Dr Beecher’s February 10 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE

Week of Monday, February 10th, 2014

Mental Attitude: Depression’s Influence on Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers! Based on data provided by 322 patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, researchers have identified that a patient’s psychological state can affect self- reported measurements about how their body responds to different treatments and therapies. The researchers recommend rheumatologists be aware of their patient’s mental state when assessing the efficacy of their treatment plan.

Arthritis Care & Research, December 2013

 

Health Alert: Smoking is a $289 Million Dollar a Year Burden! During the last half-century, 20 million Americans have died as a consequence of smoking and 16 million more continue to suffer from smoking-related conditions. The combined healthcare expenses and lost economic productivity that results from smoking-related illnesses costs the United States (US) about $289,000,000 each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every thirteen children alive in the US right now will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases unless current smoking rates drop! Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2014

 

Diet: Diet Soda Not Helpful for Dieters! A new study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that drinking diet soda may not help dieters lose weight. Using data from the long-term National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers discovered that, even though people who drink diet sodas are drinking fewer calories, they tend to consume just as many or more total calories than people who drink sugary beverages. According to lead author Dr. Sarah Bleich, “The results of our study suggest that overweight and obese adults looking to lose or maintain their weight–who have already made the switch from sugary to diet beverages–may need to look carefully at other components of their solid-food diet, particularly sweet snacks, to potentially identify areas for modification.” American Journal of Public Health, January 2014

 

Exercise: How to Keep that New Year’s Resolution. Recording goals in a fitness diary, reflecting on successes and failures, and being held accountable by others are key strategies that have been found to maximize the achievement of all goals, including New Year’s resolutions. Loughborough University, January 2014

 

Chiropractic: The Cause of Post Car Accident Neck Pain. After a car accident, the cause of neck pain may be unknown. Muscles and ligaments can become strained and even inflamed, but they usually heal within six to ten weeks. Pain that lasts longer is usually due to injury to the disk, facet joint, or both. Facet joint pain is the most common cause of chronic neck pain after an accident. Facet joint pain may occur alone or along with disk pain and may sometimes be mistaken for muscle pain. North American Spine Society, January 2014

 

Wellness/Prevention: Breastfeeding and Rheumatoid Arthritis? A study of 7,000 older Chinese women showed that those who breast fed their children had a 50% reduced risk for rheumatoid arthritis later in life.

Rheumatology, January 2014

 

Quote: “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.” ~ Maya Angelou

 

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 February 4 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

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WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE

Week of Monday, February 4th, 2013

Mental Attitude: Smoking and Anxiety. The belief that smoking relieves stress is pervasive, but likely wrong. Smoking is actually anxiogenic (causes anxiety) and successful quitters usually experience a drop in anxiety. British Journal of Psychiatry, January 2013

 

Health Alert: Stroke! In males and females ages 5-14, the number of ischemic stroke hospitalizations increased

31% and 36%, respectively, from 1994 to 2007. For ages 15-34 the increase was 51% for males and 17% for

females. For ages 35-44, the increase was 47% for men and 36% for females. The increase in obesity seems to be the primary cause. CDC, February 2011

 

Diet: How Much Protein? An estimator used for daily protein intake is 0.36 grams per 1 pound of body weight (or

.8g/kg). For example, if you weigh 155lbs, you should consume 56 grams per day (155 * .36 = 56 grams/day). Note: If you are overweight to begin with, do not use this estimator for your current body weight because this will

calculate a higher protein intake number than you really need.

 

Exercise: Aerobic or Resistance Training? A study of 234 obese/overweight adults compared the effects of

aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT) and both aerobic training and resistance training (AT/RT). Researchers found the participants in the AT/RT group both increased lean mass (muscle) and decreased body fat, while the RT group did not decrease body fat, and the AT group did not increase lean mass. According to Leslie H. Willis, an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center and the study’s lead author, “If increasing muscle mass and strength is a goal, then resistance training is required. However, the majority of Americans could experience health benefits due to weight and fat loss. The best option in that case, given limited time for exercise, is to focus on aerobic training. When you lose fat, it is likely you are losing visceral fat, which is known to be associated with cardiovascular and other health benefits.” Journal of Applied Physiology, December 2012

 

Chiropractic: Pregnancy and Back Pain. 20% of women who suffer from severe back pain during pregnancy refrain from having more children out of fear their severe back pain would recur with another pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology, February 1998

 

Wellness/Prevention: How Are You Doing This Year? Only 8% of people succeed in achieving their top New

Year’s Resolution. Journal of Clinical Psychology, December 2012

 

Quote: “Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

 

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 March 5 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!

WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE

Week of Monday, March 5th, 2012

Mental Attitude: Think About It… Smoking? In 2010, the number of dementia diagnoses around the world was estimated at 36 million with numbers increasing and predicted to double every 20 years. In a study of 6000+ men (average age 56 years), those who smoked were linked to a more rapid cognitive decline. However, those who quit smoking at least 10 years before the start of the study had similar scores as non-smokers.

Archives of General Psychiatry, Feb 2012

 

Health Alert: Memory Boost? 6 million Americans and 30 million people worldwide are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease each year. It is the 6th leading cause of death in the US and the 5th leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older. New research shows that stimulating key areas of the brain can improve memory. A research team looked at 7 epilepsy patients who already had electrodes implanted in their brains. When nerve fibers in the patients’ entorhinal cortex were stimulated during learning, they later recognized landmarks and navigated better, reflecting improved spatial memory. This may lead to neuro-prosthetic devices that can activate during certain stages of information processing or daily tasks. New England Journal of Medicine, Feb 2012

 

Diet: Soft Drinks, Smoking and Asthma. A high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 13.3% of participants with asthma and 15.6% of those with COPD reported consuming more than half a liter of soda per day. Furthermore, smoking makes this relationship even worse, especially for COPD. Compared with those who did not smoke and consume soft drinks, those who consumed more than half a liter of soft drink per day and were current smokers had a 6.6-fold greater risk of COPD. Respirology, Feb 2012

 

Exercise: My Max Heart Rate. This is the maximum number of times your heart can beat per minute (bpm). It is a useful measure for workouts, to gauge training intensities. People over 35 years of age who are overweight or have not done exercise for a long time are advised to have their maximum heart rates clinically tested by a trained health care professional. Max Heart Rate For Adult Males: 220 minus your age. For a 25 year-old man it would be 195 bpm (220 minus 25). Max Heart Rate For Adult Females: 226 minus your age. For a 25 year-old woman it would be 201 bpm (226 minus 25). American Heart Association

 

Chiropractic: Important Posture. Poor posture is associated with asymmetries in motion, leading to accelerated degenerative spinal joint pathology that will, in time, adversely affect the nervous system. Koch et al, 2002

 

Wellness/Prevention: Constantly Changing. Your body is constantly sloughing off old cells and growing new ones. For example, you shed 600,000 particles of skin every hour, about 1.5 lbs a year. By 70 years of age, you will have lost 105 lbs of skin. Gray’s Anatomy

 

Quote: “Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.” ~ Gandhi

 

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 September 2011 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter

To download Dr. Beecher’s Monthly Newsletter, please click here!

“Failure is not the only punishment for laziness; there is also the success of others.” ~ Jules Renard

 

HOT new debate about heart disease nutrition advice…

New Research Brings SALTY NEWS!!!

High dietary salt intake is a

proven cause of increased risk of

heart attack… or maybe it isn’t after all?

 

Also in this issue:

  • Popular smoking cessation drug increases risk of hospitalization due to serious cardiovascular event by 72%
  • Sleeping longer helps athletes reach peek performance
  • This amino acid may help fight diabetes

And don’t miss the story:  How NFL veterans team up with wounded warriors to climb the 4th tallest mountain in the world!


 

Houston – So much news this month, so little time!  Let’s jump right into “the good stuff.” It was accepted for years that eating eggs was bad for your heart.  Then, researchers weren’t so sure.

Similarly, sunscreen was the standard for preventing skin cancer, until research surfaced that sunscreen may actually INCREASE your risk.

Truth is: This type of contradiction happens all the time in medical science.  That’s why it is no surprise that, within a few years, a decent percentage of FDA approved drugs are either taken off the market or given “black box” warnings because they are dangerous.

So, what’s the latest in the “it’s bad for you… wait it’s good for you” saga?

SALT!

That’s right.  For years, salt has been one of the deadly sins for increasing your risk of heart disease.

Research shows increased salt intake leads to elevated blood pressure.  High blood pressure has been positively correlated with developing heart disease.  So, increased salt consumption must increase your risk of heart disease.

Makes sense – but not everything that “makes sense” is actually fact.  That’s one of the reasons researchers do studies.

Case in point: Not too long ago, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated that the U.S. could prevent 44,000 deaths annually if Americans reduced their salt intake by 3 grams per day.

Then, in July 2011, a review of seven real-life interventions to reduce salt consumption found almost the complete opposite.

A headline in Scientific America boasted, It’s Time to End the War on Salt.”  It continued, “For every study that suggests that salt is unhealthy, another does not.”

A recent meta-analysis of seven studies involving more than 6,000 subjects found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death.  Another study found that, in fact, the less sodium study subjects excreted in their urine, the higher their risk of heart disease.

According to the Weston A. Price Foundation: “Salt, of course, is vital to health. There’s a reason we have a salt taste in our mouths and a reason that foods taste better with salt. The desire for salt is not some cruel joke imposed by a capricious god, but acts to ensure that we eat our food with salt … The campaign against salt is a perfect example of the law of unintended consequences. Researchers, politicians, medical professionals and journalists push their no-salt agenda as a surefire way to limit disease when all the evidence points to the opposite — increased health problems in young and old, diminished brain function, increased confusion, and a boon to the food processing and medical industries.”

How can this be? The first thing to understand is that science does not always come up with an answer.  Many times, it raises more questions.

For example, a new paper published in Archives of Internal Medicine shows it might not be the level of SODIUM that causes all the problems.  Instead, it might be the POTASIUM/SODIUM ratio.

This paper, led by Quanhe Yang of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found no significant link between sodium intake alone and risk of heart disease or heart-related death. But, when the researchers looked at the ratio of sodium to potassium intake, they found a strong effect. Participants with the worst ratios — the highest sodium and the lowest potassium — had twice the risk of death from heart disease and a nearly 50% higher risk of death from any cause, compared with people who had the highest potassium and the lowest sodium intake.

What’s the take-home message in all this?

First is the understanding that science doesn’t know everything. Commonly accepted “truths” are often shown to be incorrect or partially incorrect.

That’s why doctors and patients should use a combination of the best research and clinical experience.

Should you read one research summary that didn’t find salt to be harmful and start eating a pound of salt a day?

Hardly.  The best course of action is PROBABLY to stay away from processed foods that are loaded with sodium… and make sure you eat foods that contain potassium.

What’s that?  You want a list?  Check out the list below: J

 

 

This Amino Acid May Help Diabetes

 

According to a study by the Joslin Diabetes Center, the amino acid “leucine” may help people with pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

The press release states, “In an animal study, published in the journal PloS One, mice who had been on a high-fat diet and who also received twice the usual intake of leucine, an amino acid found in protein, showed reductions in their pre-diabetic conditions with lower blood sugars and less fat in their livers, two of the conditions of medical problems associated with insulin resistance that make up what is known as metabolic syndrome.

“Researchers said the high-fat diet with leucine did not change how fat the animals got – but they were able to handle glucose better.”

 

And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.

Inspirational Story Of The Month –

(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

 

NFL Veterans Team Up With Wounded Warriors

To Climb The 4th Tallest Mountain In The World!

 

It’s one of the oldest questions – and the most common answers…

“Hey – why would you risk your life climbing that mountain?”

“Because, it’s there!”

Well, in this case, three National Football League veterans have a much better reason.

NFL great TEDDY BRUSCHI, now an ESPN analyst, former Tennessee Titans Coach JEFF FISHER, and former Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams player, CHAD LEWIS, are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

They are climbing the 4th tallest mountain in the world with Ben Lunak. But, Lunak didn’t play in the NFL.

You see, Ben Lunak is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to represent the Wounded Warrior Project. In 2006, Lunak was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq.  His leg was amputated below the knee. Lunak is one of four injured soldiers chosen by the organization to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Its goal is to show other vets who have suffered a traumatic injury that life can be great again.

“They are going to see us doing this big climb. I see that my life is not over, I can still carry on and do whatever I want to do, and that is basically what it is about,” Lunak said. “The biggest obstacle is going to be the mental thing and, if I stay strong mentally, the body will follow.”

Lunak learned to walk again using a prosthetic leg and is now very active.

The event is called “Believe in Heroes” and is organized by the Wounded Warrior Project. It will take the climbers five days to reach the summit of just over 19,000 feet.

But, Ben is not alone in his sacrifice both in war for his country and now for others wounded in battle. Among the group of wounded warriors making the climb is Bryan Wagner, who also gave a leg in service to his country. Another climber, Mike Wilson, struggles daily with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI). And, Nancy Schiliro gave an eye in service to her country.

“We all have our own injuries of war, and we are showing that no matter how you are affected, you are still able to overcome and conquer whatever you want to do,” Lunak said.

These warriors recently completed a three-day training session at Under Armour’s IMG Training Academy in Florida; participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, NM; and climbed Quandary Peak in Golden, CO.

The purpose of the climb is to alert the general public to the great sacrifices and struggles faced by the amazing men and women injured serving the United States of America.

For further information and to see results of the climb, go to www.believeinheroes.org

 

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?

 

Among the many natural ways to treat infection, tea tree oil is one of the very best. Tea tree oil is an essential oil taken from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. It has a wide variety of uses with strong antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. The aborigines in Australia used tea tree leaves to heal skin infections, wounds, and burns by crushing the leaves and holding them in place with a mud pack. Tea tree oil effectively treats a variety of conditions. If you choose to try Tea Tree oil, it is good practice to do a patch test on your skin first, as undiluted tea tree oil can irritate the skin. If the skin is sensitive, then it is necessary to dilute it. A good tea tree oil solution can be made by mixing 5 parts of tea tree oil with 95 parts of water. Please note: tea tree oil should never be taken internally, even in small amounts.

Here are just some of the many ways to effectively use tea tree oil:  Acne – Tea tree oil kills the skin dwelling bacteria that cause acne. Dilute the tea tree oil as directed above and apply to lesions. Another way to apply it is by diluting it with aloe vera gel. To begin with, mix one or two drops to one ounce of the gel.  Athlete’s Foot – Every morning and evening, saturate a cotton ball with tea tree oil (you may need to dilute it) and apply to the affected and surrounding areas. Also, you may want to apply a tea tree oil enriched moisturizer. Tea tree oil is also very effective when treating nail fungal infections. Insect Bites – Apply full strength to the bite area. Tea tree oil is also an effective insect repellent. Wound Healing – Moderately apply tea tree oil (at a strength of 70% to 100%) on the wound at least twice daily.

Lastly, putting a few drops of tea tree oil in bathwater has a relaxing and rejuvenating effect. It will also soothe sore muscles and eliminate persistent body odor.

Tip Of The Month

Attention All Athletes: Sleep More!!

 

If you are an athlete – no matter what level – you are going to want to check out this important information. Here is why… Everyone knows quality sleep is important. Every year more information surfaces that shows it is even more important than many experts first thought. There are many research studies about amounts of sleep and how sleeping too much or too little affects your health. Now, there is another study showing just how important sleep may be for peak athletic performance. Research published in the journal Sleep suggests that sleeping longer can dramatically improve physical performance. Members of Stanford University’s male basketball team increased their sleep to 10 hours a night for around 6 weeks. Results? Their shooting accuracy improved by 9%, sprinting times improved, and fatigue levels decreased. When it comes to athletes and high level sports, 9% can be enormous. Top athletes are often separated by minute fractions of a percentage. For example, the difference between winners and losers in Olympic sprinting is often measured in thousandths of a second. The study at Stanford University found that getting enough sleep and rest was as important as training and diet for elite athletes. It should be noted that in the study, the players also stopped drinking coffee and alcohol. Obviously, altering all three factors (sleep, coffee and alcohol) seems to have had a major impact.  One has to wonder how much of an impact just changing sleep would have?

 

Popular Smoking Cessation Drug Increases Risk Of Serious Cardiovascular Event By 72%…

 

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of East Anglia, in the United Kingdom, shows the use of varenicline – marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Chantix™ – is associated with a 72 percent increased risk of hospitalization due to a serious adverse cardiovascular (CV) event, such as heart attack or arrhythmia. The study was published in the July 4th issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. According to a press release on reporting the results of the study: “We have known for many years that Chantix is one of the most harmful prescription drugs on the U.S. market, based on the number of serious adverse effects reported to the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration),” said Curt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest Baptist, lead investigator on the study, and a nationally-recognized leader in drug safety research. “It causes loss of consciousness, visual disturbances, suicides, violence, depression and worsening of diabetes. To this list we now can add serious cardiovascular events.” According to the press release, the drug already has a black box warning from the FDA due to other harmful side effects. “People should be concerned,” said Sonal Singh, M.D., M.P.H., lead author on the study from Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. “They don’t need Chantix to quit and this is another reason to consider avoiding Chantix altogether.” Researchers added, “The sum of all serious adverse effects of Chantix clearly outweigh the most positive effect of the drug in my view,” Furberg said. “The time has come for the FDA to withdraw the drug from the market.”

 

Remember, we’re always here to help you, your family,

and your friends live pain free!

 

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 let us know.

Dr Beecher’s August 22 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

To download Dr. Beecher’s Weekly Newsletter, please click here!

WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE
Week of Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Mental Attitude: Memory Restoration. Scientists have developed a way to turn memories on and off – literally with the flip of a switch. Using an electronic system that duplicates the neural signals associated with memory, they managed to replicate the brain function in rats associated with long-term, learned behavior. Researchers also showed that if a prosthetic device and its associated electrodes were implanted in animals with a normal, functioning hippocampus, the device could actually strengthen the memory being generated internally in the brain and enhance the memory capability of normal rats. The goal is to eventually create a prosthesis that might help Alzheimer’s disease, stroke or injury sufferers recover function. Journal of Neural Engineering, June 2011

Health Alert: Inaccurate Medical Claims! Claims-processing errors have increased by 2% over the last year to a
19.3% rate, wasting $17 billion annually. United Healthcare was best with a 90.2% accuracy rating. Anthem Blue
Cross Blue Shield, was lowest with an accuracy rating of 61.1%.
American Medical Association 4th annual National Health Insurer Report Card

Diet: Big Time Snacking. Snacking continues to increase among Americans, accounting for 25% of daily caloric intake. The average person “snacks” an extra 580 calories each day. Between 2006 and 2008, time spent eating primary meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – remained consistent at 70 minutes. However, secondary eating doubled from 15 minutes each day in 2006 to nearly 30 minutes in 2008, and secondary drinking jumped nearly 90% from
45-85 minutes. Beverages account for 50% the calories consumed through snacking. Most people don’t equate beverages with calorie intake and are less likely to offset or take these calories into account.
Institute of Food Technologists, June 2011

Exercise: Muscle Up. How important is it to exercise your muscles? The human body has over 600 muscles accounting for 40% of the body’s weight. When exercised regularly, muscles are your primary mechanism of maintaining your metabolism, thus burning fat. Maintaining the flexibility of your joints and surrounding soft tissues allows muscles to function at their highest level. Gray’s Anatomy

Chiropractic: Simple Analogy. Spinal problems are like a cavity in your tooth: 1. They occur slowly over time.
2. Typically, they are without symptoms for some time. 3. They continue to progress. 4. They don’t go away on their own. 5. They eventually cause pain. 6. They can lead to more significant problems.

Wellness/Prevention: Smoking Raises Risk. Smokers had a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease, cancer-recurrence, or from any cause compared to lifetime non-smokers. The longer the patient smoked, the higher his risk of dying from prostate cancer or cardiovascular disease. Men who had given up smoking for ten years had similar prostate cancer mortality risks as lifetime non-smokers.
Journal of the American Medical Association, May 2011

Quote: “A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.” ~ Albert Einstein

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.