Everyone has seen them, the commercials and print ads for acid-reflux medication. The purple pill... what do we really know about it? I want to share some really interesting information with you about your digestive process and what these medications do to that process. Most often doctors will treat people with acid reflux, gas/bloating and other digestive issues by prescribing a pill that suppresses the acid production in your stomach or neutralizes it. The concern is that many people that have these symptoms are not suffering from too much acid but not enough.
The function of your stomach acid is to digest protein. So if someone's stomach isn't producing enough acid and they eat a piece of chicken or other meat, it hits the stomach and needs that hydrochloric acid to break it down, instead it sits there and begins to putrefy, creating acid and gases (not the good kind). Now this person will likely exhibit symptoms - a sour stomach, belching or even acid reflux. This all happened because they didn't have enough acid to begin with.
It's important to have adequate amounts of stomach acid because it triggers the upper sphincter of the stomach to close when you eat to prevent any acid or food from going up into the esophagus. If you don't have enough acid, not only will you be unable to digest the protein properly but that sphincter will not be triggered to close tightly enough and acid reflux could occur. Low stomach acid also causes the lower stomach sphincter to stay closed, which leads to the feeling of being overly full because the stomach isn't emptying properly.
So if we are all taking acid suppressors we could be exacerbating the problems and causing more issues. There are many things that can be done to help eliminate stomach problems such as these and most of them don't include taking a purple pill. If you want more information on this topic you can read the rest of the article in the July/August issue of To Your Health in our lobby!
I hope everyone is well as we move through the month toward summer!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Is Chiropractic Scientific? - June 9, 2011
Is it at Memorial Day weekend that most people really feel summer has begun regardless of the summer solstice? I think it's the unofficial first day of summer anyway. I had a wonderful weekend and hope that all of you did as well. Remember that keeping up on your adjustments can help to make your summer activities that much more enjoyable by keeping your body in alignment!
If you missed Dr. Chris' talk on Total Health keep your eyes on our lobby slideshow coming up because it will be covering some similar information, not all of it mind you, but we want you to be aware of our goals in your health care at this office.
So here is a question for you, is Chiropractic scientific? I've heard some people mention that medical doctor's are real doctors. I wonder where that misconception comes from? Is it because there is no blood, needles or invasive procedures during an adjustment that some people believe chiropractors are not real doctors? Clearly we all know that chiropractors require as much or sometimes more schooling as medical doctors, the specialty is simply different. I assure you Dr. Chris knows just as much about the biology of the human body as a medical doctor. The difference I see, is that Dr. Chris sees you as a whole not broken down into symptoms or areas (heart, lungs, bones, muscles etc.) He knows that your body is a series of systems not single parts functioning independently. His goal is to get rid of interference in the communication between all the systems.
This ties in with his recent talk on Total Health. So many medical doctors are trained so specifically they tend not to view how their treatment of your heart issue, for example, might affect another area of your body. So please know that we are not just interested in getting you in and out for a monthly adjustment but to get to the bottom of why certain areas need to be adjusted in the first place and focus there.
We encourage questions on this matter, so please stop in, call or write back here. We are interested in your input and opinion. Have a great week!
TV and Depression - May 26 2011
I found an interesting article on how TV can affect depression levels in children and teenagers. It is directly related to the number of hours spent watching TV daily. The study showed that it was TV specifically not just media in general. So while it's important to limit media exposure including video games, internet, movies and TV altogether it was the TV watching that seemed to be most tied in with the depression.
Now the article didn't specify any research or thoughts on why this is but I'll share some of my opinions. Think about what the purpose of TV is, most use it as some form of escape from their life. Well if life was good then why escape from it for one. Two, depending upon what is being watched many shows portray a false reality (especially it seems, the "reality" shows). Everyone is beautiful, everyone has everything they want, it often glorifies bad situations to seem glamorous. Then this child has to wake up and go to the same school with the same clothes they had in their closet the day before and the same people. While these things shouldn't be bad, the constant barrage of "You need more, You have to have this to be happy, You aren't this smart or this pretty", will wear anyone down after awhile.
I don't think TV is bad, fullstop, but I do believe most of what is on is pretty worthless. I believe if TV is a staple in a family then it could be tempered with genuine interaction and loving situations and words from adults then perhaps depression wouldn't have an opportunity to get in. If a child knows the truth about themselves and understands that TV doesn't show reality it would probably be less interesting to them anyway!
I'm curious your thoughts on this as well, since this was mostly all my opinion anyway! I encourage you to write me back and share!
Now the article didn't specify any research or thoughts on why this is but I'll share some of my opinions. Think about what the purpose of TV is, most use it as some form of escape from their life. Well if life was good then why escape from it for one. Two, depending upon what is being watched many shows portray a false reality (especially it seems, the "reality" shows). Everyone is beautiful, everyone has everything they want, it often glorifies bad situations to seem glamorous. Then this child has to wake up and go to the same school with the same clothes they had in their closet the day before and the same people. While these things shouldn't be bad, the constant barrage of "You need more, You have to have this to be happy, You aren't this smart or this pretty", will wear anyone down after awhile.
I don't think TV is bad, fullstop, but I do believe most of what is on is pretty worthless. I believe if TV is a staple in a family then it could be tempered with genuine interaction and loving situations and words from adults then perhaps depression wouldn't have an opportunity to get in. If a child knows the truth about themselves and understands that TV doesn't show reality it would probably be less interesting to them anyway!
I'm curious your thoughts on this as well, since this was mostly all my opinion anyway! I encourage you to write me back and share!
Back Surgery: The Best Option? - May 19, 2011
I found a really interesting article to share with you today. It addresses back surgery; cost, effectiveness and alternatives. There is a lot of information covered in this article so I won't be addressing all of it here. So research suggests that 500,000+ disk surgeries are performed annually in the US. This is about 40% higher than any other country. It shows that back surgery rates increased with the per capita supply of orthopedic and neurosurgeons. In other words the more back surgeons there are the more back surgeries tend to take place. The question is whether they're necessary surgeries or could have been avoided.
There is a lot of research that shows back surgery to be relatively ineffective in attaining it's goal of patient recovery and relief from back pain (especially when the cost in taken into account as well - surgeries running anywhere from $24,000-$81,000). In 2010 records from 1500 patients were reviewed who had a diagnosis of disc degeneration, disc herniation or tingling of the extremities caused by nerve conditions. Half the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of resolving the pain. The other half didn't have surgery though their diagnosis was the same or comparable. After two years only 26% of the patients who had surgery had returned to work while 67% of the non-surgery patients returned. Of the lumbar fusion patients, 36% had complications and 27% had to have another surgery. Permanent disability rates were 11% for those who had surgery, compared to 2% for those who did not have surgery. There was a 41% increase in the use of pain killers and 76% of the surgery patients continued the use of opioids (morphine) after their surgery.
What could possibly be an alternative!? Well chiropractic of course. In fact it has been shown that chiropractic care is the most effective, safest and affordable treatment for back pain. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research concluded that "spinal manipulative therapy is the most effective and cost-effective treatment for acute low back pain". So now we just wait for everyone else in the world to figure out what we already know. Or maybe we could start by telling our friends and family. Really let them know how chiropractic has helped you. Your testimony speaks volumes because no one can argue against your own personal experience. Whether they agree with chiropractic or not.
As I said there is way more information in this article and I encourage everyone to check it out. It's in the June issue of To Your Health. I hope everyone is having a great week!
There is a lot of research that shows back surgery to be relatively ineffective in attaining it's goal of patient recovery and relief from back pain (especially when the cost in taken into account as well - surgeries running anywhere from $24,000-$81,000). In 2010 records from 1500 patients were reviewed who had a diagnosis of disc degeneration, disc herniation or tingling of the extremities caused by nerve conditions. Half the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of resolving the pain. The other half didn't have surgery though their diagnosis was the same or comparable. After two years only 26% of the patients who had surgery had returned to work while 67% of the non-surgery patients returned. Of the lumbar fusion patients, 36% had complications and 27% had to have another surgery. Permanent disability rates were 11% for those who had surgery, compared to 2% for those who did not have surgery. There was a 41% increase in the use of pain killers and 76% of the surgery patients continued the use of opioids (morphine) after their surgery.
What could possibly be an alternative!? Well chiropractic of course. In fact it has been shown that chiropractic care is the most effective, safest and affordable treatment for back pain. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research concluded that "spinal manipulative therapy is the most effective and cost-effective treatment for acute low back pain". So now we just wait for everyone else in the world to figure out what we already know. Or maybe we could start by telling our friends and family. Really let them know how chiropractic has helped you. Your testimony speaks volumes because no one can argue against your own personal experience. Whether they agree with chiropractic or not.
As I said there is way more information in this article and I encourage everyone to check it out. It's in the June issue of To Your Health. I hope everyone is having a great week!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Naturally reducing inflammation after injury - May 12, 2011
Sometimes it seems that after a winter of not being as active as we'd like, as soon as the weather shifts we rush outside and pick up our "summer" activities as though 6 or 7 months hadn't passed. This can result in some strains, soreness or pain in your body. The body's natural response to injury like this is inflammation. When a muscle, tendon or ligament is damaged the area tends to lose function and become inflamed and painful. Though painful, this is a really important part of the body's healing process. It limits further damage by restricting movement in the injured area and starts tissue repair and reconstruction.
The first 72 hours following an injury, it's recommended to rest and elevate the damaged area, applying ice intermittently for 10-15 minutes at a time. This helps to reduce the pain of inflammation and keeps the recovery time to a minimum. Chiropractic treatments also aid in faster injury recovery. There are three main parts in repairing and rehabilitating injured tissue.
1. Consuming appropriate nutrients to help support the body's response to the inflammation
2. Rebuilding damaged connective tissue, such as ligaments, tendons and joint cartilage.
3. Relaxing the soft tissue area where the injury occurred.
Two very important nutrients to help deal with inflammation are the fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3. These are not produced by your body so you must get them from your diet - this is why they're called essential fats. Some foods rich in these fatty acids include:
-fish and shellfish
-flaxseed (linseed) oil and canola oil
-hemp oil and soya oil
-pumpkin and sunflower seeds
-leafy veggies
-walnuts
Also there are some enzymes in citrus fruits called bioflavinoids that can help to minimize the effects of pain and swelling.
Iron: it may be minor but it's still important - May 5, 2011
I think everyone has heard about iron deficiency or anemia. I didn't really know what role iron plays in our bodies and why a deficiency is a negative thing. So I'll just share a little information with you about it. Iron is considered a minor trace mineral, which means that we require less than 100 milligrams a day. The recommended allowance for iron in an adult male (19-50) is 8mg, for women in the same age group it's 18mg. Even though our bodies don't require a large amount of iron daily here is why it's important to have it: iron participates in functions like metabolism, DNA synthesis, growth, healing, immune function and reproduction. Iron is also found in the blood in two proteins that transport oxygen. So if you lack the proper amounts of iron, your blood will not be moving oxygen properly. Iron is shown to be an important contributor to athletic performance, as it's difficult to run a marathon when your muscles are getting inadequate oxygen.
Because iron helps transport oxygen in blood a major sign of iron deficiency is fatigue. If your muscles aren't getting enough oxygen you will be very tired. People most likely to watch for iron deficiency are long distance runners, women with heavy menstruation or who have just had a baby and people who frequently donate blood. Some other symptoms that are attributed to iron deficiency are pallor (pale skin), brittle or grooved nails, hair loss, irritability and weakness. The good news is that iron is easily found in most foods so it's not difficult to make sure you are getting your daily intake of iron. Most people will not need an iron supplement because it is also important not to have too high an iron intake. Just make a burger or some tuna salad, have some eggs with the yolk or eat some dried fruit. All of these things contain iron and will easily get you to your suggested iron allowance each day. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!
I hope everyone is having a great week! Take care and don't forget to call and RSVP for the talk on May 17th at 6:30!
Ciao!
Karla H.
Roscoe Chiropractic Centre
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Posture and Your Health - April 28, 2011
I'm going to share a simple idea that has a great affect on your health. Good posture. That's right. Why is it so important, you ask? When the spine is properly aligned with it's natural curvature and the entire body from the ears down to your feet are in balance, we maximize spinal health and avoid poor posture related pain and dysfunction. What is the ultimate goal of chiropractic? To eliminate interference! What does poor posture cause? Misalignments in the natural curvature of the spine and interference in nerve impulse. Ideal posture creates ideal balance, it optimizes breathing and circulation, both of which our bodies need to function properly!
What is the typical posture for someone sitting at a computer (and I'll just be honest right now, this is me at this very moment) slumped, bent back and round shouldered (and now I moved...ha ha). It's time to sit tall, stand tall and walk tall. This is an easy way to improve your spinal health at home all by yourself...and the best part...it's FREE! Just take two or three minutes a day to do a couple exercises to help keep you focused on keeping straight and your spine will thank you.
Four exercises to improve your spinal health.
1. The Butterfly - Standing and with head held high, belly button in, place your arms behind your head and gently pull your elbows backward. Slowly and gently press your head against your hands while counting to two. Relax, breathe and repeat three times.
2. Tilting Star - With head held high and belly button in, spread your arms and legs into a star. Breathe in and slowly stretch one arm over your head and slide your opposite arm down your leg. Slowly tilt your star to the opposite side. Relax and repeat two times.
3. Twirling Star - In the star position, turn your head to look at one hand. Slowly twist your entire spine to watch your hand as it goes behind you. Relax and repeat two times for each side.
4. The Hummingbird - With head held high and belly button in, put your arms out to the sides and your hands up and pull your shoulders together in the back. Now make small, backward circles with your hands and arms. Bend at the waist from side to side, keeping the circles going as you count to ten.
As with any exercise, make sure not to push your body beyond what is comfortable or your balance or strength level! Take care and sit up straight!
Have a great week!
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