Falling for Chiropractic

Falling for Chiropractic The elderly have bones that are weaker and more prone to breaking, and falls are the sixth leading cause of death among the elderly population. A team of Australian researchers examined common causes of falls, as well as possible interventions, including the influence of a healthy spine.

The most common fall-related injuries are femur and neck fractures, and soft-tissue injuries. Recent studies have shown links from the degenerative spine to balance disturbances, the neck and verticality. Researchers are seeking to determine whether the cervical spine is associated with balance that may be slightly "off" when a fall occurs.

Conclusion: Researchers believe simple activities may serve as tests of patient functional performance. These include sitting, standing, reaching, leaning over, looking over the shoulder, turning in a complete circle and stepping, and a simple gauge of leaving a chair, walking 3 meters, and returning to the chair.

To maintain a healthy spine and learn how to maintain your back, posture and equilibrium, visit your doctor of chiropractic. He or she can advise you on the best ways to prevent yourself from losing your balance - and possibly more.

To learn more about ways to stay healthy into the golden years, click here.

Reference: Walsh JM, Polus BI, Webb MN. The role of the cervical spine in balance and risk of falling in the elderly. Chiropractic Journal of Australia March 2004;34(1):19-22.

May I Have Your Attention, Please?

It's been a rough morning: You've been chasing your active toddler around for hours, and it's not even noon! You'd like to pop in a video so you can grab a few minutes of rest; after all, what's the harm if your child watches a little television? More than you might think, according to a new study.

Recent research shows that the more time young children spend watching television, the more likely they are to develop attention problems by age 7. Researchers studied two groups of children - ages 1 and 3. On average, the children viewed 2.2 and 3.6 hours of television each day, respectively (although some watched as many as 12 or more hours). Ten percent of those same children had developed attention-related problems by the age of 7.

The researchers concluded that early childhood television viewing may be associated with inattention later on, and speculated that the risk increases with every additional hour of television watched; however, they add that additional research is still needed on the subject to assess the full impact of TV on childhood development.

Before reaching for the remote, try occupying your children through more productive means, such as books, blocks or puzzles. These activities will help build their critical-thinking skills, and they may reduce the risk of developing behavioral problems down the line.

For more information on pediatric health, click here.

Reference:Dimitri AC, Zimmerman FJ, DiGiuseppe DL, McCarty CA. Early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems in children. Pediatrics 2004;113(4):708-13.

Be Good to Your Heart With a Healthy Start

You've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if it consists of fast food like egg-and-sausage muffin sandwiches and hash browns, you should reconsider your food choices.

Researchers analyzed the blood of nine healthy adults who each consumed a breakfast consisting of an egg muffin, sausage muffin and two hash browns - a meal consisting of 910 calories, 81 grams of carbohydrates, 51 grams of fat and 32 grams of protein. The meal increased inflammatory components in the bloodstream, which stayed elevated for up to four hours.

"People who experience repeated short-lived bouts of inflammation resulting from many such unhealthy meals can end up with blood vessels in a chronic state of inflammation, a primary factor in the development of atherosclerosis," commented Ahmad Alijada, PhD, one of the researchers. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is one of the leading causes of heart attack and stroke.

While it's true that a healthy breakfast can jump start your day, your food choices make all the difference. Give your heart a break! Replace fast food with fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt, a bran muffin, or whole-grain cereal or toast.

For more information on nutrition, click here.

Aching Mind, Aching Back

The typical portrait of depression is an individual with slumped shoulders, slow movement and a defeated look. While there are a number of potential consequences of depression - some benign, some more complex - you might be surprised to know that depression could be associated with back pain.

In a recent study, 744 health-plans members 70 years and older were given a baseline assessment that included evaluation of demographic, medical, physical and cognitive status. At baseline, 153 of the subjects were found to be depressed; over a 12-month follow-up period, 186 participants reported disabling back pain during one to two months, with 91 reporting back pain during three months. The researchers concluded that the presence of depressive symptoms was independently associated with the occurrence of disabling back pain, and was a strong factor for the occurrence of disabling back pain in community-dwelling older persons.

Depression and back pain can be disabling, independent of one another; but when the two are combined, the results can be potentially devastating. Talk to your doctor if you're suffering from symptoms of depression, and if you also have back pain, schedule regular appointments with your chiropractor.

click here for more information about maintaining musculoskeletal health.

Reference: Reid CR, et al. Depressive symptoms as a risk factor for disabling back pain in community-dwelling older persons. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Dec. 2003;51(12), pp1710.

Are Antibiotics Putting You at Risk for Breast Cancer?

Antibiotics are prescribed for a number of infections that can start as early as infancy. Depending on one's propensity for developing infections, antibiotic use can be used extensively during a lifetime; however, a recent study shows that antibiotic use over many years could increase the risk for breast cancer.

Researchers studied 2,266 women older than 19 years with primary, invasive breast cancer from a large, nonprofit health plan (case group), and 7,953 randomly selected women from the same health plan without cancer (control group). The control group subjects were matched to case group subjects based on age and length of health-plan enrollment.

Conclusion: According to the study, "Use of antibiotics is associated with increased risk of incident and fatal breast cancer. It cannot be determined from this study whether antibiotic use is causally related to breast cancer, or whether indication for use, overall weakened immune system function or other factors are pertinent underlying exposures." The researchers affirm that although additional research is needed, the findings in this study "reinforce the need for prudent long-term use of antibiotics."

If you are taking antibiotics, or have taken large amounts of antibiotics in the past, talk to your doctor about the findings in this study and whether there are alternative nonpharmaceutical means of fighting infections otherwise treated with antibiotics.

For more information on women's health, click here.

Reference: Velicer CM, Heckbert SR, Lampe JW, et al. Antibiotic use in relation to the risk of breast cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association 2004;291(7):827-35.

When in Gout, Leave Meat Out

Gout is a painful and debilitating condition that occurs when excess uric acid in the bloodstream forms crystal deposits in the joints (usually in the feet, ankles and big toe, although it can also affect the hands, wrists, elbow and fingers).

Researchers studied the diets of 47,150 men with no history of gout over a 12-year period; during the course of the study, 730 of the participants were diagnosed with the condition. Researchers found that those who developed gout had a high intake of red meat and seafood during that time, while the incidence of gout decreased in men who had consumed more dairy products. The researchers concluded that individuals who consume higher amounts of meat and seafood are at greater risk for developing gout, while higher levels of dairy consumption are associated with a decreased risk.

But diet and nutrition aren't the only ways to keep your joints healthy and strong. If you suffer from joint or musculoskeletal pain, your doctor of chiropractic can offer you a wide range of treatment options, as well as information on nutrition.

For more on the benefits of chiropractic care and musculoskeletal health, click here.

The Skinny on Obesity

"A worrisome epidemic" is how the authors of a recent study describe obesity trends in the United States. The study, "Obesity in the United States," notes that between 1960 and 1980, rates of obesity were stable; however, from 1960 through 2000, obesity accelerated at an alarming rate. The primary causes? Lack of exercise and overeating.

What is particularly disturbing are the findings that show obesity in children is on the rise. The study attributes childhood obesity - at least in part - to the amount of television children watch daily. Children who watch fewer than two hours a day of television are less likely to be obese than children who watch TV more frequently.

The study also found that 15 percent to 20 percent of young adults between the ages of 17 and 20 would be ineligible to join the military because of excess body weight, and that three in 10 adults are obese. Some factors associated with adult obesity, the study notes, are levels of education and income; however, a lack of physical activity and excess calorie consumption were identified as two primary reasons that obesity has increased over the past 20 years.

If you are obese, overweight, or just have a few extra pounds to lose, your doctor of chiropractic can help you design a healthy eating and fitness plan.

For more information on general health and wellness click here.

Reference: Crespo CJ, Arbesman J. Obesity in the United States. The Physician and Sportsmedicine 2003;(31)11.

Wrestling Your Way to Wellness

Need another way to keep your kids healthy? Encourage athletic participation! Exercise has long been associated with stimulating natural immune cells in adults, but what about its affects on the immune systems of adolescents? Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, and UC San Diego conducted a study to determine if immune function is enhanced in adolescent boys by intense exercise.

The study examined 11 healthy boys, 14-18.5 years old, who were evaluated before and after they engaged in an hour-long wrestling practice session. Following exercise, blood samples of the participants showed an increase in natural killer cells, T helper cells, and granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocyte subpopulations - all important components for healthy immune function.

Researchers concluded that although the wrestling session stimulated immune function, the role of these changes on the overall status of the immune system could not be definitively determined. One thing, however, is certain: Exercise benefits people of all ages - mentally and physically. Encourage your children to participate in an athletic activity, or better yet, why not get out there and play with them? Engaging in athletic activities can be a great way for your family to spend time together while doing something good for your health.

For more information on pediatric health click here.

Reference: Nemet D, Mills PJ, Cooper DM. Effect of intense wrestling exercise on leucocytes and adhesion molecules in adolescent boys. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2004;38(2):154-158.

Breastfeeding Is Good for the Baby

Many studies have shown the multiple benefits of breastfeeding, but a new study in the May issue of Pediatrics reveals that breastfeeding is also linked to decreased infant mortality. Researchers studied the health records of U.S. infants, including 1,204 infants who died between 28 days and 1 year of age whose causes of death were not linked to congenital anomalies or cancer, and 7,740 children who were alive at the age of 1.

Results: Breastfed infants were 20 percent less likely to die within their first year than those not breastfed; researchers also noted that the risk of death continued to decrease the longer the infants were breastfed, and that "promoting breastfeeding has the potential to save or delay 720 postneonatal deaths in the United States each year."

Of course, this is just one benefit of breastfeeding your baby. Studies have shown that breastfeeding enhances the immune system and aids in protecting baby from infection, allergies and developmental problems. Additionally, breastfeeding has been linked to a decrease of breast cancer in women.

For more information on women's health click here.

Reference: Chen A, Rogan W. Breastfeeding and the risk of postneonatal death in the United States. Pediatrics 2004;113(5):e435-e439.