Dr Beecher’s March 23 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, March 23rd, 2015
Mental Attitude: Schizophrenia May Be More Than One Disease. New research suggests that schizophrenia may really be an umbrella term for a number of genetically different diseases as opposed to one unique illness. In this recent study, scientists uncovered 42 groups of genes that appear to influence schizophrenia risk. They believe that identifying these gene networks and how they correlate with symptoms will make it possible to develop localized treatments for the specific paths implicated in an individual’s schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, January 2014
Health Alert: Good News for Blood Donors. Maintaining optimal iron levels in blood donors is important, especially when 25-35 percent of regular donors develop an iron deficiency that can lead to fatigue and anemia. In a study of blood donors, researchers discovered that individuals who received a low-dose iron supplement returned to their pre-donation iron levels between 7 and 18 weeks earlier than those who did not receive a supplement. Surprisingly, two-thirds of those who did not receive iron supplements failed to regain their pre-donation iron levels by week 24. National Institutes of Health, February 2015
Diet: Vegetarian Diets Boost Weight Loss. According to a new meta-analysis, a vegetarian diet causes weight loss, even without exercise or calorie counting. Researchers found that individuals who switched to a vegetarian diet lost an average of about 10 pounds (~4.5 kg) over 44 weeks. People who were heavier to begin with lost more weight, and men and older participants reported the greatest weight loss. The authors of the study hope that healthcare providers will prescribe this dietary approach to patients who need help managing their weight and health. Study author Dr. Susan Levin adds, “If you’re overweight, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can slash the risk of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic, January 2015
Exercise: “Walking Seminars” Could Replace Sitting in Class. What began as a physical activity challenge for a computer science faculty has become a study in how education and fitness can be combined to improve both physical well-being and classroom discussions. University lecturer Dr. Olle Balter started a “walking seminar” in response to a competition in which staff recorded how many hours they and their students spent sitting vs. being active. The majority of students surveyed said that they felt better after the walking workshops than after typical, sedentary seminars. None of the students felt worse and most believed that communication was better during the walking seminar. KTH The Royal Institute of Technology, January 2015
Chiropractic: Claudication Responds to Conservative Care. Neurogenic claudication is the medical term used to describe the symptom of pain induced by walking, and it is caused by damage to the neurological system as a result of spinal stenosis. A small study assessing the effectiveness of a six-week, nonsurgical program to address neurogenic claudication revealed improved short-term outcomes among patients who received multimodal care that included soft tissue and neural mobilization, chiropractic spinal manipulation, lumbar flexion-distraction, muscle stretching, home-based exercises, and instruction on self-management strategies. Further research is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of this combination of nonsurgical treatment options for neurogenic claudication patients. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, January 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Prevent Urinary Tract Infections Among Children. To assist parents in preventing urinary tract infections in their children, the National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearinghouse recommends the following: encourage kids to use the bathroom regularly, offer more fluids if children are not urinating frequently, teach proper wiping technique after using the bathroom, and dress them in cotton underwear and loose fitting clothes.
National Kidney and Urologic Disease Information Clearing House, January 2015
Quote: “Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn’t exist and never shall. There is only now.” ~ Christopher Paolini
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 BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s September 1 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, September 1st, 2014
Mental Attitude: What is the Key to Being a Good Comedian? A new study suggests that a stand-up comedian’s success at making an audience laugh is determined by how adept he or she is at linking humor and emotion. The lead author of the study, Dr. Tim Miles of the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, claims that comedians and their audiences are connected by “admiration, empathy and the paradox of identification.” This occurs when the audience can identify with the humor or observations made by the comedian, rather than being able to identify with them as a performer. Comedy Studies, July 2014
Health Alert: Children & Hot Cars are a Deadly Combination. So far in 2014, 18 American children have lost their lives as a result of being left in a hot car. Over the last 20 years, nearly 700 children have lost their lives for the same reason. There are many things parents can do to prevent this type of tragedy: teach your child the car is not a toy and lock your car when not in use; keep reminders in the car that children are in the back seat, as children can fall asleep and parents can become distracted and ultimately forget their child; and never leave your child in the car, even if you think you will only be a minute, as even five minutes can mean a substantial increase in temperature. Hershey Medical Center, July 2014
Diet: Vitamin C May Help with Sea Sickness. Volunteers who consumed a vitamin C supplement before spending time on a raft in one meter high waves experienced sea sickness symptoms to a lesser degree than those who took a placebo. In the study, volunteers who did not take the vitamin C supplement were nearly three times more likely to ask to leave the experiment early due to illness. Journal of Vestibular Research: Equilibrium & Orientation, January 2014
Exercise: Physical Fitness Can Prevent Youth Depression. Among sixth graders, those who are physically fit are less likely to report depression symptoms a year later. Researchers from Northern Texas surveyed 437 students as part of a county-wide program to assess physical fitness and found that physical fitness was associated with a decreased likelihood of depression when the children entered seventh grade, even among those who experienced depression symptoms at the start of the study. American Psychological Association, August 2014
Chiropractic: Disturbed Sleep Increases Back Pain Risk. Among firefighters, those who reported disturbed sleep at the start of a 13-year study were 2.4 times more likely to experience radiating back pain during the following decade. The authors of the study warn that sleep disturbances should be addressed early-on as a risk factor for back pain.
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, August 2014
Wellness/Prevention: Protecting Children’s Teeth. The American Dental Association recommends the following to promote healthy teeth in children: don’t share feeding spoons with baby or place baby’s pacifier in your mouth; wipe gums after feedings; begin brushing as soon at teeth come in; provide supervision when brushing until age 6; never put juice or soda in bottles; avoid dipping a child’s pacifier in anything sweet; have your child drink from a cup by one year of age; and promote eating healthy foods. American Dental Association, January 2014
Quote: “There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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 BeecherChiropractic.com .
Headaches in Children
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Ouch! Did you know that 96% of children experienced some acute pain in the previous month? Headache, at 78%, is the most common type of pain reported. You may not have known that your child was experiencing pain. Sometimes children will show behavioral changes rather than complain of head pain. One study tested parents’ knowledge of headache vs. the children’s recollection. The children reported headache about 57.6% of the time for the previous month. Mothers, and especially fathers, tended to underestimate whether their child had suffered a headache.
It is alarming that so many children each month have headaches and 6% of schoolchildren have chronic pain. Over the past 30 years childhood migraine and “frequent headache” have substantially increased. No one really knows for sure what lifestyle changes are producing these painful trends.
Children with frequent and severe headaches are more likely to have difficulties with home life, friendships, classroom learning, and leisure activities. The child’s quality of life and life of those around them is substantially affected by headaches.
You’re probably not sure if taking pain pills at such an early age is the right thing to do. You have to be concerned because it is consumption of pills over many years that leads to problems. They’re not to be taken casually like vitamins, and serious internal bleeding or kidney problems can result from long-term use.
One study looked at headaches in childhood over a 20-year time span. They found that medication use steadily increased, and 70% were still consuming medications daily, 20 years after being originally diagnosed. Most patients had tension-type and migraine, and rated the headaches as moderate to severe. 45% of those surveyed also said that non-drug approaches were the most effective for them. There are non-drug and non-surgical approaches that have been proven effective. It is important to consider these options especially they generally don’t carry with them as many side effects.
Spinal problems in children can begin with neck trauma during delivery. Also many infants fall from a high place during the first year of their life. This can occur as the diaper is changed. These and other tumbles and traumas may cause the spinal joints to sprain, irritating the nerve. The chiropractor’s approach is to look at the child’s spinal structure to determine if there is a spinal cause for the headache. Adjustments are delivered to specifically address the areas in the spine that have sprained or subluxated to allow them to function more normally.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
