Getting Rid of the Pain

The word "fibromyalgia" might not mean that much to you, but don't tell that to someone afflicted with the condition. Fibromyalgia sufferers report chronic, achy muscular pain in many specific but widely dispersed sites, particularly the lower back, neck, shoulders, upper chest and/or thighs. While the precise cause of fibromyalgia remains uncertain, evidence suggests that the immune system is involved.

The cure for fibromyalgia also remains elusive, although a recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) provides evidence that chiropractic care may provide some relief. Study participants underwent 30 chiropractic treatments combining several different techniques (including spinal manipulation). Results showed significant reductions in pain intensity and improvement in quality of sleep and overall fatigue in nine of the 15 patients. These improvements were maintained one month after treatment. The six patients who did not respond to chiropractic care tended to be older and have more severe fibromyalgia than the other patients.

More work needs to be done to determine the specific role chiropractic plays in the management of fibromyalgia, but these results are certainly promising. For more information on fibromyalgia and other conditions that may respond to chiropractic care, schedule a consultation with your local doctor of chiropractic.

Reference: Hains G, Hains F. Combined ischemic compression and spinal manipulation in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a preliminary estimate of dose and efficacy. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, May 2000: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp225-30.

Help Your Spine and Your Golf Score

There are an estimated 25 million golfers in the United States, and with the recent surge in the sport's popularity, that figure should exceed 27 million by the end of the year. It is also estimated that more than 50% of people who golf regularly will develop chronic low-back problems at some point in their lives.

You're probably familiar with the modern golf swing -- it emphasizes an exaggerated backswing and follow-through. Amateur golfers are routinely taught that rotation of the body (at the hips) is needed to maximize club-head velocity and hitting distance. However, studies have demonstrated that a shorter, more compact swinging motion is not only much more effective, but also generates far less potential for spinal injury.

Golf injuries are surprisingly common considering the non-contact nature of the game. Ask your chiropractor about the specifics of a more appropriate golf swing, and get the facts on how an improper swing can place unnecessary stress on your low back and spine. Following your chiropractor's advice can help you avoid injury... and it may even make you a better golfer.

Reference: Seaman DR. Back pain in golfers: etiology and prevention. Journal of Sports Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, June 1998; vol. 12, no. 2, pp45-54.

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

Fighting High Blood Pressure? Try Aerobic Exercise

If you have chronic high blood pressure, you've probably already been told that you are at risk of developing heart disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Your doctor may have prescribed a medication to help lower your blood pressure and recommended that you avoid sodium, caffeine, and other substances.

If you haven't received any exercise recommendations, listen to this: A study examined the effect of nine months of low-intensity aerobic training on blood pressure in 26 elderly patients who were receiving medication to regulate high blood pressure. Thirteen patients agreed to take part in physical training using a treadmill for 30 minutes, three to six times a week. The remaining thirteen patients did not train and were compared after nine months with the group that did.

After nine months, patients participating in the treadmill exercise program experienced a decrease in blood pressure compared with patients who did not exercise. Stopping this training, however, resulted in a relatively rapid return to pre-training levels in five patients within one month, suggesting the importance of adopting a consistent exercise routine.

Have your blood pressure checked regularly by your doctor, who will also be able to recommend a sensible, moderate exercise program that will help keep your blood pressure low and your spirits high!

Reference: Motoyama M, Sunami Y, et al. Blood pressure lowering effect of low intensity aerobic training in elderly hypertensive patients. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, June 1998; vol. 30, no. 6, pp818-23.

Lower Cholesterol with Soy Protein

Differences in rates of cardiovascular disease and associated deaths between Pacific Rim (Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, etc.) and Western countries have been attributed to differences in diet. With many Asian populations in Pacific Rim countries consuming 30-50 times more soy protein than their Western counterparts, it has been suggested that the isoflavones naturally present in soy products may account for these differences.

Previous evidence supports the notion that isoflavones reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by regulating cholesterol levels. To further investigate this potential relationship, a nine-week trial involving 156 men and women compared the effects of isolated soy protein vs. casein (milk) protein on plasma lipid/lipoprotein concentrations. Subjects were all diagnosed at baseline with moderate hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and received either 25 grams of milk protein or 25 grams of soy protein (with 3, 27, 37 or 62 mg of isoflavones) daily.

Results: Compared with milk protein, isolated soy protein with 62 mg of isoflavones lowered total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL - the "bad" cholesterol). These reductions were even greater in patients with higher LDL levels. Furthermore, the soy protein appeared to provide these benefits without depleting high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL - the "good" cholesterol).

The soybean has been cultivated and consumed in China for more than 5,000 years. If you haven't yet incorporated soy into your diet, what are you waiting for? To find out more about the many benefits of soy, and to discuss a comprehensive nutrition and wellness program that's right for you, schedule an appointment with your chiropractor.

Reference: Crouse JR III, Morgan T, Terry JG, et al. A randomized trial comparing the effect of casein with that of soy protein containing varying amounts of isoflavones on plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins. Archives of Internal Medicine 1999: Vol. 159, pp2070-76.

To learn more about nutrition, visit http://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html

Abdominal Training Helps the Low Back

Ask any professional bodybuilder this question: When you're onstage during a competition, what's the most important muscle group to showcase to the judges? Now here's the response you'll most often hear: abdominals. Chiseled arms, legs and pectorals are impressive, but if the abdominals aren't equally impressive, chances are you won't be crowned Mr. or Ms. Olympia anytime soon.

Firm, defined abdominal muscles are considered important on an asthetic level, but research also points to their value in promoting wellness, specifically by protecting the low back from injury. Case in point: a study in the journal Physical Therapy, in which eight healthy men with no prior incidence of low back injury or back pain performed four different abdominal (curl-up) exercises. One exercise involved a stable surface (curl-ups on a padded bench with the knees flexed); three other exercises utilized varying moveable surfaces (feet flat on floor, torso supported over a gym ball; feet on bench at the same height as the ball; and feet flat on the floor, ball replaced with a round wobble board).

Results: Performing the curl-up exercise on any of the three moveable surfaces appeared to increase abdominal muscle activity compared with exercise using a stable surface, most likely the result of the increased need to enhance spine stability and whole-body stability to reduce the risk of falling off the moveable surface.

So keep those abs in shape! You'll look better, feel better, and you'll be protecting the abdominal muscles, the low back and the spine against injury. Ask your doctor of chiropractic for more information.

Reference: Vera-Garcia FJ, Grenier SG, McGill SM. Abdominal muscle response during curl-ups on both stable and labile surfaces. Physical Therapy, June 2000: Vol. 80, No. 6, pp564-69.

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

Trends in Teenage Eating Habits: The News Isn't Good

Excessive weight gain during childhood is associated with adult onset diabetes, adolescent and adult high blood pressure, and adult cardiovascular disease. Inadequate consumption of healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables, can also contribute to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and increase the risk for numerous disorders, including several forms of cancer.

Too many children aren't getting enough fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, but they are eating plenty of chips, fries, candy, soft drinks and other non-nutritive, high-calorie snack foods. A recent study analyzed data from four U.S. Department of Agriculture national surveys (12,498 teenagers) and noted several disturbing trends in eating habits:

• A higher percentage of energy from fat than present dietary guidelines recommend;

• increased consumption of higher-fat potato dishes and mixed dishes (pizza, macaroni and cheese, etc.);

• inadequate fiber, raw fruit and vegetable (non-potato) consumption;

• decreased milk consumption (low-fat replaced by high-fat); and

• a substantial increase in consumption of soft drinks and non-citrus juices/drinks. If you're a parent, teach your children the essentials of proper nutrition and the negative impact poor diet can have on their future health and wellness.

Reference: Cavadini C, Siega-Riz AM, Popkin BM. U.S. adolescent food intake trends from 1965 to 1996. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2000: Vol. 83, pp18-24.

Low-Fat Diet Won't Hinder Childhood Growth

If you think your children are "too young" to be influenced by the foods they eat (or don't eat), think again. The 1993 Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth Study found that nearly half of all Americans 15-19 years old have fatty streaks in their coronary arteries, increasing to 75% by age 35. Modification of dietary fat intake in early childhood has been suggested to reduce later-life risk of coronary artery disease, but this suggestion has been tempered by concerns over the possible negative affects on growth and neurological development.

To address this concern, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association evaluated how "parental counseling aimed at keeping children's diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol influences neurodevelopment during the first five years of life." The parents of 540 children received individualized counseling suggesting that children's fat intake be limited to 30-35% of daily energy (with equal amounts of monounsaturated/polyunsaturated/saturated fat), and cholesterol intake limited to less than 200 mg per day. A second group of parents (with 522 total children) served as controls, receiving standard health education with no specific advice about limiting dietary fat.

Data were gathered from seven months until five years of age; results showed that children in the intervention group received a diet lower in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and had blood cholesterol levels 3-5% lower than children in the control group. Additionally, neurological development, assessed by tests of speech and language skills, gross motor functioning and perception, and visual motor skills, was "at least as good" in children receiving dietary intervention vs. children in the control group.

Plant the seeds for your children's health by encouraging a balanced diet, especially one high in vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Reference: Rask-Nissila L, Jokinen E, Terho P, et al. Neurological development of 5-year-old children receiving a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet since infancy. Journal of the American Medical Association, Aug. 23/30 2000: Vol. 284, No. 8, pp993-1000.

Zinc Relieves Cold Symptoms

Has the cold bug crawled into your home yet? The most frequent cause of the common cold is rhinovirus infection, although as many as 200 other viruses may also be responsible. U.S. adults and children suffer from an average of two to six colds per year; despite the plethora of so-called "cold remedies" lining store shelves, no single proven treatment has been identified.

Zinc has received recent attention for its potential value in combating cold symptoms. To investigate this potential, 50 volunteers recruited within 24 hours of developing symptoms of the common cold were administered one zinc lozenge (12.8 mg zinc acetate) or placebo every two to three hours as long as they were experiencing symptoms. Overall, severity and duration of cold symptoms were reduced in the zinc group compared to the placebo group:

• Overall symptoms: 4.5 days (zinc) vs. 8.1 days (placebo);

• Cough: 3.1 days (zinc) vs. 6.3 days (placebo);

• Nasal congestion: 3.3 days (zinc) vs. 4.7 days (placebo);

• Nasal discharge: 4.1 days (zinc) vs. 5.8 days (placebo); and

• Sore throat: 2.0 days (zinc) vs. 3.0 days (placebo). Where can you find zinc? These days, zinc lozenges are available at most drugstores and supermarkets alongside the more traditional cold medicine formulas. For more information on the power of zinc, contact your doctor of chiropractic.

Reference: Prasad AS, Fitzgerald JT, Beck FWJ, et al. Duration of symptoms and plasma cytokine levels in patients with the common cold treated with zinc acetate. Annals of Internal Medicine 2000: Vol. 133, pp245-52.

To learn more about nutrition, visit http://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html