Chiropractic for MIGRAINES

It's another sunny July afternoon and your kids are out by the pool, laughing, playing and enjoying the sunshine. (Make sure they're wearing sunscreen!) You'd love to join them, but you're trapped inside again, enduring the pain and frustration of another migraine headache.

If you suffer from migraines, you're certainly not alone. They're relatively common, affecting an estimated 10% of the population. What can be done to get rid of migraines? According to a recent study, chiropractic care may hold the answer.

One hundred and twenty-seven migraine patients (at least one migraine per month) were divided into two groups for comparison. Group 1 received chiropractic adjustments at specific vertebral subluxations determined by the treating practitioner; group 2 served as controls and received inactive treatment (electrical stimulation with no current delivered). Subjects receiving chiropractic adjustments reported substantial improvement in migraine frequency, duration, disability, and medication use following two months of treatment. One in five participants reported a 90% reduction in migraines, and half reported significant improvement in migraine severity.

Are you tired of migraine headaches ruining your day? With conventional over-the-counter medications proving less than effective (and often accompanied by dangerous side effects), it's time to fight the pain from another angle. To find out more about the potential benefits of chiropractic care, schedule an appointment with your doctor of chiropractic. And for more information on headaches, go to http://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/headaches.html

Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Feb. 2000: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp91-95. --

Workplace Lifting: Watch Out for Spine Injuries

Most occupations involve some form of lifting, whether it's moving files, carrying boxes, or stacking items on a shelf. Spinal loading can occur unpredictably, such as when lunging to catch a falling object or slipping while carrying a heavy weight, especially in high-risk occupations that require consistent heavy lifting (i.e., working in a warehouse or on a construction site). These unpredictable lifting situations can contribute to accidents and resulting injury.

How does workplace lifting impact the spine? In a recent study, 12 volunteers each stood on a force plate while weights (0, 2, 4, and 6 kilograms for men, 40% less for women) were delivered into their hands in one of three ways: dropped into a box with handles, held by the subject; dropped into a box with handles, held while blindfolded and wearing headphones; and pushed off a smooth table. All tests were performed with volunteers in upright, partially flexed, and moderately flexed postures.

Results showed that compressive forces acting on the spine increased dramatically under all conditions, particularly when loads were suddenly and unexpected dropped into a box held by the subject. The authors conclude that "sudden and alarming events associated with manual handling cause a reflex overreaction of the back muscles…" and suggest that greater emphasis on injury prevention should be considered.

Here's something else to consider: making an appointment with a doctor of chiropractic. Get the facts on how to minimize injury, on the job and at home, and learn more on how to keep your back (and the rest of your body) healthy.

Mannion AF, Adams MA, Dolan P. Sudden and unexpected loading generates high forces on the lumbar spine. Spine, April 1, 2000: Vol. 25, No. 7, pp842-52.

For more information on back pain, go to http://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/backpain.html --

Improving Academic Performance with nutrition

No doubt you've heard about the many benefits of adequate vitamin and mineral intake, including the prevention of many forms of cancer. But have you heard about what nutrient supplementation may do for your children's grades? Look no further than Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, whose May 2000 issue included a study suggesting that nutrients may raise academic performance in learning-disabled children.

Twenty children participated in a one-year trial of open nutrient administration, followed by a second portion of the trial for those children who demonstrated academic improvement (higher grades and/or being mainstreamed in at least one academic subject) after six months. Thirteen children qualified for phase two of the trial, and were administered specific supplements (magnesium, pyridoxine and ascorbic acid, followed by folic acid, thiamine, manganese and zinc) in subsequent years. Academic improvements were tracked at various points, up to four years from baseline.

Results: All 19 children who completed the first year of treatment (one dropout due to nausea) showed significant academic and behavioral improvements within a few weeks or months of nutritional supplementation. Some children gained 3-5 years of reading comprehension within the first year of treatment; all children in special education classes became mainstreamed; and grades rose significantly. Children who continued supplementation after the first year continued to improve, whereas those who discontinued supplementation showed eventual declines (academic declines after one year without supplementation, lower grades after two years).

Carlton RM, Ente G, Blum L, et al. Rational dosages of nutrients have a prolonged effect on learning disabilities. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, May 2000: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp85-91. --

Breast-Feeding Protects Against Heart Disease?

Breast-feeding protects against infant infections and allergies, while also promoting optimal neurodevelopment. Limited research has addressed the potential benefits beyond the first years of life, although those few studies did suggest an association between breast-feeding and the biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Further evidence of this potential association comes from a recent issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood. A study examined breast-feeding at infancy and its influence on various factors (glucose tolerance, plasma lipid profiles, blood pressure and body mass) in 625 subjects now 48-53 years old. Hospital records provided data on method of infant feeding (exclusive breast-feeding, partial bottle feeding, or exclusive bottle feeding) at time of discharge; maternal characteristics and infant birth weight were also collected.

The authors analyzed the data and concluded: "Exclusive breast-feeding seems to have a protective effect against some risk factors for cardiovascular disease in later life." Ask your doctor about the many established benefits of breast-feeding, and find out what you can do before, during and after pregnancy to maximize the health of your child.

Ravelli ACJ, van der Meulen JHP, Osmond C, et al. Infant feeding and adult glucose tolerance, lipid profile, blood pressure and obesity. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2000: Vol. 82, pp248-52. --

Can Orthotics Improve Your Golf Game?

The competition can get pretty fierce out on the golf course, whether it's Tiger Woods battling David Duval for $1.3 million or two amateurs spending a lazy Saturday afternoon playing for a beer. Small, subtle adjustments can often make the difference between winning and losing, a point emphasized by a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.

Twelve experienced golfers took part in the study, designed to examine the effect of orthotics (custom-made, flexible shoe inserts) on the golf swing, before and after nine holes of simulated golf. Subjects wore the orthotics daily for six weeks, and measurements were taken using an electronic device that measures club speed (club-head velocity, or CHV) as the golfer swings.

Use of the custom-fit, flexible orthotics increased CHV by 3.5 miles per hour, translating to approximately a 15-yard increase in the distance the ball traveled in the air. Orthotic use also appeared to reduce the effects of fatigue associated with nine holes of golf, suggesting the potential for more consistent golf performance.

The authors caution that their results only address a specific sample of golfers using a specific set of orthotics. For more information on the potential benefits of orthotics for golf and for overall health and wellness, schedule a consultation with your chiropractor.

Stude DE, Gullickson J. Effects of orthotic intervention and nine holes of simulated golf on club-head velocity in experienced golfers. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, March/April 2000: Vol. 23, No. 3, pp168-74.

For more information on sports and fitness, go to http://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/sports.html --

Eating Your Way to Health and Wellness

If we indeed are what we eat, many of us may end up very displeased with who we become. Despite increased evidence of the dramatic benefits of a low-fat diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, fast-food intake is at an all-time high and the American public is growing (literally) at an unprecedented rate. If you're not convinced by the previous research, maybe this latest study will convince you.

Data from phase 2 (1987-89) of the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project included the results of a 62-item food frequency questionnaire completed by 42,254 women. The study authors examined all-cause mortality (death by any cause) based on "Recommended Food Score" (RFS) -- the sum of the number of foods recommended by current dietary guidelines that subjects reported consuming at least once a week.

Increasing RFS correlated with lower relative risk of all-cause mortality. Put in simpler terms, better overall diet corresponded with better overall health and lower risk of death. These results were maintained after adjusting for numerous other variables, including education; ethnicity; age; body mass index; smoking status; alcohol use; physical activity; menopausal hormone use; and history of disease.

As the authors note, these results emphasize the value of current dietary guidelines recommending adequate intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meat.

Kant AK, Schatzkin A, Graubard BI, et al. A prospective study of diet quality and mortality in women. Journal of the American Medical Association, April 26, 2000: Vol. 283, No. 16, pp2109-2115.

For more information on women's health, go to http://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/women.html. For more information on nutrition, visit http://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html --

Tobacco Withdrawal Influenced by Menstrual Cycle

The variety of physiological and emotional changes associated with the female menstrual cycle can contribute to a number of distressing symptoms: anxiety, depression, abdominal bloating, backache, headache, irritability, and mood swings. It's estimated that 70-75% of all women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms at one time or another, with up to 40% reporting symptoms severe enough to affect their day-to-day lives.

The profound dangers of smoking include chronic emphysema, lung cancer, and various other cancers of the mouth, nose and throat. If you're trying to quit, you know that withdrawal symptoms can be distressing - and in many ways similar to the symptoms associated with PMS.

The similarities between the two may be even more profound, according to a recent study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. researchers found that tobacco withdrawal symptoms were significantly greater among women who quit smoking during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (day 15 or more) than among women who quit smoking during the follicular phase (days 1-14). These results were maintained even when considering use of oral contraceptives, which are known to alter menstrual cycling.

If you're a woman trying to quit smoking, you're on your way to protecting yourself against a number of life-threatening conditions associated with consistent tobacco use. If you haven't yet quit, these findings suggest that you may want to select a day to quit early in the menstrual cycle rather than later on, when the combination of PMS symptoms and withdrawal symptoms may prove more distressing than you can handle. Your doctor can provide you with more information on the dangers of smoking and how to quit (and stick with it).

Perkins KA, Levine M, Marcus M. Tobacco withdrawal in women and menstrual cycle phase. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000: Vol. 68, No. 1, pp176-80. --

Too Many Problems with Prescription Medications

If you're not aware of the countless potential dangers associated with medication use, look closely at the warning labels on the bottles, or the cautionary sheet your pharmacist includes with every filled prescription. Evidence suggests that in many cases, the benefits of medication use may be outweighed by the complications and side effects, a point underscored in this study from the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Telephone surveys were used to gather data on health care utilization, drug complications, and other variables from 2,858 randomly selected outpatients (20-75 years old) from eleven Boston-area ambulatory clinics. Medical records were also reviewed to collect information on diagnoses, medications, allergies, hospitalizations and ADEs (adverse drug events) in the previous year.

Results showed that 79% of patients reported prescription drug use, with 18% reporting a "drug complication," defined as a problem or symptom in the past year related to prescription medications. Antibiotics, antidepressants, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most common offenders; common side effects included gastrointestinal problems (the most severe reported complication), sleep disturbances, fatigue, and mood changes.

The authors mention that although drug complications were "commonly reported by patients," they were often not noted in corresponding patient medical charts. These findings emphasize the need for improved doctor-patient communication, while underscoring the potential dangers associated with medication use. For more information on the pros and cons of prescription drugs, and to learn more about non-drug options for treating your pain, contact your doctor of chiropractic.

Gandhi TK, Burstin HR, Cook EF, et al. Drug complications in outpatients. Journal of General Internal Medicine, March 2000: Vol. 15, pp149-54.

Rheumatology, Jan. 2000: Vol. 27, pp205-211. --