NIH Study Says Chiropractic Most Effective
A study from the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that 82% of participants after 12 weeks had a more effective response to their neck pain when compared to those taking prescription medication. Further, at the end of the study, those participants receiving manipulation also had a higher satisfaction with their treatment when compared to the medication test group. To read more see: http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/010312.htm or go to Dr. Hecht's blog at http://wp.me/p1Si61-2l
The Paleo Diet for Athletes
The Paleo Diet has been a topic of hot conversation in the news lately. Many vegetarians feel that the diet does not represent a true representation of the human body's needs, as well as it does not consider the ethical treatment of it's food sources. However, thepaleodiet.com believes that people should consume protein regularly throughout their day. They say,
The macronutrient requirement changes with the demands of the training season and so should be periodized along with training. We recommend that athletes maintain a rather consistent protein intake year round. As a percentage of total calories this will typically be in the range of 20-25% for athletes.
http://www.trainingbible.com/pdf/Paleo_for_Athletes_Cliff_Notes.pdf
For weight loss, many patients have found success with the Paleo Diet. My suggestion is that you remain conscious of all cholesterol and lipid levels. If you see a sharp rise, discuss dietary changes you need to make in order to reduce these levels.
Posture Update
Can your posture effect your pain? According to a recent study poor posture can increase sensitivity to pain. "Out of the individuals studied, those who used the most dominant posture were able to comfortably handle more pain than those assigned a more neutral or submissive stance." Wow, it really does make a difference when you do your healthy posture exercises. For more about this study, please see http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/07/13/poor-posture-increases-pain-sensitivity/27709.html
Health Update
Working on the night shift . . . Unfortunately, it's not as cool as the Commondores song! Medscape recently published a story discussing the increased risk by 60% for Diabetes Type II in women who worked second shift. Some of the factors include the time women ate, the concentrations of glucose and insulin particularly after a meal, as well as the reduced sleep factor. For more information please follow the link below.
http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/755224?src=cmenews
Chiropractic in the News
Where's Your Head? Well, if you are like most, your head sits too far forward which increases the pressure you put on your neck and upper back. In a recent article by Dr. David Jockers, forward head carriage is discussed. "This 'forward head posture' can add up to 30 pounds of abnormal leverage pulling the entire spine out of alignment and may result in the loss of 30% of vital lung capacity," says University of California's director of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Rene Cailliet." For more information, see the link below:
http://www.naturalnews.com/030956_posture_health.html
Web MD Article Highlights Chiropractic's Effectiveness
In a 2010 article, Web MD discusses chiropractic and deep tissue massage for common musculoskeletal ailments. It also discusses some more non-traditional issues like fibromyalgia. Research has also shown chiropractic to be helpful in treating neck pain and headaches. In addition, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia may respond to the moderate pressure used both by chiropractors and practitioners of deep tissue massage. For more information, please go to the hyperlink below.
http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/chiropractic-pain-relief
Local Fare
Also, as a reminder, Dr. Hecht will be speaking at the Chapel Hill Country Club on January 25, 2012 at 7:30 pm. For more information, please see Dr. Hecht.
Nutrition Update
How bad is cholesterol? Well it seems that popular media has made even normal amounts of cholesterol a sinister thing that clogs up are arteries and causes heart disease and death. However, when you look at recent studies, they show that cholesterol is a natural part of every cell. It helps to produce cell membranes, natural hormones, Vit. D, and the bile acids used to digest fat. Further, your brain and immune systems depend on cholesterol to function normally. The problem starts when there is an overload of cholesterol. Make sure you are cholesterol conscious in what you eat!
Chiropractic in the News
Archives of Internal Medicine, American Family Physician reject ad promoting chiropractic's role in medical home model
Apparently the American Medical Association and American Academy of Family Physicians are taking the word medical in "medical home model" quite literally, at least if their interest in publishing a Foundation for Chiropractic Progress advertisement on the topic of the medical home is any indication. Both Boards refused to all the Chiropractic Progress organization publish ads encouraging chiropractic’s integration with the medical model. Interestingly, they cited that they did not want to upset any of their constituents although many of them are already regularly working with chiropractors. For more information go to:http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=55660.
Manual Therapy Provides Relief for Chronic Neck Pain Sufferers
Have you been suffering from neck pain for too long? A new literature review finds evidence that patients with chronic neck pain enrolled in clinical trials reported significant improvement following chiropractic spinal manipulation, according to a March/April 2007 report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT). For more information go to:
http://www.masschiro.org/Research.php?topic=13&story=107
Posture Update
NEW STUDY SHOWS MOTION PATTERNS ARE EVEN MORE COMPLEX: Posture muscles are not programmed to do only one function. They perform as directed by our body and start learning patterns (muscle memory) that will continue unless we actively try to change them! Therefore, to do exercises only “when you think about it” really will not change your overall outcome, especially if you are sitting for 8-10 hours a day. So Don’t Forget to do Your Exercises Today!
Nutrition Update
Probiotics Help Women Lose Weight After Pregnancy
A separate study found further support for probiotics’ role in weight loss. Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland found that taking probiotics during the first trimester of pregnancy may help women lose weight after they give birth.
“The women who got the probiotics fared best. One year after childbirth, they had the lowest levels of central obesity as well as the lowest body fat percentage,” researcher Kirsi Laitinen told NutraIngredients.com.
Chiropractic in the News
Posture Consciousness reduces Injuries- Wall Street Journal, Aug 23, 2011--
The Wall Street Journal reported today about a growing problem, responsible for up to a third of computer worker sick days: Slumping computer posture. It was shown that active exercises along with being more aware of your daily posture can help reduce the ill-effects of prolonged sitting at a computer all day! To read more, check online with the Wall Street Journal or at http://www.bodyzone.com/site/dr.-weinigers-blog-datapoints/posture-injuries-reduced-with-posture-awareness.html.
Why Sucking In Your Stomach Only Fools You!
Many Americans don't realize that when you breathe in, your stomach is supposed to move out! As a matter of fact, healthy breathing starts with moving your diaphragm NOT your chest. Although social etiquette still holds many urban legends on stomach breathing, your body will actually take in more oxygen with less stress on your heart and lungs by breathing correctly. For those who are interested in more, follow the link below to Dr. Weiniger's article found in Bottom Line.
http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_id=100003061
- After 24 weeks, both groups were measured and a "clearly significant difference was seen in the chiropractic group.
- In addition, the group who used NSAIDs and manipulation by a physiotherapist saw no change in their results when compared to acetaminophen and rest prescribed by their gereral physician. For more . . . www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20889389
Neck pain is a very common problem affecting up to 70% of the adult population at some point in life. Though there are specific causes of neck pain such as arising from a sports injury, a car accident or “sleeping crooked,” the vast majority of the time, no direct cause can be identified and thus the term nonspecific is applied.
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine reported "better patient-reported outcomes of complimentary alternative medical practitioners (CAM) in comparison to allopathic physicians . . . related to higher patient satisfaction due to better patient-physician communication of CAM physicians." For more infomation http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/10/63
The Functional Assessment: "Mobility must precede stability"
Many patients want ask about the importance of balance, core and leg strength, and how it relates to back pain. Here's a great home test you can try with a friend of family member. With your arms at least shoulder width apart, take a towel and hold it overhead. In this position, try to do a deep knee squat (Bend at the waist and knees without letting your knees cross the plane of your toes) until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Did you find that your feet wanted to shift, move, or the toes come up? Did you find your body leaning forward? Did you lose your balance? Each one of these components give us feedback about the tightness in your legs, weakness of your core, and stiffness in your back and shoulders. For more information on Functional Movement see the link below.
http://traineradvice.blogspot.com/2011/03/coaching-overhead-squat-assessment.html
Good Posture is more than just a Tagline!
This is a recent article from the Wall Street Journal documenting the importance of good posture. I have posted the full article link below, enjoy!
It turns out your mother was right: good posture does matter.
A growing number of medical complaints -- ranging from headaches and neck pain to lower back, knee and feet problems -- may be solved by simple improvements in posture. Doctors around the country say they are seeing an increasing number of posture-related health problems, mostly stemming from the fact that more people are spending hours at a time hunched over computer keyboards.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB106790167937402000.html
