Lifecare Chiropractic
James Bogash, DC
Amy Strock, DC

1830 S. Alma School Rd
Bldg 7, Ste 135
Mesa, AZ 85210
(480) 839-CARE (2273)

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July 2005 Newsletter

 

In this issue of To Your Health:

Chiropractic + Exercise = LBP Relief

Numerous studies have long praised chiropractic care in the treatment of low back pain (LBP); however, 11 national guidelines still recommend the "stay-active," or exercise, approach to treating LBP.

A 10-week study investigated the benefits of manipulative therapy and stay-active care vs. stay-active care alone in 160 patients with LBP of three months or less duration. The authors defined "stay-active" as an approach to patient care whereby patients are encouraged to take part in physical and other activities to stay fit.

Results showed that manipulation combined with stay-active care "improved pain measured as pain during the last week and everyday function in acute and subacute cases of low back pain better than stay active treatment only." Moreover, at five and 10 weeks, patients in the experimental group had less pain and lower disability rating indices than members of the reference group.

In addition to treating LBP, regular chiropractic care has a host of other benefits, including pain and stress relief, while regular exercise is necessary for maintaining total health and wellness. Imagine what the two combined can do for you! Make an appointment with your doctor of chiropractic today. And for more information on this and other studies highlighting the benefits of chiropractic, visit www.chiropracticresearchreview.com.

Reference: Grunnesjö MI, Bogefeldt JP, Svärdsudd KF, Blomberg SIE. A randomized controlled clinical trial of stay-active care versus manual therapy in addition to stay-active care: functional variables and pain. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics September 2004;27(7):431-41. www.mosby.com/jmpt.

Obesity: A Current and Future Concern for the Elderly

With obesity on the rise in the U.S., it's not surprising that it tops the list of future health concerns. And though the health community has focused on the consequences of obesity for years, little information exists concerning obesity's impact on the elderly. The U.S. population age 65 and older is predicted to rise substantially in the next 30 years. Because obesity is associated with increased health care costs and use, an increasingly obese elderly population may pose new challenges to the U.S. health care system.

A recent study set out "to estimate the prevalence of obesity in elderly Americans in 2010 and to discuss the health and economic implications of these estimates." Estimates were based on five nationally representative surveys of the adult U.S. population and population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Surveys included estimates from 1960-2000, in order to gauge changes in the prevalence and distribution of obesity over time. Obesity (body mass index of at least 30 kg/m2) was reported in 10-year age groups for men and women, beginning with age 20-29.

Researchers calculated the number of obese vs. normal weight adults ages 60 and older in 1990 and 2000. According to their calculations, 23.6% of elderly Americans were obese in 1990, compared with 32.0% in 2000.The number of normal weight seniors decreased during that same time period, from 38.2% in 1990 to 30.6% in 2000. The authors projected that by 2010, an estimated 37.4% of seniors will be obese, a statistic that has important implications for the health, quality of life and cost of care of this age group.

If you are concerned with healthy aging, now is the time to take steps to educate yourself and set your course for a healthier you. Weight loss, regular exercise and healthy eating are just a few steps you can take; other steps include massage therapy, adequate sleep and regular chiropractic treatments. Remember, it's never too late to change your habits for a longer, more fulfilling life. For more information on general health, visit www.chiroweb.com/find.

Reference: Arterburn DE, Crane PK, Sullivan SD. The coming epidemic of obesity in elderly Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society November 2004;52(11):1907-12. www.blackwellpublishing.com.

Save Your Eyes With Green and Black Tea

Herbalists have long recommended tea to help treat myriad conditions, including indigestion, high cholesterol and weight gain. Now, new study results show that green and black tea may inhibit the development of diabetes-related cataracts.

Researchers monitored the effects of green and black tea in four groups of rats: a normal (non-diabetic) group; a diabetic control group; a group of diabetic rats given green tea; and a diabetic group given black tea. Over a three-month period, the teas were included in the rats' drinking water, equivalent to a human drinking 4.6 eight-ounce cups of tea per day. The chemical composition of the rats' blood and eye lenses was then analyzed to determine whether the teas lowered blood glucose levels and reduced the incidence of cataracts, a common side-effect associated with diabetes.

Results: The teas "significantly decreased glucose, and ... inhibited the pathological pathways of diabetes in lens, plasma, and red blood cells," the researchers noted. On average, plasma glucose levels in the diabetic rats drinking tea were reduced between 28% and 32%. In addition, tea consumption appeared to reduce the severity of cataracts. Rats in the diabetic control group had an average cataract rating of 3.02 (0-4 scale; 0 = normal vision; 4 = nuclear opacity beginning). In diabetic rats given green tea, the average cataract rating was only 2.61; in diabetic rats taking black tea, the average rating was only 2.24.

Although the authors suggest the need for further studies to determine the role of teas in the prevention or treatment of diabetes in humans, the results of this study are clear: in addition to having other benefits, green and black may help prevent diabetes-related cataracts, as well. For more information on nutrition and herbs, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition.

Reference: Vinson JA, Zhang J. Black and green teas equally inhibit diabetic cataracts in a streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2005;53:3710-3713.

More Evidence: Improper Backpack Use May Cause Back Pain

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that carrying heavy backpacks may lead to low back pain in children and adolescents. The exact reason for this remains unclear, but some scientists have theorized that a backpack laden with books, supplies and other implements places an undue amount of stress on a child’s spine, resulting in occasional, sometimes intense pain. Few studies, however, have examined the way children wear backpacks and what specific effect that can have on the spine.

In a recent study, investigators in Greece examined over 1,200 children (ages 12 to 18) who used backpacks at school. Researchers asked each child if they experienced back pain while carrying their backpack to and from school and during holiday periods, along with other questions about their participation in sports, how they traveled to and from school, and the amount of time it took to travel from home to school and back. In particular, children were asked about whether they carried their backpack with one strap over one shoulder or with straps over both shoulders.

Among the study's results:

  • Carrying a backpack over only one shoulder caused the student to raise his or her backpack-bearing shoulder and shift the upper body in the other direction.
  • As a result, students who carried backpacks slung over one shoulder were more than four times as likely to experience high-intensity pain than students who carried backpacks with weight distributed evenly across the upper back.
  • While there was no association between time spent carrying backpacks and back pain during the school period, there was "a significant correlation" between time spent at school and back pain during holiday periods. The authors of the study believe this is due to a possible "delayed response" to the stresses applied to the spine during the school periods.

To learn more about factors that can cause childhood back pain (and the short- and long-term consequences), visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/pediatrics/backpain.

Reference: Korevessis P, Koureas G, Zacharatos S, et al. Backpacks, back pain, sagittal spinal curves and trunk alignment in adolescents. Spine 2005;30(2):247-255.

At Any Age, It's Wise to Exercise

The benefits of exercise have been well-documented over the years. Among other benefits, numerous studies have shown that exercise can help reduce the incidence of disease, promote weight loss, and improve mental health. A recent long-term study set out to examine if exercising during the senior years benefits people who were previously sedentary.

Canadian researchers investigated two groups of previously sedentary healthy adults, ages 55-75 years at baseline, for 10 years. One group remained sedentary during the study period, while the other group engaged in regular exercise. consisting of 30- to 45-minute aerobic sessions, three times a week, for a minimum of 46 weeks a year.

At the conclusion of the study, researchers examined data for 161 participants in the active group and 136 participants in the sedentary group. Among their findings: "The active group showed a significantly lower prevalence (11%) of metabolic syndrome than the sedentary group (28%) at 10 years." (Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that can lead to type-2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, among other health problems.) The sedentary group also had a 13% decrease in fitness over the 10-year study period, while the exercise group showed a small increase in fitness levels. In the exercise group, HDL, or "good" cholesterol, increased by 9%, whereas the sedentary group showed an 18% decrease in HDL. The active group also had "fewer comorbid conditions, and fewer signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease" than their sedentary counterparts.

Your chiropractor can help design a comprehensive exercise program suitable to your needs. For more information on the many benefits of consistent exercise, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/sports/exercise.

Reference: Petrella RJ, Lattanzio CN, Demeray A, et al. Can adoption of regular exercise later in life prevent metabolic risk for cardiovascular disease? Diabetes Care 2005;28:694-701.

Time to Tighten up Your Belt?

Dozens of previously published studies provide evidence that being overweight can increase your risk of developing type-2 diabetes. While body mass index (BMI) has generally been the accepted method of calculating obesity, specific body measurements such as waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).

In a recent study, researchers analyzed the incidence of diabetes in a group of more than 27,000 men ages 40 to 75. Men were tracked over a 13-year period, with body weights and heights recorded and noted at one and 10-year intervals. Other pertinent information on physical activity levels, dietary intake and incidence of smoking were also recorded at regular intervals.

Men with waists larger than between 29 and 34 inches in diameter were up to 12 times more likely to develop type-2 diabetes during the 13-year span of the study. Another measurement comparison was that of the waist-to-hip ratio; when it was above normal, the risk of developing diabetes was seven times greater than for people with normal WHRs.

The study authors concluded that the size of your waist may provide important insight into the potential diagnosis of diabetes. If you have questions about ways to predict, prevent or treat type-2 diabetes, contact your health practitioner or visit the American Diabetes Association Web site at www.diabetes.com.

To learn more about general health and wellness, go to www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/general.

Reference: Wang Y, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, et al. Comparison of abdominal adiposity and overall obesity in predicting risk of type 2 diabetes among men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2005;81:555-63.

James Bogash, DC and Amy Strock, DC
1830 S. Alma School Rd, Bldg 7, Ste 135, Mesa, AZ 85210
(Alma School Road, just south of the Superstition Freeway/Highway 60)
Chiropractic Health Care Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert & Tempe, Arizona
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