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.
A Franco-Australian study published this week reports that testosterone protects males against developing asthma, suppressing the production of a type of immune cell that triggers allergic asthma.
An international team of researchers set out to investigate why females are two times more likely to develop asthma than males after puberty.
According to the research, carried out jointly by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and the Physiopathology Center of Toulouse-Purpan, France, the answer could lie in our hormones.
The scientists found that high levels of testosterone had a protective effect against the development of allergic asthma, inhibiting immune cells called type-two innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), associated with the initiation of asthma.
As highlighted by a French study published in PNAS in 2014, these cells, which are found in lungs, skin and other organs, play a role in triggering allergic reactions like asthma.
These cells produce inflammatory proteins that can cause lung inflammation and damage in response to common triggers for allergic asthma, such as pollen, dust mites, cigarette smoke and pet hair.
“Testosterone directly acts on ILC2s by inhibiting their proliferation,” explains Dr Cyril Seillet from Melbourne’s Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. “So in males, you have less ILC2s in the lungs and this directly correlates with the reduced severity of asthma.”
This major breakthrough in understanding the mechanisms that drive allergic asthma, as well as key differences between males and females, could lead to new treatments for the disease. These could potentially mimic the hormonal regulation of ILC2 to treat or prevent asthma.
Several studies have suggested that menopause may increase the risk of hearing loss, possibly due to lower estrogen levels, and that postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy might slow the decline. But researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that hormone therapy actually increased the risk of hearing loss.
Researchers examined links between menopausal status, oral hormone therapy, and risk of self-reported hearing loss in more than 80,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II.
During the 22-year study period, 23 percent of the participants developed hearing loss. Although no significant association was found between menopausal status and the risk, using postmenopausal hormone therapy was linked to a higher risk of hearing loss. The longer women used hormone therapy, the greater their risk.
“Our research focuses on identifying preventable contributors to hearing loss,” said lead author Dr. Sharon Curhan. “Although the role of sex hormones in hearing is complex and incompletely understood, these findings suggest that women who undergo natural menopause at an older age may have a higher risk. In addition, longer duration of postmenopausal hormone therapy use is associated with higher risk.
“These findings suggest that hearing health may be a consideration for women when evaluating the risks and benefits of hormone therapy,” she said.
The findings are published online May 10, 2017 in Menopause, The Journal of the North American Menopause Society.
An earlier study by Dr. Curhan of 65,000 women found that those who eat at least two servings of fish every week have a lower risk of age-related hearing loss.
Although hearing loss is often considered an inevitable part of aging, those who ate two or more servings a week had a 20 percent lower risk of hearing loss when compared to women who rarely ate fish. “Consumption of any type of fish tended to be associated with lower risk,” said Dr. Curhan. “These findings suggest that diet may be important in the prevention of acquired hearing loss.”
Approximately 48 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, and the number is expected to increase as the population ages.
Kicking the sugar habit is no easy task. But if you�re considering giving it a try, here�s some inspiration to help you succeed: it�ll have profound effects on your short- and long-term health.
A little of the sweet stuff is okay; the American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons daily for men. (Quick comparison: a 12-ounce can of cola has approximately 8 teaspoons.) And you can keep eating unprocessed foods that contain natural sugar, like fruits and vegetables. Unlike added sugar, natural sugar hasn�t been stripped of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber Mother Nature packaged them in.
But if you can dial your intake of added sugar way back, you�ll start to rack up some amazing body benefits, like these.
Your skin will look younger
Think less sag and fewer wrinkles. Studies suggest that the amount of sugar in the blood (which is affected by how much sugar you eat) sets up a molecular domino effect called glycation, which ultimately leaves skin less firm and elastic. Already bothered by premature lines? Cutting your sugar intake can reduce visible signs of aging, research shows.
You�ll have less belly fat
This is the visceral or �deep� fat that builds up around vital organs like your liver, pancreas, and intestines. Stubborn and hard to get rid of, it�s also dangerous; visceral fat is a known risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. In 2016, data from more than 1,000 people who are part of the ongoing Framingham Heart Study showed that the more sugar-sweetened beverages they consumed, the higher their level of visceral fat.
Added sugars are simple carbohydrates. This means they�re digested fast and enter your bloodstream quickly, providing that sugar high that helps jump-start your energy and alertness. But as anyone who relies on a candy bar or pastry for a pick-me-up knows, once that shot of sugar is metabolized, you’re in for a crash.
When you need fuel, swap the sugar-sweetened meals and snacks for items that are low in sugar yet high in protein and/or fat, like almonds. Because they take longer to digest, they�ll supply you with a steadier stream of energy that will last longer, says Diane Sanfilippo, a certified nutrition consultant and author of The 21-Day Sugar Detox.
You�ll lower your risk of obesity
Epidemiological studies show a striking correlation between weight gain and sugar consumption. One study that looked at data from 75 different countries between 1997 and 2010 found that a 1 percent rise in soft drink consumption across a nation was linked to an additional 4.8 people out of 100 being overweight and an additional 2.3 people out of 100 being obese.
Here are some more numbers: sugar has 16 calories per teaspoon, which may not sound like a big deal. But considering how much added sugar is loaded into tons of products, consuming sweetened foods can easily add hundreds of calories to your diet�calories that you may not need and may end up as dangerous fat around your middle.
A healthy heart helps you power through your day, from that a.m. spin class to a late deadline at work. But the more added sugar in your diet, the higher your risk of dying of heart disease, even if your weight is in a healthy range.
In one 2014 JAMA study, researchers found that those who consumed the highest amount of sugar � accounting for more than 21 percent of their totally daily calories �had double the heart disease death risk of people who took in 17 to 21 percent of their daily calories from the sweet stuff. This group in turn had a 38 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who kept their sugar intake to 8 percent of their daily calories (The FDA says getting 10% of your daily calories from added sugar is a solid guideline).
Researchers have long debated whether there was a direct connection between eating sugar and developing type 2 diabetes. But recent research has lent support to this theory. A 2014 Stanford University study of 175 countries found that the more sugar that is available in a population’s food supply, the higher the diabetes rate�and this was true even when a country’s obesity rate was not factored in. (Obesity itself can set a person up for diabetes).
Epidemiological data also suggests that among other factors, diets high in sugar�even in diets that are not necessarily high in calories�cause the body to store visceral fat around the middle, and that can lead to insulin resistance and a diabetes diagnosis.
Scientists believe that turmeric my hold the key to better bone density
The study involved fit, healthy and slim men and women who all suffered declining bone density.
In just six months, those taking a daily tablet of the turmeric and soy lecithin formulation boosted bone density by seven per cent compared with a group given a placebo.
The quality of bone in the heels, jaws and fingers of the group – who had an average age of 70 – was measured at the start of the project using specialized ultrasound scanning.
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By the end of the trial bone density had increased in all three sites by up to 7 per cent above the placebo, suggesting a significant benefit.
Curcumin researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, along with INSERM the French government’s medical research laboratories, and a team of doctors from four prestigious American universities, have published similar conclusions.
Doctors are increasingly concerned that almost three quarters of elderly people lose strength-providing bone mineral.
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The spice may hold the secret to battling osteoporosis in the elderly
The condition called osteopenia, mostly caused by a lack of exercise, can worsen into osteoporosis and lead to fatal fractures if untreated.
We’re are delighted by these results
Alf Lindberg
Every year about 65,000 people suffer hip fractures caused by bone fragility, leading to the deaths of up to 35 per cent of victims in the older age groups.
Turmeric+, which comes from the powerful root of the curcumin plant, is sold in Britain by the Cambridge bioscience company Cambridge Nutraceuticals under the brand FutureYou.
Alf Lindberg, a former Nobel prize committee member who is a scientific spokesman for Cambridge Nutraceuticals, said: �We’re are delighted by these results, and we are stepping up our osteoporosis research programme with turmeric as a result.
�Our formulation is better absorbed by the human body than turmeric in its natural form, and we believe it could offer an earlier side-effect free alternative for people at risk from osteoporosis.�
Bone mineral density is regulated by maintaining a balance between bone-building osteoblast cells and osteoclasts, which are designed to mop up ageing bone cells for replacement.
In older people osteoclast activity may outweigh the rate of bone replacement.
GETTY – STOCK IMAGE
Almost three quarters of elderly people lose strength-providing bone mineral
Stefano Togni, is scientific spokesman for the world’s largest researcher into plant based treatments, Indena, which developed the raw material for Turmeric+.
He said the Italian company had produced similar promising bone-building results with the uniquely bioavailable compound in animal studies.
He said: �Our work suggests this form of curcumin dampens down the rate of bone resorption which could be very good news, because it would mean that people who are in the early stages of bone loss will now have a treatment.”
Elise Verron, a specialist in the evaluation of medicines for INSERM from the University of Nantes in France, was a co-author of a review of the bone-building properties of curcumin and turmeric in the Nature journal Bonekey.
Tue, April 25, 2017
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She agrees that the key to harnessing its power will depend on developing strategies to improve absorption.
She said: �In the past decade there has been growing interest in curcumin because of its low toxicity and multiple therapeutic actions including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities, but few studies have looked at its effect on bone tissue.
�At the moment it is too early to get a clear idea of the benefit.�
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Turmeric comes from the powerful root of the curcumin plant
Luca Giacomelli, of the department of integrated diagnostics at Genoa University, who was one of the leaders of the new Italian study, said the results were promising.
But he cautioned that the effect cannot be replicated simply by adding regular curry to the diet because turmeric in food is less easily absorbed.
He said: �People need to take this kind of high quality supplement under medical supervision.�
The findings may also come as good news for thousands of people advised by doctors to take bisphosphonate drugs designed to maintain bone density by reducing the rate of bone breakdown.
Latest research has suggested that long term users of these drugs may suffer ‘microcracks’.
Intense physiological stress can change the composition of our gut microbiota
Imbalances in the gut arelinked to diabetes, obesity and some cancers
Findings raise concerns for endurance athletes and military personnel
The study is the first to investigate gut bateria during military training
Long periods of intense exercise can change the composition of your gut bacteria, a new study has found.
The research looked at soldiers taking part in an intensive training programme and found that pro-longed exercise caused the protective barrier in their guts to become permeable.
In other words, the prolonged exertion triggered �leaky guy syndrome� � a condition that could let harmful substances leak into the bloodstream.
With our gut health and overall health believed to be strongly linked, intense physiological stress could therefore raise the risks of many types of illnesses.
The new research is the first to investigate the response of gut microbiome � the term for the population of microbes in the intestine � during military training.
It provides a stark warning for endurance athletes and military personnel.
The study suggests physical stress can increase intestinal permeability, which can raise the risk of inflammation and illness
Most of us are aware that the bacteria in our gut play an important role in digestion. Furthermore, they are known to aid the production of certain vitamins � such as vitamins B and K � and play a key role in immune function.
But increasingly, research is emerging showing how poor gut health is linked to conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, obesity, childhood asthma, to colitis and colon cancer.
The study is the first to investigate the response of gut microbiome � the term for the population of microbes in the intestine � during military training.
It looked at a group of 73 Norwegian Army soldiers taking part in a military-style cross country skiing training programme.
Recent research suggests our gut bacteria holds the key to improving our health � and may be the key to tackling obesity
The group skied 31 miles (51 km) while carrying 99-pound (45 kg) packs, across four days.
Before and after the training exercise, researchers collected blood and stool samples from the soldiers.
It was found that the microbiome and metabolites � the substance formed in or necessary for metabolism � in the soldiers� blood and stool altered �significantly� by the end of the aggressive training period.
Furthermore, sucralose excretion in their urine samples rose considerably, indicating an increase in intestinal permeability (IP).
Scientists know that healthy intestines have a semi-permeable barrier, which acts as a defense to keep bacteria and other harmful substances out, while allowing healthy nutrients into the bloodstream.
It is thought that physical stress can increase IP, increasing the risk of inflammation, illness and symptoms such as diarrhoea.
The findings may spell bad news for endurance athletes and military personnel
The researchers wrote: �Intestinal microbiota appear to be one influencing factor in the gut�s response to physical stress.
�Our findings suggest that the intestinal microbiota may be one mediator of IP responses to severe physiologic stress, and that targeting the microbiota before stress exposure may be one strategy for maintaining IP.�
The study was published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology � Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.
MICROBIOME: DOES IT CONTROL EVERYTHING?
Researchers now estimate that a typical human body is made up of about 30 trillion human cells and 39 trillion bacteria.
These are key in harvesting energy from our food, regulating our immune function, and keeping the lining of our gut healthy.
Interest in, and knowledge about, the microbiota has recently exploded as we now recognise just how essential they are to our health.
A healthy, balanced microbiome helps us break down foods, protects us from infection, trains our immune system and manufactures vitamins, such as K and B12.
It also sends signals to our brain that can affect mood, anxiety and appetite.
Imbalances in the gut are increasingly being linked to a range of conditions. Last year, scientists at California Institute of Technology found the first ever link between the gut and Parkinson�s symptoms.
The composition of our gut microbiota is partly determined by our genes but can also be influenced by lifestyle factors such as our diet, alcohol intake and exercise, as well as medications.
You could explore alternative treatments to treat your pain and other symptoms from degenerative disc disorder. As the name implies, they’re choices to medication, physical therapy, or operation�the typical “Western” approach to medicine.
You may consider going to your complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner; CAM is a group of practices and therapies which aren’t considered part of traditional medicine. It offers acupuncture, homeopathy, and massage. Many patients reported these treatments have helped.
Degenerative Disc Disease Alternative Treatment Overview
For degenerative disc disorder, you might want to try:
Acupuncture: Acupuncture uses quite fine needles�and no drug�to treat your pain. Professionals consider that you have an energy force called your Chi (additionally, it may be spelled Qi, but both forms are pronounced “chee”). You can grow physical sickness, for example back pain, when this force is blocked. Thus should free the Chi channels, which professionals call your meridians of your body up. Acupuncture works to restore a healthy, dynamic flow of Chi.
Acupuncture needles are almost as thin as strands of hair. Based in your symptoms and diagnosis that is precise, a professional will insert the needles; you’ll most likely have multiple needles fit during one session. Points that are exact will be targeted by the professional in the meridians of your body’s, and the needles will soon be made in for 20 to 40 minutes. It’s been suggested that acupuncture needles cause your own body to discharge specific neurochemicals, such as endorphins or serotonin, plus they help in the therapeutic process.
Herbal Remedies: Do your research, before attempting any herbal remedies and speak to your doctor. There could possibly be side effects that you simply are oblivious of� an herbal treatment could hinder a prescribed medicine you are taking, as an example. Some herbal remedies you might want to consider for degenerative disc disease are:
Devil’s Claw: Devil’s claw comes from southern Africa, where it has been put to use for countless decades to take care of arthritis fever, and gastrointestinal difficulties. It works as an anti inflammatory. Now, it’s used for conditions that cause pain and inflammation, like degenerative disk disease. It can be taken by you in a capsule.
SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine): It’s been suggested that SAMe is useful for the age-related “wear and tear” spinal conditions, including osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease. As a bonus, there have been several studies that demonstrate it’s also great for treating depression. (Individuals afflicted by chronic pain can become depressed because of the means by which the pain changes their lives. Their continual condition can likewise change their body’s nervous system chemistry, resulting in a chemical imbalance and maybe melancholy.)
White Willow Bark: The white willow led in Europe to the development of aspirin. If you don’t need to choose the artificial variant (aspirin can irritate the gut), use white willow bark. It’s for conditions that cause pain or inflammation, like degenerative disc disorder. In addition, it provides relief for acute back pain.
Prolotherapy: This treatment has been tried by some patients and found that it works to reduce their pain from degenerative disc disease. Proponents of prolotherapy clarify that one of the issues associated with DDD is weak ligaments and tendons. Powerful, supporting ligaments and tendons are essential in your back simply because they help keep stability. Your ligaments and tendons need to work extra difficult to support your back, following your discs start to degenerate, basically weakening your backbone. Over time, though, they can degenerate, also; they can wear out or even tear. This leaves your intervertebral discs without the support they require.
Prolotherapy tries to stimulate development of new ligament and tendon tissues. Using an injection of a “proliferant” (a term utilized by prolotherapists�itis a mild irritant solution), prolotherapy is designed to kick-start the entire body’s healing process. The proliferant causes inflammation, which tells the entire body to begin healing itself by generating new tissue.
A prolotherapy injection goes right to the difficulty ligaments and tendons, and it takes several rounds of shots (and time) to have the effects. Speak to your physician in the event you think prolotherapy may be a choice for you personally.
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: What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is a safe and effective, alternative treatment option utilized to diagnose, treat and prevent a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the musculoskeletal and nervous system. A chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, commonly uses spinal adjustments or manual manipulations to help correct the spine and it’s surrounding structures, improving and maintaining the patient’s strength, mobility and flexibility.
The exercises you do before your workout may matter just as much as the main event. That’s why we tapped David Reavy, founder of React Physical Therapy in Chicago, to show us the best exercises to become a better runner. According to Reavy, getting the body warmed up pre-run is key, since “your muscles aren’t elastic.” By easing into exercise, you reduce your likelihood of injury and prime your body for the activity head. The four exercises in the video above will prep your muscles so you have a better (and safer!) run.
Watch the clip above to see Reavy demo the key exercises every runner should be doing regularly, or read up on the important moves below.
Hip flexor release: Start with your stomach on the mat, using your elbows and forearms to prop the upper body up so your chest is lifted off the floor. Bend your right leg at a 90-degree angle at your side and extend your left leg long on the floor behind you. Bend the left leg at the knee, bringing the foot toward the glutes 30 times. Switch the positioning of the legs and repeat the movement 30 times on the opposite side.
Lateral quad release: Start with your stomach on the mat and use your elbows and forearms to prop the upper body up, so your chest is lifted off the floor. Place a foam roller underneath the left quad with the right leg bent at a 90-degree angle to the right side of your body on the floor. Bend the left leg at the knee, driving the foot from the floor toward the glutes 30 times. Switch the positioning of the legs and foam roller and repeat the movement 30 times on the opposite side.
Four-way lunges: Start in a lunge position with your left leg in front. First, continuously move your hands from chest-height toward the mat, moving your torso back and forth slightly with the movement. Return to a regular lunge. Next, continuously twist your torso from left to right. Return to a regular lunge. After that, raise your hands up, bending the elbows at 90-degree angles on each side. Continuously lower each elbow toward your waistline one at a time to stretch your side body on the left and right. Return to a regular lunge. Do 10 to 15 reps of a standard lunge. Repeat all four exercises in a lunge on the other side, with the right leg in front.
Inner thigh squat: From standing, complete 10 to 15 deep squats with the toes turned slightly out to target the inner thighs.
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