Feature Articles:
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• October Is Spinal Health Month •
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Did you know 80 percent of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives? Did you know that over 30 million Americans sought chiropractic care last year alone, and recent studies show that patient satisfaction is extremely high for those who seek care from a doctor of chiropractic? And, did you know your spinal health has a direct effect on your overall wellness?
Spinal Health Month, sponsored by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), encourages you to speak with your local doctor of chiropractic about ways to keep your spine healthy. In addition, the ACA has provided a list of tips to assist in preventing back-related injuries:
- Don't lift by bending over. Instead, bend your hips and knees and then squat to pick up an object.
- Don't twist your body while lifting.
- Push, rather than pull, when you must move heavy objects.
- If you must sit for long periods, take frequent breaks and stretch.
- Wear flat shoes or shoes with low heels.
- Exercise regularly. An inactive lifestyle contributes to lower-back pain.
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| SOURCE: American Chiropractic Association. |
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• Exercise Training Eases Chronic Back Pain •
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Those suffering chronic back pain should not overlook the importance of exercise. According to a new study, a supervised exercise program combining resistance training to strengthen the muscles of the lower back with exercises designed to improve flexibility and coordination can improve their chronic condition. This study included 314 consecutive individuals with chronic back pain attributed largely to work-related causes and consisted of an 8 to 15 week exercise program. Remarkably, researchers were able to take two-thirds of workers who were previously deemed "unemployable" and bring them to an "employable" condition. The researchers found it seemed the more intensive the training, the greater the improvement. A word of caution, those in the study were fully supervised by health care professions during their exercise program.
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| SOURCE: Reuters. October 4, 2005. |
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• Chiropractic Success In Chronic Neck Pain •
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A study recently published in the prestigious Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found manipulation of the neck (manipulation is a common chiropractic treatment provided to the spinal and extremity regions) extremely beneficial in those suffering from chronic neck pain. In the study, half the patients received neck manipulation therapy and the other half received no therapy. Those receiving neck manipulation increased their neck mobility by 16 to 29 percent in the various planes of neck motion. Those receiving no therapy had little-to-no-to-negative improvement in their neck mobility. Moreover, after 1 year, improvement was reported by 80% of those receiving manipulative therapy and only 28% of the control patients (those not receiving manipulation).
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| SOURCE: JMPT. September 2005; Vol. 28, No. 7 |
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• Increased Homocysteine Shown To Reduce Mental Ability •
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Increased blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine have previously been associated with significantly higher occurrences of stroke and heart disease. Now, researchers have additionally found high levels of homocysteine to be associated with lower mental functioning in older individuals. Unfortunately, researchers state many physicians still do not routinely include homocysteine evaluations as part of their physical exams. So how might we fight high homocysteine levels naturally? Foods high in folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, as well as supplementation with these vitamins has been shown to successfully lower homocysteine levels in the blood.
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| SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, October 1, 2005. |
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