A recent review of 35 trials involving 1,356 individuals diagnosed with depression revealed that patients who engaged in exercise experienced a moderate decrease in depression symptoms. Researchers discovered that exercising proved as effective a treatment for depression as psychological therapy or taking antidepressants.
The Cochrane Library, September 2013
“The greatest wealth is health.”
~ Virgil
Diet: Chew Your Food.
It is not a surprise that almonds are a great source of healthy fats and extra energy. However, the extent that almonds are chewed can make a difference in how much nutrition is absorbed by the body and how much is expelled. The more you chew, the more your body can use.
Institute of Food Technologists, July 2013
Exercise: Sudden Cardiac Death Risk reduced with Exercise.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for 50% of all deaths from coronary heart disease, and is defined as death with cardiac origin within 24 hours after onset of symptoms. A 19-year study looked at the impact of high leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) combined with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on the risk of SCD. The results showed that the risk of SDC was nearly double among men who are inactive (low CRF and low LTPA).
Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, September 2013
Chiropractic: Drugs vs. Needles vs Adjustments.
In this study, acupuncture, medication, and chiropractic care were compared on a patient population with spinal pain, including neck and back pain. Only spinal manipulation provided both short-term and long-term benefits.
Spine, July 2003
Wellness/Prevention: The Great and Powerful Ginger.
Ginger is an herb that is used as a spice and also has therapeutic qualities. The underground stem (rhizome) can be used fresh, powdered, dried, or as an oil or juice. Ginger is used for treating loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting after surgery, flatulence, upset stomach, colic, morning sickness, motion sickness, upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, cough, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and muscle pain.
National Library of Medicine, September 2013
Forty six children with a diagnosis of otitis media who received chiropractic manipulation showed 93% improvement in all cases, 75% in 10 days or less, and 43% with only 1-2 treatments. Results indicate that limitation of medical intervention and the addition of chiropractic care may decrease the symptoms of ear infection in young children.
Journal Of Manipulative Physiologic Therapeutics, March 1996
Mental Attitude: With Age Comes Financial Wisdom.
In a study environment, older participants (ages 60-82) performed better than younger participants (ages 18-29) on finance-related topics where life experience and accumulated knowledge were favored. Such areas included temporal discounting, loss aversion, financial literacy, and debt literacy. The study authors believe that younger people would benefit from financial education earlier in life, before they begin making major financial decisions in adulthood.
Psychology and Aging, September 2013
Health Alert: Antibiotic Resistance Warning!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year two million people contract either a bacterial or fungal infection that is resistant to at least one class of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance has increased to the point where the CDC is calling for action to prevent the situation from progressing further. Their recommendations include preventing infections through more organized procedures in hospitals, better food handling, and the smarter use of antibiotics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, September 2013
Diet: Passive Calorie Counting.
A new wearable computer called an eButton is able to autonomously view the food you are eating, identify it, and estimate the food’s nutritional content. Researchers believe passive devices such as the eButton could help people with conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease more accurately monitor their total caloric intake.
Measurement Science and Technology, August 2013
Exercise: No Ice Bath Please.
According to researchers, taking an ice bath after a workout does not effectively reduce soreness or strength loss and only mildly reduces inflammation. Lead researcher Dr. Naomi Crystal advises, “Use [ice baths] sparingly. Use them in tournament situations; use them with an athlete who has done something extraordinary. But for day-to-day athletes, I wouldn’t recommend them.”
European Journal of Applied Physiology, August 2013
Chiropractic: Adjustments Validated.
Patients with neck pain, neck dysfunction, and headache showed significant improvement with cervical spine adjustments.
Duke Evidence Report, 2001
Wellness/Prevention: Do You Have High Blood Pressure?
Only 46.5% of people with hypertension are aware of their condition. Of those who are aware they have high blood pressure, only 32.5% are effectively controlling their condition.
Journal of the American Medical Association, September 2013
Research revealed 60% of patients with sciatica who failed medical management benefited from spinal manipulation. The authors concluded that patients with a symptomatic lumbar disc herniation who have failed medical management should consider chiropractic care. At Denver Chiropractic Center, our chiropractors know that Active Release Techniques can free up the entrapped sciatic nerve as it passes through the muscles in the hip. In fact, in our experience sciatica is caused by the muscle much more commonly than it is caused by the disc.
Journal of Manipulative Physiologic Therapeutics, October 2010
Located in the pelvis, the sacroiliac joint (SI joint) can be the cause of sciatica, resulting in back pain that radiates down the leg. A recent study compared physical therapy, chiropractic manual therapy, and joint injections of corticosteroids. The study found that manual therapy was the best choice for sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The success rate for chiropractic manual therapy was 72%, 50% for corticosteroid injections, and 20% for physiotherapy. Researchers found manual therapy resulted in significant improvement in pain severity, while neither physical therapy nor injections resulted in significant pain relief. In our experience, adding Active Release Techniques treatment makes the chiropractic work even more effective for treating SI joint pain.
European Spine Journal, August 2013
A systematic review revealed fair evidence supporting manual and manipulative therapy for common shoulder complaints such a rotator cuff disorders, frozen shoulder, and other soft tissue conditions. At Denver Chiropractic Center, we use Active Release Techniques to effectively treat shoulder pain. Our success rate is over 95%.
Journal of Manipulative Physiologic Therapeutics, June 2011
With all of the unbelievable flooding recently affecting our area, we want you to know that if any of you are affected, we’re here to help in any way we can. If there’s anything we can help with, please let us know.
Weekly Health Update
Week of: Monday, Sept 16, 2013
“It’s so hard to forget pain, but it’s even harder to remember
sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness.
We learn so little from peace.”
~ Chuck Palahniuk
Diet: Zinc Deficiency and Old Age.
Zinc deficiency may develop with age, leading to low-grade chronic inflammation that has been associated with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Low zinc levels have also been associated with a weakened immune system response. In animal studies, older subjects showed signs of zinc deficiency even though their diets should have provided adequate amounts of the nutrient. The researchers believe the aging process alters the body’s ability to efficiently transport zinc to our cells. When the test animals were given more than the recommended daily amount of zinc, biomarkers related to chronic inflammation returned to levels seen in younger subjects.
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, January 2013
Exercise: More Reasons.
Physical fitness helps to maintain an independent lifestyle and reduces the level of abdominal obesity, a significant health-risk factor.
Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996
Chiropractic: Faster Recovery, Less Money!
In a 52-week study of patients with neck pain, manual therapy (spinal mobilization) resulted in faster recovery than physiotherapy (mainly exercise) or general practitioner care (counseling, education, and medication). Costs of the manual therapy were about one-third of the costs of physiotherapy or general practitioner care.
British Medical Journal, April 2003
Wellness/Prevention: Save Your Brain!
50% of Alzheimer’s and dementia cases may be preventable! Preventable or treatable risk factors include smoking, physical inactivity, depression, mid-life high blood pressure, diabetes, and mid-life obesity.
The Lancet Neurology, September 2011
Sixty patients with chronic, low back pain (>6 months) were randomized to receive either 12 treatments of sham adjustments over a one-month period; 12 treatments consisting of spinal adjustments over a one-month period; or 12 treatments over a one-month period, including maintenance spinal adjustments every two weeks for the following nine months. Patients were evaluated by pain and disability scores, generic health status, and back-specific patient satisfaction before, during, and after treatments for ten months. The maintenance group showed greater improvement in pain and disability scores at the 10-month evaluation. In the spinal adjustment group without maintenance treatment, the mean pain and disability scores returned to near their pre-treatment levels by the end of the study.
Spine, August 2011
“The results of (a recent) study show that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches… Four weeks after cessation of treatment… the patients who received spinal manipulative therapy experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in all major outcomes in contrast to the patients that received amitriptyline* therapy, who reverted to baseline values.” *Amitriptyline is an anti-depressant commonly prescribed to treat tension headaches.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, March 1995