After taking a few days off last week to help my wife through her ACL (knee) reconstruction surgery – it went very well – I am back in the office today. Thanks for your patience. We have just one spot open today so if you need us, please call asap 303.300.0424.
I’ll be in just Monday-Wednesday this week as I’m taking Thursday and Friday off for my wife’s ACL reconstruction surgery. So call us ASAP if you want to see us. 303.300.0424
By now most of you who read these posts know that my wife blew out her ACL a couple of weeks ago and is having knee surgery soon to reconstruct it. But there’s a part of the story I haven’t shared yet.
When she went down on the slopes of Winter Park, I had a wife yelling in pain, 3 kids kind of freaking out, and I had no idea how to get a hold of the ski patrol. I sat there kind of dumbly watching other skiers and boarders going by hoping that maybe a ski school instructor would appear.
Luckily a good Samaritan stopped and had the ski patrol phone number on a laminated piece of paper in his pocket. I called from my phone and they were there in minutes.
The moral of the story- know the number for the ski patrol where you are skiing or riding. We’re in the process of putting a card together for you all with the popular ski resorts’ patrol numbers on it. (Winter Park’s is 970.726.1480.)
Here is this week’s 1-Page Health News.
Diet: Are Low-Carb Diets Better for Weight Loss Than Low-Fat Diets?
Physicians at Mayo Clinic say that low-carb diets are slightly better than low-fat diets for weight loss, at least in the short term. An analysis of 41 trials that evaluated the effects of low-carb diets on weight loss showed that participants lost between 2.5-9 more pounds (1.13-4.08 kg) than those who followed a low-fat diet. Lead researcher Dr. Heather Fields adds, “The best conclusion to draw is that adhering to a short-term low-carb diet appears to be safe and may be associated with weight reduction.” However, she recommends that people who follow a low-carb diet should avoid highly processed foods, especially processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, deli meats, hot dogs, and ham.
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, December 2016
Exercise: Serious Yoga Injuries Are on the Rise, But Rare.
Yoga has become increasingly more popular in recent years and so have yoga-related injuries. According to a new report, nearly 30,000 Americans visited the emergency room for yoga-related sprains, fractures, or other injuries between 2001 and 2014. Despite rising injuries, experts say that overall, yoga appears relatively safe. They add that the potential gains from performing yoga, such as lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower heart rate, and improvements in depression, anxiety, and sleep problems outweigh the risk of injury. Dr. Joshua Harris from the Houston Methodist Hospital comments, “My advice to people is to start slow, don’t push too hard, and find a good instructor who emphasizes proper form and technique.”
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, December 2016
Chiropractic: You Can’t Blame Acute Low Back Pain on the Weather.
A recent study investigated the influence of various weather parameters on the risk of developing an episode of low back pain. Among a group of 981 patients with an acute episode of low back pain, researchers found that precipitation, humidity, wind speed, wind gust, wind direction, and air pressure did not increase the risk of onset for acute low back pain.
Pain Medicine, December 2016
Wellness/Prevention: Depression Hurts Smoking Cessation Efforts.
An analysis of data from a Czech smoking cessation clinic reveals that smokers with depression have a harder time quitting. The study included 3,775 patients and found that those with mild depression were 32% less likely to abstain from smoking for one year than those without depressive symptoms, while patients with severe depression were 43% less likely to quit.
Annals of Behavioral Medicine, December 2016
We are happy to announce that we have added Cigna to the long list of insurures with whom we are in-network. After years of patients sending letters asking that Cigna add us to the network, they listened. For those of you with Cigna policies, we will need to verfiy your coverage the next time you’re in the office. We are also now in-network with Great West.
Here are the other major insurers for whom we are in-network providers:
Anthem / Blue Cross
United Healthcare
Aetna
Federal Employee Benefits Program
Kaiser PPO
Mail Handlers Benefits Program
PHCS
Humana
MedPay for auto injuries and ALL auto insurance policies
Workers’ Compensation (Level 1 Accredited)
Why pay more for out-of-network providers? We do all the paperwork and file insurance claims on your behalf! We will continue to do all that we can to better serve our patients now and in the future in this changing health care world.
Weekly Health Update
Week of: Monday, August 19, 2013
“Healing is a matter of time,
but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.”
~ Hippocrates
Mental Attitude: Optimism and Stress.
A six-year study of 135 older adults (>60 years old) found that pessimistic people have a higher baseline level of stress and have a more difficult time handling stress than their more optimistic peers.
Health Psychology, May 2013
Health Alert: Decrease Your Heart Disease Risk. A 16-year study of nearly 27,000 male health care professionals found that those who skipped breakfast were 27% more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.
Circulation, May 2013
Diet: Eat More Nuts To Decrease Risk Of Death From Cancer & Cardiovascular Disease.
Individuals who eat more than three servings of nuts a week had a 55% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 40% reduced risk of death from cancer. (But, of course, if you’re allergic like my son is, stay away from nuts.)
BMC Medicine, July 2013
Exercise: Moderate-Intensity Walking Timed Correctly May Help Protect Against Diabetes.
A moderate paced fifteen minute walk after each meal appears to help older individuals regulate their blood sugar levels and could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care, June 2013
Chiropractic: Chronic Pain in the Neck Relieved With Chiropractic. Patients with chronic neck pain showed significant improvements in pain levels following spinal manipulation and showed positive changes up to 12 weeks post-treatment.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, March 2007
Wellness/Prevention: Retire Later In Life To Lower Dementia Risk. A very large study of self-employed people living in France found that individuals who retired at a later age had a lower risk of developing dementia. The study appears to confirm other research that suggests lifelong mental activity and challenge may protect against several forms of dementia.
International Longevity Center-France, July 2013
Video link- How to foam-roll your hips.
A-Line foot suspension system is unlike any other insole. It is designed as a foot suspensions system, to balance the foot and let your leg align itself while you move. We are one of the few authorized A-Line dealers in Denver. We offer free fitting and reasonable prices ($100-$110) per pair, and a 30-day money back guarantee.
Foot pain can be both annoying and debilitating. Anything that affects your ability to move around and participate in sports is a problem. Several factors can contribute to foot pain, and in this article, we’ll look at one of the most common…Poor foot, ankle and knee alignment.
Many of you know that the so-called barefoot running movement became incredibly popular in the last few years. And while many of us were willing to go minimal on the shoes and experiment, most of us couldn’t hack it.
The theory seemed sensible – get rid of supportive shoes and your feet will naturally strengthen. But there was a problem- many of us had spent 30 or 40 years in supportive shoes. Or feet were like lifelong welfare recipients – the simply didn’t know how to support themselves.
So the barefoot running experiment failed a lot of people. Here’s why: The human foot does well if you’re out shoes from an early age (like from the time you start crawling). If you stay away from flat surfaces, like sidewalks, streets, floors, etc, varying terrain challenges your feet. This builds strong feet.
Strong feet have arches that function well, and exhibit good alignment between the foot, ankle, and knee. Appropriately strong ligaments and equally strong muscles support this alignment.
The correct this alignment is start with an assessment. Some people have better alignment than others. The use of a dynamic insole like the A-lines that we carry at Denver Chiropractic Center allows the foot to get some supports, while also allowing the arches of the foot to strengthen. Rigid orthotics weaken the feet and further degrade natural alignment.
Specific low-impact strengthening exercises can help as well. An example is standing on one foot while making circles with the other foot. 10 circles in each direction with the “flying” foot circling in from of and behind the working foot works well. Another great exercise is simply trying to stand on one foot for 3 minutes.
At Denver Chiropractic Center, we use Active Release Technique to address the scar tissue that develops in muscles that are overworked in poorly aligned feet. This can include muscles of the foot, shin and calf. Scar tissue further weakens muscles, making alignment worse.
If foot or ankle pain has been bothering you, we can probably help. But it all starts with the initial exam, including a foot-ankle-knee alignment check. Call us today to schedule yours. 303.300.0424. We’re here to help.
|
|||
|
|
|||
