Dr Beecher’s August 12 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, August 12th, 2013
Mental Attitude: Music and Pain. A research trial involving 42 children (ages 3-11) found that those who listened to music during unpleasant procedures (such as administering an IV) experienced lower perceived pain levels and less discomfort. JAMA Pediatrics, July 2013
Health Alert: Brain’s Motivation Blunted! Long-term cannabis users tend to produce less dopamine, a chemical in the brain linked to motivation. Dopamine levels in a part of the brain called the striatum were lower in people who regularly smoke cannabis, especially those who began taking the drug at a younger age. This explains why some cannabis users appear to lack motivation to work or pursue their normal interests. The lowest dopamine levels were seen in users who met diagnostic criteria for cannabis abuse or dependence, raising the possibility that this measure could provide a marker of addiction severity. Biological Psychiatry, July 2013
Diet: The Gut and Autism? Autism rates have risen over recent years. Heightened awareness and more diligent efforts at diagnosis account for some of the increase, yet researchers believe an epidemic is occurring. One possible factor is the overuse of antibiotics at an early age. This lowers the diversity of the gut microflora and lower diversity of gut microbes is positively correlated with the presence of autistic symptoms. Bacterial richness and diversity are essential for maintaining a robust and adaptable bacterial community capable of fighting off environmental challenges. PLOS ONE, July 2013
Exercise: Forced Stress Relief. It’s known that physical exercise reduces a participant’s stress and anxiety levels. Interestingly, in a study setting, people who exercised even when they didn’t want to received the same anxiety and stress reducing benefits as those who actively chose to exercise. Journal of Neuroscience, May 2013
Chiropractic: Very Popular! Patient surveys show that chiropractors are used more often than any other alternative provider group, and patient satisfaction with chiropractic care is very high. According to a 1997 survey, the number of Americans utilizing chiropractic care tripled from 1980-1997. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2002
Wellness/Prevention: Turmeric. Turmeric, an ingredient found in most yellow mustards, has long been known to have medicinal values. New research has found that curcumin, a substance in turmeric, provides lasting protection against potentially deadly lung damage (bronchopulmonary dysplasia) in premature infants.
American Journal of Physiology, July 2013
Quote: “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”
~ 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 BeecherChiropractic.com .
Dr Beecher’s January 23 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, January 23rd, 2012
Mental Attitude: A Good Laugh. When we laugh heartily among friends, we exhale repeatedly without drawing breath. This physical effort leaves us exhausted and triggers the release of protective endorphins, one of the complex neuropeptide chemicals of the brain that regulate pain and promote feelings of wellbeing. Watching 15 minutes of comedy in the company of others can increase your pain threshold by an average of 10%. Laughter is 30 times more likely to happen when we are with others than when we are alone. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Dec 2011
Health Alert: Antibiotic Resistance. Overexposure to antibiotics has long been a concern in the medical community, most specifically the development of antibiotic resistant infections as a result of repeated use. Ophthalmologic antibiotics have been found to promote antimicrobial resistance too, prompting a call from Vanderbilt Eye Institute physicians to be more judicial in the administration of certain classes of
antibiotics. Archives of Ophthalmology, Dec 2011
Diet: Protect Your Bones. A calorie-restricted diet higher in protein (mostly from dairy foods) and lower in carbohydrates, coupled with daily exercise, demonstrated a major positive impact on bone health. Bone health improvements were particularly evident due to the diet’s high density of bone-supporting nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D and dairy-based protein.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dec 2011
Exercise: It’s Harder To Run As You Age. Runners who find it more difficult to run as they age can make the experience easier on themselves by adding strength training and flexibility exercises to their fitness routine. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Dec 2011
Chiropractic: Bad Posture. Asymmetries in posture and motion can cause tethering, the adverse prolonged stretching of the central nervous system. This can result in spinal cord ischemia (lack of blood flow) and consequently motor, sensory, and autonomic neurological dysfunction. Tethering of the spinal cord has been linked to demylenating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. Koch, 2002
Wellness/Prevention: Cancer Prevention In Your 50s. Cancer is more likely to show up in men over 50 years old. That’s why the majority of cancer screening exams begin at age 50. Finding and treating cancer as early as possible is one of the best ways to beat this disease. In the case of prostate cancer (the most common cancer in men), treating the disease at an early stage means men may be less likely to experience long-term side effects, like impotence. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Nov 2011
Quote: “Money cannot buy health.” ~ Dorothy Parker
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 Beechers December 12 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter
To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!
WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, December 12th, 2011
Mental Attitude: Brain Games. Researchers have found risk/reward scenarios (such as playing games) stimulate nearly all areas of the brain. Since the brain’s primary purpose is to maximize our chance of survival and reproduction, it makes sense reward should be important for all cognitive functions, and thus most brain regions. Neuron, Oct 2010
Health Alert: Antibiotics. After 70 years, antibiotics are still the primary treatment for bacterial infections. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance is now outpacing the rate of new drug discovery and approval. The economic costs and health threats of antibiotic resistance have become so serious that the World Health Organization dedicated World Health Day to call global attention to the issue. Antibiotics are routinely sprayed on crops and fed to livestock, which helps cause antibiotic resistant bacteria to develop. That antibiotic resistance is then transferred to humans when they eat the food containing the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is resistant to a broad range of antibiotics, causes infections in people with compromised immune systems, such as HIV and cancer patients. It’s also responsible for hospital-related infections such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia and infections from burns. The fatality rate is about 50%. Hospital-acquired urinary tract infections by P. aeruginosa alone cost more than $3.5 billion a year in the US. WHO, Oct 2011
Diet: A Slice Of Watermelon! Watermelon reduces atherosclerosis in animals. The study involved mice with diet-induced high cholesterol. By week 8, animals given watermelon juice had lower body weight, due to decreased fat mass. They experienced no decrease in lean mass. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower, with modestly reduced intermediate and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. University of Kentucky, Oct 2011
Exercise: Reduces Productivity? Exercise may reduce work productivity in employees with high stress jobs. The study’s authors recommend employees with more stressful jobs utilize other techniques to manage stress. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Oct 2011
Chiropractic: Yoga & Low Back Pain. A 12-week yoga program for adults with chronic or recurrent low back pain improved back function better than back pain education booklets.
Annals Of Internal Medicine, Nov 2011
Wellness/Prevention: Stop Smoking! Smokers are twice as likely to have strokes, and on average, they have them 10 years earlier than non-smokers. Heart and Stroke Foundation, Oct 2011
Quote: “You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.” ~ Bill Cosby
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.
