What a week (pic), open your chest (video) and this week’s 1-Page Health News.

Denverback.com home.

After a week of fun with my family up in Beaver Creek, I’m back in the office rested and ready for work. I hope all of you had a great 4th. For those of you who are wondering, no, I did not see the bear again this year. Yes, I rode the Xterra Beaver Creek bike course 4 times, breaking my chain on the last day. I had to hike out and coast down through the streets of Bachelor Gulch to get back to the hotel. Here’s a pic of my kids up in the village in one of the rare moments when they weren’t fighting. Kidding. Sort of.

Weekly Health Update
Week of: Monday, July 8th, 2013

“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.”
~ Winston Churchill
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Mental Attitude: The First Three Years and Aggression.
Children who witnessed domestic violence before age three were more likely to show aggression when they reached grade school, even if they were removed from their home and witnessed no domestic violence in the interim. According to Dr. Megan Holmes, the study’s lead author, “[This] gives social workers a window of opportunity between ages 3 and 5 to help the children socialize and learn what is appropriate behavior.”
Psychology and Psychiatry, March 2013

Health Alert: Alarming Cancer Rates
By 2020, nearly 47% of people will get cancer in their lifetime, but almost 38% will survive the disease. One reason more people are getting cancer is because we are living longer and the incident rate of cancer increases with an aging population. The reduction in the number of people dying of cancer is because more cases are diagnosed earlier and treatments and care are improving.
Macmillan Cancer Support, June 2013

Diet: TV Exposure?
More time in front of the TV set and higher exposure to TV ads leads to increased consumption of sweetened beverages among children. Each additional hour in front of the TV increased the likelihood of regular sweetened beverage consumption by 50%. Only one parent in seven indicated that they tried to reduce their children’s exposure to TV ads. The same parents stated that their children were less prone to drink soft drinks and other sweetened beverages. Children of parents who were less strict about TV ads were twice as likely to consume sweetened beverages every week.
University of Gothenburg, Sweden, June 2013

Exercise: Soccer and Diabetes.
After three months of soccer training, the hearts of diabetic men appeared to be 10 years “younger”. On average, soccer training reduced the systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 8 mmHg. Maximal oxygen uptake was increased by 12% and that their intermittent exercise capacity was elevated by 42%.
University of Copenhagen, June 2013

Chiropractic: No Headaches
Cervical spine manipulation was associated with significant improvement in reducing headache symptoms involving patients with neck pain and/or neck dysfunction and headache.
Duke Evidence Report, 2001

Wellness/Prevention: Phones Not So Smart.
Smartphones and tablets can disturb sleep. The cause is due to the bright light-emitting diodes that can interfere with melatonin, a hormone that controls the natural sleep-wake cycle. Dimming the smartphone or tablet brightness settings and holding the device at least 14 inches (~.36m) from your face while using it will reduce these negative effects.
Mayo Clinic, June 2013

As always, thanks for reading,

Denver Chiropractic Center – Dr. Glenn Hyman, Dr. Jeff Stripling, Erin Young LMT & Natalie Aceves, office manager. Denverback.com home.

Car Accidents and neck pain (a.k.a. Whiplash)

Whiplash refers to an injury to the neck resulting from a rapid movement, usually associated with a motor vehicle collision (MVC). However, it can occur with a slip and fall injury, a bar room brawl, during a sports event like being tackled in football, among other things. For the sake of this discussion, we will stick with the classic example of a rear-end MVC.

 Mechanism of injury: So what really happens during the MVC that causes injury? The answer centers around movement of the neck which exceeds the normal tissue’s stretch limits, sometimes referred to as “the elastic barrier.” When the MVC occurs, during the first 100-200 milliseconds the trunk supported by the back of the car seat rapidly moves forwards leaving the head unprotected in its original position resulting in a backward glide or motion of the head and neck. Next, the head (which weighs about 12-15 pounds) drops back (HOPEFULLY) into the headrest stopping the motion, but if the head rest is too far back (>1/2 inch) or too low, then the head keeps going backwards until the tissues in the front of the neck stretch to the point of either stopping the motion or tearing (or both).

Next, the highly stretched front of the neck muscles, ligaments, disks, and tendons (in a “crack the whip” like manner) propel the head forwards to the point of over stretching the tissues in the back of the neck, which similarly stops the movement &/or tears. The degree of injury depends on many things, but is notably worse in the long-necked, skinny female where the “crack the whip” reaction is the greatest. Several factors determine the degree of injury, including the “G-Force,” or the amount of energy produced during the impact. The greater the G-force applied to the head/neck, the greater the potential for injury.

The G-force affecting the occupants inside the vehicle is related to many things: the speed of the crash, the size of the two vehicles (worse if a large automobile hits your smaller car), the angle and springiness of the seat back, the amount of energy absorbed by crushing metal vs. no damage to the vehicles (worse when there is no damage as all the energy is transfer to the occupants), whether the head was rotated or looking straight at impact, and more. The KEY to all of this is that we cannot voluntarily contract our muscles quicker than 800-1000 msec and the whiplash process is over after about 500 msec, so we can’t effectively “guard” or protect ourselves against injury even if we try by bracing ourselves before the MVC!

            Type of injury: The classic injury is called a sprain (ligament tear) and strain (muscle and/or muscle tendon tear) to either or both the front of the neck and/or back of the neck. Sprains and strains come in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree tears, getting progressively worse as more tissue is torn. Please refer to previous issues of the Whiplash Health Update where the anatomy is reviewed so you can “picture” this properly.

            Prognosis: The length of time to recovery or maximum improvement varies by the amount of tissue damage. A “prognosis scale,” first introduced in 1995 and validated by 2001, showed that in Type 1 injuries pain without loss of neck motion healed the quickest. Type 2 injuries where neck movement was reduced after the MVC (but no neurological findings occurred) healed next quickest. Type 3 injuries, which included BOTH motion and neurological loss, healed the slowest and had the worst long-term outcomes. Other factors enter into this, of course.

We will continue this “Whiplash 101” discussion next month…

We realize you have a choice in where you receive your healthcare services.  If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Our most watched video ever: Dr. Glenn & the bear, 4th of July week, and the 1-Page Health News

It was last year, 4th of July week up at Beaver Creek when I, Dr. Glenn Hyman, encountered my first bear. Having grown up in New Jersey it was a big deal to me. The video I shared reigns as our most watched video ever, and the link is below. The panicky guy who sounds an awful lot like me was some other person.

Next week, I’ll be back up in Beaver Creek for 4th of July week. This will be my second annual personal Xterra Beaver Creek training camp. If you’re up in the Vail / Beaver Creek area and want to ride the course next week, shoot me an email.

If you need to get in to see me here at Denver Chiropractic Center, call today 303.300.0424. I’m in all this week and out all next week.

Dr. Stripling will be in next Monday and Tuesday, and half of Wednesday before we close for the long 4th of July weekend.

Here is the 1-Page Health News:

Mental Health: Depression and Stroke Risk in Middle-Aged Women.
A 12-year study of over 10,000 middle-aged Australian women found that those who suffered from depression had nearly double the risk of stroke compared to non-depressed women in their same age group. The American Heart Association encourages everyone to learn how to recognize a stroke. Think F.A.S.T: F-Face Drooping. A-Arm Weakness. S-Speech Difficulty. T-Time To Call 9-1-1 (or the appropriate emergency services number if you’re outside the United States).
American Heart Association, May 2013

Diet: Brain Rewards.
Restricting food intake increases the reward value of food, particularly high-calorie and appetizing food. The more successful people are at caloric-restriction dieting, the greater difficulty they will face in maintaining the restriction. Dieting by skipping meals and fasting is less successful than weight loss efforts characterized by intake of low energy, dense, healthy foods. If people want to lose excess weight, it would be more effective to consume healthy, low-sugar foods during regular meals, rather than go for long periods of time without eating.
NeuroImage, May 2013

Exercise: It’s Not Too Late To Cut Heart Failure Risk!
In an eight year study, middle-aged participants drastically reduced their risk of heart failure up to 40% by increasing their cardiovascular fitness level.
American Heart Association, May 2013

Chiropractic: No Headaches!
Spinal manipulative therapy (aka adjustments) is an effective treatment for tension headaches. In a study, patients who received adjustments continued to benefit from care even four weeks after treatment concluded. This is in contrast to patients who received pharmaceutical therapy; they reverted to baseline values when checked a month after treatment ended.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 1995

Wellness/Prevention: Fish Oil, Your Heart, and Stress.
A new study finds that regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids (most commonly found in cold water fish like Salmon) improves cardiovascular health by dulling the connection between mentally stressful events and cardiovascular functions like heart rate, blood pressure, the fight-or-flight response, and blood flow. Those who frequently find themselves in stressful situations may benefit from adding Omega-3s to their diet.
American Physiological Society, May 2013
Video link: Dr. Glenn and the bear!

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

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

Dr. Stripling’s 3 more for the core, Race season 2013, and this week’s 1-Page Health News.

This week, we have another video for you on core exercises. Dr. Stripling shows three basic exercises that will strengthen and condition the entire body. As simple as these movements seem, there are a few cues to keep in mind to improve both safety and performance. Check it out with the link below.
For those who race, triathlon / cycling / running season are swinging into full gear right around now. Dr. Hyman’s race schedule for 2013 is looking like this:

  • June 1, Xterra Lory, Horsetooth Reservoir
  • July 20, Xterra Beaver Creek, Avon / Beaver Creek
  • August 17, Rattlesnake Olympic, Aurora Reservoir
  • August 24, Xterra Buffalo Creek

Stay tuned for Dr. Stripling’s Event schedule, which he says will include some CrossFit Competitions and some Century rides.

Mental Attitude: Smoking and Anxiety. The belief that smoking relieves stress is pervasive, but likely wrong. Smoking is actually anxiogenic (causes anxiety) and successful quitters usually experience a drop in anxiety.
British Journal of Psychiatry, January 2013

Health Alert: Obesity and Stroke: In males and females ages 5-14, the number of ischemic stroke hospitalizations increased 31% and 36%, respectively, from 1994 to 2007. For ages 15-34 the increase was 51% for males and 17% for females. For ages 35- 44, the increase was 47% for men and 36% for females. The increase in obesity seems to be the primary cause.
CDC, February 2011

Exercise: Aerobic or Resistance Training? A study of 234 adults compared the effects of aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT) and both aerobic training and resistance training (AT/RT). Researches found the participants in the AT/RT group both increased lean mass (muscle) and decreased body fat, while the RT group did not decrease body fat, and the AT group did not increase lean mass. Journal of Applied Physiology, December 2012

Active Release / Chiropractic: Pregnancy and Back Pain. 20% of women who suffer from severe back pain during pregnancy refrain from having more children out of fear their severe back pain would recur with another pregnancy. Just for the record, WE treat pregnant women using both Active Release and gentle adjustments. Back pain and sciatica are the most common complaints. Obstetrics & Gynecology, February 1998

Wellness/Prevention: How Are You Doing This Year? Only 8% of people succeed in achieving their top New Year’s
Resolution. Journal of Clinical Psychology, December 2012

Quote: “Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

More core exercises by Dr. Stripling from Denver Chiropractic Center

Dr. Stripling of Denver Chiropractic Center shows three basic exercises that will strengthen and condition the entire body. As simple as these movements seem, there are a few cues to keep in mind to improve both safety and performance.

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.