Archive for July, 2009

Ventura Chiropractor Advises That Your Daily Choices Can Increase Or Decrease Your Health and Longevity

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Last week I found an article on sciencedaily.com about a study performed on aged mice induced to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the benefits of caffeine in improving memory loss. The article lead with the suggestion that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.”  It continued by reporting on back-to-back studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that demonstrated that caffeine considerably decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice displaying symptoms of the disease.

However, before you opt to add an extra cuppa to your daily intake, let me add that under “Related Stories” on the website were a couple of articles about studies that showed the negative effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

Nearly any angle of thought, I’ve noticed, especially when it comes to health and longevity, can be confirmed, or at least bolstered, by a number of specific studies. The “yin-yang” of caffeine benefits-deficits certainly aren’t, of course, the only ones. Even so, it did get me to considering about the likelihood that there will never be simply “one thing” that will absolutely aid we, humans, in living longer, healthier lives. We are dynamic, biological creatures. We aren’t bred in a cage! We are free to engage in life. And, moreover, though Alzheimer’s disease is likely on the rise, obviously we, cage-free humans, have not been “bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t going to be the “one thing” that will reverse or prevent it.

The human body is a splendid, complex system that is based on homeostasis or balance. It is likely, then, that good health is cultivated by a healthy, balanced attitude towards living, rather than our being blindly convinced by the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one specific thing fooling ourselves into believing that it will reverse all of the other immoderate and unhealthy things we do to our bodies.

As a doctor of chiropractic, I believe that every moment of the day we have an opportunity to make decisions that will assist us to live longer, healthier lives, healthy choices for our body and mind. We know what genuinely “feels” right and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, the if you reach for that extra cup of coffee or that second glass of red wine, I hope that you’ll keep this in mind. There is no “one thing” that will do “everything” for your good health.

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Ventura Chiropractor Reviews: You Don’t Have to Live With Foot Pain

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

We all know that movement is good for the whole body, right? From our head to our toes, our good health is determined by how much physical activity we get on a regular basis. So, why do so many people suffer from aches and pains in their feet? After all, aren’t our feet made for walking? Yes, but they weren’t designed for abuse. The average, healthy person takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not including activities such as running and aerobic exercise. But, often those steps are made by people walking incorrectly, with poor gait patterns and bad posture. In addition, a large number of people wear badly-designed, poorly-fitting shoes. Moving the body through space incorrectly on feet that are inhibited from functioning correctly cannot help but to cause aches and pains not only in a number of places in our feet, but in other parts of our body.  For example, if an individual over-pronates (walks like a duck) in a pair of poorly made or unevenly-worn shoes, or in a pair of high heels, that person is not only likely to develop foot and ankle problems, but will probably experience problems of the back, knees and legs.

One of the most well known foot problems is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a wonderful, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that encircles the muscles on the bottom of the foot, adheres the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. One such factor is short and tight calf muscles. When calf muscles get short and tight they exert a strong pull on the back of the heel bone, producing undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia. How do calf muscles get short and tight? In addition to running and jumping activities such as aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis, the wearing of high heels can cause the problem.

Other factors that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, abnormal walking patterns (such as over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.

Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is frequently not easy to manage and can become intensely painful and persistent. If you are suffering from heel pain, your chiropractor will be able to determine the cause of your problem and what chiropractic management is best suited. Such care might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping and, in some cases, orthotics.

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Ventura Chiropractor Reviews: “Boomeritis”

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

You know the old saying, “You’re only as old as you feel,” right? And though in general this adage may be true, specifically the young/old feeling seems to vary from day-to-day as we age, especially among baby boomers where sports and athletic activities are involved. In fact, orthopedic surgeons are seeing a “tidal wave” of 45- to 64-year-olds suffering from exercise-related injuries they’ve dubbed “boomeritis,” reports Dr. Ray Monto, an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). “You can’t beat yourself up the way you did when you were 20 because it takes longer to recover,” he said.

According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission exercise-related injuries and injuries sustained through the use of exercise equipment sent more than 166,000 people in the 45-64 age group to the emergency room, clinic or doctor’s office in 2008. Though middle-aged people today are a lot more active than their parents were, and are basically more fit and athletic longer into their lives, older athletes need to take a few precautions to protect themselves from injuries like rotator cuff tears, tendonitis and stress fractures.

Though most of the injuries in the Consumer report appear to be due to people not giving themselves enough time to rest up after tough workouts, Monto and AAOS offer a number of helpful tips to avoid exercise injuries: Check with your physician before starting any type of exercise program (your doctor can make sure you’re healthy and offer advice on sports and activities that fit your fitness level). Don’t do the same workout day after day (this will help to avoid repetitive stress injuries and eliminate chronic injury patterns). Work on your flexibility (it’s crucial to stretch and warm up before a workout, and cool down and stretch again, the AAOS advises). And, be sure to schedule days off into your exercise regimen, especially after a particularly intense workout.

So, Baby Boomers, even though you may feel young, it’s still wise to take extra precautions to protect your body when you’re active. After all, wisdom comes with aging.

Full article by Anne Harding (Reuters Health)

ORIGINAL SOURCE: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, June 22, 2009.

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