Clinic Wellness Team. A key factor to spine or back pain conditions is staying healthy. Overall wellness involves a balanced diet, appropriate exercise, physical activity, restful sleep, and a healthy lifestyle. The term has been applied in many ways. But overall, the definition is as follows.
It is a conscious, self-directed, and evolving process of achieving full potential. It is multidimensional, bringing together lifestyles both mental/spiritual and the environment in which one lives. It is positive and affirms that what we do is, in fact, correct.
It is an active process where people become aware and make choices towards a more successful lifestyle. This includes how a person contributes to their environment/community. They aim to build healthier living spaces and social networks. It helps in creating a person’s belief systems, values, and a positive world perspective.
Along with this comes the benefits of regular exercise, a healthy diet, personal self-care, and knowing when to seek medical attention. Dr. Jimenez’s message is to work towards being fit, being healthy, and staying aware of our collection of articles, blogs, and videos.
Your home is your castle, and also your haven. But common household items may be turning your sanctuary into a hazard and increasing your risk for colds, viruses, and food poisoning as well as deadly diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Below are five common, but possibly dangerous, items you should consider replacing … now.
Aluminum pots and pans. Aluminum pots and pans may increase your risk for neurological diseases because small amounts of aluminum leach into foods, especially those containing acids. Experts have linked aluminum to Alzheimer’s disease as well as Parkinson’s disease, kidney and liver damage, weakened bones, and multiple sclerosis.
“Aluminum is cumulative, and even small doses over time become highly toxic,” board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock tells Newsmax Health. “It’s a powerful neurotoxin. When aluminum combines with certain acids, such as those in orange juice, aluminum absorption is increased 11-fold,” he says. “If you’re cooking with fluoridated water, the aluminum and fluoride bind, so you’re producing aluminum fluoride, an extremely toxic compound.”
The worst scenario for a health disaster involving cookware is boiling water for tea in an aluminum kettle or pan, says Blaylock. “Black tea is already high in aluminum and fluoride, and you’d be getting very high levels of aluminum fluoride. Replace aluminum pots and pans with stainless, says Blaylock.
Scratched “non-stick” cookware. Manufacturers use the chemical PFOA (perfluororctanoic acid) when making Teflon (also known as polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE), the “no stick” cookware. But the pots and pans that are so easy to clean could be increasing your risk for several conditions, including breast cancer, preeclampsia, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Teflon and similar coatings, such as T-Fal and Silverstone, emit PFOAs when heated to a high temperature. The fumes can cause flu-like symptoms in people, nicknamed “Teflon flu.” A study by the Environmental Working Group found that heating a nonstick pan to 680 degrees on an ordinary electric stove released six toxic gasses including two that are known to cause cancer.
Studies have found that empty pans can reach 800 degrees in only five minutes, and some studies show that enough PFOAs are emitted to kill pet birds at temperatures as low as 325 degrees.
At high temperatures, Teflon also releases tetrafluoroethylene, a known carcinogen, and another chemical called monofluoroacetic acid, which can be fatal even in small amounts. When heated to 887 degrees, Teflon also emits perfluoroisobutene, a substance used in chemical warfare. When pans are scratched, the harmful chemicals are released at even lower temperatures.
Older cookware, scratched or not, is more likely to emit toxins, and many manufacturers have agreed to produce non-stick cookware that would not emit PFOAs. To be on the safe side, replace questionable pots and pans with stainless steel. Dr. Blaylock warns of one exception — don’t buy Chinese stainless. “It is usually extremely low-grade and it will degrade,” says Dr. Blaylock.
Kitchen sponges. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that food poisoning sickens 1 in 6 Americans every year (48 million). Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Salmonella and E. coli, two of the most common, hide on kitchen surfaces and in sponges, which are usually wet and provide an ideal environment for germs to multiply.
To stay safe, replace sponges on a regular basis. Sanitize wet sponges by microwaving them for two minutes, washing in the dishwasher, or placing them in boiling water laced with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar for three or four minutes.
Fire extinguishers. You probably have at least one fire extinguisher in your home, but how long has it been since you’ve even given it a second look? Fire extinguishers can de-pressurize over time and be worthless in an emergency. Check the label to see how long yours should last — some are expected to work for only about five years.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends non-rechargeable units be replaced every 12 years and rechargeable ones tested and recharged every six years. If your home is humid, your extinguisher may need replacing more often.
Check the pressure gauge on your extinguisher every month to make sure it falls in the green area. If not, replace it immediately. Also check for corrosion, cracked hoses, and broken handles — all indicate your fire extinguisher needs to be replaced.
Plastic food containers. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to make plastics used in food and beverage containers and is often used in the lining of metal cans. BPAs are proven endocrine disruptors and can increase the risk for breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, and obesity. “BPA actually disturbs the hormone production in our bodies,” Dr. Erika Schwartz, a leading expert on hormones tells Newsmax Health.
Avoid BPA by choosing fresh foods and those in glass containers instead of those in cans. Buy plastic containers with the recycling labels No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 on the bottom. Avoid those with No. 3, No. 7, or PC (polycarbonate). Cloudy or soft containers don’t contain BPA.
When children live through a contentious divorce or separation by their parents, the fallout appears to harm their health for decades, even into adulthood, researchers said Monday.
The study involved 201 healthy adults who agreed to be quarantined, exposed to a virus that causes the common cold, and monitored for five days.
Those whose parents had separated and had not spoken to each other for years were three times as likely to get sick, compared to those whose parents had separated but had stayed in touch as the children grew.
Previous research has shown that adults whose parents separated during childhood have an increased risk for poorer health.
The latest study showed that this higher risk of illness is due, at least in part, to heightened inflammation in response to a viral infection, the report said.
“Early life stressful experiences do something to our physiology and inflammatory processes that increase risk for poorer health and chronic illness,” said Michael Murphy, a psychology postdoctoral research associate at Carnegie Mellon University.
“This work is a step forward in our understanding of how family stress during childhood may influence a child’s susceptibility to disease 20-40 years later.”
The study also showed that the adult children of parents who had separated but stayed in touch were no more likely to get sick than the adult children of intact families.
“Our results target the immune system as an important carrier of the long-term negative impact of early family conflict,” said Sheldon Cohen, a co-author and professor of psychology.
“They also suggest that all divorces are not equal, with continued communication between parents buffering deleterious effects of separation on the health trajectories of the children.”
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal.
Packaged foods and store-bought drinks are blamed for adding a lot of salt to U.S. diets, but a new study suggests those foods and beverages don’t contain as much sodium as they once did.
The amount of salt brought into U.S. households through packaged food and store-bought beverages fell by about 18 percent from 2000 through 2014, researchers found.
Still, they say, the vast majority of U.S. children and adults consume well over the recommended amount of sodium every day.
“Households are getting less sodium form the grocery store, but I think it’s important to know sodium in packaged foods is still way too high,” said lead author Jennifer Poti, of the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “So we have a long way to go.”
Experts and dietary guidelines have urged people in the U.S. to cut back on sodium. The current recommendation is to consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day, or the amount in about 1 teaspoon of salt.
Too much sodium increases blood pressure by drawing water from the body into the blood vessels, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels and lead to serious problems like heart attacks and strokes.
Writing in JAMA Internal Medicine, Poti and colleagues cite a 2010 report form the Institute of Medicine calling for reduced sodium in packaged foods, to bring down the amount in U.S. diets.
For the new study, the researchers analyzed data on packaged food purchased from 2000 through 2014 by 30,000 to 60,000 U.S. households each year. Overall, they had data on about 1.5 million products.
Over the study period, sodium from packaged foods and beverages fell from 2,363 mg per day per person to 1,967 mg per day.
When they examined the nutritional content of the purchased foods, the researchers found that the salt content in the products had fallen about 12 percent over the study period.
In seven of the 10 biggest sources of salt among packaged foods and beverages, sodium content declined at least 10 percent. Those included items like condiments, sauces and dips.
The new study can’t say why the amount of salt from packaged foods and beverages declined. Poti said people didn’t seem to drastically change their purchases during the study.
“Potentially some of these changes are due to the removal of sodium from products by manufacturers,” she told Reuters Health.
Despite the progress in reducing sodium, less than 2 percent of households were buying foods and beverages considered to contain an acceptable amount of salt, the study found.
Still, the results are encouraging, said Lisa Harnack, who was not involved with the new study but recently published research on salt in food.
“It suggests that Americans are decreasing sodium intake form packaged food, which is important,” said Harnack, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis.
She also told Reuters Health that U.S. diets have a long way to go.
“People should read labels and aim for lower sodium products to support their own health and increase demand for lower sodium options,” she said.
Poti said the results suggest the U.S. needs more concerted efforts to reduce the amount of salt in diets.
“We really need to have more environmental-level efforts to remove sodium from the products so consumers have more choices and that there are lower sodium options in the marketplace,” she said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2s9ZHsx JAMA Internal Medicine, online June 5, 2017.
Bisphosphonates, which are sometimes used to treat osteoporosis, do not prevent fractures in women who take them for more than 10 years. The drugs include popular prescription drugs such as Boniva, Fosamax Plus D, and Reclast.
Osteoporosis causes thinning of the bones, reducing bone density and making them fragile and putting them at higher risk for bone fractures.
Risk for osteoporosis increases as we age. Studies show that 50 percent of women over the age of 50 will suffer a bone fracture due to osteoporosis.
Bisphosphonates increase bone mineral density, which strengthens bones and is thought to make them less likely to fracture. Studies have shown that taking these drugs for one to four years decreases the risk of fractures in women with low bone density, but little is known about whether taking them for longer periods of time has the same effect.
A study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, examined whether older women taking bisphosphonates for 10-13 years had fewer bone fractures than older women with similar fracture risks who took these medicines only briefly.
Researchers looked at information from 5,120 women with a high risk for bone fractures who used bisphophonates. They discovered that women who took bisphosphonates for 10 to13 years had higher fracture rates, compared with women who took the medication for two years. Taking bisphosphonates for shorter periods of time was not linked to a higher fracture risk.
Recent studies have found that natural foods and supplements can strengthen aging bones. An Irish study examined the relationship between dairy intake and bone density, and found that the hip bones of senior citizens who ate the most were denser than the hip bones of those who ate the least.
Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Eastern Finland followed 2,245 middle-aged men for 20 years, and found that men with lower blood levels of magnesium had an increased risk of fractures, particularly fractures of the hip.
Men who had higher blood levels of magnesium lowered their risk by 44 percent. None of the men who had very high magnesium levels suffered a fracture during the 20-year follow-up. However, dietary magnesium intake was not found to be linked with fractures. Only supplements were shown to be beneficial.
By 2020, an estimated 61 million American adults will have low bone mineral density.
Seeing a doctor of chiropractic, otherwise called chiropractic physician, a chiropractor or DC, might be a beneficial step towards effectively treating low back pain. Below is a quick description of what chiropractors do and how they help patients solve their low back pain.
What Chiropractors Do
Chiropractors use a string of treatments designed to manipulate tissues of the entire body, joints, and the spine to alleviate pain and improve functional ability. Usually, this will be referred to as spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), but you’ll find many other chiropractic treatment procedures.
A chiropractor tailors her or his treatment approach based on the individual needs of a patient, utilizing a traditional doctrine of starting off together with the more natural, less-invasive therapies before continuing to some more aggressive approaches.
At each stage throughout the process, chiropractors preserve a strict emphasis on communicating together with the patient precisely what’s going to happen. The chiropractor makes sure the patient comprehends everything that happens during a diagnosis, evaluation, and also the planned procedures, to be able to educate the patient and receive direct acceptance to commence the treatment process. This emphasis on informed consent is vital because stuff threat*, which means there could a danger, however, unimportant, that a certain process perhaps could cause an injury may be carried by some chiropractic techniques.
* state may vary by state.
Nonetheless, a chiropractor additionally advises a patient of the potential risks attached to abstaining in the task, totally. Nevertheless, none of this is intended to frighten a patient. Make sure the patient, who has full control over her or his body can make an educated choice and always it truly is simply intended to remove mistakes.
Before making any type of analysis or treatment strategy, a chiropractor will analyze a patient thoroughly. The evaluation can include various facets, including wellness history.
Look at the characteristics of the pain, keeping an eye fixed out for “red flags,” which suggest that further diagnostic testing ought to be conducted to be able to exclude any potentially serious medical problems which can be related to neck or low back pain-like neurological disorders, fractures, diseases, and tumors.
There are lots of reasons why low back pain happens. A chiropractor will find out those reasons to configure the treatment that is best suited, including: physical examinations, such as neurological and orthopedic evaluations and analyzing sensory nerves, the reflexes, joints, muscles, along with other regions of the body.
Advanced Diagnostic Testing
Imaging and laboratory tests usually are not recommended for nonspecific LBP, however they could possibly be required if there are indications of a serious underlying illness. A chiropractor logically classifies them based by how serious and examines ailments and the symptoms of an injury or sickness they are, and how long they last.
Symptoms are subdivided into degrees of severity: mild, moderate, or severe. With regards to duration, pain (and other symptoms) can be referred to as:
Acute – lasts for less than 6 weeks
Subacute – lasts between 6 and 12 weeks
Chronic – persists for at least 12 weeks
Continuing/flare-up – the same symptom(s) reoccurs sporadically or because of exacerbating the initial harm
An average chiropractic healing trial is 2 to 3 weekly sessions on the course of 2 to 4 weeks, going up to 12 complete sessions per trial, if a patient is suffering from acute or subacute low back pain. Often, this could be sufficient to completely solve the pain. Other times, additional treatments might be necessary, especially if a patient is suffering from other problems.
Outcome measurements certainly are a valuable instrument for a chiropractor because they are able to help determine when the treatments are showing significant progress. Some means a chiropractor can quantify the outcomes of the treatments including having a patient speed the pain. With a pain diagram so a patient can describe nature and the place of the pain, which increases (or declines) in daily living practices, as in the capacity to work (employment), exercise and sleep. Such as for example lifting ability, strength, flexibility, and endurance analyzing functional capacity
Some patients’ low back pain may have lasted into and beyond the 12-week mark, which makes it persistent pain. During examination, chiropractors will seek out signs to find out whether a patient is prone to developing chronic pain- the “yellow flags” of chronicity so to speak.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Lower Back Pain After Auto Injury
After being involved in an automobile accident, neck injuries and aggravated conditions, such as whiplash, are some of the most commonly reported types of injuries, due to the force of the impact. A study discovered, however, that the seat of a vehicle can often lead to injuries as well, causing lower back pain and other symptoms. Lower back pain is also among one of the most common types of automobile accident injuries in the U.S. alone.
With summer officially just weeks away, many of us are dreading bathing suit season because we’ve packed on pounds — especially around the mid-section. But you won’t get those washboard abs by doing sit-ups, say experts. Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym, as the saying goes.
In other words: It’s what you put into your gut that helps banish belly fat.
“Visceral fat, or what we commonly call belly fat, is more than the fat you see on your body and can pinch between your fingers,” notes Tara Gidus Collingwood, the team dietitian for the Orlando Magic basketball team.
“It’s the layer of fat deep inside the body that forms between your organs. And even though you can’t see it, if you have an increased amount of subcutaneous fat, the fat you CAN see and pinch, it’s likely that that you also have a large amount of visceral fat.
Collingwood, co- author of the “Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies,” tells Newsmax Health the more belly fat you have, the more dangerous it is to your health.
“Visceral fat is so toxic that research has linked it to everything from an increased risk of heart disease, to metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, gallstones, certain cancers, and even dementia,” notes.
Now for the good news: Gidus says that science has uncovered foods that actually help blast away belly fat. Here are her top 10 choices:
Salmon. Inflammation caused by an imbalance in your gut which can turn on your fat genes, leading you to gain weight around your belly. Salmon is a super anti-inflammatory food and also contains omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to reduce belly fat storage. It also helps to control the hormone levels like cortisol, a common culprit of increased fat storage in the midsection.
Apples. These summer and fall favorites are great belly-fat fighters because they are high in fiber. This allows foods to be slowly digested, which controls the response of insulin and helps stabilize blood sugar — giving an added boost to the fight against fat.
Almonds. Not all fats are created equal, and some are actually helpful in reducing belly fat. Stock up on almonds for snacking because they are high in monounsaturated fat which reduces the accumulation of fat around the belly.
Popcorn. Here’s another handy snack food that is a great belly-flattening treat and you can eat a lot of it. Purchase loose corn kernels or low-fat and low- sodium microwave popcorn to help reduce your sodium intake and keep calories in check for a flat belly all season long.
Green tea. This powerhouse beverage contains the flavonoid quercetin which not only boosts the immune system and promotes heart health but also helps fight belly fat. It works by blocking fat cells from maturing and inhibits the rate of new fat cell formation.
Eggs. One of the best ways to protect yourself against visceral fat is to strengthen and protect your muscles. Muscle burns energy on a regular basis, so it steals energy away from fat cells — especially belly fat cells — to sustain itself. For under 80 calories, an egg provides six grams of muscle-building protein.
Spinach. This leafy green contains a unique long-chain sugar molecule called sulfoquinovose (SQ). According to a study in the journal Natural Chemical Biology, SQ feeds the good or beneficial bacteria, which in turn promotes their growth in the gut. When these bacteria are strong, they provide a protective barrier in the gut preventing the growth of bad bacteria which can cause inflammation and increase belly fat.
Greek yogurt. The Society for Endocrinology presented a study by researchers who found that when protein is digested and broken down into amino acids in your body, one of those amino acids called phenylalanine, triggers hormones that help reduce appetite, which ultimately leads to fat burn and weight loss.
Bananas. When you are sleep deprived, the levels of ghrelin called the “hungry hormone” skyrocket while the levels of leptin, the hormone that signals satiety, plummet. As a result, studies show you are more likely to eat more the next day and the foods you choose are the ones that typically increase belly fat. So if you are having trouble falling asleep, eat a banana which is an excellent source of the muscle relaxing ingredients magnesium and potassium. This handy fruit also contains tryptophan, a chemical which can help summon the Sandman.
Cayenne pepper. This popular spice doesn’t only burn your tongue, it helps burn away belly fat. Daily consumption of one of the compounds found in pepper seeds, called capsaicin, speeds up abdominal loss by boosting the body’s ability to convert food into energy, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
You’re probably already incorporating strength moves such as squats, planks, and burpees, into your workout routine. But there are a few additional moves you’re likely missing. These�strength exercises below target commonly overlooked muscle groups, says Karen Litzy, a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. Adding them to your regular workout routine will not only improve your strength in your lower body and core�but also help keep injuries away.
Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
Lie faceup with lower legs and heels on a stability ball, knees straight. Lift hips off the floor (A). Slowly bend knees to pull the ball toward hips (B), then slowly return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15.
Fire Hydrant
This exercise targets the gluteus medius (a.k.a. the upper part of your butt), says Litzy, which helps support your pelvis. “Any weakness there can cause hip strain that leads to pain.” Start on all fours (A). Raise left thigh to the side, keeping knee in line with foot (B). Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on other side.
For good posture, it’s important to tone the erector spinae muscles along the back of your spine. From all fours (A), simultaneously extend left leg at hip height and right arm at shoulder level (B). Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat the move with right leg and left arm. That’s 1 rep. Do 10 reps.
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