How our Denver Active Release Clinic (Denver Chiropractic Center) can help you stay healthy.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I know you’re busy, so I’ll get to the point. We’ll be in the office all week this week, but just Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 9-Noon next week. Here’s this week’s health news for you:

Mental Attitude: More Vacations? Researches claim vacations help us recharge our batteries and perform at a higher level once we return to work. However, because the after-effects are short-lived, we should take trips more frequently in order to keep our levels of health and well-being high. The Psychologist, Aug 2011

Health Alert: Over Spending? Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine found $6.7 billion was spent in one year for unnecessary tests or prescribing unnecessary medications, with 86% of that cost attributed to the prescription of brand-name statins to treat high cholesterol. Archives of Internal Medicine, Oct 2011

Diet: Iron Man? The right amount of iron is needed for proper cell function, but too much may lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Men typically have more iron in their bodies than women, which may be why men develop these age-related neurodegenerative diseases at a younger age. (Younger women’s iron levels are thought to be lower because of menstruation.) To reduce iron levels: decrease over-the-counter supplements that contain iron, unless doctor recommended; eat less red meat; donate blood; and take natural iron-chelating substances that bind to and remove iron (such as curcumin or green tea). Neurobiology of Aging, Oct 2011

Exercise: Music To The Ears. Researchers found listening to music (in this case Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons”) while exercising improved participants’ mental agility. The study’s author, Charles Emery, believes all types of music can produce a similar effect, no just classical. ABC News, April 2011

Brain Activity And Chronic Low Back Pain. A new imaging technique, arterial spin labeling, shows the areas of the brain that are activated when low back pain worsens in chronic pain patients. This is a first step towards objectively describing chronic pain, normally a subjective experience. When a patient has worsening of their usual pain, there are changes in the activity of the brain in the areas that process pain and mood. Anesthesiology, August 2011

Quote: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing.” ~ Muhammad Ali.

Active Release. How to stay healthy. Recent research has shown that chiropractic patients who receive monthly maintenance care have better treatment outcomes that last longer. While I have no formal studies to prove it, the many patients who come to see us for monthly ART sessions also seem to stay healthier. We can usually spot developing problems and get rid of them before they start causing pain.