Video- if you can’t do this, you may have a problem, your odds needing back surgery, and this week’s 1-Page Health News

Hi Glenn,

Happy Monday! Well, the heat is back. And for most of us active people, that’s kind of a good thing. Maybe I’m odd, but I enjoy riding my bike on a really hot day.

There’s an interesting study from the journal Spine showing that back pain patients who started with a chiropractor were 28 times less likely to end up having surgery than patients who started by seeing a surgeon. (see below).

This week, Dr. Stripling has a great video for you on the chair squat. I know, you’re thinking, “The squat again?” Here’s the truth: there are a few basic movements that add up over time. If you can’t get yourself closer to the ground correctly, you wear out your spine. Then, one day, you go to tie a shoe, or pick up a bag of dog food, or sneeze – and blow your back out. We see it day in and day out in our office. So, after reading this week’s 1-Page Health News, I strongly suggest taking a look at this week’s video. Of course, if you have a bad back already, you should learn this under our supervision (call us). Proceed wisely!

Health Alert: What Concussion?
Many United States high school football players think it’s okay to play with a concussion even though they know they are at risk of serious injury. Over 90% of players polled recognized a risk of serious injury if they returned to play too quickly, but only 54% would always or sometimes report their concussion symptoms to their coach. Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013

Diet: Fight Inflammation!
Chronic inflammation is a condition that can be triggered by obesity and can ultimately lead to both cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Some foods that are known to combat unhealthy inflammation are citrus fruits, leafy greens, tomatoes, wild salmon, and whole foods high in fiber. University of Alabama at Birmingham, March 2013

Exercise: ‘Walkable’ Neighborhoods.
Preschool children are less likely to be obese if they live in a neighborhood that is safe and within walking distance of parks and retail services. Pediatric Academic Society, May 2013

Chiropractic: I Like Those Odds!
Patients who went to a chiropractor first had were less likely to undergo surgery than those who went to a surgeon first. 42.7% of workers with back injuries who first saw a surgeon had surgery, in contrast to only 1.5% of those who initially saw a chiropractor.  Spine, December 2012

Wellness/Prevention: Brain Power Boost.
Regularly consuming the healthy fats found in fish, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts may assist in maintaining cognitive functions in older individuals. British Medical.
Journal, May 2013.
Video link: Dr. Stripling shows you the chair squat. You really should be able to do this pain free.

Awesome Dog finds a great home:

I’m happy to report that Rooster has found a home. My good friend Dave Kupernick adopted Rooster from my other good friend Andrew Stone. Most of you know that Mr. Stone is the canine behaviorist who trained our 1-year old chocolate lab when she was a pup. If have a dog that has behavioral problems, I strongly recommend you have Mr. Stone help you get your dog “reprogrammed” and behaving in a more civilized manner. Call Andrew Stone directly at 720-366-2238

Hippocrates and chiropractic care

Chiropractic may only be 114 years old, but spinal manipulation has been around for thousands of years. Massage and manipulation are two of the oldest remedies known to man. In fact, the first pictures depicting spinal manipulation were discovered in prehistoric caves in Point Le Merd in southwestern France. These drawings depicted crude, non-specific attempts to manipulate the spine that date back to 17,500 bc. The ancient Chinese were using manipulation in 2700 bc. and James Cyriax, in his Textbook of Orthopedic Medicine, included a picture of a Buddhist temple with a statue over 2,000 years old showing manipulation of the lumbar spine.

More recently, Hippocrates (460-377 bc), the father of Greek medicine said, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” He wrote over seventy books on healing and was a proponent of spinal manipulation. This great physician was also the first to deal with the anatomy and the pathology of human spine. In his books, he provides a precise description of the segments and the normal curves of the spine, the structure of the vertebrae, the tendons attached to them, the blood supply to the spine, and even its anatomic relations to adjacent vessels. Hippocrates devised two apparatuses, known as the Hippocratic ladder and the Hippocratic board, to reduce displaced vertebrae.

Hippocrates believed only nature could heal and it was the duty of a physician to remove any interference preventing the body from healing. Hippocrates taught that the essence of life and the ability of the body to heal was the result of a vital spirit.

Marriage and weight gain, “Rooster” available, look for us at E-Rock, and this Week’s 1-Page Health News

After a beautiful Memorial Day weekend, we’re back in the office and ready to help you. This coming Sunday, Dr. Stripling and I will be out at the Elephant Rock Festival of Cycling giving ART treatments to athletes. Look for us under the Team Transplant tent. Lots of good stuff in this week’s 1-Page Health News

“Chiropractic is a wonderful means of natural healing.”
~ Bob Hope

Mental Attitude: Happily Married?
A recent study concludes that young and happily married newlyweds are more likely to gain weight than their young and unhappily married counterparts. For each unit increase in satisfaction, on average, males and females both gained one tenth of a BMI unit every 6 months – or about one pound a year. According to Dr. Andrea Meltzer, lead author of the study, “These findings challenge the idea that quality relationships always benefit health, suggesting instead that spouses in satisfying relationships relax their efforts to maintain their weight because they are no longer motivated to attract a mate. Interventions to prevent weight gain in early marriage may therefore benefit from encouraging spouses to think about their weight in terms of health rather than appearance.”
Health Psychology, April 2013

Health Alert: Less Salt, More Potassium.
Reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure, which ultimately reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Results show that four or more weeks of modest salt reduction leads to notable decreases in blood pressure. Increased potassium intake was associated with a 24% reduced probability of stroke in adults and may also have an advantageous impact on blood pressure in kids.
British Medical Journal, April 2013

Diet: So How Much Salt and Potassium Should You Consume?
The World Health Organization recommends adults should reduce salt intake to 5g per day and consume at least 3510mg of potassium per day.
World Health Organization, January 2013

Exercise: More Reasons.
Exercise helps to retard bone loss as you age, thereby reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis. Exercise also helps improves pain tolerance and mood if you already suffer from osteoarthritis.
Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Chiropractic: Satisfied Low Back Pain Patients.
Patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors showed greater improvement and satisfaction after one month of care than patients treated by family physicians. Satisfaction scores were higher for chiropractic patients. A higher proportion of chiropractic patients (56% vs. 13%) reported that their low-back pain was better or much better, whereas nearly one-third of medical patients reported their low-back pain was worse or much worse.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2000

Wellness/Prevention: Sleep Well.
Increasing the number of hours adolescents sleep each night may reduce the prevalence of adolescent obesity. A recent study shows that fewer hours of sleep is associated with greater increases in adolescent body mass index (BMI) for participants between 14 and 18 years old. Increasing sleep from 8 to 10 hours per day at age 18 could result in a 4% reduction in the number of adolescents with a BMI above 25. This would translate to 500,000 fewer overweight adolescents.
Pediatrics, April 2013

Awesome Dog available for a great home:

My friend and canine behaviorist, Andrew Stone, has a dog that he is looking to place in a great home. Rooster is a STUNNING red and white border collie male, just over 2 yrs old, neutered, and now fully professionally trained (by Mr. Stone of course!). Know anyone interested? Re-homing fee applies. Mr. Stone has the fee set at $500 with lifetime training (a great deal!)……..or at $400 without the follow-up training. Rooster plays well with other dogs and is great with kids. Call Andrew Stone directly at 720-366-2238

How and why to avoid knee replacement surgery and this week’s !-Page Health News

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
~ Hippocrates

Health Alert: Hip/Knee Replacement?
Joint damage from osteoarthritis is responsible for 80% of hip replacements and 90% of knee surgeries. Only 50% of individuals with arthritis who had a hip or knee replacement reported a significant improvement in pain and mobility after surgery. 25% of patients who get a single joint replacement will have another within two years.
Arthritis & Rheumatism, April 2013

“Did you know that if your spine is not moving well or is not aligned (known as subluxation of the spine), you could easily get an injury in your hips, knees, calves or ankles? This is because spinal subluxations inhibit the nervous system, leading to poor motor control. Reference- Seaman et al, JMPT; 18;21(4): 267-280.

Getting your spine adjusted regularly is the best way to keep your body moving well and keep those muscles firing. Our athletes who get adjusted regularly hold up better than the ones who wait for the pain to set it. Call us – 303.300.0424 – or just reply to this email.

Diet: Unleaded Please!
Levels of lead in rice imported into the United States (US) ranged from 6-12 mg/kg. For adults, the daily exposure levels from eating imported rice are 20-40 times higher than the Food and Drug Administration’s accepted levels. For infants and children, the daily exposure levels are 30-60 times higher. Lead is a neurotoxin that can damage the brain, and in young children whose brains are still growing, it can seriously diminish their capacity to learn and develop. It can disrupt children’s behavior, such as make them more aggressive, impulsive, and hyperactive. Lead increases blood pressure and causes cardiovascular diseases in adults.
American Chemical Society, April 2013

Exercise: Walking vs. Running.
Brisk walking can reduce a person’s risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol just as much as running can. The risk for first-time hypertension was notably reduced 4.2% by running and 7.2% by walking. The risk for first-time high cholesterol was reduced 4.3% by running and 7% by walking. The risk for first-time diabetes was lowered 12.1% by running and 12.3% by walking. The risk for coronary heart disease was lowered 4.5% by running and 9.3% by walking.
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, April 2013

Chiropractic: Lowering Blood Pressure.
Chiropractic adjustments to the upper neck were shown to lower high blood pressure. Researchers found a 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure, and 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure following a cervical adjustment. This effect was greater than would result from two blood pressure medications given in combination, and it was adverse-event free.
Journal of Human Hypertension, March 2007

Wellness/Prevention: Vitamin D.
A hormone produced in the skin with exposure to sunlight, Vitamin D is also found in fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks. Muscle function and recovery from fatigue has been shown to improve with Vitamin D supplementation, which is thought to enhance the activity of the mitochondria – the power plants of the cell.
Newcastle University, April 2013

How to get rid of elbow pain

This week’s 1-Page Health Newsletter

Dr. Stripling’s popular video series is back! This week he shows you the proper patterning for the bodyweight squat. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; if you lack the mobility to do a bodyweight squat, your back is going to get hurt. It’s never too late to start. Check out the video link below.

Speaking again about my colleague Dr. Stripling, one of Dr. Stripling’s sponsored athletes, Kyle Pietari, finished first at the Grasslands 50 Mile (!) Ultramarathon this past weekend in Decatur, Texas. After taking the lead at Mile 2, Kyle maintained the top position and won the race in a blistering 7:27. Congrats to Kyle and best of luck this season!

Here is this week’s 1-page health news…

Preventing ankle sprains.
5 minutes of standing on a stability pad 5 times weekly reduced incidence of ankle sprains (and presumably other lower leg injuries) by 77%. McHugh et al, American Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;35: 1289-94 (39). (Just go amazon and search for “Harbinger Balance Pad” to get yours for around $20. If you have an ankle sprain, call us! We get great results with Active Release!)

Mental Attitude: Happiness and Age?
Psychological well-being is linked to important life outcomes such as career success, relationship satisfaction, and health. Well-being tends to increase with age; however, when you were born can have a lasting impact on your overall sense of well-being. For example, people who grew up during the Great Depression started off with lower levels of overall well-being than their children who grew up during more prosperous times. As they aged, their overall sense of well-being increased but stayed below the following generation’s levels at similar ages. Based on this data, researchers warn that people growing up in today’s more challenging economic environment may experience similar long-lasting effects to their overall sense of well-being.
Psychological Science, February 2013

Health Alert: Alcohol On The Brain?
Excessive alcohol use accounts for 4% of the global burden of disease, and binge drinking is a growing health issue. Functional signs of brain damage from alcohol misuse in young people include deficits in visual learning, memory, and executive functions. Structural signs of alcohol misuse in young people include shrinking of the brain and significant changes to white matter tracts.
Cortex, February 2013

Diet: Obesity Causes Vitamin D Deficiency?
Researchers have observed a 4.2% drop in Vitamin D levels for each 10% increase in BMI. Vitamin D is important because it aids bone health and decreases risk of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, and early death.
PLoS Medicine, February 2013

Exercise: Reduce Risk of Dementia.
People who exercise and have higher physical fitness levels during middle age have a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia later in life.
Annals of Internal Medicine, February 2013

Chiropractic: Osteoarthritis and Injuries From Early Adulthood.
Young adults who had injuries to the knee and/or hip were 3x-5x as likely to suffer from osteoarthritis in the knee and/or hip later in life than young adults who suffered no such injuries. This is why it’s so important to get regular care to keep those hips, knees, and spines moving!)
Annals of Internal Medicine, September 2000

Video Link. Click here to see how the squat can build a better you. Really! (If you have pre-existing back problems, please come to the office so we can go through this with you so you don’t get hurt).

If there’s someone that you know with back pain, neck pain or headaches- we can help. Call us at 303.300.0424. And don’t forget, we have the BEST massage therapist in the city here at Denver Chiropractic Center, Erin Young. Treat yourself to an hour, or even two. Call us to get onto Erin’s schedule.

Dr. Glenn Hyman, Dr. Jeff Stripling, Office Manager Natalie, & Erin Young LMT
Denver Chiropractic Center

denverback.com

Denver Chiropractic Center Weekly Health Update

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion”
~ Unknown
.
Mental Attitude: The Elderly and Facebook.
Elderly adults who learned to use Facebook on a daily basis scored 25% better on tests measuring their cognitive abilities than their peers who did not.
University of Arizona, February 2013

Health Alert: Baby Boomers Vs. Preceding Generation!
As each generation grows older, they believe they are healthier than the previous generation. However, the baby boomers are unable to make this claim. Compared to the preceding generation at the same stage of their lives, fewer have “excellent” health (13% vs. 32%), more have high blood pressure (75% vs. 35%), and more are obese (36% vs. 25%).
JAMA Internal Medicine, February 2013

Diet: The Southern Diet and Stroke.
People from the American South are 20% more likely to have a stroke than those from other parts of the country, and the Southern diet may be to blame. People who eat Southern style food high in fat, sugar, and salt at least 6 times a week were at 41% higher risk for a stoke. People whose diets consisted of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at least 5 times a week were 29% less likely to have a stroke.
American Stroke Association, February 2013

Exercise: Tai Chi?
Tai Chi may reduce falls among adult stroke survivors. Tai Chi is a martial art dating back to ancient China that includes physical movements, mental concentration, and relaxed breathing.
American Stroke Association, February 2013

Chiropractic: Recommended For Back Pain.
The Royal College of General Practitoners’ 2009 recommendation for treating non-specific low back pain advises doctors to advocate exercise and manipulation (such as chiropractic care) before pharmacological (drug) therapies and more invasive treatments (like surgery).
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellences, 2009

Wellness/Prevention: Sunshine and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Routine exposure to the sun, especially ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, may decrease the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Those with the most elevated rates of exposure were 21% less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than who had less exposure.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, February 2013

Who replaced Miss Keri, Denver Chiropractic Center shows you how to help your own ankle sprain, and the one-page health news.

This week we welcome our new office manager Natalie who is taking the reins from Keri. We look forward to working with Natalie for a long time. This week, as we’re all digging out from the snow, we have another video from Dr. Stripling. He’s covering ankle sprains. We treat lots of ankle sprains at Denver Chiropractic Center. As scar tissue affects the injured ankle, it’s left stiff and painful. By using Active Release Techniques to break up the scar tissue, and using some appropriate re-training techniques, we can usually dramatically shorten the time it takes for sprained ankles to heal.

 

Mental Attitude: No Interruptions Please. Short interruptions (such as the few seconds it takes to silence that buzzing smart phone) have a surprisingly large effect on one’s ability to accurately complete a task. Interruptions of just three seconds can double your chances for making errors. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, January 2013

Health Alert: American Health. Americans have shorter life expectancy and higher rates of injury and disease than citizens of other industrialized countries. A 2011 report showed that the US ranked 50th in life expectancy. In most health issues (infant mortality, teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, heart disease, chronic lung disease, disability, obesity, diabetes, drug-related deaths, homicides, injuries, and HIV/AIDS), the US is either at the bottom or near the bottom of the list of industrialized nations. Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, January 2013

Exercise: Not At School! In the 1920s, 97% of US college students were required to take Physical Education (PE); today, that number is at an all-time low of 39%. 34% of adolescents and teens ages 12-19 are overweight and 17% are obese. These rates have roughly doubled since 1980. The median PE budget for schools in the US is $764 per school year in K-12 and 61% of PE teachers report an annual budget of less than $1,000. Obesity will cost the US $344 billion in medical- related expenses by 2018, about 21% of the nation’s total health-care spending. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, January 2013

Chiropractic: Inflammation! Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury and is part of the healing process. However, if proper care is not received, inflammation can hinder the healing process and may lead to scarring, improper motion, and additional pain. Signs of inflammation include: pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function. Chiropractic adjustments and care can reduce inflammation and pain naturally!

Quote: “A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.” ~ Tom Stoppard

Video: Dr. Stripling’s Ankle sprain video can be found on our blog by clicking here.

Car accident injuries- how to avoid them, part 2

Last month, we discussed car safety features, proper headrest position, how to prepare for a crash, and to seek immediate treatment as ways to minimize the chances of suffering from whiplash in the event of an accident. Here are four more ways to avoid or minimize whiplash:

PAY ATTENTION WHILE YOU DRIVE. Too often, we get distracted while driving. Any time our eyes leave the road, the potential for an accident increases significantly. This can occur when changing the radio to a different station, eating while driving, reading while driving, talking on the phone, texting (equals the effects of 2-3 alcoholic beverages), driving under the influence of certain prescription medications (pain killers for example), driving under the influence of alcohol or other chemical agents, and turning your head during conversation. We have a responsibility when we are driving to keep our eyes on the road, as many accidents occur within split seconds of time. If we are not paying attention, we will not be able to avoid a potential collision.

THE CONCEPT OF “NO CRUSH, NO CRASH INJURY” IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. In fact, just the opposite is true. That is, the greater the amount of crushing metal at the time of collision, the greater the amount of energy absorption that occurs, resulting in less force transferred to the contents inside the vehicle (namely you or me). This is why, many times, people are injured in low speed collisions because there is no energy absorbed by crushing metal as noted by the absence of or, minimal damage to the car.

FOLLOWING YOUR DOCTOR’S ORDERS. It is very important that we do not inadvertently hurt or harm ourselves further by NOT following the advice of our health care practitioner. This means initially using ice to reduce inflammation and swelling, possibly wearing a soft cervical collar during the first few days after the injury to “rest” the injured structures, following proper nutritional advice for optimal healing benefits, and following exercise recommendations. This last treatment approach is vital in the prevention of long term, chronic neck complaints. Other ways you can REALLY help are to follow cervical traction orders.

Cervical traction is a very effective method of reducing muscle spasm, separating the joint spaces, improving disk nutrient transfer and water content, reduce the pinching effect of the nerves, and as a result, speeding up the recovery process. Follow your treatment schedule; that is, DON’T SKIP APPOINTMENTS! During office visits, it is necessary to discuss not only what is working well, but also what may not be working so modifications to your care plan can occur on a timely basis. The primary goal of whiplash management is to prevent the condition from becoming chronic and long-term, and the first few weeks of treatment are critical!

ERGONOMIC MODIFICATIONS. An important part of managing whiplash injuries is preventing daily irritations from tasks that we have to do. Hence, we will discuss adjusting your work station for optimum positioning and avoidance of poor posture, such as using office chairs with arm rests, sitting posture modifications, and computer monitor positioning. Proper sleep positions and pillow design are also reviewed.

This week’s 1-Page health News from Denver Chiropractic Center

Health Alert: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Type-2 Diabetes. Researchers found a 20% higher proportion of the population has diabetes in countries with high use of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), like the United States, compared to countries that do not, like the United Kingdom. The United States has the highest consumption of HFCS at 55 lbs (~25 kg) per year per person. The United Kingdom consumes 1.1 lbs (~.5 kg) per year per person.

Global Public Health, November 2012

Diet: Food Advertising. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years. Food companies spend $10 billion a year marketing in the United States, and 98% of that is on foods high in fat, sugar, or sodium.

Journal of Pediatrics, November 2012

Exercise: Walk Much? The more moderate physical activity (like brisk walking) you do, the better. Compared to doing nothing at all, seventy five minutes of vigorous walking per week was linked to living an extra 1.8 years. Walking briskly for 450 minutes or more per week was found to provide most people with a 4.5-year longer lifespan. The longer people spent each week being moderately active, the greater their longevity. Heart, November 2012

Chiropractic: Keep Your Disks Healthy. In normal healthy disks, the nerves (sinuvertebral) only sense pain on the periphery or outer regions of the disk. In grossly degenerated disks, nerves may penetrate into the center (nucleus) of the disk and be more vulnerable to degeneration and/or inflammation. Lancet, 1997

Wellness/Prevention: Cell Phone Addiction. Cell phone and instant messaging addictions are driven by materialism and impulsiveness and can be compared to consumption pathologies like compulsive buying and credit card misuse. Cell phones may be used as part of the conspicuous consumption ritual and may also act as a pacifier for the impulsive tendencies of the user. Impulsiveness plays an important role in both behavioral and substance addictions.

Journal of Behavioral Addictions, November 2012