Dr. Beecher’s July 4th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, July 4th, 2011
Mental Attitude: Suicidal Teens And Eating Disorders. Teens 13-18 years old suffering from anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders are more likely to suffer from suicidal thoughts, anxiety disorders and substance abuse. 0.3% of the teens surveyed reported suffering from anorexia nervosa and 0.9% from bulimia nervosa. A full 1.6% suffered from binge eating disorder. One third of those with bulimia actually attempted suicide. 15% of those with binge eating had and about
8% of those with anorexia had attempted the same. 55-88% of teens with eating disorders also reported such problems as anxiety, depression, or a behavioral disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, May 2011
Health Alert: Uninsured Unable To Pay Hospital Bills. 50 million Americans are uninsured. Most uninsured people have virtually no savings, half with less than $20 net worth. Half of families with income at 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, or $89,400 a year, have financial assets below $4,100. Every year, 2 million uninsured Americans are hospitalized, with 58% of these hospital stays resulting in bills of more than $10,000. US Dept Health and Human Services, May 2011
Diet: Weight Management Tips. 1.Fruit. Fruit contains vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. Consumption of fiber is associated with lower body weight and gives a feeling of fullness. 2. Keep hydrated. Feeling tired or hungry? You may just be thirsty. Drink at least 6 glasses of water a day. Water helps your body transport nutrients and eliminate toxins. 3.
Close the kitchen. When you finish a meal, clean the dishes and turn off the lights. Tell yourself the kitchen is now closed.
Family Features, April 2011
Exercise: Exercise and Colds. Regular exercise helps jump-start the immune system, thus helping to reduce the number of colds, flu and other viruses. Mayo Clinic, May 2011
Chiropractic: The Nervous System Connected To The Immune System? The neurotransmitter norepinephrine is present in sympathetic nerve fibers that innervate lymphoid organs and act on the spleen. Norepinephrine in lymphoid organs plays a significant role in the regulation of the immune system. Stressful conditions lead to altered measures of immune function, and altered susceptibility to a variety of diseases. Many stimuli, which primarily act on the central nervous system, can profoundly alter immune responses. The two routes available to the central nervous system are neuroendocrine channels and autonomic nerve channels. The Chiropractic Research Journal, 1994
Wellness/Prevention: Minutes Of Exercise A Day Can Keep The Pain Away. As little as 2 minutes of exercise a day can reduce pain and tenderness in adults with neck and shoulder problems. After 10 weeks, the 2-minutes-per-day exercise group experienced significant reductions of neck and should pain (decreased 1.4 points out of 10) and tenderness (decreased 4.2 points out of 32). The 12-minutes-per-day exercise group had slightly larger reductions in pain and tenderness (an extra .5 and .2 points, respectively). American College of Sports Medicine, May 2011
Quote: “Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” ~ Lance Armstrong
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr Beecher’s July 2011 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!
“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense” ~ Gertrude Stein
WARNING HEART PATIENTS:
Should You Take These Popular
Over-The-Counter Pain Medications
After A Heart Attack?
Study Concludes – Heart patients who used common pain relievers called NSAIDs, even briefly, are at much higher risk of having a repeat heart attack or of dying than those who stay away from the drugs, which include such widely used over-the-counter medications as ibuprofen and naproxen
Plus…
- Study shows the simple formula for kids’ academic success – and it is NOT spending more time in the classroom!
- What type of exercise is best? Scientists say it’s good for your mind and body to “feel the burn.”
- Research: Getting the wrong amount of sleep can age your brain by up to SEVEN YEARS!
- A simple way to get better results from any weight loss program.
- And the story that shows how local heroes create heroes!
| H |
ouston – Many visionary health care providers warned about it. Most laughed it off. Now, the research is really piling up and the evidence is getting too strong to ignore.
Back in July 1998, The American Journal of Medicine reported, “Conservative calculations estimate that approximately 107,000 patients are hospitalized annually for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-related gastrointestinal (GI) complications and at least 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur each year among arthritis patients alone. The figures of all NSAID users would be overwhelming, yet the scope of this problem is generally under-appreciated.”
From the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine: “If deaths from gastrointestinal toxic effects from NSAIDs were tabulated separately in the National Vital Statistics reports, these effects would constitute the 15th most common cause of death in the United States. Yet these toxic effects remain mainly a ‘silent epidemic,’ with many physicians and most patients unaware of the magnitude of the problem.
Furthermore, the mortality statistics do not include deaths ascribed to the use of over-the-counter NSAIDS.”
A New Study Warns
Heart Patients About NSAIDs
According to the Elsevier Global Medical News, “For patients with a history of myocardial infarction, any length of treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs poses an unacceptably high risk for death or recurrent heart attacks, based on findings from a Danish study using hospital and pharmacy registry data and published online May 9 in Circulation.
The risk elevation began during the first week of therapy and continued throughout the course of treatment, with some differences in the magnitude of risk between NSAIDs.”
The authors stressed the results of the study are not in line with the American Heart Association recommendations regarding NSAID treatment in patients with established cardiovascular disease “because we demonstrate that even short-term NSAID treatment is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in patients with prior MI,”
The article also stated, “Despite some limitations of the study, namely the observational design and the possible effects of information bias, and the need for randomized clinical studies… The accumulating evidence suggests that we must limit NSAID use to the absolute minimum in patients with established cardiovascular disease.”
You Are Probably Taking NSAIDs
And Do Not Even Know It
Estimates say that over 30 billion over the counter tablets and 70 million prescriptions are sold annually in the United States alone.
NSAIDs include Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Advil, and Motrin as well as prescription products like Celebrex, Daypro and more.
Is There A Better Pain Solution?
One of the principles of medicine is, “first do no harm.” In other words, make sure the treatment is not worse than the original problem.
That’s why, if at all possible, conservative natural options should always be looked into before more invasive and chemical treatments are used.
Chiropractic care has been helping patients relieve pain naturally, without the deadly side effects of NSAIDs since 1895.
As research and proof piles up – and so do the deaths – Chiropractic care becomes the intelligent, obvious choice.
Simple Formula For Kids’
Academic Success
Poor academic achievement has caused school systems to add more classroom time, in many cases, at the expense of physical education.
However, new research shows this may be hurting students’ performances.
A physical activity program that incorporated academic skills was instituted at a public school in Charleston, South Carolina. Students in grades 1-6 were scheduled for daily physical education. State standardized reading test scores were collected for both the academic year of program initiation and the following year.
The results showed statistically significant higher test scores for those students in the group with the physical activity program versus those without it at other schools in the same district.
What Type of Exercise Is BEST?
What type of exercise is best? Well, that all depends on what results you are looking for.
For example, researchers studied 11 people who were asked to take part in two 20-minute long workouts; one moderately intensive and one highly intensive.
The participants’ moods were recorded before, during, and after the workouts.
Results: They found no mood improvements after moderate exercise. However, participants in the group that did strenuous exercise claimed to feel more positive 20 minutes after the workout.
The strenuous workout got them breathing heavily and their muscles burning.
Nickolas Smith of Manchester Metropolitan University’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science, said: “These results have implications for the recommended intensity of exercise required to produce the ‘feel good factor’ often experienced following exercise.
“There are also implications regarding how people new to regular exercise should expect to feel during the exercise itself if they are to experience post-exercise mood benefits.”
Psychiatrists believe vigorous exercise triggers the release of endorphins. Endorphins are a type of neurotransmitter that helps fight pain. This is also believed to be an explanation for “runner’s high.”
To all of our patients who wish to read our monthly newsletter and weekly health news updates online, we have 2 options.
You can go to BeecherChiropractic.com/blog
or
www.facebook.com/BeecherChiropractic
Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)
Local Hero Creates Another Hero
20 Years Later, One Man’s Heroic Deed Inspires Another
There is an old story about researchers, kids and marshmallows.
In the story, researchers take a bunch of little kids and bring them into a room with one researcher and one marshmallow.
The marshmallow is placed in the middle of the table. Just as things get started, the researcher gets a call. He then tells the child that he has to leave the room for just a little bit. Then, he gives the kids two options…
The first is they can eat the marshmallow right now. IF they do, that’s all they will get. Or, they can wait until the researcher comes back. If they wait, they will get a whole bag. The researcher walks out of the room and leaves the child and the marshmallow on the table.
Results?
Most of the kids immediately ate the marshmallow. A small percentage waited until the researcher came back and got a whole bag. Some of the kids who ate the marshmallow still wanted a whole bag and complained. But, that’s not the important part. The important part is what happened many years later.
The researchers supposedly interviewed these kids when they were all grown up, and the results were quite telling. Basically, the kids in the group who ate the marshmallows right away were relatively unsuccessful both in their careers and financially, and they had many broken personal relationships. On the contrary, the adults from the group who did not eat the marshmallow had great careers, made more money, and had lasting personal relationships. It is theorized these results were due to a person’s ability to delay gratification. In other words, the kids who had will power and were able to put off a small reward now for a larger one later were able to achieve much greater successes in all aspects of their lives.
That makes complete sense. Sometimes these “gratifications” take a long time to materialize, which brings us to our hero story…
Kurt Beach is a police lieutenant who contracted Hepatitis C while trying to save the life of a baby 20 years ago.
A woman by the name of Teresa Janik heard his story and was emotionally moved. When she heard Lt. Beach needed a liver transplant, she came in and offered to be a donor. Tests showed she was not a match for Lt. Beach, but she was a match for a 12-year old girl who also needed a liver transplant. Teresa became a donor and gave part of her liver to the12 year old girl she never even met.
“You’re giving a part of your body to a stranger?” News Channel 3 asked. “Yeah,” Teresa said. “She could be my family member.” Teresa has lost one sister to breast cancer and another is fighting the disease right now. She says for years she’s watched strangers give platelets, blood, anything they could to possibly save lives. So, she couldn’t help but to try to save the little girl when the opportunity arose. Teresa said, “This will cure her. If the liver takes and it grows within her, she will no longer have a liver problem.” The Good Samaritan who set out to save Lt. Beach’s life says she can’t wait for her hero to hear how his story inspired her. “I’m very excited for him to find out that his story has made this happen,” Teresa said. “I would have never sought out liver donation, didn’t know anything about it, and if I could donate two parts of [my liver], I would donate the other part to him.”
When Lt. Beach heard about what Teresa was doing he broke down in tears. He had waited 20 years for that “gratification.”
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger. You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!
Did You Know?…
Powerful memory requires a healthy brain and the right nutrition. The brain uses tremendous amounts of energy and is the most metabolically active organ in the body– it never completely rests. As a result, it has one of the highest rates of free radical production. These free radicals begin to destroy the structure of the brain, its connections and the cells. Unless you replace those damaged parts with nutrients, brain function starts to fall off more and more over time. For example, Omega-3 fatty acids are replaced extremely rapidly. If you are deficient in this nutrient, your brain begins to change its structure very quickly and soon (only 2 weeks) loses its ability to properly function because one of its vital components is missing. Americans consume an average of 129 pounds of sugar a year; 57% of it comes from processed foods. For example, teenagers drink an equivalent of 54 teaspoons of sugar a day just from soda. Sugar consumption dramatically increases free radical generation in the brain. It produces cross-linking of the proteins in all cells which dramatically increases the damaging effect of these free radicals, making every cell in your body age much, much faster — particularly brain cells. In some extreme cases, it can even result in permanent brain damage. Lack of Vitamin B-1 in the diet causes memory failure and depression. Consumption of a lot of carbohydrates depletes Vitamin B-1. Vitamins C, D, E, K, A, B and carotenoids are all associated with brain function. Animal fat impairs the ability to learn and remember, but healthy fats, such as Omega-3, improve depression, memory retention and thinking. This is because the brain uses an enormous amount of fatty acids for its membranes. Aspartame, MSG, pesticides, and herbicides in food; aluminum in deodorants; fluoride in the water; and mercury in vaccines may play a major role in brain toxicity and brain function decline. Excessive toxicity destroys brain cells.
Tip Of The Month
A Simple Way To Get Better Results From Any Weight Loss Program.
Everyone wants to know the answer to this question: What’s the best way to lose weight? The problem with that age-old question is – there is no ONE correct answer because everyone’s body make-up, chemistry and genes are different. In other words, we all react differently to different types of food. We also react differently to different types of exercise. That’s why losing weight and keeping it off can be so difficult. It has also opened up the door for marketers to sell all kinds of junk that promises to get you skinny… just about overnight.
Here’s the real truth about weight loss – and it’s something many people simply do not want to hear…
To successfully lose weight, you must meticulously figure out what types of foods and exercise work with your body chemistry and type. Then, you must make a plan incorporating those foods and exercises… then… YOU MUST STICK TO THAT PLAN FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. There is no “quick fix” pill or wonder diets or miracle piece of workout equipment that will work.
That’s A Hard Pill For Most To Swallow
But, there is a way to get better results for ANY eating or exercise program you do. Here is how: Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research instructed obese adults who participated in the study to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and maintain a weight loss journal. While some were asked to maintain their weight loss journals six days a week, others updated it only once a week. The author of the study said those who maintained their journal regularly lost more weight compared to those who updated it only once a week. It is believed several reasons attributed to the success of the “journal” group. Two very important reasons are: accountability and the ability to really analyze what you are eating and doing physically. People are often surprised when they see in writing what they are doing. Perception is often very different from reality. So, if you want to increase the effect of any weight loss program you are on, try keeping a journal. But first, accept the fact that losing weight and staying in shape takes effort and time, and the results are a better looking and healthier you. Nothing is more important.
Remember, we’re always here, to help your body heal
and maintain the health you deserve.
This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please call our office at 281-286-1300.
Dr. Beecher’s June 27th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, June 27th, 2011
Mental Attitude: Peer Support Decreases Depression Symptoms. Peer support offers promise as an effective, low-cost tool for fighting depression. Programs where patients and volunteers share information were found to reduce symptoms of depression better than traditional care alone and were about as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy. Peer support has been found to decrease isolation, reduce stress, increase the sharing of health information and provide role models. General Hospital Psychiatry, February 2011
Health Alert: High Use Of Acetaminophen Linked To Blood Cancers. High use (4 or more times per week for four years or more) of acetominophen (Tylenol), a high-selling over-the-counter analgesic or non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drug (NSAID), is linked to a two-fold increased risk of certain blood cancers.
Journal of Clinical Oncology, May 2011
Diet: Chocolate Milk Wars! Some school districts have banned flavored milk, as it is seen as a part of the obesity epidemic. Florida is considering a statewide ban in schools. Other districts have sought a middle ground by replacing flavored milks containing high-fructose corn syrup with versions containing sugar, which some see as a more natural sweetener. On the flip side, the School Nutrition Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, and National Medical Association argue that the nutritional value of flavored low-fat or skim milk outweighs the harm of added sugar. Milk contains nine essential nutrients including calcium, vitamin D and protein. The Associated Press, May 2011
Exercise: Benefits of Exercise. Exercise helps you to more effectively manage stress, helps you to lose weight – especially fat weight, improves the functioning of your immune system, reduces your risk of getting heart disease, and reduces medical and healthcare expenses. Surgeon General
Chiropractic: Adjustments Increase Your Breathing Capacity? See for yourself. Before you get adjusted, take a few deep breaths. After your adjustment, try again. Now that you are breathing better, read up on how important oxygen uptake is for your overall health.
Wellness/Prevention: Body Fat Percentage: The Best Measurement Of Your Health Risks. Did you know that a large belly carries a risk for coronary artery disease comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes daily or having high cholesterol? People with coronary artery disease and expanded waistlines are at more than twice the risk of dying, including those with a Body Mass Index in the normal range. Even more dangerous is the visceral fat that surrounds the internal organs. This internal fat actually makes up a large proportion of the waist measurement. Visceral fat is more metabolically active and can produce hormones and other substances that have a negative impact on your health, including increasing the risk of heart disease; high blood pressure; stroke; type 2 diabetes; metabolic syndrome; some types of cancer; and sleep apnea. Mayo Clinic, May 2011
Quote: “One can’t think well, love well or sleep well if one has not dined well.” ~ Virginia Woolf
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s June 20th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, June 20th, 2011
Mental Attitude: TV Viewing May Lead To Increased Obesity In Teens. In a study, adolescents who had watched more than two hours of TV a day were 36% fatter in later adolescence than those watching less TV. TV viewing may lead to increased risk of obesity because watching TV is associated with increased dietary intake. Journal of Sleep Research, February 2011
Health Alert: Alcohol Consumption And Computer Use? Teenagers who drink alcohol spend more time on their computers for recreational use, including social networking and downloading and listening to music, compared with their peers who don’t drink. Teenagers typically first experiment with alcohol at age 12 or 13. Family risk factors include lax parental supervision and poor communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or harsh discipline and a family history of alcohol or drug abuse. Weill Cornell Medical College, May 2011
Diet: Best Diets? Consumer Reports Health has ranked diets and Jenny Craig tops the list with 85 points, Slim Fast earned 63 points and Weight Watchers was third with 57 points. The scores were based on adherence to the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines and results of studies that analyzed the short and long term weight loss and dropout rates of seven popular diets. 92% of its participants stuck with the Jenny Craig program during the two-year study period and the dieters weighed an average of 8% less than when they began the program.
Journal of the American Medical Association, May 2011
Exercise: Skipping Exercise? You Might As Well Smoke! “Failure to exercise a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes in duration each time is the equivalent of smoking one pack of cigarettes each day. What this means is that exercise is no longer just good for you, it is bad for you if you don’t exercise.”
Surgeon General’s Report
Chiropractic: Immunity? How About This Study! Researchers at the Sid E. Williams Research Center of Life Chiropractic University took a group of HIV positive patients and adjusted them over a six-month period. Patients who were adjusted had a 48% increase in their CD4 cells counts. CD4 cells are an important immune system component. The measurements were taken at an independent medical center, under medical supervision for the condition. The control group (patients who were not adjusted) did not demonstrate this dramatic increase in immune function but actually experienced a 7.96% decrease in CD4 cell counts over the same period of time. JMPT, 1991
Wellness/Prevention: Heart Patients And Painkillers. The use of Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with a 45% increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack within as little as one week of treatment. Circulation, May 2011
Quote: “We know a great deal more about the causes of disease than we do about the causes of health.”
~ M. Scott Peck
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
DR. BEECHER’S JUNE 13TH, 2011 WEEKLY CHIROPRACTIC NEWSLETTER
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, June 13th, 2011
Mental Attitude: Stress And Cellular Health. University of California San Francisco (UCSF) scientists report psychological stress leads to shorter telomeres – the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that are a measure of cell age and thus, health. Their findings also suggest exercise may prevent this damage. They examined telomeres in leukocytes, or white blood cells, which defend the body against both infectious agents and cell damage. “Our findings suggest that traumatic and chronic stressful life events are associated with shortening of telomeres in cells of the immune system, but that physical activity may moderate this impact,” said co-author Jue Lin, PhD, associate research biochemist
in the laboratory of senior author and Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, professor of biochemistry and biophysics at UCSF. UCSF, April 2011
Health Alert: A Natural Therapy? An environment of pure oxygen at three-and-a-half times normal air pressure adds significantly to the effectiveness of artemisinin, a natural compound already shown to kill cancerous cells. In a new study, using artemisinin or high-pressure oxygen alone on a culture of human leukemia cells reduced the cancer cells’ growth by
15%. Using them in combination reduced the cells’ growth by 38%! Anticancer Research, April 2011
Diet: Skeletal Muscles Affected By Obesity. This new study shows obesity involves more than accumulating excess fat and carrying excess weight. During the development of obesity, skeletal muscles fail to adjust their molecular composition appropriately to the increasing body weight. Consequently, the muscles of obese mammals are not properly
‘tuned’ to the higher body weight they carry. This may explain why muscle strength and locomotion are impaired in obese humans and why it is difficult to lose excess weight. Journal of Experimental Biology, May 2011
Exercise: Benefits of Exercise. Exercise increases your level of muscle strength, improves athletic performance, can help relieve the pain of tension headaches, allows you to consume greater quantities of food (while still maintaining caloric balance) and helps you sleep easier (and better). Surgeon General
Chiropractic: Patients Are More Immune? The chiropractic immunology connection was strengthened in 1991 when Patricia Brennan, Ph.D. and other researchers found improved immune response following chiropractic treatment. Specifically, the study demonstrated the “phagocytic respiratory burst of polymorphnuclear neutrophils and monocytes were enhanced in adults [who] had been adjusted by chiropractors.” In other words, the cells that act like “Pac-Man”, eating and destroying bad cells, are enhanced through chiropractic care. Circulation, 1992
Wellness/Prevention: Breast Cancer Risk Lower Among Regular Coffee Drinkers. Women who drink coffee regularly have a significantly lower risk of developing antiestrogen-resistant estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer. Breast cancer may be sub-divided into hormone-responsive (ER-positive) and non-hormone-responsive subtypes (ER-negative). They discovered regular coffee drinkers were less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women who either never or rarely drank coffee. Breast Cancer Research, May 2011
Quote: “A child miss-educated is a child lost.” ~ John F. Kennedy
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s June 6th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE Week of Monday, June 6th ,2011 Mental Attitude: Shorter Hours Please. If your workday averages 11 or more hours, you probably earn more than your 8-hour a day colleagues, but your risk of developing heart disease will be 67% higher! Researchers believe doctors should include data on a patient’s working hours when listing risk factors for heart disease (smoking, total body weight, diabetes and blood pressure). Annals of Internal Medicine, April 2011 Health Alert: Adverse Drug Reports Swell! In a new study of adverse events linked to medications-compiled by the FDA since 1969, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy revealed only 55% have been reported to the agency in the past decade! According to the FDA’s website, the agency’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) is “designed to support the FDA’s post-marketing safety surveillance program for all approved drug and therapeutic biologic products. The FDA uses AERS to monitor for new adverse events and medication errors that might occur with these marketed products.” In the past decade, 2.2 million events reported to AERS represented a 1.65-fold increase from the prior decade. Archives of Internal Medicine, April 2011 Diet: Divide Your Plate! When putting food on your plate, fill half of it with veggies or salad (but watch out for fatty dressings). One-quarter of the plate should have lean protein, such as fish, chicken or beef that’s been grilled, baked or poached. The last quarter of the plate should be a healthy starch — but don’t load it up with butter or oil. Family Features, April 2011 Exercise: Have Some Standards! Adults who adhered to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines reduced their mortality risks. To meet the guidelines, do moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least 150 minutes per week or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise at least 75 minutes per week and perform strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Adults who met the guidelines had lower risks of dying by 27% among those without health conditions and 50% less in those with an illness. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, May 2011 Chiropractic: Some Nerve! Growing evidence suggests that immune function is regulated, in part, by the sympathetic nervous system. Simply put: the nervous system has a direct effect on the immune system due to the nerve supply to the important immune system organs. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 1974 Wellness/Prevention: Shedding Skin Helps? The flakes of skin we shed (at the rate of 500 million cells a day) actually reduce indoor air pollution. The flakes contain squalene, a skin oil that reduces indoor ozone levels roughly 2-15%. American Chemical Society, May 2011 Quote: “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” ~ Jackie Robinson This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s May 30th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE Week of Monday, May 30th ,2011 Mental Attitude: Smile And Mean It! Customer-service workers who fake smile worsen their mood and withdraw from work, affecting their productivity. On the other hand, workers who smile as a result of cultivating positive thoughts – such as a tropical vacation or a child’s recital – improve their mood and withdraw less. Employers may think simply getting their employees to smile is good for the organization, but that’s not necessarily the case, smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion and withdrawal, and that’s bad for the organization. Academy of Management Journal, March 2011 Health Alert: A Hefty Price! People 70 pounds overweight will spend $30,000 extra in health care costs in their lifetime. Scientific American, March 2011 Diet: Why Do We Over Eat? Generational: “My parents taught me to clean my plate and not waste food.” Relational: “Feelings will be hurt if I don’t finish what they made me.” Economical: “This is such a good deal – more bang for my buck.” Convenience: “I’m in a rush and need it now.” Emotional: “Eating helps me feel better.” Loyola University Health System, February 2011 Exercise: Another Benefit of Exercise. According to David Nieman, director of Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab in Kannapolis, NC, “No pill or nutritional supplement has the power of near-daily moderate activity in lowering the number of sick days people take.” Wall Street Journal, January 2010 Chiropractic: The Power That Created The Body Heals The Body. This statement describes the chiropractic philosophy that the body is a self-healing organism. The body functions well on its own as long as there is no interference of function (muscular restriction of the joints, poor nutrition that decreases cellular function, mental stress, poor sleep habits, lack of exercise, etc). Wellness/Prevention: Healthy Lifestyles Help Healing. Joint replacement patients who improve their lifestyle and maintain a positive mindset prior to surgery are more likely to have better functional outcomes than those who do not. Multiple studies found that patients who smoke, misuse alcohol, fail to control blood sugar levels or simply have a poor attitude prior to undergoing total hip or knee replacement surgery can double their odds of post-operative complications. Risk factors for complications like advanced age and pre-existing heart or lung conditions are difficult or impossible to change prior to surgery, but smoking, alcohol abuse, high blood sugar levels and poor mental attitude are completely manageable by the patients themselves, which makes them an excellent target for prevention and intervention programs that are likely to improve outcomes. Current smokers had higher odds of pneumonia (53%), stroke (161%), site infections (41% ) and one-year mortality (63%) compared to non-smokers. Prior smokers were at higher odds of stroke (114%) and pneumonia (34%), compared with non-smokers. Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, February 2011 Quote: “A riot is the language of the unheard.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s May 23rd, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
Week of Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Mental Attitude: Exercise Your Mood. Regular exercise reduces symptoms of moderate depression and enhances psychological fitness. During exercise, plasma levels of endorphins increases in the body, which can have an effect on the psychological state. Endorphins are hormones in the brain associated with a happy, positive feeling. A low level of endorphins is associated with depression. A recent National Health and Nutrition survey found physically active people were half as likely to be depressed. Exercise also boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that send specific messages from one brain cell to another. Though only a small percentage of all serotonin is located in the brain, this neurotransmitter is thought to play a key role in keeping your mood calm. WebMD.com
Health Alert: Diabetes Out Of Control! 8.3% of Americans of all ages are affected by diabetes! 11.3% of Americans over 20 years old have diabetes. 27% of Americans who have diabetes do not know and 35% of individuals over 20 years old in the US have pre-diabetes. How do you prevent it? Try a healthy diet and regular exercise. CDC, 2011
Diet: Is It A Fad Diet? How can you tell if a diet is a fad diet? Here are some useful hints: It promotes or bans certain foods or food groups. It pushes a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. It promises quick, dramatic or miraculous results. It focuses on short-term changes to eating and exercise habits. It encourages ‘miracle’ pills, potions or supplements – often promoted as ‘fat burners’ and ‘metabolism boosters’. It contradicts the advice of trusted health professionals. It makes claims based on a single study or testimonials.
Dietitians Association of Australia, January 2011
Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Exercise. 1) Exercise improves mood. 2) Exercise combats chronic disease. 3) Exercise helps you manage your weight. 4) Exercise boosts your energy level. 5) Exercise promotes better sleep. 6) Exercise can put the spark back in your love life. 7) Exercise can be fun! Mayo Clinic
Chiropractic: The Very First! “I claimed to be the first person to adjust a vertebra by hand, using the spinous and transverse processes and levers. I developed the art known as adjusting, and formulated the science of chiropractic, and developed its philosophy.” ~ DD Palmer
Wellness/Prevention: Family Mealtimes? The amount of time families spend eating meals together has been linked to the health and wellbeing of children and teens. Families who eat together regularly report declines in substance abuse, eating disorders, and unhealthy weight in their children. Child Development, Feb 2011
Quote: “If you’re interested in ‘balancing’ work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable.” ~ Donald Trump
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s May 16th, 2011 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
For More Information, please download this week’s newsletter, here.
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS
UPDATE
Week of Monday, May 16th, 2011
Mental Attitude: Poor Eating Habits Can Cause Depression. The ingestion of trans-fats and saturated fats increase the risk of suffering depression, while ingesting olive oil appears to protect against depression. Participants with an elevated consumption of trans-fats (fats present in artificial form in industrially-produced pastries and fast food, and naturally present in certain whole milk products) showed a 48% increase in the risk of depression. Also, the more trans-fats consumed, the greater the harmful effect they produced.
Public Library of Science, February 2011
Health Alert: Only 24 Hours In A Day! National restrictions were first introduced in 2003 to limit the hours resident physicians could be on duty. At the time, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) cited increasing acuity and intensity of medical care in teaching institutions, as well as scientific evidence of the negative effect of sleep deprivation on performance, as reasons for instituting restrictions. Those limits were not to exceed 80 hours in a week or more than 24 consecutive hours. In December 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report recommending further action to reduce resident fatigue and ensure patient safety within 24 months of the report. The IOM committee did not recommend a change from the maximum of 80 hours per week, averaged over four weeks, but instead recommends decreasing the maximum length of shifts, increasing the time off between shifts and mandating a sleep period during longer shifts.
Journal of the American College of Radiology, 2010
Diet: Tea Can Help. This study looked at the effect of treating superficial precancerous lesions in the mucosal lining of the mouth with a mixed tea product. After the six-month trial, partial regression of the lesions was observed in 37.9% of the group treated with tea as compared to only 10% of those treated with a placebo.
Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 1999
Exercise: Exercise And Stress. Regular exercise reduces the amount of stress hormones in the body, lowers the resting heart rate, relaxes blood vessels, and lowers blood pressure. Mayo Clinic, March 2011
Chiropractic: Have Back Pain? Spinal manipulation is the best treatment for acute low back pain.
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
Wellness/Prevention: A Cup Of Tea. The antioxidant properties of tea flavonoids may play a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing lipid oxidation, reducing the instances of heart attacks and stroke, and may beneficially impact blood vessel function (an important indicator of cardiovascular health).
Archives of Internal Medicine, 1996
Quote: “What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn’t much better than tedious disease.”
~George Dennison Prentice
This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or www.BeecherChiropractic.Com.
Dr. Beecher’s May 2011 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!
VOLUME 11 ISSUE 5
In Good Hands
A Free Monthly Newsletter For The Friends and Patients of Ward Beecher DC
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” – E. E. Cummings
Is Cutting Your Risk Of These 4 Deadly Diseases IN HALF Really This Easy?
New research shows a simple way you may be able to decrease your risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes by a whopping 50%!
Also in this issue:
- What you must know if you use sunscreen or try to stay out of the sun
- New study shows diet may help ADHD kids more than drugs
- WARNING: Research shows exercise may be harmful to your health? Really?
- Shocking new research on anti-depression medications and a possible way to beat depression!
Plus, the story that will touch your heart: What does a blind man do when his guide dog goes blind – the answer is amazing.
Houston – We’ve all heard it, but who really lives by these wise words “An ounce of…” in the first place?
Maybe we are all just a little lazy and like to take the easy way out, at least most of the time?
Come on – you are amongst friends – you can admit it! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?
Maybe “cures” are “sexier” than simply preventing the mess in the first place? J
Or, maybe it’s because “prevention” can be a pain in the you know what? Always finding and preparing the right foods can be time consuming and expensive.
Exercising is exercising! It’s no mistake the word “work” is in workout!
But, what if there was an easy way to be healthier than you are right now?
What if there was a simple way to decrease your risk of 4 deadly diseases by 50% that took almost no time and was inexpensive…
Would You Do It?
Well, according to a new study, there may be.
Now, this is not a substitute for eating right, exercising, reducing stress and getting check-ups. But, it is something everyone should look into because it might help you a great deal.
Here’s what this is all about: The current government recommendation for Vitamin D intake is 400-600 international units (IU) per day. 400 IU was found to be the minimum amount of Vitamin D needed to prevent rickets over a century ago.
But “minimum” and “optimum” are two very different things…
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, have reported that markedly higher intake of Vitamin D is needed to reach blood levels that can prevent or markedly cut the incidence of breast cancer and several other major diseases than originally thought.
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The results were published on February 21 in the journal Anticancer Research.
According to a EurikAlert press release on February 22, 2011, “We found that daily intakes of Vitamin D by adults in the range of 4000-8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of Vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce, by about half the risk, several diseases; breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and Type 1 diabetes,” said Cedric Garland, DrPH, Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. “I was surprised to find that the intakes required to maintain Vitamin D status for disease prevention were so high – much higher than the minimal intake of Vitamin D of 400 IU/day that was needed to defeat rickets in the 20th century. I was not surprised by this,” said Robert P. Heaney, MD, of Creighton University, a distinguished biomedical scientist who has studied Vitamin D needs for several decades.
“This result was what our dose-response studies predicted, but it took a study such as this, of people leading their everyday lives, to confirm it.”
The studies also said only about 10% of people have this new appropriate level of Vitamin D in their blood – and these are mostly people who work outdoors.
Trading Skin Cancer For
More Deadly Cancers?
With recent recommendations for people to stay out of the sun or use high SPF sunscreens, people are sure to fall very short of the Vitamin D intake they need.
According to the press release, “Now that the results of this study are in, it will become common for almost every adult to take 4000 IU/day,” Garland said. “This is comfortably under the 10,000 IU/day that the IOM Committee Report considers as the lower limit of risk, and the benefits are substantial.” He added that people who may have contraindications should discuss their Vitamin D needs with their family doctor.
“Now is the time for virtually everyone to take more Vitamin D to help prevent some major types of cancer, several other serious illnesses, and fractures,” said Heaney.
Research: The Dangers Of
Second-Hand Smoke In Cars With Children
“While the evidence is incomplete, there is enough available to support legislation against letting people smoke in cars with children,” states an article in Canadian Medical Association Journal (as reported by Science Daily on January 10, 2011).
Even though second-hand smoke was not shown to be 23 times more dangerous as some had claimed – “It can still be very harmful to children.”
Groundbreaking Study: Anti-Depressants
No Better Than Placebo
Napoleon Hill, author of the self-help bible “Think and Grow Rich”, is quoted as saying: “What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” He also said we become our dominant thoughts. Research is showing he may be 100% accurate with those statements… especially the latter.
Here is why: Starting in 1998, studies began to raise questions about the “scientific proof” behind the widespread use of antidepressants versus placebos. University of Connecticut researchers, Irving Kirsch and Guy Sapirstein, found
antidepressants seemed to get results, but so did placebos.
In 38 studies conducted with over 3,000 depressed patients, placebos improved symptoms 75 percent as much as legitimate medications.
“We wondered, what’s going on?” said Kirsch in a
2010 interview with Newsweek. The medical community, skeptical of his analysis, asked him to instigate a more comprehensive study with the results of all clinical trials conducted by antidepressant manufacturers, including those unpublished – 47 studies in total.
Over half of the studies showed no significant difference in the depression-alleviating effects of a medicated versus non-medicated pill. With this more thorough analysis, which now included strategically unpublished studies from pharmaceutical companies, placebos were shown to improve symptoms 82 percent as much as the real pill.
According to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International: “However, if experts and antidepressant manufacturers are aware of this, the general public certainly isn’t … Millions of people every year feel better, simply because they believe they’ll feel better.”
To all of our patients who wish to read our monthly newsletter and weekly health news updates online, we have 2 options.
You can go to BeecherChiropractic.com/blog
or www.facebook.com/BeecherChiropractic
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Inspirational Story Of The Month –
(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)
What Does A Blind Man Do When His Guide Dog Goes Blind?
The answer to that question is an incredible story that will warm your heart and may even change your life…
Have you ever faced a situation that made you feel depressed?
Maybe it was a difficult choice you had to make in your life? Or you were facing tough times and you couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel?
At the time, things seemed so miserable you didn’t know what to do. Maybe you even felt like throwing your hands in the air and walking away.
Quitting
Who knows… maybe you are even facing a situation in your life like that right now. Many people are. Well, the truth of the matter is:
Nothing In Life Is Either As Good… Or As Bad… As It First Seems
And even though you cannot always control the things that happen to you – you can always control your reaction to those things and their long-term end results.
A wise man once said, “If you wrote down all of your problems on a piece paper and put it in a hat with 10 other people’s problems… and everyone picked someone else’s problems out of that hat… in no time flat everyone would want their own problems back!”
For example, think about all your problems and write them down. Put them in a hat and trade them with Graham Waspe. Graham is blind. He has very limited vision in only one eye after two incidents earlier in his life. But, I bet if you picked Graham’s list from that hat, he wouldn’t have even listed blind as a problem. Well, maybe he would’ve, but I doubt it.
Actually, I bet when you picked Graham’s list, it would’ve been blank. Why? Because the smart money says Graham doesn’t view anything in his life as a problem… he only sees potential solutions.
For example, because Graham cannot see, he has a guide dog named Edward. Graham and Edward did just about everything together. Edward was literally Graham’s eyes for six years of faithful service. Then disaster struck, or at least what most people would consider disaster. Edward developed an inoperable problem and had to have both of his eyes removed. How did Graham react? Did he pout? Throw his hands in the air and quit? Did he curse the day he was born?
No, No and NO!
Graham solved the problem – for both of them. Graham got Opal. Opal is another guide dog who now guides Graham and Edward! Just imagine, a guide dog leading a blind guide dog leading a blind man.
You see, when you hear a story like that it makes you realize a couple things. The first is: no matter what you are going through, there is always a solution. The only way you don’t find a solution is if you stop looking.
Second: Life is short and you should make the best of every situation and enjoy every moment of your life. It really is the small things that truly make us happy. Like Graham going for a walk with Opal and Edward, or the smile and laugh of a child, or opening your eyes tomorrow to a new and wonderful day, as wonderful as you choose to make it. Or maybe more correct – as wonderful as you choose to interpret it. There is beauty all around us… many times we just forget to recognize and acknowledge it. Make it a point to do something fun and wonderful each and every day… you won’t regret it.
We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger. You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!
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Did You Know?…
The average cost of developing and bringing a new prescription drug to market is $802 million. It usually takes between
10 and 15 years to develop and bring a new medication to market. • Over 90% of drugs entering clinical trials fail to make it to market. • Large manufacturers spend twice as much on advertising and marketing costs than they do on research costs. • Each year in the United States, more than 160 million prescriptions are written for antibiotics. Annually, humans consume 235 million doses of antibiotics. It is estimated that 20%-50% of that use is unnecessary. • Why is it so difficult to find a powerful pain-killing medication that does not also produce addiction? Over the years, pharmaceutical companies have tried to separate these two pharmacological qualities. Perhaps because the brain areas involved with pain reduction and those involved with drug dependence are connected, it has been almost impossible to find powerful “non-addicting” painkillers? On the other hand, perhaps dependence on drugs and pain reduction are two different phenomena that will someday be separated, as more refined research evolves in this important area? • By law when a physician prescribes drugs for a patient, the physician is required to ensure the patient is fully informed of the drugs risks and benefits and consents to the drug therapy with full informed knowledge. Statistics show that this occurs in less than 20% of the patient population.
Tip Of The Month – Has Research Proven That Exercise Is Bad For Your Heart?
Exercise is good for you… right? Everyone knows eating right, exercising, reducing stress and routine maintenance check-ups are the key to living up to your genetic potential.
Well, a new study just found a certain type of exercise seems to be bad for your heart. Here’s the scoop: Not too long ago, researchers conducted a study on the heart health of a group of very fit older athletes — men who had been part of a National or Olympic team in distance running or rowing, or runners who had completed at least 100 marathons. All of the men had
trained and competed throughout their adult lives and continued to strenuously exercise. The results were not good. Half of these lifelong athletes showed evidence of heart muscle scarring. None of the younger athletes or the older non-athletes had fibrosis in their hearts. The affected men were the ones who had trained the longest and hardest. Now, a new study done on rats has reproduced similar findings.
In this study, published in the journal, Circulation, Canadian and Spanish scientists prodded young, healthy male rats to run at an intense pace, day after day, for three months, which is the equivalent of about 10 years, in human terms. At the beginning of the study, the rats had perfectly normal hearts. At the end of the training period, heart scans showed that most of the rodents had developed diffuse scarring and some structural changes, similar to the changes seen in the human endurance athletes. A control group of rats did not develop the heart changes, but when the rats stopped running, their hearts returned to normal within 8 weeks.
What Does All This Mean For You?
According to Dr. Paul Thompson, the Chief of Cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, and an expert on sports cardiology, in terms of exercise, unless you are going to the extreme like the elite athletes in the study, probably not much. He was one of the peer reviewers for the British athlete study. He said, “How many people are going to join the
100 Marathon club or undertake a comparable amount of training? Not many. Too much exercise has not been a big problem in America. Most people just run to stay in shape, and for them, the evidence is quite strong that endurance exercise is good [for the heart].”
So, What IS Important For You In All Of This?
One word: Moderation. Health really seems to be all about moderation. That goes for the foods you eat, the exercise you do and the stress you deal with. Not enough is not good, but too much can be just as bad. Sadly, most people think if something is good – more is better. There is an optimal level or range for everything. Above or below that level – for any length of time – leads to abnormal stress, strain and problems. When you are looking to get in shape and be healthy, you must first discover the proper definitions of in shape and health.
Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal and maintain the health and function that you deserve.
This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please call our office at 281-286-1300.
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