Knee X-ray
Men and Women 65 years and older who suffer from knee osteoarthritis (OA), that practice Tai Chi, improve their physical capability and experience decreased pain, according to a new Tufts University School of Medicine study. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that brings about a breakdown of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for a large number men and women suffering from OA in a number of areas of the body, including the joints of the knee. Knee pain and disability is one of the most widespread dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system, second only to spinal complaints. In fact, an extraordinary 4.3 million US adults over 60 years of age have been diagnosed with knee OA, according to the CDC, and it predicts that half of the men and women in America may develop symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, functional disabilities, and a diminished quality of life.
Are you wondering why so many men and women develop OA? As with nearly all of the musculoskeletal dysfunctions that we develop as we age, undue stress to a joint day after day is a major determinant. It follows that as people age they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Abnormal function of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as an offset of foot pain, and repetitive use of the knee joint all create excessive stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint develop. As an adjunct to chiropractic treatment, chiropractors fully advocate natural, drug-free practices, such as Tai Chi (Chuan), that can mitigate knee pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements that create peace of mind, as well as increased balance, an augmentation of strength, and improved flexibility.
In otherwise good health, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were chosen for the Tufts study were on an average 65 years of age and overweight. Participants were randomly chosen to take part in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Tai Chi practice involves the kind of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is compatible with current exercise recommendations for osteoarthritis. As an added benefit, researchers observed that the “mental aspect” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life contentment, and impressions of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a considerable decrease in knee pain.
Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Posted in knee pain by .
Nov 09
3
Fit After 45?
Fitness Fades Fast After 45
But healthy habits can stave off the inevitable declines, research finds
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) — The declines in fitness that accompany growing old typically speed up after the age of 45, new research shows.
But people can slow the inevitable by staying lean, exercising and refraining from smoking.
The findings, appearing in the Oct. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, are not so surprising in light of the piles of other research that have drawn similar conclusions.
But the new study has broad implications, given the rising number of older adults in the United States and the explosion in the sedentary, overweight and aging population.
“The Social Security Administration actually has an aerobic capacity threshold. If you’re below the threshold, you are considered disabled,” said study author Andrew Jackson.
This means more people could qualify for government disability benefits at a younger age, further draining an already strained economy. Read more…
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
Nov 09
2
Pregnant? Eat Your Veggies
Veggies in Pregnancy Lowers Child's Diabetes Risk
Type 1 less likely in kids whose moms favored these foods, study found
(HealthDay News) — Children born to mothers who ate plenty of vegetables during pregnancy are less likely to have type 1 diabetes, Swedish researchers say.
"This is the first study to show a link between vegetable intake during pregnancy and the risk of the child subsequently developing type 1 diabetes, but more studies of various kinds will be needed before we can say anything definitive," study author Hilde Brekke, a clinical nutritionist at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, said in a news release from the university.
Brekke and colleagues studied 6,000 5-year-olds and found that 3 percent either had fully developed type 1 diabetes or had elevated levels of antibodies that indicate a risk of developing the disease. The risk was twice as high in children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables during pregnancy, and lowest among children whose mothers ate vegetables every day of their pregnancy.
The study was recently published online in the journal Pediatric Diabetes. Read more…
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
Oct 09
31
Fructose May Raise Blood Pressure
By — Randy Dotinga
Drinking more than two sweetened sodas a day boosts risk of hypertension, study finds
FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) — Here's a new reason to put down that sugary soft drink: Research suggests that a diet high in fructose, a common sweetener, boosts the risk of high blood pressure.
High-fructose corn syrup is found in many processed foods and beverages. Americans consume 30 percent more fructose now than 20 years ago, and researchers have linked higher fructose consumption to the growing obesity epidemic. But scientists weren't sure if a connection existed between fructose consumption and high blood pressure.
In a new study, Dr. Diana Jalal, of the University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center, and colleagues studied 4,528 adults without a history of high blood pressure. They examined their fructose intake and found that those who consumed more than 74 grams of fructose per day — that's the equivalent of the amount in 2.5 sweetened soft drinks — boosted their risk of high blood pressure by 28 percent to 87 percent, depending on the level of hypertension.
"These results indicate that high fructose intake in the form of added sugars is significantly and independently associated with higher blood pressure levels in the U.S. adult population with no previous history of hypertension," the study authors wrote, adding that future research is needed to determine if lowering fructose intake will also lower blood pressure.
The study findings were scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Nephrology's annual meeting, held Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 in San Diego.
More information
Learn about high blood pressure from the American Heart Association.
SOURCE: American Society of Nephrology, news release, Oct. 29, 2009
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
Oct 09
31
Pumpkin May Fight Yeast Infections
Posted on 10/30/2009, 14:00
By –Randy Dotinga
Age-old folk remedy may lead to new antibiotic therapy, study finds
FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) — As you carve your Halloween jack-o-lantern, consider this new finding: That pumpkin holds potential as a treatment for yeast infections in adults and babies.
Korean researchers, reporting online recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, examined whether proteins extracted from pumpkin rinds might stop yeast-infection fungus from growing.
Pumpkins have long been used as folk medicine in some regions of the world, and researchers have suggested they might have antibiotic powers.
In the laboratory, one of the proteins stopped the growth of a fungus called Candida albicans that causes vaginal yeast infections, diaper rash and other conditions. No side effects were evident.
The researchers report that the protein found in pumpkins could hold promise as a treatment for people and also help fight fungus that attacks crops.
More information
Learn more about yeast infections from kidshealth.org.
SOURCE: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, news release, Oct. 29, 2009
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
How can we chiropractors reach out to the middle-aged population and explain how chiropractic care can help them continue to lead active, healthy lives as …
See all stories on this topic
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
Oct 09
31
Why Public Health Matters
Did you ever wonder why chiropractic students have to take board exams in public health? Does public health ever matter to chiropractic practice? …
See all stories on this topic
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
Oct 09
13
Close to Last and Still a Winner?
“Close to last” isn’t usually a phrase we connect in our mind with success. Indeed, not many things in life, it seems, count much at all if you don’t “hit a grand slam.” Fortunately, this may not be an absolute when it comes to an extended lifespan. As a chiropractor in Seattle, who has many senior patients and who is also a firm believer in the advantages of exercise at every age, I was very curious about the following study.
Researchers found that of the “least-fit” versus the “slightly more fit” in a recent study of nearly 4,400 healthy Americans, roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels were twice as likely to die over the next nine years as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels. (That is to say, those 20 percent who were almost at the lowest fitness levels.) This is the familiar “bad news/good news” outcome. It is certainly bad news if you are a resolute couch potato. But, it is genuinely good news for those who haven’t quite hit rock bottom in the sedentary lifestyle department but are not, by any stretch of the imagination, “exertive.” Apparently, those individuals who remain even moderately fit as they age may have greater longevity than those who are entirely out-of-shape, the study suggests.
Between 1986 and 2006, researchers determined the fitness levels of 4,384 middle-aged and senior adults during exercise treatmill tests. The researchers then observed their progress for approximately nine years. The study took into consideration factors like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. This, in and of itself, underscores the importance of physical fitness itself. In an email to Reuters Health, lead researcher, Dr. Sandra Mandic of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, stated: “Our findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit individuals.”
Nearly two-thirds of the least-fit study participants were not getting the minimum recommended amount of exercise, which is at least 30 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking) five or more days a week. “These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity,” Mandic said, “particularly in poorly-fit individuals.”
After classifying the study group participants by fitness levels, the researchers discovered that 13 percent of those who were in slightly better shape had died during the study period. But, 25 percent of the least-fit men and women had died during the same period. Only 6 percent of the most-fit group (i.e., the ones who “hit a grand slam,” so to speak) had died during the follow-up period.
The five fitness-level groups showed little variance, overall, in their reported exercise routines during most of their adult lives, but notably, they varied in activity levels only in recent years. “Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic said, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”
Since fitness is overtly connected to longevity (and, in this study, despite weight and health issues like high blood pressure and high cholesterol), And, of course, imagine the health benefits we could all obtain if we worked our way up into the higher levels of fitness.
SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.
Posted in exercise by .
Oct 09
10
It’s easy being green
What comes to mind when you hear “leafy green vegetables”? Kale? Bok choy? Or, does iceberg lettuce count? Any which way you cut it, leafy greens are lacking in the American diet. Sure, they can be a bit intimidating at first, but once you learn how to prepare and cook them, you’ll find it easier to incorporate them into your daily meals.
Greens are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins A, C, E and K. They’re great sources of fiber and filled with folic acid, chlorophyll and other nutrients to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Looking to boost your immunity for cold and flu season? Greens strengthen our circulatory and respiratory system. You can improve your body’s resistance naturally by piling your plate with greens.
The next time you’re in your local farmer’s market or the produce section of your grocery store, pick out a new green for the week. Mix spinach or arugula into salads, toss some collards or cabbage into soups, steam kale or broccoli for a tasty side-dish and add bok choy to your favorite stir-fry.
Here are some tips for making your green veggies more exciting and flavorful.
- After cooking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil or toasted sesame oil to every 2 cups of veggies
- Add 2 bay leaves or 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to the cooking water
- Sprinkle cooked veggies with toasted pumpkin, sesame, flax or sunflower seeds
- Sprinkled greens with fresh herbs: mint, dill, basil, parsley, cilantro or scallion
- Use tamari soy sauce or umeboshi vinegar to add extra flavor
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over steamed veggies
- Stir-fry veggies with a pinch of sea salt, olive oil and garlic
What green will you try this week? Need help getting started? Check out this week’s recipe on Facebook.
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
Sep 09
23
Fruit Soup?
We’ve all heard of fruit smoothies and juices, but fruit soups? In this New York Times article Martha Rose Shulman talks about how fruit soups are versatile and great for breakfast, dessert or as a snack. Get creative and pick up all of your favorite fruits from your local farmers’ market.
Here’s something to get you started.
Cold Cherry Borscht
Yields: 6-8 servings
You’ll need:
2 ½ pounds cherries
3 cups water
1 rose geranium sprig (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon zest
½ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups plain yogurt
Directions:
1. Set aside 18 cherries. Pit the remaining cherries, holding them over a bowl to catch the juices. Place the pitted cherries in the bowl with the juices, and place the pits in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of the water, the rose geranium sprig, the sugar and the lemon zest. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Strain the liquid in the saucepan into the bowl with the pitted cherries. Discard the pits.
2. Transfer the cherries and liquid to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. Working in batches and covering the blender top with a kitchen towel to avoid hot splashes, puree the soup, about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Strain through a medium strainer into a bowl, pushing the soup through with the back of a ladle or with a rubber spatula. Stir in the almond extract, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Chill the soup by placing the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water, or refrigerate.
4. When the soup has chilled, whisk in the yogurt. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired.
5. Serve garnished with the cherries you set aside. Have you ever made a fruit soup? Share your recipe with us!
Posted via email from chironews4u’s posterous
