Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half of the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing low back pain. The other half had no surgery, even though they had comparable diagnoses. After two years, just 26 percent of those who had surgery returned to work. That’s compared to 67 percent of patients who didn’t have surgery. In what might be the most troubling study finding, researchers determined that there was a 41 percent increase in the use of painkillers, specifically opiates, in those who had surgery.

Researchers reviewed records from 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation database who had diagnoses of disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of the limbs. Half of the patients had surgery to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing low back pain. The other half had no surgery, even though they had comparable diagnoses.

After two years, just 26 percent of those who had surgery returned to work. That’s compared to 67 percent of patients who didn’t have surgery. In what might be the most troubling study finding, researchers determined that there was a 41 percent increase in the use of painkillers, specifically opiates, in those who had surgery. The study’s lead author, Dr. Trang Nguyen, said that the study provides clear evidence that for many patients, fusion surgeries designed to alleviate pain from degenerating discs don’t work.

I have said it before (many times before), but it bears repeating: Before choosing surgery to get rid of your back pain, call your chiropractor for conservative chiropractic treatment first. Your chiropractor is a spine expert who is committed to helping back pain sufferers get out of pain through natural, non-invasive procedures. Call today. You have nothing to lose but your back pain!

Technorati Tags: back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, failed back surgery, Where:Oxnard-CA

As I have been writing about (and hopefully you have been reading about), obesity  frequently has detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal system. Excess weight causes back and neck strain, and can contribute to osteoarthritis, which often keeps obese people from physical activity. This official emphasis on preventative healthcare provides important recognition and confirmation that in addition to pain relief and prevention, doctors of chiropractic are trained nutrition specialists, as well, and can offer natural ways for patients to combat obesity.

Dr. Gerard Clum, president of Life Chiropractic College West and also a spokes person for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, stresses that there are many strategies that are used to address obesity concerns. The most important and the most well established are basic changes in lifestyle related to food, physical activity and personal motivation. “Doctors of chiropractic represent an under-utilized resource for addressing this critical health and societal concern,” says Clum. “The hands-on nature of chiropractic care lends itself to opportunities for advice, counseling and encouragement to address this important health risk.”

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on the many benefits associated with chiropractic care) is joining the ACA in this year’s obesity prevention campaign by offering the following healthy living tips:

- Follow a balanced diet – emphasize vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans

- Eat less harmful food – reduce intake of sugar, soda, fats and processed foods

- Drink plenty of water – try for several glasses a day

- exercise regularly – aim for 20 – 30 minutes, three to four times a week

- Stay positive – the right attitude will lead to greater success

Source:
Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

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The tests involve simple physical activities that people perform on a regular basis. Grip strength, walking speed, rising from a chair, and balancing on one leg can reveal a person’s capacity to perform everyday tasks safely. To bring the point home, so to speak, in order to help people understand the importance of strength and balance, researchers at the University College London analyzed 33 studies that examined physical capabilities in people of any age and recorded subsequent deaths among the participants. Overall, those who had poorer results on physical function tests had a consistently higher risk of death.

What did the tests reveal specifically? Here are some of the test results:

• In 14 studies that included a total of 53,476 people, the death rate was 1.67 times higher for people with the weakest grip strength than for those with the strongest grip.

• Five studies that included a total of 14,692 people found that the death rate was 2.87 times higher for the slowest walkers than for the fastest walkers.

• Five studies that included a total of 28,036 people found that the death rate was nearly twice as high for people who were slowest to rise from a chair than for those who were quickest at this task.

It is important to not that while most of the studies included older people, the association between grip strength and death risk was also found in younger adults. The study was published online Sept. 10 in the BMJ.

So, the good news is that such screenings are available. But, even better news is that your chiropractor can not only also assess your abilities in these areas, but can recommend individualized strength exercises and reassess your abilities. And, in addition, chiropractic care has been shown to be relieve balance problems such as vertigo and those relating to improper alignment and nervous system interference. So, if you’d like an evaluation of your risk potential, as well as help with lowering that risk, see your chiropractor in Oxnard today!

For more information on seniors and exercise, go to: The U.S. National Institute on Aging

Technorati Tags: balance, chiropractic, grip strength, seniors, walking, Where:Oxnard-CA

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill School of Medicine explained in a university news release that the “unified body construction” of a laptop, with its inseparable keyboard and monitor, makes it difficult for users to configure their equipment in a way that minimizes risk to their bodies. For instance, awkward positioning of the fingers and body can cause nerve injury to the wrist and prompt the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome, while poor neck position and shoulder posture can cause muscle strain and soreness in those areas.

Researcher, Dr. Kevin Carneiro, a physician in the UNC School of Medicine’s department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, and his colleagues point out that laptop users can take specific steps to minimize their risk. So, listen up and heed the tips below:

• If you are working at a computer, your body should form 90-degree angles at the elbows, knees and hips.
• Use a docking station and cables to hook up to an external monitor and/or separate keyboard that are movable to encourage better posture.
• With the help of a docking station, position the computer so you can read the screen without bending your neck.
• Pay attention to the chair you sit in — look for one that is adjustable and comes with back support.
• Tilt the screen so you don’t need to bend your neck, and place the mouse so that your wrists are in a neutral position (one in which they are aligned with your arm and not raised above it).
• Take frequent short breaks every 20 minutes or so — this can help rest muscles and encourage position shifting. Do some shoulder shrugs, gentle forward head rolls, and shoulder scrunches to stretch your muscles.
• Stay hydrated — drinking plenty of water can help keep discs in your back lubricated.

In addition, be sure to watch out for warning signs, such as pain and tingling. These may mean you need to use better posture, take more breaks, or see your chiropractor in Oxnard!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, exercise, gait, laptops and bad posture, Where:Oxnard-CA

Let’s face it, life these days has become a spectator sport for many people. Kids sit in front of the television or their computers — and so do adults! Business often demands it and, after a long day of sitting at the computer at the office, “relaxation” or “family time” frequently comes in the form of vegging in front of the TV. There is growing evidence to suggest that people (and in the case of this particularly study, women) who are physically active in mid-life and beyond have a lower chance of dementia, as well as the “more minor” forms of cognitive impairment in old age. However, until now there has been less clarity regarding the importance of physical activity for women early in life and at different stages of life. The researchers at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Canada compared the physical activity and cognition of 9,344 women at different ages (teenage, age 30, age 50, and late-life) to investigate the effectiveness of activity at different life stages on later cognitive abilities.

“Our study shows that women who are regularly physically active at any age have lower risk of cognitive impairment than those who are inactive, but also that being physically active at teenage is most important in preventing cognitive impairment,” said Laura Middleton, PhD, who lead the research. And, in addition, she and her research team found that women who were physically inactive as teenagers, but became physically active at age 30 or age 50 had significantly reduced their odds of cognitive impairment as well compared to those who remained physically inactive. “Low physical activity levels in today’s youth may mean increased dementia rates in the future,” Middleton added.

What’s good for the body is always good for the brain. So be smart and stay that way by being physically active. Motion is life, so get moving!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, cognitive impairment, dementia, exercise, physical activity, sports, Where:Oxnard-CA

Where are PBDEs found? Just about everywhere, such as in carpets, textiles, foam furnishings, electronics and plastics. PBDEs can leach out into the environment and accumulate in human fat cells. Is it any wonder then that PBDEs can be found in the blood of most American residents? And, if you live in California the situation is even more criticaul because of the state’s rigorous flammability laws. Concentrations of the chemicals in blood and breast milk have increased dramatically in the last three decades.

Though it is not currently known just how the chemicals interfere with thyroid function, researchers believe that PBDEs could bind to thyroid receptors and alter how the hormone is released. The bottom line, however, is that these chemicals are dangerous, especially for pregnant women. “Our results suggest that exposure to PBDE flame retardants may have unanticipated human health risks,” said Brenda Eskenazi, a professor of epidemiology and of maternal and child health at UC Berkeley.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, heartburn, joint swelling, low back pain, nausea, pregnancy, Where:Oxnard-CA

This type of fusion procedure is not only complicated, but costly. And worse, it carries three times the rate of life-threatening complications than alternative procedures such as decompression (removal of part of the bone pressing on the nerve) or simple fusion (in which two or three vertebrae are fused and only the front or back of the vertebrae, rather than front and back).  And, the bottom line is that earlier studies haven’t found that the complex surgery leads to better results or greater pain relief.

Gentle, non-invasive chiropractic treatment can often relieve the severe back pain caused by spinal stenosis. I fully recommend a short conservative trial of chiropractic care prior to considering most surgeries involving the musculoskeletal system. Any type of surgery carries risks and such risks increase exponentially as we age. But, when a study reveals that a costly, life-threatening surgery does little to relieve pain or improve an individual’s quality of life, in my opinion such a surgery should not even be considered.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, lower back pain, spinal stenosis, Where:Oxnard-CA

The same is true when you go to see a chiropractor. Most of the time, individuals go to see a chiropractor because they’re in pain (not feeling well). After the chiropractor has treated them and gotten them out of pain (a ‘prescription,’ so to speak, for a temporary condition), the chiropractor will probably suggest maintenance care (a general checkup even when you’re feeling okay). The only difference is that a chiropractor will likely suggest that you come in monthly. Why? Because chiropractors are all about preventative care whenever possible. Maintenance care is like a “tune up” that not only helps your body to maintain the “crisis” treatment you received when you were in pain and keeps you healthier and stronger so that you can avoid future injuries, but during your maintenance visit your chiropractor can make sure that you don’t have a “temporary condition” that needs to be corrected before it becomes “crisis” treatment.

Cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, bad work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related influences can produce pain, often excruciating pain, in your back, neck, shoulders, hips, knees, etc. Getting “checked out” and “readjusted” on a regular basis keeps small conditions from becoming big problems.

So, to the question “If I start doing to a chiropractor, will I need to go “forever”? The answer is “No, but you may want to, for your health‘s sake!”

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It may be advantageous for you to have some understanding, in advance, regarding the various chiropractic treatment plans your Oxnard Chiropractor may provide for you.

Relief Care is a specific chiropractic approach proposed to those who are struggling with any kind of pain, ache or discomfort, regardless of the cause of the challenge. The purpose of this kind of therapy is to offer prompt pain relief. The length of the treatment phase is likely to fluctuate as the treatment depends entirely on the extent of the injury or dysfunction suffered by the individual and how fast it can be remedied.

Corrective Care is a “more advanced” form of chiropractic treatment. This is for those that have suffered with spinal issues over an extended period of time, which is to say, for those who have a persistent challenge that has developed into a more complicated condition resulting from their having delayed specific intervention. Restorative treatment invariably stretches over a longer time frame. How long treatment is needed is determined by the severity of the progressive injury and how fast the person responds to the treatment.

Maintenance Care, as the name implies, is intended to maintain or preserve any type of procedure already administered to a patient. Often, chiropractic care is extended solely after the initial treatments have been shown to be effective. The purpose of this type of chiropractic care is to avert the potential of the initial dysfunction returning and to discourage degenerative changes in the future.

wellness Care is presented to those that aren’t going through acute pain, but want to strengthen their overall health. Routine chiropractic treatment increases the movement of blood and oxygen in the body, boosts muscle flexibility, helps prevent work and play injury, and increases a person’s overall perception of well-being.

Regardless if you are currently in pain or you wish to increase your overall health, chiropractic care can help. Call Dr. Bolt, your Oxnard Chiropractor, today!

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The answer is the compensatory, “chain-reaction” way in which the musculoskeletal system performs. The entire musculoskeletal system shifts and tilts in order to counterbalance an area of dysfunction.  For example, pain in the patella (kneecap), also known as Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain), is frequently the result of imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that connect to and move the patella. These imbalances commonly begin in the lower back, especially in the sacroiliac joint. You may remember the old song, “…the knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone…” and so on. Chronic challenges are never isolated because we are whole, organic beings from our head to our toes, or to put it another way, we are one skeletal system from our skull to phalanges. That’s why restricted foot movements due to foot pain, will usually produce painful knee problems, and poor knee tracking will develop as the result of incorrect gait patterns such as pronation (walking like a duck with toes pointed out rather than straight ahead). And, finally, being overweight and the wearing of high heels on a regular basis will eventually create knee pain.

Chiropractic treatment can re-establish proper muscle balance, restore desired motion to the patella and other knee joints, and realign subluxations of the sacroiliac joints and bones of the foot. The tissues of the knee joint, expressly the cartilage, will continue to wear if knee problems are left untreated. If the bones start to rub on one another, bones spurs and other changes can take place.

Musculoskeletal problems, such as knee pain and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), generally increase with age. You may have heard the saying: “Today you are younger than you will ever be.” So, don’t waste time, see Dr. Bolt, your Chiropractor in Oxnard, as soon as possible. In fact, call him today…for tomorrow’s sake!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractic treatment, chiropractor, joint degeneration, knee pain, Osteoarthritis, overweight, repetitive stress, Where:Oxnard-CA