Archive for the ‘chiropractic’ Category
As a chiropractor who believes in the human body's ability to heal itself, often with the aid of natural, non-invasive, drug-free chiropractic treatment, I am always dismayed, but never surprised, at some of the pernicious claims and tenacious effrontery of drug companies when it comes to pain killers, in general, and the "treatment" of a number of conditions that don't get any better with drugs or are made worse by them. And, as a chiropractor who has helped hundreds of headache sufferers not only get temporary, but permanent relief, when I read about a drug study for yet another pain med that will likely keep headache sufferers numbed to their pain, but in the process numb to the rest of their life as well, I feel like shouting from the rooftops: "Try chiropractic first!" But, today, when I read about a study, sponsored by Merck (who also makes the product), I really felt compelled to say that this particular study is shamefully playing to the fears of migraine sufferers when, in fact, the drug itself only offers "less severity" at best when it comes to a migraine headache.
The study, conducted by Dr. X. Henry Hu of Merck & Co.and colleagues, found that one in five migraine sufferers had "avoided" a work-related commitment because they were afraid of getting a migraine, while 27 percent reported canceling a work commitment for this reason, and round 28 percent said they had avoided or canceled social commitments due to fear of migraines.
I have treated many patients who told me how much they'd "feared" the onset of a migraine and limited their activities in life because of that fear, so I do understand how devastating the fear of migraines can be. And, yet, the only "solution" this study offered?
This study is "important," said Dr. Hu, because the unpredictability of migraines could contribute to people's anxiety and fear about them and early treatment with migraine drugs called triptans can help reduce headache severity. "Because of the lack of predictability of future migraine attacks, migraine sufferers may benefit from increased education on the importance of keeping medications available at all times," he and his colleagues concluded.
My conclusion? If you suffer from migraines, give your chiropractor a call today!
SOURCE: Headache, published online March 25, 2010.
No matter where you stand politically, “blue” or “red,” surely we all feel “purple” (a unity of red and blue) when it comes to the health of our children. And, it is wonderful to know that our children have a strong advocate in such a powerful position of influence. First Lady Michelle Obama is fighting hard to implement ways to help our children lose the unhealthy and unnecessary weight that impacts their lives now and will add up to disease and disability in their future. She’s making it very clear that her fight against childhood obesity isn’t about appearance, i.e., slender is beautiful, but rather it’s about whether kids have enough energy to be productive at school.
Mrs. Obama spoke recently at a Forum sponsored by Newsweek magazine. She voiced from her own parental experience that every parent is familiar with the difference in a child’s behavior when a child has had a healthy meal and when he or she has eaten a lot of sugar. She suggests that it is more important to give parents information on the ingredients in sugary snacks and how many of them can safely be included in a child’s diet, rather than requiring warning labels on unhealthy foods, an idea she calls “extreme.”
Let’s all join in the good fight, “for” our children and “against” obesity, and help the next generation to grow up to be healthy and strong adults and ready for the world we’ve left them.
As a chiropractor I recommend exercise to all my patients, both the young and aging baby boomers alike. I get resistance from all ages, too! The young ones would rather play video games and many of my older patients suffer from the degenerative changes that lead to the pain of arthritis. But, getting the body moving can actually act as a pain reliever, increase flexibility, and help individuals to maintain their weight and improve their cardiovascular system. Exercise and play activities keep every body, no matter what age that body might be, in better health. So, for my older patients I advise that though they should never want to “play through” pain, mild exercise, including golf can actually help their arthritis symptoms, improve their balance, increase their strength and aid them in getting more mobility and range of motion.
In fact, the Arthritis Foundation has some tips for arthritic golfers that can help to make playing golf more enjoyable for those of you who suffer from arthritis. You can check out all of their suggestions at arthritis.org Stabilizing the joints in the hands and wrists is important, so wear wrist braces and gloves when playing golf. Wear golf shoes with no spikes for more comfort. Use tees when you play. It is very important to always warm up before playing golf or any other sport or physical activity. For golf, stretching muscles and a few practice swings are good. Warm up and start swinging slowly. Swing half-strength at first and don’t try to hit the ball too hard. A hard swing is not necessary, it is accuracy that is most important. When you begin to feel tired, rest a bit (It is not a rule that you have to play all 18 holes), and when you feel sore after you play, here are a few tips to relieve your pain and stiffness:- A warm shower can feel great on stiff muscles.
- Gently stretch your muscles.
- Apply an ice pack to any sore areas.
- Sore joints need to be rested.
- Magnetic therapy has been found to work.
For more help tips from the Arthritis Foundation, click on the link above. And, remember, your chiropractor is an excellent resource to help you get out of the and back into the game of life!
As a chiropractor I always recommend that my patients get regular exercise. Often the “resistance” I get is from my older patients who don’t have “convenient” exercise opportunites available. However, it is extremely important, especially as we age, to keep our body moving or to get our body moving, so whether it is convenient or not, every individual needs to find a way to make routine daily activity…routine.
According to a new study, many older men find themselves leaving out this important aspect of health. In fact, the new study points to the health benefits of living in neighborhoods with built-in physical activity resources. Researchers conducted a study among community-dwelling men age 65 years or older from the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. They wanted to see whether or not older men who live within one-eighth, one-quarter, or one-half mile of physical activity resources (including parks, trails and recreational facilities) are more likely to maintain or increase the amount of time they spend walking than men who live farther from these resources. The study ran from March 2000 – April 2002 at six U.S. clinical centers, and then was then followed an average of 3.6 years to assess changes in time spent walking. The results of the study revealed a positive association among urban-dwelling older men between living within one-eighth mile of parks and one-half mile of trails and maintaining or increasing time spent walking, although the association was limited to men living in high-socioeconomic status neighborhoods. The study’s authors said, “Proximity to physical activity resources such as parks and trails may be important for maintaining moderate physical activity over time among older men residing in high-socioeconomic status neighborhoods. These findings support an eco-social model of physical activity promotion incorporating neighborhood-level resources and parks and trails.” Source American Journal of Public HealthWhether you see a chiropractor for “crisis” care or on a regular basis, you may have assumed that chiropractic treatment has always been included for the athletes participating in Olympic Games. But, sadly, that hasn’t been the case until now. Read on… For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, will include chiropractic care inside the Olympic Village Polyclinic, a multi-disciplinary facility that offers comprehensive health care and medical services. While doctors of chiropractic (D.C.s) have historically been included on the Olympic medical staff, the upcoming events mark the first time that D.C.’s from the host country will be treating athletes and officials from around the world directly inside the Polyclinic.
“This is an historic event not only for the chiropractic profession, but also the athletes who will now have access to the care that will help them prepare their bodies for competition,” states Michael Reed, D.C., MS, DACBSP, and Team USA Medical Director (USOC). “These athletes train hard and endure significant physical demands. Sports-focused D.C.s, along with other members of the sports medicine team, are specially skilled to assist them in reaching peak performance.”
Throughout the years, chiropractic has become a mainstay in the care of world-class athletes, leading to a growing number of D.C.s included in the Olympic Games. Countless athletes attribute the care they receive from their chiropractors — working along-side other health care professionals – as a key to properly preparing their bodies to perform optimally.