Happy April Fools Day 2019! No jokes here, we are simply here to help you (and friends or family if there’s anyone you know who could use our help). It all starts with a phone call 303.300.0424. Have a great week! We’ll be back on Thursday with a brand new video on neck stretches.

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

Mental Attitude: Anxiety Late in Life Linked to Alzheimer’s. Using data from the Zaragoza Dementia and Depression Study, researchers report that seniors with clinically significant late-life anxiety have up to a 400% greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease when compared to older adults without an anxiety disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, February 2019

Health Alert: Opioid Deaths Up Fourfold in Last 20 Years. Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine, Harvard University, and the University of Toronto report that opioid-related deaths in the United States have jumped fourfold in the last two decades, with Eastern states being hit the hardest. According to the data, the highest rates of opioid-related deaths occurred in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The researchers hope that identification and characterization of opioid “hot spots” will allow for better-targeted policies that address the current state of the opioid epidemic and the needs of the population. JAMA Network Open, February 2019

Exercise: Fitness Protects Against Lung Cancer. A new study that followed nearly 5,000 older men for a decade found that not only are physically fit men less likely to develop lung cancer, but they are significantly more likely to survive the disease should it occur. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, April 2019

Chiropractic: Mid-Back Adjustments for Neck Pain? In a study involving 30 patients with chronic neck pain, researchers observed that spinal manipulative therapy applied to the mid-back resulted in improvements in both neck pain and the range of motion of the upper limbs. While neck pain is commonly associated with dysfunction in the cervical spine, past research has demonstrated that the thoracic spine plays a limited role in cervical rotation and flexion, which may explain why mid-back adjustments benefited the chronic neck pain patients in this study. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, February 2019

Wellness/Prevention: Reduce CTS Risk. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition that occurs when pressure is placed on the median nerve as it passes through the wrist. To reduce your risk for CTS, the NYU School of Medicine recommends the following: minimize repetitive hand movements, keep wrists straight, alternate between activities or tasks, and avoid holding an object the same way for long periods. NYU School of Medicine, March 2019. Note – We treat Carpal Tunnel very effectively with Active Release Technique Soft Tissue Treatment.

Quote: “Try not to become a (person) of success, but rather try to become a (person) of value.” ~ Albert Einstein