Posts Tagged ‘medicine’

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Childhood Obesity Linked To Health Habits

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

According to an article in Science Daily, the study suggests unhealthy habits are feeding the childhood obesity trend. “For the extremely overweight child, genetic screening may be a consideration,” says study senior author Kim A. Eagle, M.D., a Cardiologist and a Director of the U-M Cardiovascular Center. 1,003 Michigan 6th graders were examined, obese children were “more likely to consume school lunch instead of a packed lunch from home and spend two hours a day watching TV or playing a video game.

Childhood obesity has TRIPLED in the U.S. in the last 30 years, and obesity among U.S. children ages 6-11 has gone from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. “For the rest, increasing physical activity, reducing recreational screen time and improving the nutritional value of school lunches offers great promise to begin a reversal of current childhood obesity trends.”

Forty-five percent of obese students always ate school lunch, but only 34 percent of non-obese students ate school lunch. According to the Science Daily article, researchers found that 58 percent of obese children had watched two hours of TV in the previous day, compared to 41 percent of non-obese children.

Significantly less obese kids exercise on a regular basis. Fewer kids took physical education classes or were a member of a sports team. In the study, 15% of the students were overweight, but almost all had unhealthy habits. Over 30% drank regular soda within the previous day, less than 50% remembered eating two servings of vegetables in the same time period, and only 30% said they exercised for 30 minutes for 5 days during that week.

According to the American College of Preventative Medicine, heart disease and diabetes are two of the most common preventable chronic diseases. Both have their preventable causes in what we eat and how much we exercise, and both start from the habits we obtain in childhood. As adults, we can change these habits any time we want and live a longer and healthier life just about instantly, but children need guidance to make the same healthy choices. One of the biggest take home messages (besides realizing that it’s habits making us overweight — not just our genes) is that almost all the students can drastically improve their diet and exercise, not just the 15% who are obese.

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Benefits Of Using Chiropractic For Back Pain

Saturday, March 19th, 2011

When back pain strikes, it can bring your everyday activities to a screeching halt. But for a person who doesn’t like the idea of using traditional pain medications to treat back ailments, a chiropractor is a viable option.

Chiropractors are trained to treat conditions that are caused by misalignment of the spine, as well as other conditions that affect the central nervous system. Some of the most common conditions treated by a chiropractor include: fibromyalgia, poor postural alignment, strains and sprains, degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, osteoarthritis and sciatica.

A chiropractor is required to do two to four years of undergraduate studies, and then spend a specified amount of time at a licensed chiropractic college. Before a chiropractor can treat patients legally, he must pass a national and state examination. To find out if your chiropractor is licensed to operate in your area, contact the local Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

Chiropractors use a number of drug-free methods to treat back pain. These methods often include massage, hydrotherapy, decompression, and spinal realignment. Massage relieves pain in the back by releasing endorphins and easing muscle spasms. There are several types of massage used to treat back pain. Talk to your chiropractor to see which one is best for you. If you have blood clots, cancer, or are pregnant, talk to a doctor before getting a massage. Hydrotherapy is commonly used by chiropractors to relieve pain in the back. This type of therapy can include sitting in a pool of warm water, or using ice packs on the affected area. Spinal decompression therapy is used to treat conditions such as degenerative disc disease and herniated discs. Decompression therapy uses vacuum pressure to relieve pressure and restore fluids and nutrients to the discs. Ultrasound is commonly equated with pregnancy, but this machine can be used by chiropractors to treat back pain. This method uses ultrasound waves to warm the tissue, and reduce swelling in the back.

Spinal realignment requires a chiropractor to use a specialized technique to readjust the spine and improve alignment. Modern equipment makes it possible to adjust the spine painlessly and without any “back popping.” If natural treatment methods are not an enough to manage back pain and drugs are needed, a chiropractor can point you in the direction of a doctor who can help.

A quality chiropractor not only treats conditions of the spine, they offer education to help patients keep these problems from reoccurring in the future. Regular exercise, good posture, weight loss, and proper sleep habits are some of the recommendations chiropractors will make to patients to help keep back pain at bay. A chiropractor is trained to carry out his job duties effectively by offering a wide range of drug-free treatment options to manage conditions of the spine and central nervous system.

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Laptop Use and Testosterone Showing Some Links

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Many patients in San Diego come to New Century Spine Centers to see a chiropractor for their back pain from sitting at the computer for too long. But here’s another problem from sitting at the computer for too long that may not be related to your back. A November 8, 2010 article published by Reuter’s reports placing a laptop computer on your lap might be, “cooking your gonads.” According to the article, “It turns out, unsurprisingly, that sitting with a computer on your lap will crank up the temperature of your nether regions, which could affect sperm quality.”

Authors of  a study  in  the journal of Fertility and Sterility,  say the only way you can  prevent this is by putting  your laptop  on  a desk  or  somewhere besides your  lap.  Even using a lap pad, the temperature quickly rises above the acceptable range.

“Millions and millions of men are using laptops now, especially those in the reproductive age range,” said Dr.  Yefim Sheynkin, a Urologist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, who led the new study.  ”Within 10 or 15 minutes, their scrotal temperature is already above what we consider safe, but they don’t feel it,” he added.

On another interesting note, you won’t want to miss this one. There seems to be a television commercial about it every two minutes.  It’s either Viagra or Cialis for “performance” issues, or the new buzz-word, “Low T” for low testosterone.  Well, here’s something very important you should know about testosterone and sexual problems…

According to an October 29, 2010 Reuters Health article, authors of a new study say, “we need a lot less testosterone for sexual function than people think.” Dr. Frederick Wu, a hormone expert at the University of Manchester, is quoted as saying, “Most people with erectile problems do not have hormone problems, but often have blockage in their penis arteries.” They also state that very low levels of testosterone can cause a problem, but they are not sure what this level is.

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New Study: Texting And Social Networking Linked To Health Risks?

Thursday, February 17th, 2011
Modern technology can be wonderful.   It has never been easier to stay in touch and communicate with friends and family.  With texting and social networking, anyone can communicate messages, pictures, internet links and videos within seconds.
But Is There A Down Side To All This Texting And Social Networking? According to a November 10, 2010 CNN article, “A new study by the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine links poor health behaviors – including smoking, drinking and sexual activity — to hyper texting and hyper networking [teenagers].”
The article defines “hyper texting” as sending more than 120 texts per school day, and “hyper networking” as spending more than 3 hours per school day on social networking sites (like Facebook). According to the article, the study found nearly 20% of Midwestern teens surveyed were “hyper texters.”
“Hyper texter” teens are:
• 2 times more likely to have tried alcohol.
• Nearly 3.5 times more likely to have had sex.
• 40 percent more likely to have tried cigarettes.
• 41 percent more likely to have used illicit drugs.
• 43 percent more likely to be binge drinkers.
• 55 percent more likely to have been in a physical fight.
• 90 percent more likely to report four or more sexual partners.
The article also stated 11.5% Midwestern teens are “hyper networkers.” They are:
• 60 percent more likely to report four or more sexual partners.
• 62 percent more likely to have tried cigarettes.
• 69 percent more likely to be binge drinkers.
• 69 percent more likely to have had sex.
• 79 percent more likely to have tried alcohol.
• 84 percent more likely to have used illicit drugs.
• 94 percent more likely to have been in a physical fight.
Here’s an important note from the author of the study:  ”We are not saying texting causes these behaviors…  We can recognize that these kinds of connections… may be facilitating or enabling these kinds of behaviors, but we certainly can’t think of (the online connections) as causing them.” So, if  your  teenager  is a hyper  texter or  hyper networker, taking away their phone or internet access may not reduce their risks in the above categories but they  are an indicator that you  should  pay  more attention to your child’s activities.

Modern technology can be wonderful.   It has never been easier to stay in touch and communicate with friends and family.  With texting and social networking, anyone can communicate messages, pictures, internet links and videos within seconds.
But Is There A Down Side To All This Texting And Social Networking? According to a November 10, 2010 CNN article, “A new study by the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine links poor health behaviors – including smoking, drinking and sexual activity — to hyper texting and hyper networking [teenagers].”
The article defines “hyper texting” as sending more than 120 texts per school day, and “hyper networking” as spending more than 3 hours per school day on social networking sites (like Facebook). According to the article, the study found nearly 20% of Midwestern teens surveyed were “hyper texters.”
“Hyper texter” teens are: • 2 times more likely to have tried alcohol.• Nearly 3.5 times more likely to have had sex.• 40 percent more likely to have tried cigarettes.• 41 percent more likely to have used illicit drugs.• 43 percent more likely to be binge drinkers.• 55 percent more likely to have been in a physical fight.• 90 percent more likely to report four or more sexual partners.
The article also stated 11.5% Midwestern teens are “hyper networkers.” They are: • 60 percent more likely to report four or more sexual partners.• 62 percent more likely to have tried cigarettes.• 69 percent more likely to be binge drinkers.• 69 percent more likely to have had sex.• 79 percent more likely to have tried alcohol.• 84 percent more likely to have used illicit drugs.• 94 percent more likely to have been in a physical fight.
Here’s an important note from the author of the study:  ”We are not saying texting causes these behaviors…  We can recognize that these kinds of connections… may be facilitating or enabling these kinds of behaviors, but we certainly can’t think of (the online connections) as causing them.” So, if  your  teenager  is a hyper  texter or  hyper networker, taking away their phone or internet access may not reduce their risks in the above categories but they  are an indicator that you  should  pay  more attention to your child’s activities.

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New Research On Diet And Exercise

Monday, December 20th, 2010
USA Today reports two-thirds of people in the United States are overweight. “Overweight” is defined as being 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight. This means 66% of Americans, because of their weight, are at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and even some types of cancer.
That’s why it is so important to lose weight if you are overweight. New research published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared exercise combined with diet versus diet only. Here’s what researchers found… At six months, people in the diet-and-exercise group lost an average of 24 pounds and had better reduction in belly fat and liver fat than those in the delayed-exercise group, who lost an average of 18 pounds.
After a year, people in the diet-and-exercise group lost 27 pounds compared to 22 pounds in the delayed-exercise group. “This shows that a traditional diet-and-exercise program can work for people who are very obese,” says lead author, Bret Goodpaster, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Most participants in the study lost between 30-40 pounds… but a handful lost nearly 100.
Recently, a study published in the September 2008 Journal of Obesity raised a few eyebrows. The study contrasted diet versus exercise for weight loss and concluded that, even though exercise may be good for strengthening bones and muscles, improved mental health and mood, lowering blood pressure, improved cholesterol levels and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer… it may not be the best thing for weight loss. According to one of the study’s authors: “We would love to say that physical activity has a positive effect on weight control, but that does not appear to be the case.”
Knowing how to control your weight is very important. At New Century Spine Centers in San Diego, the chiropractic doctors regularly treat patients with back pain that also require weight loss. New Century Spine Centers in San Diego can be reached by calling 619-630-9153.

USA Today reports two-thirds of people in the United States are overweight. “Overweight” is defined as being 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight. This means 66% of Americans, because of their weight, are at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and even some types of cancer.
That’s why it is so important to lose weight if you are overweight. New research published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared exercise combined with diet versus diet only. Here’s what researchers found… At six months, people in the diet-and-exercise group lost an average of 24 pounds and had better reduction in belly fat and liver fat than those in the delayed-exercise group, who lost an average of 18 pounds.
After a year, people in the diet-and-exercise group lost 27 pounds compared to 22 pounds in the delayed-exercise group. “This shows that a traditional diet-and-exercise program can work for people who are very obese,” says lead author, Bret Goodpaster, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Most participants in the study lost between 30-40 pounds… but a handful lost nearly 100.
Recently, a study published in the September 2008 Journal of Obesity raised a few eyebrows. The study contrasted diet versus exercise for weight loss and concluded that, even though exercise may be good for strengthening bones and muscles, improved mental health and mood, lowering blood pressure, improved cholesterol levels and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer… it may not be the best thing for weight loss. According to one of the study’s authors: “We would love to say that physical activity has a positive effect on weight control, but that does not appear to be the case.”
Knowing how to control your weight is very important. At New Century Spine Centers in San Diego, the chiropractic doctors regularly treat patients with back pain that also require weight loss. New Century Spine Centers in San Diego can be reached by calling 619-630-9153.

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Did You Know?…

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Plants have been used for centuries as medicines. Now, genetically modified plants can produce plastic, skin tissue agents and human blood proteins. Biotechnologists have created genetically modified (GM) plants that can grow plastic. They managed this by inserting 4 genes from plastic-producing bacteria into varieties of oilseed rape (Eurasian plant) and cress. Conventional plastics are made from oil and do not degrade easily, but the plant plastic is biodegradable. But it is expensive, costing five times more than petroleum-derived plastic. Actually, mankind has been “genetically modifying” everything from food to dogs for many centuries, but in the past, the only tool has been selective breeding. There are a variety of ways that scientists now modify plants and animals with genetic engineering techniques. In the meantime, before you grow your own plastic plants, take good care of your real plants. Clean them often, speak to them, and play them some nice music – there is a lot of research that shows playing melodic or classical music to plants makes them grow healthier.

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Getting rid of mid back pain with Chiropractic care.

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

Mid back pain is pain in the area below the neck and above the low back. The middle back is composed of 12 vertebral bones. This section of the back is called the thoracic region of the spine. The middle back is naturally strong and stable. The elastic cartilages which are found between each bone are called discs and they serve as shock absorbers.

There are many different problems that could trigger mid back pain. Muscle strains are the most common cause of pain in the middle back. Other causes of mid back pain include poor posture, emotional stress, improper lifting, traumatic accidents, standing for hours, sleeping uncomfortably, and overexertion.

Persistent mid back pain may indicate a more serious condition wherein if it continues for more than a couple of months, it would need medical advice. If the thoracic spine is directly injured, it can cause misalignment of the bones and create impingement of the spinal nerves therefore causing dysfunction to the nervous system. Within the spinal region, there are pairs of spinal nerves emitting from the middle back to various digestive parts which includes stomach, liver, gall bladder, and small intestine. Problems in communication with the nerves may lead to numerous digestive disorders.

Upon examination, it is common to find a certain type of back misalignment. Mid back pain is a common problem like low back pain. Back pain of that kind can be addressed using chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic care has been highly successful in treating patients seeking alternative health care. Without the use of drugs or scalpels, a chiropractor does multiple exams and takes x-rays to identify the underlying cause of the patient’s problem.

Once the x-rays are reviewed, the doctor will go over the treatment plan with the patient.  When the patient agrees with the treatment protocol, the chiropractor will perform an adjustment by applying precise and gentle pressure to the specific areas of misalignment. Other forms of conservative treatments that chiropractors may use are massage, electrical stimulation, hot/cold packs, and ultra sound.

Additional services chiropractors provide include exercise, pelvic stabilization, ergonomics, and education on diet. Exercise and rehabilitation are very important to prevent the pain from coming back. Many patients are relieved from their mid back pain after a few visits and others choose to continue into maintenance care because it keeps their bodies in optimum condition.

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Do You Know The Two Times You Should Not Eat Sugar?

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Do you know the two times you should not eat sugar? If you do not, eating sugar at these two times of the day can strain your system and wreak havoc on your strength, fitness and health. In just a moment, you will discover these two very important times. But first, here’s some important news about… Common Over The Counter Medications And Brain Damage… According to a July 13, 2010 issue of Neurology, drugs called anticholinergics block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, and are widely-used medical therapies. They are sold over the counter under various brand names such as Benadryl®, Dramamine®, Excedrin PM®, Nytol®, Sominex®, Tylenol PM®, and Unisom®. Other anticholinergic drugs, such as Paxil®, Detrol®, Demerol® and Elavil® are available only by prescription.

Older adults most commonly use drugs with anticholinergic effects as sleep aids and to relieve bladder leakage problems. Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine conducted a 6 year study with 1,652 African-Americans over the age of 70 with normal cognitive function. Results: “We found that taking one anticholinergic significantly increased an individual’s risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and taking two of these drugs doubled this risk. This is very significant in a population, African-Americans, already known to be at high risk for developing cognitive impairment,” said Noll Campbell, PharmD, first author of the study.

Dr. Campbell is a Clinical Pharmacist with Wishard Health Services. “Simply put, we have confirmed that anticholinergics, something as seemingly benign as a medication for inability to get a good night’s sleep or for motion sickness, can cause or worsen cognitive impairment, specifically long-term mild cognitive impairment which involves gradual memory loss. As a geriatrician I tell my Wishard Healthy Aging Brain Center patients not to take these drugs and I encourage all older adults to talk with their physicians about each and every one of the medications they take,” said Malaz Boustani, M.D., IU School of Medicine Associate Professor of Medicine, Regenstrief Institute Investigator and IU Center for Aging Research Center Scientist.

Now for… The Two Times NOT To Eat Sugar… When you work out, exercise triggers the release of human growth hormone (HGH). If you consume a high sugar meal or high sugar sports drink within 2 hours of your workout, you will seriously diminish the release of HGH. This is important because the HGH release helps in fat burning for 2 hours after you work out. An important note: Research has shown eating carbohydrates after a workout starts the protein synthesis recovery process faster. There are several studies involving young cyclists who compete for several days back-to-back, and quick recovery is their priority, not maximizing HGH. The second time NOT to eat sugars if you want to maximize HGH is 90 minutes before bed. Here is why: HGH is dependant on sleep and a major hormone surge occurs during the first 30-70 minutes of sleep. If this sleep is disrupted, the hormone surge can be dramatically reduced. Carbohydrates can disrupt this HGH output because carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin… which reduces HGH. So, according to HGH magazine, if you want to maximize HGH output, do not eat carbohydrates 90 minutes before you go to sleep.

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Did You Know?…

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread among infants and most pediatricians remain unaware of the problem. Only 5 to 13 percent of breast-fed infants receive at least 400 IU of Vitamin D per day, the amount currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Human breast milk is actually relatively low in Vitamin D, probably because during our evolutionary history most babies got plenty of exposure to sunlight. An infant would need to drink 32 ounces of fortified formula per day to get 400 IU of Vitamin D, an amount that is probably unrealistic for young children. The body produces Vitamin D when exposed to UV-B radiation from sunlight. The nutrient is essential for the development and maintenance of bones and the immune system, and deficiency can increase the risk of soft or brittle bones, infection, cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. It is recommended that infants get no direct sunlight at all for the first six months of life, and that they wear protective clothing and sunscreen beyond that age. This effectively rules out the healthiest, most reliable source of this essential nutrient. Making matters worse, only 1 to 13 percent of children under the age of one take a Vitamin D supplement.

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Dark Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure?

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

If you love chocolate, you don’t need a reason to eat it. On the contrary – you need a pretty darn good reason not to! For years, chocolate was considered a delightful sin… a little guilty pleasure.

Well, the results of 15 studies may change all that. Here is why… According to a recent press release, “For people with hypertension, eating dark chocolate can significantly reduce blood pressure.

Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medicine combined the results of 15 studies into the effects of flavanols, the compounds in chocolate which cause dilation of blood vessels, on blood pressure.”

According to the press release, the reduction seen for people with hypertension is comparable to the known effects of 30 minutes of daily exercise and might theoretically reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event by around 20%.

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