This week’s 1-Page health News from Denver Chiropractic Center

Health Alert: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Type-2 Diabetes. Researchers found a 20% higher proportion of the population has diabetes in countries with high use of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), like the United States, compared to countries that do not, like the United Kingdom. The United States has the highest consumption of HFCS at 55 lbs (~25 kg) per year per person. The United Kingdom consumes 1.1 lbs (~.5 kg) per year per person.

Global Public Health, November 2012

Diet: Food Advertising. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years. Food companies spend $10 billion a year marketing in the United States, and 98% of that is on foods high in fat, sugar, or sodium.

Journal of Pediatrics, November 2012

Exercise: Walk Much? The more moderate physical activity (like brisk walking) you do, the better. Compared to doing nothing at all, seventy five minutes of vigorous walking per week was linked to living an extra 1.8 years. Walking briskly for 450 minutes or more per week was found to provide most people with a 4.5-year longer lifespan. The longer people spent each week being moderately active, the greater their longevity. Heart, November 2012

Chiropractic: Keep Your Disks Healthy. In normal healthy disks, the nerves (sinuvertebral) only sense pain on the periphery or outer regions of the disk. In grossly degenerated disks, nerves may penetrate into the center (nucleus) of the disk and be more vulnerable to degeneration and/or inflammation. Lancet, 1997

Wellness/Prevention: Cell Phone Addiction. Cell phone and instant messaging addictions are driven by materialism and impulsiveness and can be compared to consumption pathologies like compulsive buying and credit card misuse. Cell phones may be used as part of the conspicuous consumption ritual and may also act as a pacifier for the impulsive tendencies of the user. Impulsiveness plays an important role in both behavioral and substance addictions.

Journal of Behavioral Addictions, November 2012

My hips don’t lie…Think you’re fat?…and the 1-Page Health News

Some people object to the idea of squatting. They say it’s bad for you, not something anyone ever does, blah, blah, blah. I can tell you from 15 years of experience that the hips don’t lie: People who can’t drop into a full-range unweighted squat sooner or later will have back problems. It’s that simple.

The picture is me cleaning my grill before my dad arrived last weekend. If I couldn’t get into this squat easily, I’d be standing there stooped over at the waist. When stooping instead of squatting becomes a habit, something bad eventually happens. This is the person who blows out his or her back tying a shoe or picking up an empty dog food bowl.

Next time you’re in ask either myself or Dr. Stripling to check your squat for you. IF you can’t do it, we can probably teach you.

Mental Attitude: Think You Are Fat? Researchers found that normal weight teens who perceive themselves as fat are more likely to grow up to be fat. 59% of girls who felt fat as a teen became overweight in adulthood while 31% of girls who did not consider themselves fat during adolescence were found to be overweight. Normal weight girls were more likely than boys to rate themselves as overweight (22% of girls vs. 9% of the boys). One reason for weight gain in later years may be due to psychosocial stress, which can be associated with gaining weight. Under this scenario, the psychosocial stress related to having (or not having) an ideal body type, along with the perception of oneself as overweight, can result in weight gain. Another explanation may be that young people who see themselves as fat often change their eating habits by skipping meals, which can

lead to obesity. Also, a diet you can’t maintain over time will be counterproductive, as the body tries to maintain the weight you had before you started to diet. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, July 2012

Health Alert: Depression Is A World-Wide Problem. It’s widely believe that depression is a phenomenon of Western culture, but researchers who analyzed studies involving over 480,000 people across 91 countries have found the opposite is true. They estimate the rate of depression in Middle Eastern and some Asian countries (~9%) is twice that found in countries like the United States and Australia (~4%). World Health Organization, 2010

Diet: Bad BBQ News! Barbecue can sabotage your waistline. A 20 ounce T-bone steak can weigh in at 1,540 calories, with

124 grams of fat.  A corn-fed 85% ‘lean’ cheeseburger has 750 calories and 45 grams of fat. Pork or beef ribs come from the fattiest part of the animal. Healthier options include pork tenderloin, skinless chicken breast, and lean ground beef. American Heart Association

Exercise: Good Reasons. Regular exercise maintains or improves joint flexibility, improves your glucose tolerance and reduces workdays missed due to illness. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Chiropractic: Motion and Nutrition. Cartilage is avascular, meaning it does not receive nutrition via blood vessels. Like a sponge, it takes in fluid and releases the fluid when compression is applied. This alternating compression and re-expansion allows it to receive its supply of nutrients and remove metabolic waste. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 1984

Wellness/Prevention: Lose To Gain? People who are overweight or obese could gain ten years worth of health benefits by simply losing 20 pounds. Modest weight loss (average 14 lbs) reduced the risk of individuals developing Type 2 diabetes by

58%. Weight loss of just 10% of a person’s body weight has been shown to have long-term impact on sleep apnea, hypertension, quality of life, and to slow the decline in mobility that occurs as people age. American Psychological Association, July 2012

Quote: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” ~ Albert Einstein

How’d the staff do at Elephant Rock? & this week’s 1-Page Health News.

First off, I (Glenn) want to start by wishing my parents a happy 45th wedding anniversary. 45 years!?! That’s incredible.

And yes- Miss Keri & Dr. Stripling both did the Elephant Rock ride yesterday…

Miss Keri: 34 miles in 2:30.

Dr. Stripling: 100 miles in 7:49.

Me? I set the record for eating Bon Bons and watching paint dry in my back yard. 3 boxes in under 10 minutes. Just kidding. I’m cramming for Xterra Curt Gowdy on June 24th (off road triathlon). I rode, ran and swam yesterday. Then I mowed the lawn.

Here’s this week’s 1-Page Health News…

Mental Attitude: Facebook Addiction? According to Dr. Cecilie Schou Andreassen, some users of Facebook have developed a dependency to the social networking site. “Facebook Addiction” is more common among young people who are anxious and socially insecure, probably because those who are anxious find it easier to communicate via social media than face-to-face. Psychological Reports, May 2012 Health Alert: Infection and Cancer. Each year, 16.1% of the 12.7 million total new cancer cases in the world are due to infections that are largely preventable or treatable. Most of these cancer-causing infections were of the gut, liver, cervix and uterus. The Lancet Oncology, May 2012

Diet: Black Pepper and Fat. Black pepper has been used for centuries in traditional Eastern medicine to treat gastrointestinal distress, pain, inflammation and other disorders. A new study found that Piperin, the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, can block the formation of new fat cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 2012

Exercise: Strong Bones! Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million people worldwide, yet many are unaware they are at risk. The disease has been called the silent epidemic because bone loss occurs without symptoms and the disease is often first diagnosed after a fracture. Osteoporosis is more common in women, but men also develop it, usually after age 65. Young men who play volleyball, basketball or other load-bearing sports for 4 hours a week or more may gain protection from developing osteoporosis later in life. Men who increased their load-bearing activity from age 19-24 not only developed more bone, but also had larger bones compared to men who were sedentary during the same period. Bigger bones with more mass are thought to offer a shield against osteoporosis. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, May 2012

Chiropractic: “I came to the point where I wanted an adjustment every day. I believe in Chiropractic.” ~ Evander Holyfield, 4x World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Wellness/Prevention: Ancient Remedy Slows Prostate Problems. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, or CAPE, is a compound isolated from honeybee hive propolis, the resin used by bees to patch up holes in hives. If you feed CAPE to mice with prostate tumors, their tumors will stop growing. After several weeks, if you stop the treatment, the tumors will begin to grow again at their original pace. Cancer Prevention Research, May 2012

Quote: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” ~ Gandhi

Our 14th Anniversary and This Week’s 1-Page Health News

Those of you who want these weekly 1-Page Health News emails sent directly to your email can go to denverback.com and fill out the little form on the upper left part of the page.

May marks another year for Denver Chiropractic Center. For those of you keeping score, that’s 14 years down, and now in our 15th year.

Last week was the busiest week we’ve ever had. Ever. And we’d like to thank you. Your trust, support and referrals are what make our existence and growth as a business possible. We look forward to being here to help you for a few more decades. Once again, thanks.

We’d also like to wish all the moms out there a Happy Mothers Day.

Here’s this week’s 1-Page Health News:

Mental Attitude: Berry Good News. Men who regularly consume foods rich in flavonoids (such as berries, apples, certain vegetables, tea and red wine) may significantly reduce their risk for developing Parkinson’s disease. Flavonoids are naturally occurring, bioactive compounds present in many plant-based foods and drinks. Neurology, April 2012

Health Alert: Stressed? The risk for coronary heart disease and stroke increases by 30% in a person whose partner has cancer. The cause is probably the negative stress to which the cancer patient’s partner is exposed. Previous studies show that stress can affect the nervous system, blood pressure, and inflammation, increasing the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke. Centre for Primary Healthcare Research in Malmö, April 2012

Diet: Pain Relief. The supplement Methylsulfonylmethane gave osteoarthritis patients relief from symptoms of pain and physical dysfunction. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2008 Exercise: Being Fit. Improving or maintaining physical fitness appears to help obese and overweight children reach a healthy weight. During a four-year study, obese and overweight girls and boys who achieved fitness were 2.5 to 5 times more likely to reach a healthy weight than those who stayed underfit. Obesity, April 2012

Active Release Techniques: Sciatica. Many people with sciatica are worried that it’s coming from a ruptured disc. While this is sometimes true, in most cases, muscles are pressuring the sciatic nerve and causing symptoms down the back of the leg. The piriformis is a likely suspect, as are the hamstrings. Using Active Release Techniques to relieve the tension in these muscles can take the pressure off of the nerve and fix the problem.

Wellness/Prevention: Obesity and Watching TV. In a study of obesity among European children, Dr. Yannis Manios, Assistant Professor at Harokopio University in Athens, writes, “We found that many countries are lacking clear guidelines on healthy eating and active play. However, there is good evidence linking sedentary behavior (like TV watching) with subsequent obesity. Obesity Reviews, March 2012 (Um, this is not brilliant work.)

Quote: “Simple diet is best; for many dishes bring many diseases; and rich sauces are worse than heaping several meats upon each other.” ~ Pliny

Is it sciatica or Low Back Pain? How can Denver Chiropractic Center help you with Active Release Techniques?

Low back pain (LBP) can be localized and contained to only the low back area or, it can radiate pain down the leg. This distinction is important as LBP is often less complicated and carries a more favorable prognosis for complete recovery. In fact, a large part of our history and examination is focused on this differentiation. This month’s Health Update is going to look at the different types of leg pain that can occur with different LBP conditions.

We’ve all heard of the word “sciatica” and it (usually) is loosely used to describe everything from LBP arising from the joints in the back, the sacroiliac joint, from the muscles of the low back as well as a pinched nerve from a ruptured disk. Strictly speaking, the term “sciatica” should ONLY be used when the sciatic nerve is pinched; causing pain that radiates down the leg.

The sciatic nerve is made up of five smaller nerves (L4, 5, S1, 2, 3) that arise from the spine and join together to form one large nerve (about the size of our pinky) called the sciatic nerve – like five small rivers merging into one BIG river. Sciatica occurs when any one of the small nerves (L4-S3) or, when the sciatic nerve itself, gets compressed or irritated.

This can be, and often is caused from a lumbar disk herniation (the “ruptured disk”).  A term called “pseudosciatica” (a non-disk cause) includes a pinch from the piriformis muscle where the nerve passes through the pelvis (in the “cheek” or, the buttocks), which has been commonly referred to as “wallet sciatica” as sitting on the wallet in the back pocket is often the cause.

When this occurs, the term “peripheral neuropathy” or “ peripheral nerve entrapment” is the most accurate term to use. Direct trauma like a bruise to the buttocks from falling or hitting the nerve during an injection into the buttocks can also trigger “sciatica.”

The symptoms of sciatica include low back pain, buttocks pain, back of the thigh, calf and/or foot pain and/or numbness-tingling. If the nerve is compressed hard enough, muscle weakness can occur making it hard to stand up on the tip toes creating a limp when walking. In the clinic, we will raise the straight leg and if pinched, sharp pain can occur with as little as 20-30° due to the nerve being stretched as the leg is raised.

If pain occurs anywhere between 30 and 70° of elevation of either the same side leg and/or the opposite leg, this constitutes a positive test for sciatica (better termed, “nerve root tension”). When a disk is herniated into the nerve, bending the spine backwards can move the disk away and off the nerve resulting in relief, which is very diagnostic of a herniated disk. Having a patient walk on their toes and then heels and watching for foot drop as well as testing the reflexes, the sensation with a sharp object, and testing the reflexes at the knee and Achilles tendon can give us clues if there is nerve damage.

At our clinic we’ve gone beyond simple traditional chiropractic adjustments to “align the spine.” We use more advanced techniques, like Active Release Techniques to address the pressure that the muscles can exert on the sciatic nerve. We will also use motion-restoring spinal adjustments to restore healthy mobility to the spine. By utilizing these advanced techniques, we are usually able to get excellent results for our patients with low back pain and sciatica in a relatively short period of time.

It all starts with the initial exam. Call us to schedule yours 303.300.0424. We’re here to help you!

Denver Chiropractic Center February 2010 Newsletter

The Feburary 2010 Denver Chiropractic Center Newsletter – The Dr. Glenn Report – is on the website.

You can download it here:

 http://www.denverback.com/pdf/2010_Feb.pdf

In this issue-

Dr. Glenn, Triathlon Season 3

Pull-ups, Bodyweight training for a strong back and healthy shoulders

How to get your aging hips moving in the morning

Who else wants 2 FREE massages?

Denver Chiropractic’s Top 3 Hips Stretches

‘Tis the season to get outside and start running, riding, hiking, climbing, etc. Here are 3 critical stretches that, if performed daily (or almost daily), will keep your hips happy all summer long. Tight hips can evolve into hip problems, knee pain, and plantar fasciitis.

For more info, look for the May-June issue of the newsletter coming soon to a mailbox near you.

 

Glute Stretch
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

glute stretch

The glutes are the biggest muscles in your body. They propel you forward in all athletic endeavors. If they start to scar up, they lose power, and other muscles start to take up the slack, particularly the hammies and the hip rotators. Back pain and hamstring problems usually follow.

To stretch: Just lay on your back and flex your hip to around 90 degrees. Use your left hand to pull your right leg across your body. Reach that right arm away to maximize the pull on the fascia. Hold for about 20 seconds and switch sides.

 

Hip Rotators
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hip ro 1

The hip rotators include muscles like the piriformis. Problems in these muscles lead to sciatica and lateral knee pain.

To stretch: Lay on your side, preferably on a bench or the edge of a bed. Flex your hip to 90 degrees, grab your left knee with your left hand, and rotate your shin with your right hand. Make sure that your knee doesn’t move up towards the sky/ ceiling. Hold for 20 seconds, then flip over and do the other side.

hip ro 2

 

Hip flexors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hip flexors oppose the glutes. They bring your leg forward in running, are obviously important in climbing, contribute to 360 degree pedaling, and more.

As they are overused, they totally screw up mechanics, leading to hip pain, knee pain, and back pain.

To stretch: get down on one knee, keep your torso upright, and move forward. See how  I maintain that arch in my back instead of rounding forward? That’s how you get the hip flexors to stretch.

Hip flex 1Hip flex 2

 

 
Remember- a tight muscle will become a scarred muscle. And noting breaks up scar tissue like Active Release Technique. So, you if need help, come on in. I can help you.