Back Clinic Health Team. The level of functional and metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans, it is the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental, psychological, and social changes in an environment. Dr.Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T, a clinical pain doctor who uses cutting-edge therapies and rehabilitation procedures focused on total health, strength training, and complete conditioning. We take a global functional fitness treatment approach to regain complete functional health.
Dr. Jimenez presents articles both from his own experience and from a variety of sources that pertain to a healthy lifestyle or general health issues. I have spent over 30+ years researching and testing methods with thousands of patients and understand what truly works. We strive to create fitness and better the body through researched methods and total health programs.
These programs and methods are natural and use the body’s own ability to achieve improvement goals, rather than introducing harmful chemicals, controversial hormone replacement, surgery, or addictive drugs. As a result, individuals live a fulfilled life with more energy, a positive attitude, better sleep, less pain, proper body weight, and education on maintaining this way of life.
Are you the type of person who drinks a cup of coffee with breakfast every morning? Or perhaps you need that cup of coffee first thing in the morning in order to be able to go about your day? And if so, how many cups of coffee do you drink? With more and more people stopping by coffee shops before work on a regular basis, the debate on whether coffee is good or bad for your health is one that has become increasingly important to researchers and consumers alike.
Several research studies have demonstrated coffee’s remarkable benefits towards lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s Disease, while several have associated high coffee consumption with an 8 to 15 percent decrease in risk of death, others have warned how coffee can be harmful towards your health. The World Health organization and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee have changed their idea from coffee being detrimental to coffee being a health food, going so far as advocating the consumption of 3 to 5 cups every day for achieving overall health and wellness.
The Coffee Debate
As many coffee aficionados would do anything to defend this dark elixir to the end, science is helping shed some light on the true advantages and disadvantages of drinking coffee on a regular basis. Whilst coffee on its own is full of a variety of beneficial antioxidants, caffeine being the active ingredient of this popular beverage is also at the center of the entire debate.
Aside from avoiding any of the symptoms listed by the DSM-V, there are other reasons why you should decrease or stop your consumption of caffeine and prevent caffeine intoxication. Caffeine has also been reported to display adverse effects on individuals with hypertension, nervousness, adrenal fatigue, and GERD. Its intake can aggravate symptoms of circulation diseases like Raynaud’s Phenomenon. We also shouldn’t ignore the fact that many healthcare professionals regularly indicate removing caffeine through a structured detox program to rest the liver.
But quitting the consumption of coffee is simpler said than done. The average amount of caffeine found in a normal coffee shop beverage easily exceeds the quantity indicated for overdose. By way of instance, a 20-ounce Blonde Roast coffee from Starbucks is roughly 475 mg. The same size of a Dunkin Donuts coffee with a turbo shot is almost 400 mg and a 16-ounce light-roast from Panera Bread is 300 mg. Even if we avoid drinking coffee altogether, caffeine can also be found in teas, chocolate and soda. As a result, a lot of us are walking around every single day overdosing on caffeine. According to a review, nearly 90 percent of people in the United States consume well over 250 milligrams of caffeine daily.
While the debate on whether coffee is good or bad for your health continues, an important thought to consider is that “one size does not fit all” when it comes to the consumption of caffeine. Personalized treatments have gained plenty of popularity because of this. While some individuals may get the jitters from drinking caffeine, not everybody will report experiencing the same symptoms needed to determine the diagnosis of an overdose. The main cause of this is simple, the liver’s capacity to metabolize caffeine will often differ from person to person. Concentrations of CYP450 enzymes required for stage I liver detox causes some people to be “fast-clearers” of caffeine, or people who may have a double espresso and drift dreamily to bed within the hour, and lots of others may be slow-to-impossible clearers, or people who can be considered as no more than nervous wrecks when given the tiniest sip of hot chocolate.
Alternatively, the effects of caffeine can be utilized to treat certain symptoms associated with headaches or asthma, and provide attention and focus, as well as energize the muscles of a training athlete. However, caffeine’s addictive quality, and its capability to tax the liver and nervous system, shouldn’t be ignored. When confronted with a reason to decrease or eliminate caffeine from their diet, conventional coffee lovers may be challenged by withdrawal symptoms, such as headache, agitation, muscle strain, and even anxiety, as well as altering psycho-social behaviours, such as a societal coffee-culture or an afternoon chocolate pick-me-up.
If you are on the path to attempt to detox from your coffee drinking habits, then here are a few tips that can help make the process easier for you:
Drink additional water
Eat a minimally-processed diet rich in minerals and vitamins
Get plenty of exercise and/or physical activity
Sleep properly
Find other choices to decaffeinated coffee, from several chicory and dandelion mixtures, to herbal teas
Supplement using a full-spectrum multivitamin, magnesium, L-theanine and L-DOPA
Persistent caffeine consumption can also deplete calcium, leading to muscle tension and headaches. Restoring healthy magnesium levels will help alleviate these symptoms. In addition, L-theanine is considered to have a calming effect. One research study from 2012 revealed that L-theanine reduced stress and inhibited increases in blood pressure from participants who were confronted with stressful tasks on a computer. L-DOPA, or Dopamine, otherwise referred to as the “happy chemical”, is accountable for controlling the joy and reward centers of the brain, the very same regions aroused by addictive substances like sugar and caffeine. A recent double blind, randomized controlled crossover trial compared the pharmaceutical levodopa used to treat Parkinson’s sufferers to Mucuna pruriens, a natural supply of L-Dopa, and found them similar in clinical efficacy, with Mucuna pruriens being considered more tolerable.
The right answer for when to drink coffee or not is as private as a Starbucks custom coffee order. If you’d love to kick the caffeine habit, however, here’s a simple, no-nonsense approach to slowly getting away from caffeine:
Days 1 to 2: Combine 25 percentage decaf, 75 percent caffeinated
Days 3 to 4: Combine 50 percent decaf, 50 percent caffeinated
Days 5 to 6: Combine 75 percent decaf, 25 percent caffeinated
Day 7: Try entirely decaf.
Dr. Alex Jimenez’s Insight
The advantages and disadvantages of drinking coffee have become highly dependent on the amount of evidence provided over the numerous of research studies conducted to solve the health mysteries of this popular dark beverage. While some studies describe coffee to be good for your health and others urge that coffee is bad for your health, the answer to this debate is simple, it’s a little bit of both. Too much coffee can cause a variety of undesirable symptoms, however, a moderate amount of coffee can provide a wide array of benefits, including lowering the risk of developing many health issues like type 2 diabetes. Whether you choose to believe if coffee is good or bad for your health, alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can help provide you with a variety of health benefits in order to help improve and maintain your overall well-being.
As mentioned above, with the increasing number of coffee lovers found around the world today, the debate regarding whether coffee is good or bad for your health has peaked the interest of many healthcare professionals as well. While research studies and scientific evidence continues to amount to both of these options, you can find alternative treatment options which can help improve and maintain overall well-being. Chiropractic care is a healthcare profession which focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. A chiropractor, will utilize spinal adjustments and manual manipulations to correct spinal misalignments, or subluxations, to restore the natural integrity of the human body. When a spinal misalignment is interrupting the signals being sent from the brain, to the spinal chord and the rest of the body, many important structures and functions can suffer.
Like the favorable effects expected from coffee and caffeine by consumers, chiropractic care can help increase strength, mobility and flexibility. Furthermore, chiropractic care can promote proper circulation and reduce inflammation associated with stress and tension. By reducing pressure around the complex structures of the spine, spinal adjustments and manual manipulations can also help reduce pain and discomfort, increasing many fundamental functions. In addition, a doctor of chiropractic, or DC, can offer exercise and nutritional advice, which may be important to those individuals who wish to cut back on their coffee intake. With the additional benefits you experience from chiropractic care, even the most avid coffee aficionado can benefit from the advantages of chiropractic care.�The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic as well as to spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at�915-850-0900�.
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most prevalent causes for disability and missed days at work worldwide. As a matter of fact, back pain has been attributed as the second most common reason for doctor office visits, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Approximately 80 percent of the population will experience some type of back pain at least once throughout their life. The spine is a complex structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles, among other soft tissues. Because of this, injuries and/or aggravated conditions, such as herniated discs, can eventually lead to symptoms of back pain. Sports injuries or automobile accident injuries are often the most frequent cause of back pain, however, sometimes the simplest of movements can have painful results. Fortunately, alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can help ease back pain through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, ultimately improving pain relief.
A majority of individuals today are aware about the gut-brain connection and how approximately 90 percent of their body’s serotonin is really generated in the gastrointestinal, or GI, tract as well as the way the gut-brain axis is associated with depression. Overall gut health involving a healthy population of gut microbiota can affect many facets of our well-being, therefore, it’s no mystery that the connection between the gut and chronic health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, are also significantly strong.
Berberine, an ancient mixture frequently utilized in a variety of medicinal herbs throughout several traditional treatments has been demonstrated to benefit as well as link the gut and the heart. Berberine is an isoquinoline derivative alkaloid found in numerous herbs. Although these berberine-containing herbs aren’t traditionally utilized in food preparations, the active ingredient has been identified and may be isolated from a variety of plant sources, such as Coptis chinensis, or Coptis or Goldthread, Hydrastis canadensis, or goldenseal, Berberis aquifolium, or Oregon grape, Berberis aristata, or Tree Turmeric, Berberis vulgaris, or Barberry, and Arcangelisia flava.
Berberine is most favorably known for its function in gut health, demonstrating activity which can help support gut microbial balance. In fact, scientists have shown a growing interest in many plant-derived compounds which affect bacterial direction and berberine is a pioneer in the group. Additionally, its a botanical proven to influence blood glucose, blood lipids and also the immune system. Researchers today have learned how berberine can provide these tremendous benefits.
Gut Health Equals Heart Health
According to evidence from a 2016 research study, the gut’s immune system is fundamental towards preventing a variety of diseases and it may often contribute to metabolic disorders. However, it might also help provide a treatment goal when observing systemic inflammation in insulin resistance. Moreover, modified gut immunity has been linked with changes to the gut microbiota, intestinal barrier function, gut-residing immune cells, and resistance to antigens which enter the gastrointestinal, or GI, system. Although this has been previously believed to raise the danger of esophageal ailments including, pathogenic infections and chronic inflammation, which may ultimately lead to chronic health issues.
In our currently hectic and stressful world, a growth in the numbers of chronic disease has begun to negatively affect our overall health health. The best instance of this increase in chronic illness is type 2 diabetes, abbreviated in this article as T2DM, which often coexists with hypertension and causes individuals to pursue nutritional advice in order to achieve healthy blood sugar levels. The information viewing T2DM alone are shocking. As of 2015, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 30 million people in the United States had diabetes, where approximately three times as many had pre-diabetes. According to statistics, 70 percent of individuals with pre-diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes.
Natural remedies and botanicals utilized as herbal treatments which have been previously used to promote healthy blood sugar levels have been strongly evaluated in order to determine their safety and effectiveness. Numerous berberine research studies are being conducted, though these are mostly in vitro, or in cell cultures. A majority of in vivo research studies have used animals for the analysis. Despite the quality and size of those research studies, virtually all of the outcome measures throughout the last two decades are positive. One research study from 2012 looked at in vitro results to thoroughly assess the assumed mechanism of action by which berberine affects fat storage. The outcome measures using clinical therapeutics of berberine to observe participants with metabolic syndrome appeared promising.
Another research study evaluated and analyzed the use of berberine in human cell cultures to ascertain how it influenced preadipocyte, a precursor to fat cells, comparison and fat hormone as well as cell activity in patients with metabolic disease. The researchers demonstrated that preadipocyte differentiation was restricted by berberine, while leptin, adiponectin, PPAR?2, or the nuclear receptor known as the master regulator of fat cell biology and target of many diabetes drugs and/or medications, and C/EBP?, a protein necessary for fat cell differentiation, diminished. After several months, participants demonstrated a drop in their BMI and leptin/adiponectin ratio, showing that berberine could boost insulin sensitivity by limiting fat storage, which may also have beneficial effects in the regulation of blood lipid levels.
Concerning how berberine affects cardiovascular biomarkers, many assessments can be found in the literature. The administration of berberine in one analysis generated a substantial decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, with a marked rise in high-density lipoprotein. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of this anti-diabetic, hypolipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects of berberine were reviewed in twenty-seven randomized controlled clinical trials. The researchers have concluded that berberine is safe and effective due to its support of the cardiovascular system and the maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels, without any severe adverse reactions found in some of the other research studies. Berberine has also been demonstrated to restrict complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, leading to a growth of 5′ adenosine monophosphate, or AMP and 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, or AMPK activation. This seems to have a direct impact on energy metabolism as well as that in other structures and functions.
The neurological health effects of berberine have also been considered, particularly from the modulation of the dopaminergic system. Berberine has also demonstrated a possibility in the successful management of seizures, diabetes-induced memory malfunction and hyperexcitability. One animal research study investigating obsessive-compulsive disease found that berberine can promote anti-compulsive and/or anxiolytic effects because of its ability to boost brain monoamine levels. Another review from 2016 demonstrated berberine’s ability to reduce oxidative stress and supply neuroprotective benefits. The review further cites research studies which examine the botanical’s function in the evolution of amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Berberine has found its function in the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular as well as brain worlds. Truly offering a wholesome dose of gut-heart-brain link, berberine is definitely one to consider.
Dr. Alex Jimenez’s Insight
Research studies have found that the relationship between a healthy gut, brain and heart is fundamental towards overall well-being. Natural remedies and botanicals, such as berberine, can help promote as well as support this gut-brain-heart connection, while other alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can restore balance and encourage the human body’s natural healing abilities by correcting spinal misalignments of the spine. Furthermore, by establishing the proper relationship between the brain, the spinal chord and the rest of the body, chiropractic care can help regulate the proper structure and function of each system in the human body.
With the increasing number of gut health issues, it’s become a priority to find safe and effective treatment options to properly address these common problems. More and more research studies have found a connection between the gut, brain and heart. As previously mentioned, by both supporting and promoting the well-being of the gastrointestinal, or GI, system, the structure and function of a variety of other systems can be sustained. Natural remedies and botanicals, such as berberine, have been utilized for centuries as herbal treatments, however, other alternative treatment options can also be used to help improve gut health. Chiropractic care is a well-known, alternative treatment option which has been demonstrated to help promote the natural healing of the human body through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations as well as other therapeutic techniques to correct spinal misalignments, or subluxations. Moreover, a doctor of chiropractic, or chiropractor, can recommend a series of lifestyle modifications, including exercise and nutritional advice, in order to help further improve the overall health and wellness of the human body. Maintaining the well-being of the gut can help boost brain and heart health as well.
Berberine Warnings
In large doses, berberine may lead to gastrointestinal irritation. Thus, it’s typically administered in divided doses and taken with a meal. In addition, researchers have revealed that berberine can limit particular cytochrome enzymes that also target a lot of different kinds of drugs and/or medications, including certain antibiotics. Inhibiting cytochrome enzymes influences the liver’s detoxification system, which will be required to metabolize and, finally, clear drugs and/or medications. For this reason, it’s essential to carefully monitor those patients that are using berberine if other medicines are used concomitantly. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic as well as to spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at�915-850-0900�.
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most prevalent causes for disability and missed days at work worldwide. As a matter of fact, back pain has been attributed as the second most common reason for doctor office visits, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Approximately 80 percent of the population will experience some type of back pain at least once throughout their life. The spine is a complex structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles, among other soft tissues. Because of this, injuries and/or aggravated conditions, such as herniated discs, can eventually lead to symptoms of back pain. Sports injuries or automobile accident injuries are often the most frequent cause of back pain, however, sometimes the simplest of movements can have painful results. Fortunately, alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can help ease back pain through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, ultimately improving pain relief.
Before erectile dysfunction started to become a more well-known health issue among the population of men across the United States, male reproductive and endocrine problems were rarely a topic of discussion. In the modern world, however, and with the increasing availability of information from the internet, many individuals have become surprisingly interested in understanding the consequences that diminishing testosterone levels can have on overall health and wellness.
Much like female hormone production, male hormone production can also gradually decrease with age. The period of time in which the male human body experiences a hormonal decline is most commonly known as andropause. Other terms which have been used interchangeably to refer to this structural and functional change with age includes: hypogonadism, late-onset hypogonadism, male menopause, male climacteric, androclise, androgen decline in aging male and aging man syndrome.
For women, menopause is characterized by a halt in menses, indicating the start of a new phase past their childbearing years. In Greek, “andras” means individual men, and “pause” means cessation. Therefore, andropause literally means “human male cessation”. Decreased levels of testosterone in men have been connected with a variety of symptoms, such as night sweats, decreased libido, dry skin and hair, difficulty concentrating, muscle loss, sleeplessness or insomnia, stress, anxiety and/or irritability, decreased bone integrity and insulin resistance. These symptoms have all been commonly associated with “human male cessation” and can often indicate diminishing testosterone levels in the body.
Function of Testosterone in the Human Body
Similar to the mechanisms of actions of estrogen and other androgens/sex hormones, testosterone functions as three unique hormones or cellular messengers within the human body. It can attach directly to androgen receptors; it engages in a variety of important processes on the peripheral cells of the prostate and hair glands in which 5-alpha-reductase is often found, producing dihydrotestosterone which also attaches to androgen receptors; and finally, it can ultimately be converted into estradiol, which develops on estrogen receptors in bone and in abdominal fat or connective tissue. These functions are fundamental towards preserving fertility, libido, weight management, bone health, and basic overall health and wellness.
Symptoms of low testosterone, which will be abbreviated in this article as Low-T, are generally hardly noticeable, as a result, these may only gradually become more severe health issues, aside from altering complete well-being. In addition, hypogonadism has also been reported to develop in younger men, although rarely, together which amounts to an incidence of approximately 3.1 to 7.0 percent in males 30 to 69 years of age, and about 18.4 percent in older men. From these numbers, 5.6 percent of males 30 to 79 years of age will experience symptomatic androgen deficiency. Besides it signaling a natural aging process in human males, very low testosterone levels may also serve as a biomarker signaling the presence of an underlying health issue. By way of instance, metabolic syndrome and testosterone deficiency have been reported by healthcare professionals to have a close association with each other. Various research studies have demonstrated that reduced testosterone levels may also be connected with obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in men. In the same manner, men with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes have been reported to have a greater incidence of hypogonadism.
Is Andropause Similar to Menopause?
In comparison to menopause, where women’s estrogen levels decrease abruptly, total testosterone levels in men decrease at an average rate of 1.6 percent annually once a human male reaches the age of 40, while free and bioavailable levels generally decline by 2 to 3 percent each year. Even though the decline is normally continuous and gradual, about 50 percent of men over the age of 80 still report having total serum testosterone within normal standard quantities. Additionally, fertility is not affected in men exactly the same way as post-menopausal women.
According to the British Medical Journal, or BMJ, the estimate of the prevalence of Low-T was recorded from the European Male Aging Study. Measuring a combination of sexual symptoms and testosterone levels, it was discovered that just about 0.1 percent of men in their 40’s, 0.6 percent of men in their 50’s, 3.2 percent of men in their 60’s, and 5.1 percent of men in their 70’s, would meet the criteria for a Low-T evaluation and analysis.
Pros and Cons of Hormone Therapy
Despite information suggesting that Low-T may be as widespread as we all believe, at least we know that the search to increase testosterone levels is. Testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, has been a widely considered yet controversial treatment utilized by endocrinologists and urologists when hypogonadism is found. A variety of research studies have discovered that it may be a viable choice, while others shed light on an assortment of concerns and contraindications. An observational research study conducted in 2012 compared the mortality of men over 40 years of age with reduced testosterone levels that had been treated with TRT to men who were not treated with TRT. The research study demonstrated that the mortality rate of those men not treated with testosterone replacement therapy was greater, approximately 20.7 percent compared to 10.3 percent. Although the research study outcome measures seemed to favor TRT, it was not a gold-standard, placebo controlled randomized clinical trial and it also did not account for confounders.
Moreover, TRT has been demonstrated to enhance insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and sexual dysfunction in males with Low-T, although there have been no long-term research studies to assess its overall impact on mortality. In patients with breast or prostate cancer, TRT, or testosterone replacement therapy, often comes with risks. As a matter of fact, guidelines in the Endocrine Society suggest not utilizing TRT when a patient has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, a palpable prostate nodule, or even after a raised prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test with results over 4 ng/ml has been determined. Even men with a family history of prostate cancer have been steered away from utilizing this kind of treatment option.
Dr. Alex Jimenez’s Insight
The spine is primarily in charge of protecting the spinal chord, one of the main channels between the communication of the brain to the rest of the body, such as that of the endocrine system, which helps in the production and regulation of hormones. When there is a spinal misalignment, or subluxation, however, these signals may be interrupted, ultimately affecting your overall health and wellness. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, a doctor of chiropractic, or DC, can help carefully restore the integrity of the spine, correcting these fundamental connections and their relation to the rest of the human body’s structures and functions. The balance of the spine can help delay the decrease of testosterone levels associated with human male cessation or andropause, reducing symptoms and boosting essential energy and vitality.
Delaying Low-Testosterone Levels
Though decreasing testosterone levels are commonly associated as a part of the normal aging process, many men dread andropause or “human male cessation”. The loss of muscular mass itself generally motivates men to search for solutions to delay this natural process. Steroids help build muscle by raising testosterone, but they can also ultimately affect the liver, prostate, heart and even the sexual organs. Selective androgen receptor modulators, or SARMs, are encouraged to athletes and active individuals as an alternative to anabolic steroids, but these can also include their own risks and concerns. Many of these alternative treatment options can actually decrease natural testosterone production since they change the chemical structure of testosterone alone.
Thus, some lifestyle modifications worth exploring which can help delay the decrease of testosterone levels include health, diet, stress reduction and supplementation. A prerequisite for healthy testosterone levels include maintaining regular weight and encouraging overall endocrine function. In addition to deciding upon an entirely whole foods-based diet teeming with healthful fats which serve as a hormone precursor and fiber, a few research studies have found that intermittent fasting, characterized by remaining anywhere from 12-16 hours every day, by way of instance, sleeping hours, without eating food, as a way to help maintain weight and testosterone levels during the rebalancing of hormones. Intermittent fasting was additionally found to increase the adrenal hormone, or LH, by 67 percent, overall testosterone by 180 percent and improve the growth hormone secretion in men. Intermittent fasting also helps to improve leptin levels, which ultimately benefits testosterone levels since the clinical condition most closely associated with reduced cholesterol is obesity, and normalizing leptin levels is vital for maintaining healthy weight. In terms of fluids, significant water consumption, while reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption helps bring hydration into the epidermis and hair in addition to reducing fatigue associated with “human male cessation”. Physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day boosts energy and fundamental vitality.
Supplement suggestions for Low-T include vitamin D, Ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, Ashwagandha, Damiana, Velvet Deer Antler, Maca or combinations thereof. Anecdotal evidence abounds concerning supplementation, with more and more clinical evidence coming forward. Recently, one research study measured the cross-sectional association of plasma 25(OH)D levels and total and free testosterone in 1,362 male participants, which also found 25(OH)D to be positively associated with total and free testosterone levels.
Moreover, other alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can be beneficial towards delaying the decrease of testosterone levels in men. Many people believe that chiropractic care only works for spinal health issues, however, an individual’s overall health and wellness also depends largely on the proper alignment of the spine. Spinal misalignments, or subluxations, can interrupt the communications which travel from the brain to the spinal chord and the rest of the human body, ultimately affecting a variety of other essential structures and functions. By carefully restoring the balance of the musculoskeletal and nervous system, a chiropractor can influence positive effects throughout other areas of the body. One of the many benefits of chiropractic care includes the maintenance of hormone imbalances. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, along with guidance and advice on specific lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and nutrition, chiropractic care can help regulate hormones.
Overall, Low-T might feel as the conclusion of manhood, but the conversation about it is just starting. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic as well as to spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at�915-850-0900�.
Curated by Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most prevalent causes for disability and missed days at work worldwide. As a matter of fact, back pain has been attributed as the second most common reason for doctor office visits, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. Approximately 80 percent of the population will experience some type of back pain at least once throughout their life. The spine is a complex structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles, among other soft tissues. Because of this, injuries and/or aggravated conditions, such as herniated discs, can eventually lead to symptoms of back pain. Sports injuries or automobile accident injuries are often the most frequent cause of back pain, however, sometimes the simplest of movements can have painful results. Fortunately, alternative treatment options, such as chiropractic care, can help ease back pain through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, ultimately improving pain relief.
Antibiotics have long been used to treat infection and illness. While they can be effective, there is a down side. Antibiotics can have some unpleasant side effects. What�s more, bacteria can become resistant. The more you take the less effective they can be, making the healing process much more difficult. It isn�t smart to depend on antibiotic for ultimate health. The better route is to take a more holistic approach by incorporating chiropractic, nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes.
What Are Antibiotics?
Since the discovery of penicillin in the 1920s, antibiotics have been used to treat illness and infection. They have become a major component in American medicine. However, few people know exactly what they are or how they work.
They are medications that are used in the prevention and treatment of infections such as pneumonia, kidney infection, or an abscessed tooth. They are a type of antimicrobial drug and are not effective against viruses like the flu or a cold. As medicine has made significant advances in treating some of the worst and even deadly illnesses in the world, more are being developed to better target specific bacteria.
How Do Antibiotics Work?
Different antibiotics work in different ways on the cells that they seek out. Cells in the human body have some similarities to bacteria. Antibiotics affect those properties in bacteria that are different from human cells.
For instance, many strains of bacteria have cell walls while human cells do not. Penicillin prevents the bacteria it attacks from building those cell walls. Other antibiotics use other differences such as how they copy DNA or build proteins or dissolve bacteria cell membranes. The effects that antibiotics have on bacteria are intended to keep it from replicating and kill it.
Do Antibiotics Only Affect The �Bad� Bacteria?
Unfortunately, antibiotics can�t always distinguish between �bad� and �good� bacteria. This means that while they attack the harmful bacteria that is making you sick, they also attack the resident, helpful bacteria.
The �good� bacteria, or friendly bacteria, keeps you healthy in a variety of ways. It protects you from certain illnesses and keeps your body functioning at an optimal level. When you no longer have that friendly bacteria in your body, you lose out on the health boosting benefits that they offer. What�s more, when you lose the friendly bacteria it leaves room for certain other harmful bacteria to come in.
How Do Bacteria Become Resistant To Antibiotics?
When these medications are misused it can result in the emergence of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics. There are several ways that they can be used inappropriately. They are only meant to be taken for a limited time, usually five or ten days. When they are taken longer than that or when several rounds are taken back to back, that qualifies as misuse. It can also occur when antibiotics are taken for viruses or other purposes for which they are not intended.
What Happens When Bacteria Become Resistant To Antibiotics?
Bacteria has a very strong ability to adapt to environments in order to survive. It can evolve and change as their environment becomes uninhabitable, such as with increasingly higher antibiotic doses. As bacteria is exposed to antibiotics it will make adjustments, adapting to them, even thriving.
The bottom line here is that while these medications may be beneficial in certain situations, they should be used as rarely as possible and usually as a last resort. There are many lifestyle changes that a person can make that can help them stay healthy and prevent illness so that they have no need for these medications.
A healthy diet, regular exercise, proper food handling and preparation, adequate sleep, regular chiropractic treatments, and eliminating unhealthy activities like smoking and alcohol consumption can all lead to better health and fewer illnesses. It is much easier and less expensive to prevent illness than it is to treat it.
There has been a lot in the media lately about alkalinity and acidity in the body, but finding solid, straightforward information isn�t always easy. In short, acidity can cause a number of health issues. There are many benefits of bringing your body into balance.
What Is High Acidity?
The term acidity describes a condition where the body is affected by the excess production of gastric acids. Under normal conditions, hydrochloric acid is secreted by the stomach, aiding in the digestion and breakdown of food.
However, when this normal process is triggered in such a way that it causes overproduction of the acid, it can result in health problems. Acidity can be caused by irregular eating patterns, fad diets, alcohol consumption, stress, smoking, an unhealthy diet, and a sedentary lifestyle. Symptoms can include:
Indigestion
Burning in the stomach
Belching
Sour taste
Burning in the throat
Constipation
Nausea
Restlessness
What Are The Dangers Of High Acidity In The Body?
When the body is acidic, it can affect everything from immunity to neurological function to bone health. The Japanese have linked acidity to degenerative diseases like arthritis, cancer, and osteoporosis.
An acidic body is also a very hospitable environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive meaning the person will often get sick more often. When the body is out of balance it becomes susceptible to conditions as simple as dandruff and as complex as diabetes. Interestingly, many people have reversed or gone into remission by simply bringing their body into balance.
What Is Alkalinity?
In order to understand alkalinity, you need to understand pH levels. This is the measure used to determine how alkaline or acid something is. A pH of 0 is at the acidic end of the scale and means the thing being measured is completely acidic. At the other end of the scale, a pH of 14 is totally alkaline. The neutral point is a pH of 7.
Different parts of the body have different pH levels, meaning that some parts are more acidic while others are more alkaline. For instance, blood typically has a pH that is between 7.35 and 7.45, making it slightly alkaline. The stomach, on the other hand, is highly acidic, registering a pH of 3.5 or lower. Making the body more alkaline is not about making it completely alkaline � you need some acidity, it is necessary for digestion and other processes � it is more about bringing the body into balance.
What Are The Benefits Of Alkalinity?
When the body has increased alkalinity, bringing it into better pH balance, it is healthier and has a decreased risk of chronic illness. There is also less likelihood of illness. When the body is in a better pH balance it can result in many benefits including:
More energy
Improved cognitive function
Slowed aging process
Weight loss
Lower cancer risk
Decreased risk of chronic illness
Increased immunity
How Can You Bring Your Body Into Balance?
The best way to bring your body into better pH balance is by modifying your diet. As a rule of thumb, animal based foods like meat, eggs, and dairy tend to be more acidic. A vegetarian diet rich in plant-based foods like vegetables and fruits tend to be more alkaline. While the body does need a diet that includes both acidic and alkaline foods, a diet of processed foods and foods high in fat and sugar can cause too much acidity. By adjusting the diet, eliminating processed foods, and maintaining a healthier, more vegetarian based diet, you can bring your body into balance and enjoy better health as a result.
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The Nervous System: At its very foundation chiropractic helps improve�nervous system function by making adjustments to the spine. Over time, more and more studies are proving that it is extremely effective and as a result many health conditions are improved and even healed completely.
Function Of The Nervous System
The nervous system is a complex network of nerves, spinal cord, and brain that reach and affect every part of the body. The core of the nervous system is the spinal cord which receives and transmits information in the body.
It is responsible for organ function, movement, and experiencing the senses sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The brain receives the information that is carried by the nervous system. It processes the information and helps the body react appropriately.
When you look at a cat, the image is transmitted through the nervous system, processed in the brain, and translated to the image of a cat as you understand it. It happens so quickly; there is no pause or lapse of time in a healthy nervous system. The transmission of the message is instantaneous.
How Chiropractic Helps Improve The Nervous System
When the spine is not aligned or the body is out of balance it can impact the function of the nervous system, causing chronic pain, difficulty in mobility, and a wide range of health conditions. Chiropractic adjustments open the pathways of the nervous system allowing the information to flow unobstructed.
It goes far beyond just the spine though. The chiropractor may adjust the arms, legs, neck, and hips in addition to the spine which all work together to provide a healthy, functioning nervous system. Regular chiropractic care can help keep the nervous system unimpeded and working as it should.
Improved Nervous System Means Improved Immune & Endocrine Systems
The nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system are inextricably linked so when one is impacted, the others are impacted as well. This occurs because all three systems share certain molecules that carry message between them, allowing them to communicate or work together. It is this connection that makes chiropractic an effective treatment for immunity.
While the immune system protects the body from disease, the endocrine system is responsible for producing certain hormones. These hormones are responsible for regulating tissue function, sleep, metabolism, sexual function, mood, growth and development, as well as other vital functions.
This is why chiropractic treatment can often help with depression and insomnia; it is even an effective treatment for infertility. When you look at the nervous system from this perspective it is easy to see how far reaching it is and how much it impacts the entire body.
Benefits Of An Improved Nervous System
There are many chronic and even degenerative health conditions that are impacted by the nervous system. Studies have shown that chiropractic is a very effective treatment for numerous neurological conditions including:
Vertigo
Cerebral palsy
Ataxia
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson�s
Epilepsy
Tourette�s Syndrome
Autism
This makes chiropractic more of a global treatment in many cases. A patient may seek treatment for pain or limited mobility but will often experience many other benefits due to the positive effects that the treatment has on the nervous system.
When there is a communication breakdown between the brain and the body�s tissues, organs, and cells it can lead to a variety of health problems. Chiropractic provides a safe, effective treatment for improved nervous system function.
In some cases, a patient may need regular chiropractic treatments that may be once a week or several times a week. The type, frequency, and intensity of the treatment is dependent upon the patient and their condition. Chiropractic treatment positively affects the nervous system and as a result, positively affects the entire body.
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Osteoporosis is a significant health problem in the United States and worldwide. An estimated 10 million individuals have osteoporosis in the U.S. alone and an additional 18 million individuals are at risk of developing the disease, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Females make up 80 percent of individuals who suffer from osteoporosis, but it also occurs in males although it is often underdiagnosed and thus underreported.
What is equally disturbing is that another 34 million individuals in the U.S. are at risk of developing osteopenia, a common precursor to osteoporosis. Many experts blame the typical American diet and lifestyle, although genetics can also contribute to a person�s likelihood of developing either of the diseases. The prevalence of both osteoporosis and osteopenia are serious health issues so it is important to understand them.
What Is Osteopenia?
Osteopenia is often a warning sign of impending osteoporosis. Nearly half of all Americans who are more than 50 years old have the disease.
Osteopenia is a bone disease, marked by a decrease in bone mineral density � or bone loss. While it is not as devastating as osteoporosis, it is a strong indicator that the patient will eventually develop the disease.
Nutrition and exercise are common treatments for osteopenia. Occasionally doctors will prescribe medication, but that is usually not the preferred treatment. Exercise, specifically weight bearing exercise, is a very effective treatment and preventative measure against these diseases.
Incorporating calcium and vitamin D are also common treatments. These can be in the form of supplements, but patients are also encouraged to eat calcium rich foods such as yogurt, leafy greens like spinach, and sardines.
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a serious condition that causes bones to become extremely brittle and weak. The word �Osteoporosis� literally means �porous bone� which is indicative of the primary characteristic of the disease.
When the bone is viewed under a microscope, it has tiny holes in its surface. While healthy bone has a honeycomb appearance under a microscope, bone with osteoporosis has much larger spaces and holes. The mass and density of osteoporotic bone is severely compromised. This can result in frequent broken bones as well as chronic pain and a patient can even lose several inches in height.
Patients with osteoporosis can also experience limited mobility due to the disease or broken bones that may occur as a result. This can lead to other health problems including depression and obesity. These conditions can exacerbate the disease itself and increase the patient�s pain. Often patients with osteoporosis, particularly at advanced stages, require long term care in a facility such as a nursing home.
The real danger is not how devastating it is to bones, it is the way it can go undetected for so long. Often it is not discovered until a bone is actually broken or the patient�s upper back begins curving forward. Sometimes the patient may become shorter. At that stage it is usually very advanced. With the right treatment, though, it can be slowed or stopped. Sometimes bone density can be improved and the disorder can be reversed at least to some degree.
What To Do If You Have Osteoporosis Or Osteopenia
If you suspect that you may have osteoporosis or osteopenia, or may be at risk for developing it, the first thing you need to do is talk to your doctor to confirm that you do have it. From there you can decide on a course of action which is usually exercise, diet, lifestyle changes, and chiropractic treatments. The sooner you take steps to protect and improve your health, the less likely you are to develop long term conditions.
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What Is Osteoporosis?
