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Acid Suppressants Linked to Fracture Risk

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Proton-pump inhibitors sound like something right out of Star Wars, but they’re actually common – far too common, considering their potential risks – here in the real world.

Following a recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of studies, the administration posted a “class labeling change”  notice on its Web site alerting health care professionals and consumers that proton-pump inhibitors will now feature a label warning regarding “a possible increased risk of fractures at the hip, wrist and spine” attributable to their use. According to the FDA, people ages 50 or older who had been taking the medication for one year or more, often in high doses, were at the greatest risk.

If your doctor tells you proton-pump inhibitors are in your immediate future, ask about the potential side effects and if you can avoid taking medication altogether.

5 Factors That Reduce Heart Attack Risk

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Chest pain, shortness of breath and lightheadedness are three common symptoms of myocardial infarction. Too many families, friends and loved ones have faced a sudden, often-unexpected loss because someone they knew suffered an MI – otherwise known as a heart attack.

While they can’t always be prevented, the good news is researchers have identified five healthy lifestyle factors that can profoundly impact one’s risk of suffering a heart attack. Adopting even one of these healthy factors reduces your risk, but adopting two, three, four or all five factors reduces the risk even further:

  • One Factor: healthy diet – 26 percent lower risk
  • Two Factors: healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption – 35 percent lower risk
  • Three Factors: healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking – 64 percent lower risk
  • Four Factors: healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption, no smoking, physically active – 76 percent lower risk
  • Five Factors: All four of the above factors plus waist circumference less than 95 cm (about 37 inches)

If you’re already five for five when it comes to the above lifestyle factors, keep up the great work! If you’re doing none or only a few, recognize their value in preventing a cardiac event that can end your life in the blink of an eye. Talk to your doctor for more information on heart attacks and an evaluation of your current risk.

Maximize Metabolism With a Healthy Thyroid

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So, how much do you know about the thyroid gland? Some people have never even heard of it. Thyroid health should definitely be on your radar because its primary function is to release hormones that control your metabolic rate.

In other words, a healthy thyroid helps your body utilize energy quickly for cellular activities. And that’s what keeps your body – right down to the individual cells – in motion, using energy efficiently throughout the day (and night) to function properly and stay in good health.

The Basics

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front part of the neck, just below the voice box (larynx). Thyroid activity is stimulated by the pituitary gland, which secretes thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to signal the production of thyroxine in the thyroid. There are two main thyroid hormones consisting of two aromatic rings of tyrosine linked together with the addition of iodine at select places: T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (tetraiodothyronine). When these hormones are insufficiently produced due to thyroid dysfunction, a condition known as hypothyroidism can occur.

Hypothyroidism

Weight gain, fatigue, and depression are unfortunately common health complaints among the American public. While there are many reasons why patients may experience these symptoms, one of the most evident causes often goes undiagnosed. Hypothyroidism is now believed to affect a growing percentage of American adults.

Any disruption in the chain of events leading to thyroid hormone secretion can result in abnormal thyroid activity. If thyroxine production within the gland itself is impaired, the pituitary gland will continue to secrete TSH in efforts to stimulate thyroid production, a condition known as primary hypothyroidism. Blood tests will indicate elevated TSH with lower T3/ T4 levels. Secondary hypothyroidism, a less common form accounting for less than 5 percent of cases, is caused by a deficiency in TSH production by the pituitary gland.

The severity of hypothyroidism can vary significantly, from nearly undetectable to extremely debilitating and life-threatening. Patients with severely impaired thyroid function may struggle with simple daily tasks such as doing housework, taking care of their families, and even getting up from bed. Hypothyroidism also appears to interfere with normal carbohydrate metabolism and correlates with increased insulin demand and insulin resistance. Blood lipids, both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, are normally elevated in almost all hypothyroid patients, including mild cases.

When assessing for thyroid function, many doctors will first test TSH levels. As discussed, elevated TSH can be indicative of primary hypothyroidism. Most resources cite 0.4-4.0 mlU/L as normal range. However, many patients express symptoms of hypothyroidism with TSH higher than 2.5 mlU/L. This diagnosis is often referred to as subclinical hypothyroidism. Even in these less severe cases, hypothyroidism can cause many classic symptoms including weight gain, sensitivity to cold, constipation, menstrual problems, fatigue, edema, and dry skin, hair, and nails. Depression is also common in these patients, and many report forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.

Nutritional Factors

When analyzing thyroid function, three nutrients of concern are iodine, selenium, and the amino acid tyrosine. Remember, thyroxine is synthesized from tyrosine bound to iodine molecules. Selenium acts as a co-factor for enzymes known as deiodinases. These enzymes are the catalysts in the reactions involved in thyroid production and conversion. Patients concerned with thyroid health should work with their doctor to carefully monitor their intake of all three of these essential nutrients.

The most common example of nutrient deficiency causing thyroid disease is iodine deficiency. Prior to the introduction of iodized salt in the 1920s, iodine deficiency was common in the Great Lakes and Appalachian regions of the United States. This region was referred to as the “Goiter Belt” at that time due to the characteristic enlarged thyroid (goiter) seen in people with iodine deficiency.

It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of the world’s population is at risk for iodine deficiency, and outside of the United States, this remains the leading cause of impaired thyroid activity and mental retardation. Even here in the U.S., despite the prevalent use of iodized salt in our food supply, undiagnosed iodine deficiency remains a cause of hypothyroidism. While the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I), conducted from 1971-1974, found that 2.6 percent of U.S. citizens suffered from iodine deficiency, NHANES III [conducted from 1988-1994] saw that percentage rise considerably, up to 11.7 percent suffering from deficiency.

Autoimmunity and Food Sensitivities

Autoimmunity is another leading cause of hypothyroidism. Autoimmune destruction of thyroid tissue, known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, occurs primarily in women and older adults between the ages of 45-65.

Other Dietary Influences on Thyroid Health

In addition to gluten, other foods known as goitrogens have been shown to be damaging to thyroid function. There are two main classes of food goitrogens: cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) and soybean-related foods. Both isothiocyanates from cruciferous vegetables and soy isoflavones have an inhibitory effect on thyroid peroxidase and interfere with iodine uptake by the thyroid gland. In a metabolic experiment, rats fed a daily diet of moderate iodine intake and 25 mg of thiocyanate (a known goitrogen), showed significant reduction in circulating thyroxine after 60 days. If you have a diagnosed iodine deficiency, you should talk to your doctor about whether reducing your intake of uncooked cruciferous vegetables, particularly while taking iodine supplements, is a wise course of action.

Concerns also continue to grow about the excessive consumption of genetically modified soy-based foods by thyroid patients. While moderate intake of traditional soy foods (tempeh, edamame, etc.) has been shown to provide some health benefits, it is argued that the negative effects on the thyroid may be enhanced by the genetic modification process. In addition to these foods, certain xenobiotic toxins including phthalate esters (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability and longevity), polychlorinated bisphenyls (PCBs, which were banned in 1979 but still may be present in older paints, plastics, floor finishes, adhesives, tapes and other items), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pollutants present in oil, coal and tar deposits, among other items) have all been shown to produce goitrogenic effects.

Keep Your Body in Motion

Undiagnosed hypothyroidism is a common and clinically significant health problem that affects millions of Americans. Could you be one? If you find yourself expressing symptoms of low thyroid activity, talk to your doctor, who may run tests to check your TSH and T3/T4 levels. And keep in mind that while less common than hypothyroidism, you can also experience hyperthyroidism: an overactive thyroid that releases too much hormones instead of too little. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism can include weight loss, increased appetite, nervousness, restlessness, weakness, itching, nausea and vomiting, among other unpleasantries. Talk to your doctor about thyroid health and learn more about how to keep your body in motion.

Standing vs. Sitting: Which Is Best?

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One of the new trends in office design is the standing desk. The goal of these standing desks is to get people to sit less. Some authors have gone so far as to equate sitting to smoking (Buckley, et al., 2015).

Research presented at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Occupational Conference (Duncan, Kazi and Haslam, 2015) stated that, in a typical working week, people spend four hours and 41 minutes per day sitting at their desks. (And that doesn’t count the time they spend seated in their cars, while eating, and watching television.) Whatever the final numbers are, it is fair to say that we spend a lot of time sitting. Would standing more be beneficial to our health? Let’s take a look…

Standing: Pros & Cons

One of the alternatives to sitting all day is standing while at work. Some of the advantages of standing are:

  • Reduced risk of obesity
  • Reduced risk of cancer
  • Lower long-term mortality risk
  • Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic problems

It takes more energy (calories) to stand than it does to sit. Livestrong states that standing uses 20-50 more calories per hour than sitting, depending upon your size. That equates to 8-20 pounds during the course of a year (www.livestrong.com, 2014).

Given that Americans tend to be larger today than in years past, standing makes some sense, particularly if you’re trying to lose weight.

Unfortunately, standing isn’t a panacea. Prolonged standing also comes with a health risk. It can lead to:

  • Back pain
  • Leg pain
  • Varicose veins
  • Cardiovascular problems

Anyone who spends the work day standing in place (e.g., grocer checkers) can tell you about the problems they encounter as a result of prolonged standing.

The Best of Both Worlds?

Alternating between standing and sitting is probably a healthier alternative. It has been suggested that workers should stand for two hours each work day and gradually increase to four hours (Biswas, et al., 2015). That’s half the day standing and half sitting.

Stability Balls

One relatively new and somewhat revolutionary trend has been the use of the gym ball (aka, stability ball) as a chair. Using a stability ball as an office chair strengthens the core muscles, similar to the use of a backless chair or stool. The freedom of movement that comes from using a stability ball may also decrease any confined or constrained body postures that frequently occur at workstations.

Livestrong (www.livestrong.com, 2015) states that the stability ball is a piece of exercise equipment that is used for strength training and to improve balance and stability. The website indicates that replacing the traditional office chair with a stability ball has become increasingly popular because of the potential for improved health, posture and strength. Some of the potential benefits of sitting on a ball include:

  • It encourages “active” sitting.
  • It improves the endurance of sitting and postural muscles.
  • It improves sensory perception.
  • It acts as a stimulus for the regulation of posture.
  • It allows an alternate loading and unloading of the intervertebral disks.
  • It improves blood circulation.
  • It improves the effectiveness of all the organ systems.

The following tips are offered in order to use a stability ball as an office chair;

  • Use the correct size and make sure that it is fully inflated. Properly fitted, the thighs should be parallel to the floor and the knees should be at 90 degrees.
  • Perform normal workday activities while on the ball.
  • Stay on the ball as long as is comfortable, then return to the normal chair. Begin with 20-30 minutes, then increase the time gradually.
  • Use a stability base to keep the ball stable.

The bottom line: When sitting on a stability ball, you can’t sit still. The ball forces the body to constantly adjust to the forces of gravity. Sitting on such a labile surface is a constant challenge to the musculoskeletal system and can actually be quite fatiguing, if you’re not used to it. Consequently, it is suggested that yo shouldn’t throw your normal chairs out.

I have used a stability ball as an office chair and like it more than the standing desk. However, I am of the opinion that the stability ball shouldn’t be a total replacement to the traditional office chair. Instead, it should be used in conjunction with the chair.

Movement Is Key

Rather than just sitting or standing, it would seem that movement is the key to a long and healthy life. One author looked at individuals in Okinawa, Japan (Buettner, 2014). He found that they tend to sit on the floor, rather than in chairs. They apparently go from sitting to standing approximately 30 times each day (constantly moving). Buettner discusses the advantages of going from a sitting to a standing position.

As an aside, some of the healthiest and oldest individuals come from Okinawa. Perhaps there is a connection.

A survey performed a number of years ago (Belloc and Breslow, 1972) attempted to identify common denominators in healthy octogenarians. One of the factors identified was regular physical activity (30-45 minutes every day of the week). There were no marathon runners or extreme athletes. They just kept moving, similar to the individuals in Okinawa.

Closing Thoughts

The standing desk is a reasonable alternative to sitting at work. One alternative is to use a treadmill as a desk. This encourages movement and activity during the workday.

However, standing rather than sitting should not be considered an ideal alternative. Instead, it would appear that changing positions is the critical link. Some time spent sitting and some spent standing is probably best.

In addition, the use of a stability ball seems to be a reasonable alternative to sitting on a traditional office chair. While the stability ball is a positive modification, one of the advantages is the limited amount of time an individual can spend on it. It almost forces a change of position.

Finally, it would appear that movement is the key to reducing problems. Rather than sit or stand for long periods, time spent moving from sitting to standing (and back again) is advantageous.

Plug Into the Power of Green

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While most people appreciate green vegetables as being healthy foods, their true power from a health perspective is generally not understood. A great example of this lack of understanding is apparent if I tell a patient to eat green vegetables in place of whole grains.

Their typical response is, “If I do this, where will I get my fiber from?” In fact, there is no comparison between the fiber amounts and overall nutritional density of green vegetables versus whole grains. Perhaps the recent “whole-grain campaign” has turned people’s attention from the value of green vegetables and the nutritional power you can harness by eating them every day. Let’s take a look at a few quick comparisons between whole grains and green vegetables, focusing on two important nutrients: fiber and potassium (and bearing in mind that whole grains are also an important part of a healthy diet).

On a calorie by-calorie-basis, green vegetables contain substantially more fiber than whole grains. For example, 2 pieces of whole-wheat bread contain approximately 140 calories, only 4 grams of fiber, and 140 milligrams (mg) of potassium. In contrast, 2 cups of broccoli contain only 87 calories, but more than 9 grams of fiber and about 1,000 mg of potassium. And 5 cups of romaine lettuce (about the size of a large salad) provide only 80 calories, but 5 grams of fiber and 580 mg of potassium.

To understand the role green vegetables can play in your nutritional health, particularly when combined with other healthy foods such as fruit, consider that by eating 2 apples, 2 oranges, 2 cups of broccoli, and 5 cups of romaine lettuce on a daily basis, you would get approximately 450 calories, 28 grams of fiber, and more than 2,400 mg of potassium. The average American consumes only 15 grams of fiber per day; the typical recommendation is to get 25-30 grams per day (even that amount is likely too low).

Many diseases are associated with low fiber and low potassium intake. Diets low in fiber may underlie or exacerbate constipation, appendicitis, hemorrhoids, deep-vein thrombosis (a blood clot that forms in a vein deep within the body), varicose veins, diverticulitis (inflammation of an abnormal pouch in the intestinal wall), hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux. Fiber is thought to help prevent colon cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

The general public rarely hears about importance of potassium in promoting health, so people rarely consider the need to eat potassium-rich foods – which coincidentally, are vegetables and fruits. (Animal protein and potatoes also provide substantial amounts of potassium, and by the way, whole and refined grains are generally among the worst dietary source of potassium. Research indicates that human beings need to take in about 7,000-11,000 mg of potassium per day, and this should come from diet, not supplements. However, the average American comes up well short of this number, consuming only about 2,500 mg per day or less. Numerous diseases are thought to be associated with such a low level of consumption,including high blood pressure, strokes, kidney stones, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal tract cancers, asthma, and insomnia.

Of course, besides containing high levels of fiber and potassium, green vegetables also contain an abundance of substances called phytochemicals, which are known to offer numerous disease-fighting benefits. The most well-known phytochemicals are bioflavonoids and carotenoids. In recent years, a substantial amount of research has been devoted to phytochemicals; the general conclusion from this research is that we need to ensure adequate intake of fruits and vegetables so we can reap the benefits of phytochemicals.

The important take-home message here is that whether you’re trying to lose weight or just stay in shape, green vegetables are filling, extremely nutritious and very low in calories. So plug into the power of green vegetables as part of a healthy diet.

Perfecting Your Posture

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If you don’t have good posture, what do you have? Poor posture can lead to a variety of health problems over time, and yet too many people have bad postural habits. It’s time to understand the fundamentals of proper posture and how you can stay healthy from head to toe.

Sit up straight! Stop slouching! Don’t stare at the floor when you walk! These are the classic phrases children hear from their well-intentioned parents regarding posture. As children, we learn early on that posture is important, but generally never fully understand its role in our health, what causes poor posture or how to positively influence it. Let’s start with a simple definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which defines posture as “the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed for a special purpose.” Want to know more? Read on…

Ideal Posture

Let’s focus for just a moment on the characteristic aspect of posture, the basic form we take while standing or walking. The human body is designed to stand with the eyes level with the horizontal plane of the Earth. Viewed from the front, the shoulders and hips are level and the spine is vertical. From the side view, the ear is over the shoulder, the shoulder is over the hip and the hip is over the knee, which is over the ankle.

Think of it like the foundation of a house. The foundation can settle, creating structural stress that can crack the plaster on the walls or ceiling. The same is true for our bodies. Unequal support in the foundation of our body, our feet,can create stress in our structure that can show up as poor posture. This poor posture can lead to tight muscles, stiffness and ultimately contribute to joint degeneration in the knees, hips and spine. Basically, small imbalances over time can lead to big problems for our bodies.

Common Postural Problems

The most common signs of postural stress are one ear being higher than the other and unlevel shoulders or hips. You can also detect postural stress from the side if the ear looks as if it has moved forward of the tip of the shoulder or if the hips appear to have moved forward.

The first thing to do is find out where your postural stress is coming from. Certain jobs require you to sit, stand, twist or bend in repeating patterns, which can create postural stress. If you sit at a computer for long periods of time, that can have a tendency to create a forward head positioning, causing stress in the neck and upper back. Bending and twisting motions can cause an overdevelopment of muscles on one side of the body compared to the other side, which can also be a source of postural stress.

The foundation of posture is actually the feet. It is very common for there to be slight differences in the arches of the feet, which create a slight imbalance. This imbalance can cause a chain reaction all the way up the spine, affecting postural balance. One sign of foot imbalances is when one foot flares out more than the other. Both feet should point forward with only the slightest outward flare when you walk.

Flat feet, a condition also known as excessive pronation, can produce slight twisting movements in the knees and hips, causing one hip to be higher than the other. This is usually more pronounced on one side and is not typically painful, but it explains why one knee or hip can develop soreness or stiffness more than the other one.

A Few Things You Can Do

Get checked – If your posture is breaking down as a result of improper foot balance, it is important to have your feet examined to determine if a custom-made, flexible shoe orthotic will be beneficial. Orthotics create a solid foundation for your pelvis and spine by limiting excessive motion in the feet. Having a stable foundation helps to improve your posture. Your doctor can provide you with more information.

Improve flexibility – This is important because postural stress causes some muscles to work harder than others, creating tension and stiffness. Mirror image exercises are stretching and strengthening exercises designed to restore muscle balance by stretching in the direction away from the postural imbalance. If you are looking in a mirror and one shoulder is higher than the other, you will want to stretch and strengthen in the direction that makes the shoulders level. The same concept works for the lower back. (Note: For a list of easy stretching exercises to help keep the entire body flexible, read “You’ve Got to Be Flexible” in the January issue of TYH.)

Work with your chiropractor – Be sure to work closely with your chiropractor in developing a plan of action, and then check your progress with a postural analysis. It is important to remember that the body works best when it is in balance, so that should be the goal of all of your stretching and strengthening exercises

Good posture does a whole lot more than just allow you to stand and walk tall. It’s a full-body improvement that benefits you from head to toe.

Benefits of Good Posture:

  • Joint mobility
  • Injury prevention
  • Improved balance
  • Overall wellness

Consequences of Poor Posture:

  • Muscle tension
  • Pain
  • Fatigue
  • Degenerative arthritis

Get the Runner’s High: 5 Steps for Beginners

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Want to start running, but don’t know where to start (or if you can do it)? Here are some tips on how to run the right way:

Step 1: Choose the Right Shoe: There’s no piece of equipment more important than the shoe to a runner. After all, choose the wrong shoe and you’ll increase your risk of suffering a minor to major injury not just to the feet, but also the legs, knees and hips. Visit a running store and ask for a complete evaluation including foot width, stride tendencies, etc. They’ll recommend the right shoe to ensure your running experience doesn’t end in disaster.

Step 2: Choose the Right Gear: Those fancy running outfits you see in the sporting goods stores actually have a purpose, particularly when it comes to making sure you don’t overheat during your run. You’ll be amazed by how quickly your body heats up after only a 1/2 mile or so, even on a frigid day. That’s where moisture-wicking fabrics come in. Avoid cotton, which will absorb sweat, weighing you down and keeping the heat in. And remember to pick up a hat with a brim, water-resistant sunscreen, and a belt that holds small water bottles, your house key, etc. Hit the road without one of these items and you’ll pay a steep price.

Step 3: Choose the Right Surface: When it comes to impact, the type of surface you run on matters – considerably. While many people run on the treadmill at a gym or the sidewalk outdoors, neither of those surfaces may be ideal when it comes to the consistent pounding your body (particularly your knees) takes stride after stride. You may want to consider the local high-school track, which generally has a cushioned surface to absorb impact. Other options, depending on where you live, include a dirt road or field, which is much softer than concrete; or even a paved road (use the bike lane to be safe) instead of the harder sidewalk.

Step 4: Choose the Right Schedule: You’re almost ready to start your first run, but there’s one important step left: the when. Start with one or two days a week and run a mile or less at a moderate pace, just to get the feel of things. If your knees start hurting, stop and talk to your doctor. Build to a third day or increase your distance, speed, etc., as you get more comfortable. There are a variety of free running apps that track distance, speed, calories burned and other variables to keep you engaged run to run, week to week, as you track your progress.

Step 5: You know what step 5 is – get out there and start running! If you’re like most runners, you’ll find it’s much more than a physically and mentally challenging experience; it’s also a time to relax, get away from the stresses of life, and be alone with your thoughts after a long day – or before one. If you have a pre-existing health condition, consult with your doctor first.

The Missing Pieces to the Chronic Pain Puzzle

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PAIN is a significant problem in our society, and the way too many of us deal with it, either by taking medication to temporarily relieve the pain or ignoring the pain altogether, foolishly hoping it will go away, is an even bigger problem, contributing to long-term disability and reduced quality of life. Here are a few important pieces to the puzzle that can help you deal with pain now and prevent future episodes – chronic pain- from ruining your life.

How do you feel at this very moment? You can do a easy self-check just by moving your neck, shoulders, arms and legs around. Do you have any aches and pains anywhere? If your response is, “Don’t most people have pain somewhere in their body?” or “Doesn’t pain come with old age?” keep in mind that while that’s true, it doesn’t mean you have to accept it. And remember, pain isn’t just physical. The emotional stress it creates can be as hard on you as the pain itself. Let’s talk about ways you can find relief from your physical pain, which will undoubtedly lighten your emotional load at the same time.

Pain Defined

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to sheer agony. Pain has physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerves being stimulated. Pain may be confined to a specific area, as in an injury, or it can be spread throughout the body. Around the world, millions of people live with pain in some form or another, involving many different body parts, on a daily basis.

One of the most interesting things about pain is how each human being deals with it. Some learn to live with pain. Others can’t stand to feel even an ounce of it. The most common types of pain include arthritis, lower back, bone/joint pain, muscle pain and fibromyalgia (widespread pain, tenderness and fatigue in muscles,tendons and ligaments). Back pain is the most frequent cause of limited activities for people younger than 45 years old.

Acute vs. Chronic Pain

Acute pain is a normal sensation triggered in the nervous system to alert you to possible injury and the need to take care of yourself. This type of pain comes on quickly and can be severe, but it lasts a relatively short period of time. In general, acute pain is in response to an event that happens to the body. It may be a result of surgery or an accident.

Chronic pain is different. Chronic pain tends to stay around or progress over longer periods of time. Pain signals keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months or even years. Oftentimes, chronic pain is resistant to traditional medical treatments. The emotional component of pain often comes into play in a chronic situation.

The Consequences of Pain

The loss of productivity and daily activity due to pain is substantial. Americans spend at least $50 billion per year on back pain, and that’s just for the more easily identified costs. Pain has a negative impact on an individual’s quality of life. It diminishes one’s ability to concentrate, do their job, exercise, socialize, perform daily tasks and sleep. Over time, this can lead to depression, isolation and loss of self-esteem. Researchers have found that depression is the most frequent psychological reaction to chronic pain.

If you hurt an area of your body and do not restore proper, healthy movement patterns, you will end up with problems later down the road. I can’t tell you how many patients I have seen who got in car accidents and hurt their neck and back, but waited to get treatment and used pain as the indicator for how they feel. Eventually, the pain went down or even away, but they were often left with problems in their bones and joints.

Common Causes and Sources of Chronic Pain

An initial injury like a trauma, fracture, sprain/strain, or serious infection may be the cause of the chronic pain. There could also be an ongoing cause like arthritis, cancer, an ear infection or injuries that never healed properly.

Some people even suffer chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage. Many chronic pain conditions affect older adults. Common chronic pain complaints include headache, low back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, neurogenic pain (pain resulting from damage to the peripheral nerves or to the central nervous system itself), and psychogenic pain (pain not due to past disease or injury or any visible sign of damage inside or outside the nervous system).

Quite simply, pain can come from anywhere in the body. The source can be the neck, shoulders, low back, hips and everywhere else. Many times, the location of the pain depends on how the injury happened. Perhaps someone injured their shoulder while throwing a ball. Maybe someone sprained their ankle while running. How about the person who falls down the stairs and hurts multiple parts of their body simultaneously?

Solving the Chronic Pain Puzzle

Pain is a complex puzzle. For certain cases, it takes complex solutions to help solve that puzzle. In some cases, the individual’s pain is so debilitating that it requires the use of X-rays or other special imaging to visualize the problem that is occurring in the spine or extremities. It may be appropriate to use any of the following: Chiropractic, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, nutritional supplementation, massage/bodywork, yoga and psychological therapy. In some cases, it may even require over-the-counter or prescription medication (although the goal is to avoid relying on these because of the potential side effects). But there are definitely things you can do that can help you prevent and treat chronic pain. Let’s explore these strategies that, as you might have guessed, are all related to one another.

1. Posture: You have probably been told at different times of your life about the importance of good posture. “Sit up straight” or “don’t slouch” are probably familiar phrases to you. Proper posture is difficult to attain, so don’t stress yourself out about it. When you are sitting, put a rolled-up towel or sweatshirt in the small of your back. Sit all the way back to the rear of the chair so you feel the support in your back. When you stand, stand against the wall or a post so you can maintain erect posture. It is important to strengthen your core muscles, the muscles along the spine. Yoga, Pilates or a specific workout program with weights will help you achieve this. You may want to find a personal trainer to help you focus on specific exercises to help you achieve your goals.

2. Balance: As you develop strength, you begin to develop balance. Many of the positions utilized in yoga, Pilates and weight training work specifically on balance. Would you believe that your feet also have a lot to do with balance? The three arches you have in your feet must all be supported in order for the rest of your body to have good support as well. If one or more of the arches is flat, it can significantly affect the stress to your joints and your ability to exercise efficiently. Ask your chiropractor about analyzing your feet to see if you need arch supports.

3. Spinal Load and Stability: Understanding how to exercise or perform any type of sporting activity is crucial to your health. How many people do you know who lift weights incorrectly? On a daily basis, I see patients who have hurt themselves with physical activity. By being careful and doing your exercises properly, you can reduce the amount of spinal load (stress) and instability you create for your body. I cannot tell you how important it is to make sure your feet and all of the joints above them are healthy and moving properly. When your joints move well, you can perform activities optimally and with minimal stress on your body.

4. Alignment: Exercising makes your muscles stronger, which also helps maintain structural and bony alignment. Chiropractic care is hopefully a regular part of your life. Visits to your chiropractor at a frequency you both find appropriate will help you maintain your alignment.

Yo-Yo Dieting Is a Real Heart Problem

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We’ve all either witnessed it or experienced it firsthand: the struggle to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight over time. Long-term weight loss starts and ends with healthy, balanced eating, but for too many people, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to sustain. Sure, you can skip desserts and cut back on French fries, eat more fruits and vegetables and more for a few weeks or months, but after that, it’s back to the comfort foods that sustained you (and your unhealthy weight) for all those years. Then a few months later, it’s back to the healthy diet in an attempt to lose the weight you just lost and then regained.

That’s the essence of yo-yo dieting, and it can be a real burden on your weight, your emotional state – and your heart. A recently released American Heart Association study found postmenopausal women were more likely to experience coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death if they participated in yo-yo dieting. Researchers followed the women for more than 11 years after recording baseline weight and weight histories, including how often they lost / gained weight). Over the study period, researchers tracked deaths due to CHD and sudden cardiac death.

Surprisingly, women who were normal weight at the start of the study, but confessed to off-and-on dieting (and thus, weight cycling) were more likely to die from CHD or sudden cardiac death than women who maintained a stable weight (even if classified as overweight / obese at baseline).

There are many ways to lose weight and keep it off, and of course, exercise is an essential component along with proper diet. The key is moderation and consistency, two factors yo-yo dieters find challenging. If you can’t seem to keep the weight off, particularly if weight cycling seems to be your way of life, talk to your doctor about what you could do better to make the next time you lose weight the final time.

Preschoolers’ Sleep Time Could Lead to Teen Obesity

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We all need sleep, but most adults aren’t getting enough of it – or at least enough of the restful, restorative variety. Between our hectic schedules, technology-overloaded lives and overworked brains, falling asleep at the right time – and just as importantly, staying asleep – can be a real challenge in the modern world.

But what about preschoolers; are they getting enough sleep these days? It seems like it would be easy, what with all the energy the average preschooler expends on a given day. When they’re not getting adequate sleep, the consequence is a dire one, suggests research: teen obesity.

The study tracked nearly 1,000 healthy children from age 4 until age 15, with parents reporting usual weekday bedtimes at the start of the study period. When comparing children’s weight at age 15, researchers discovered children who went to bed at 8:00 p.m. on weekdays were the least likely to be obese as teens. Preschoolers with a weekday bedtime between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. had a higher risk of teen obesity, while preschoolers with an average weekday bedtime later than 9:00 p.m. had the highest risk of being obese as teenagers.

The message is simple: Get your kids to bed! Besides helping prevent obesity, adequate sleep reduces stress, improves performance and has a variety of other proven benefits. Talk to your doctor to learn more, and click here for tips to help get kids the sleep they need.

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