conditions in your body that will decrease your bone density, so avoiding processed foods is the first step in the right direction.
Additionally, eating high quality, organic, biodynamic, locally-grown food will naturally increase your bone density and decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Aside from that, specific foods that are high in calcium include:
•Fresh, dark-green vegetables like spinach, kale, turnips, and collard greens
•Dry beans
•Sesame seeds and almonds
•Wild salmon and sardines
•Rhubarb
•Okra

For a more comprehensive list of calcium-rich foods and the amounts of calcium per serving can be found on the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s web site.
Another food worthy of mention is onions. They’re high in gamma-glutamyl peptides that have also been shown to increase bone density.

Beware of Conventional Calcium Recommendations
Some conventionally trusted sources such as WebMD suggest eating fortified breads and cereals, soy beans, and fortified soy milk.
Grains and soy have numerous health risks, which I’ve discussed in depth in many previous articles. But in addition to all the other negative health effects of grains, gluten has specifically been shown to decrease bone density, so eating lots of breads and cereals is not in your best interest despite being fortified with calcium.

Will a High Protein Diet Destroy Calcium?
There’s a common concern that eating a high protein diet will secrete calcium into your urine. But the truth of the matter is that more people are now eating low-protein diets, and your body needs protein, because amino acids are part of the bone matrix.
If you don’t consume enough of specific amino acids your body can’t form strong, dense bones. So you DO want to make sure you eat plenty of high quality protein like free-range eggs and grass-fed meats.

Additional Components Vital for Bone Density
Healthy fats -- Along with your basic food selections, your omega 3 intake and the ratio between omega 3 to omega 6 has a lot to do with building healthy bone. Unfortunately, even many nutritionists are unaware of the important relationship between healthy bones and optimal fat intake.
Most everyone needs to take a high quality, animal-based omega 3 fat as it is very deficient in most people’s diet. I recommend krill oil, as I believe it’s a superior source of omega 3’s.
And, to further balance out your omega 3 and omega 6 ratio, you’ll want to reduce the amount of processed vegetable oils you consume. Oils like corn oil, safflower- and soy oil are loaded with omega 6’s. I also recommend avoiding canola oil for other reasons.
Sunshine -- Vitamin D is also important for calcium absorption, so along with your raw milk and vegetables, make sure that you are getting plenty of safe sun exposure this summer. Getting your levels up to about 60 ng/ml will help you optimize your bone density.
Exercise -- You should also remember that, just as exercise and diet work in tandem to beat obesity, the same can be said for osteoporosis. Strengthening bone mass through weight-bearing exercise, especially during puberty, can build a good foundation that can last a lifetime. In fact, there is a stronger connection between exercise and improved bone density among teens than taking calcium!
This is because bone-building is a dynamic process, and by exerting force on your bones through exercise such as strength training, you stimulate new, healthy bone growth.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Quote of the Week:

“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity”~ Hippocrates

Exercise of the Week

Topic of the Week: Chiropractic Around the World

Introduction
Manual medicine techniques, including spinal manipulation, have been practiced for centuries in certain parts of the world, but the profession of chiropractic as we know it today began in the United States in the 1890s. Chiropractic developed as a standalone profession during those early years and earned legal recognition and broader acceptance during the 1960s and 1970s. Chiropractic services are now largely integrated with mainstream healthcare services in many countries. According to the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC), the practice of chiropractic is now recognized and regulated in about 40 countries around the world. As chiropractic research, education and licensing standards continue to improve, chiropractic will reach more people in more places with its message of natural health and healing.

Chiropractic in Canada & the USA
The WFC notes that there are approximately 8,000 chiropractors in Canada and 65,000 chiropractors in the United States. In Canada and the United States, chiropractors are considered primary care providers and musculoskeletal health experts and chiropractic is a highly regulated profession. Chiropractic is now one of the largest healthcare professions in North America and a 2005 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reports that doctors of chiropractic are well integrated into the healthcare systems of Canada and the United States. According to the WFC, chiropractic services in the United States are now available in the military and veterans’ administration hospitals and health care systems. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that employment of chiropractors is expected to jump by 28 percent between 2010 and 2020 as an increasing number of people become interested in natural, non-surgical treatment approaches.

Canadian and American chiropractors diagnose and treat a wide variety of ailments and have the authority to order lab and imaging studies, if required. The scope of practice among chiropractors in these two countries varies from state to state and province to province. Most jurisdictions, however, allow chiropractors the right to use common diagnostic methods, refer patients to appropriate specialists and co-manage a patient’s health with another healthcare provider. Many chiropractors in Canada and the United States can offer the following therapies in addition to spinal manipulation: soft tissue work, rehabilitative exercises, physical therapy modalities and nutritional and lifestyle counseling. With additional training, chiropractors in some U.S. states can practice obstetrical and minor surgical procedures, and one state (New Mexico) allows “advanced practice” trained chiropractors to prescribe certain medications.

Chiropractic in Europe & the UK
The chiropractic profession is well established in the United Kingdom and chiropractic services are becoming increasingly available in many European countries. A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics states that chiropractic has matured as a profession in Europe over the past several decades and that the manual techniques employed by European chiropractors vary considerably according to country. A 2001 article published in Dynamic Chiropractic, however, notes that chiropractic in Europe is not a unified profession and that each European country has chosen its own chiropractic path. There is no common legislation for the chiropractic profession in Europe; some countries (e.g., Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Belgium) regulate chiropractic under common law, while in other countries (e.g., Italy), chiropractic is regulated through local regulations and courtmandated guidelines, according to the article.

The American Chiropractic Association (using statistics from the WFC) states that the United Kingdom has approximately 2,000 chiropractors. The British Chiropractic Association - the largest and longest-standing chiropractic association in the UK - reports that members of their association provide to patients a “package of care” that, along with conventional chiropractic adjustments, includes lifestyle counseling, exercise advice and, in some cases, medical acupuncture or dry needling. According to a 2010 study published in the journal Chiropractic and Osteopathy, chiropractors in the UK generally consider themselves primary contact healthcare practitioners, regardless of the country in which they were educated or how long they had been in practice.

Chiropractic Elsewhere Around the World
Interest in chiropractic services is increasing in many countries around the world, and a growing number of accredited chiropractic colleges are forming in places such as Australia, Denmark, France, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea. Chiropractic services have been well received in many Central and South American countries and chiropractic care is quickly gaining traction in Asian cities such as Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. In 2005, the World Health Organization, in partnership with the WFC, published a guideline on minimum educational standards for chiropractic education and the regulation of chiropractic by national governments - a clear sign of chiropractic’s increasing global reach.

Disclaimer: Information contained in The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Life You Want to Live

We all want to get the most we can out of life. Whether we want to find a loving partner, work at a meaningful career, gather an abundance of financial resources, or have enough leisure time to pursue favored interests, the usual bottom line is that we want to be happy. Throughout thousands of years of history, the great philosophers have pointed to happiness as the worthwhile goal of all human activities. In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle (384 B.C. - 322 B.C.) suggested that eudaimonia - happiness - is our best good.

Most of us would agree that the life we want to live involves achieving the greatest degree of happiness. Even if we haven't spent much time studying the works of Aristotle, we intuitively seek our greatest happiness. But such joy often escapes us, even at times when we think to ourselves that we ought to be happy. Various obstacles stand in our way, not the least of which is physical pain.

Physical pain can overshadow our various paths to personal happiness. We can tolerate acute pain for a while in the hope that it will go away soon, within a week or two at the most. But chronic pain is another matter. Often, extraordinary resources need to be utilized to maintain a positive attitude in the face of ongoing pain.

Many people experiencing chronic pain may find it difficult to imagine really living the life they want to live. Pain seems to influence everything. But there are many tools and techniques for diminishing the impact of chronic pain. The practice of yoga1,2 has consistently been shown to provide benefits, as has developing the habit of doing regular exercise3, such as walking or swimming. Engaging in enriching activities such as learning a new language, studying a musical instrument, and learning how to draw or paint with watercolors can shift one's focus away from pain and toward personal growth and development.

Also, chronic pain, at least that involving the musculoskeletal system, may benefit from chiropractic care. For example, chiropractic care can often help with chronic headaches, chronic neck pain, and chronic low back pain. For many people the benefit may be substantial. Your chiropractor is experienced in the care of many chronic conditions and will let you know whether chiropractic care is right for you.

1Michalson A, et al: Yoga for chronic neck pain: a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial. J Pain 13(11):1122-1130, 2012

2Tilbrook HE, et al: Yoga for chronic low back pain: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 155(9):569-578, 2011

3Sullivan AB, et al: The role of exercise and types of exercise in the rehabilitation of chronic pain: specific or nonspecific benefits. Curr Pain Headache Rep 16(2):153-161, 2012

Monday, February 11, 2013

Quote of the Week:

“There’s a place and means for every man alive” ~ William Shakespeare

Exercise of the Week

Topic of the Week: Feng shui For Health & Prosperity



Feng shui is an ancient Chinese system of laws and aesthetics - as well as an art form – that considers how the spatial arrangement and orientation of objects, buildings and landscape elements create balance and harmony in your living environment. Feng shui is concerned with optimizing the flow of energy, or qi - the vital life energy that runs through your body. The retention or loss of qi is thought to affect the health, prosperity, energy levels and other life aspects of the occupants of a particular space. The orientation and attributes of elements in your home or office may affect the flow of qi by slowing it down, speeding it up or redirecting it, all of which may have an influence on your experience of life.

The Basic Principles of Feng shui
Feng shui, though often considered a mystical practice, is not associated with any religion or belief system. According to the American Feng shui Institute, Feng shui is a scientific discipline concerned with the analysis of energy and it involves the study of geography, ecology, urban planning, and architecture. Feng shui, as a practice, has certain basic principles or goals that govern its operation, including the need to avoid hazards and ensure security, comply with the laws of nature, balance yin and yang (opposing forces within your body and the world) and the five elements (water, wood, fire, earth, and metal) and create harmony in spatial order.

Removing obstacles that obstruct the smooth flow of energy, incorporating curves into your home or office’s design, clearing energy-draining clutter, positioning plants, artwork, mirrors, and furniture appropriately and removing broken, damaged or unused objects from your environment are all key principles of Feng shui. Other Feng shui considerations include the orientation of your home (what direction it faces, its location on the street, its position on the lot), the colors you use in your home or office, how you enter your home and the placement of wind chimes.

Feng shui For Health
One of the fundamental ideas of Feng shui - and Chinese Medicine, for that matter - is that balanced and freeflowing chi leads to lasting health, while stagnant or imbalanced qi invites disease. Few conventional research studies have been performed to assess the true health benefits of Feng shui, though one study published in 2001 in the journal Health and Social Work examined the effects of hoarding (i.e., accumulating clutter) on the health of elderly individuals. The researchers found that extensive clutter was associated with significant impairment, interference with basic hygiene and increased risk of physical injury in elderly hoarders. Another study, published in 2005 in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy, notes that hoarders suffer more frequent traumatic experiences, a greater number of different types of trauma, more symptoms of inattention and more hyperactivity than nonhoarders.

The true test is in how an environment makes you feel. Does it contribute to lower stress levels? Does it make you feel relaxed? Does it help reduce your anxiety? An environment designed using Feng shui principles is soothing, makes you feel comfortable and protected, and invites good health into your home.

Feng shui For Prosperity
Feng shui has been practiced for hundreds of years in Asia to create environments that enable success in life, including financial success. It’s believed that many of the same Feng shui principles that encourage health also promote wealth and prosperity, though other Feng shui principles are wealth-specific, including keeping your wallet organized and free of clutter, displaying personal wealth symbols that reflect your own taste and culture, displaying images of flowing water, and creating collages that depict the objects and lifestyle that greater wealth could help you attain.

The effects of Feng shui on property value have been studied to some small degree. In one contemporary study published in the Journal of Urban Planning and Development, researchers found a high correlation between Feng shui practices and housing prices. Another study, published in 2008 in the International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, notes that Feng shui practices may positively affect property prices in the West.

Feng shui and Chiropractic
According to a 2005 study published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, Feng shui is a type of complementary and alternative (CAM) treatment - the same type of treatment with which chiropractic has most closely aligned throughout its history. Feng shui and traditional chiropractic share several key commonalities, especially the belief in a life force (aka vital force or life energy) that helps govern health and wellbeing. Ask your chiropractor about the merits of a conscientiously planned environment on spine and general health.

Disclaimer: Information contained in The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM

Monday, February 4, 2013

Quote of the Week:

“The best mind altering drug is the truth”. ~ Lily Tomlin

Exercise of the Week: Low Back Stabilization

Topic of the Week: Common Chiropractic Myths Debunked


Introduction
The chiropractic profession has changed and evolved considerably since it was first created by D. D. Palmer in 1895, though its principle goal - improving general health through natural, gentle and noninvasive means - has always remained the same. Certain myths about chiropractic care have arisen over the years and remained in public consciousness, though chiropractors are now successfully addressing these myths or misconceptions by providing the most accurate information about the profession and its healing potential. In this edition of the Wellness Express, we will review - and debunk! - some of the most common myths about chiropractic care.

Myth #1: Chiropractic Adjustments are Painful
Chiropractic adjustments, in most cases, are completely painless and many patients experience some degree of relief immediately following an adjustment. According to the Mayo Clinic, chiropractic adjustments may be effective in treating low back pain, headaches and other spine related conditions, though some people may experience minor side effects for a few days after receiving treatment.
Because the adjustment may move joint structures that haven’t moved properly in some time, after the adjustment, it is also common to feel a mild soreness in the area that has been treated - a feeling similar to that of engaging in strenuous activity after a long period of little or no physical activity. On rare occasions, chiropractic adjustments may cause a mild headache or fatigue, but these symptoms usually fade as relief sets in.

Myth #2: Chiropractic is Unscientific
Chiropractic research has advanced steadily over the past decade and there are now many published studies that indicate the effectiveness of chiropractic care as a therapeutic modality (in addition to the wealth of clinical evidence over the decades from patients who have experienced relief with chiropractic care). One such study, a 2012 paper published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, states that patients with neck pain who received regular chiropractic care for 12 weeks experienced a 75 percent reduction in pain after 12 weeks (compared to 38 percent pain reduction in those taking pain medication only).
Another study, published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in 2000, notes that patients with chronic low back pain who were treated by chiropractors experienced more improvement and than patients treated by family physicians. Countless research studies have long since debunked the myth that chiropractic is unscientific.

Myth #3: Chiropractors Work on the Spine Only
Back pain is the health problem most commonly treated by chiropractors, but chiropractors are musculoskeletal health experts who treat many body parts and systems. The scope of practice for chiropractors varies from one jurisdiction to another, but most chiropractors treat a wide variety of health problems with an eclectic blend of techniques. According to a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, over 90 percent of licensing boards who responded to a survey allowed chiropractors to use some form of physical therapy, treat soft tissue and tissue and extremity problems, prescribe nutritional supplements and conduct impairment ratings. Over 80 percent of responding licensing boards indicated that chiropractors in their region can perform X-ray procedures and order CT or MRI studies to help reach a diagnosis. Chiropractors have historically treated the following conditions or problems using conservative techniques: Headaches, ear infections, colic, foot and ankle pain, hip pain, shoulder pain, gastroesophageal reflux, and high blood pressure.

Myth #4: Chiropractic Care is Expensive
A common myth or misconception about chiropractic care is that it is cost-prohibitive. Research has consistently shown that chiropractic care is a cost-effective therapy. The Manga Report – a study commissioned by the Canadian government in 1993 – states that chiropractic management of low back pain is more cost-effective than medical management. Another study, published in 2005 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, reports that manipulation based therapy for low back pain is a cost-effective alternative for this health problem. One round of chiropractic care is often enough to resolve many musculoskeletal problems, though some patients – especially those with longstanding problems - may require additional treatment to realize lasting health benefits.

Myth #5: Chiropractic Care is Not Mainstream
Chiropractic care is one of the largest healing professions in the world and has become a mainstream care option for people in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Though profound philosophical differences may exist between them, medical doctors and chiropractors now often work closely with one other in their patients’ best interests and many medical doctors refer patients to chiropractors for spine care and other services. Because of their historical position as alternative care providers, chiropractors are also well-positioned to work closely with naturopathic physicians, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and other members of your healthcare team.

Disclaimer: Information contained in The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM