https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3019

 

Chiropractic: The Big Winner

 

By Ronald Feise, DC

Over the past decade, independent health care researchers have investigated the treatment effects of physical therapists vs. doctors of chiropractic when it comes to spine care. Let's examine a couple of those research papers to see why it's no contest.

 

Example #1

The first study was a cost-effective analysis of patients with low back pain that compared head-to-head the costs of physical therapists vs. the costs of chiropractors.1 This study assessed the medical records of 14,787 patients and was published in the Journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The research team consisted of four PhDs, two PharmDs and one MD.

Study participants were employees of a heavy equipment manufacturer who were mostly male, in their late 40s, and with an above-average middle-class income. Subjects were divided into two main categories, depending upon their presenting symptoms: low back pain with neurological symptoms and low back pain without neurological symptoms.

Total costs, as defined for this study, included imaging, health care professional visits, medications, injections, surgery and disability payments.

Total costs for low back pain patients with neurological findings were $6,983 for chiropractors vs. $17,194 for physical therapists. Total costs for low back pain patients without neurological findings were $6,768 for chiropractors vs. $13,449 for physical therapists. That is an enormous difference!

This study also examined why chiropractors are more cost-effective. It determined that chiropractors are less likely than physical therapists to recommend incongruent health care services for patients with low back pain, such as imaging, medications, injections and surgery.

 

Example #2

The second study examined the recurrence rate of back pain after a back injury among three types of health care providers: medical doctors (who served as the reference group), chiropractors and physiotherapists.2 The study was conducted by four PhDs and one Doctor of Science, and was published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. This research team analyzed data from a cohort of 5,511 workers with an initial episode of back injury.

The type of health care provider first visited for back pain was a determinant of recurrence. Chiropractic patients experienced the fewest recurrences (-19 percent compared to MDs), while physiotherapy patients experienced the most (49 percent). These differences raise concerns regarding the use of physiotherapists as gatekeepers for spinal injuries.

 

The Bottom Line

These two studies represent the tip of the research iceberg. There are more than two dozen studies that point in one direction: Chiropractic services are more economical than physiotherapist services, and chiropractors are more effective in the treatment of spinal conditions than physiotherapists.

 

References

 

1. Allen H, Wright M, Craig T, et al. Tracking low back problems in a major self-insured workforce: toward improvement in the patient's journey. J Occup Environ Med, 2014;5:604-20.

2. Blanchette MA, Rivard M, Dionne CE, et al. Association between the type of first healthcare provider and the duration of financial compensation for occupational back pain. J Occup Rehabil, 2017;27:382-392

---------------------------------------

 

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: Often chronic pain can be greatly improved with chiropractic care, and often it is also crucial to include appropriate rehab exercise and an anti-inflammation diet. This short article talks about how pain can damage your brain--another good reason for chiropractic treatment and a healthier lifestyle! But also chronic pain can reside in the brain after the body heals, even though you feel it in your body. That is called "neuroplastic pain." That's why I strongly recommend reading or listening to the book The Way Out, by Alan Gordon, which explains how to tell if you may be suffering from that and how to deal with it.)

 

https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=2396

 

Chronic Pain Damages Your Brain
 

Chronic pain is front and center these days now that the opioid crisis – the wrong way to manage pain – has been exposed and opportunities to prevent and treat pain instead of medication (a key example: chiropractic) jump into the spotlight.

The reason for this increased emphasis isn't just because opioids have been proven often unnecessary and frequently dangerous, if not deadly, for treating pain – it's also because pain, particularly chronic pain, can be just as dangerous / deadly if not addressed. In fact, recent research suggests chronic pain may be so damaging as to cause brain changes that lead to cognitive decline and dementia.

In a study involving more than 10,000 elderly adults, researchers reviewed more than a decade of surveys that tracked pain levels and cognitive abilities. While cognitive function (memory, attention, etc.) tends to decline with age, those declines occurred significantly more rapidly in people who reported ongoing moderate to severe pain compared to people with little to no pain. What's more, the risk of suffering dementia (Alzheimer's is the most common cause) was also slightly higher in people with chronic pain.

This is a great example of how pain can impact areas of your body and life that aren't directly tied in to the source of the pain. And that's where chiropractic care can be so important, because chiropractors look for the cause of the pain and then work to resolve it, rather than just treating the symptom with a dangerous opioid or other medication. If you're suffering from chronic pain, talk to your chiropractor; your body and mind will thank you for it.

 

---------------------------------------

 

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: Consumption of refined sugar is the number one dietary cause of inflammation in our bodies which can show up anywhere (your back, neck, knee, fingers, gut, brain or anywhere else. Here is one more reason to reduce sugar intake!)
 

https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3333

 

Sugar and Epigenetic Age

You can't control your chronological age, but evidence supports the relationship between lifestyle behaviors and your epigenetic age – your age in terms of your health. That's why some 70-year-olds are healthier than 40-year-olds despite their dramatic chronological age differences.

One lifestyle variable that affects epigenetic age, for better or worse, is diet; in this case, added sugar intake.

A recent study involving 342 middle-aged (ages 36-43) women examined how their diets impacted their epigenetic age. The investigators specifically looked at the impact of a Mediterranean diet, as well as the impact of added sugar.1
The study included an analysis of female participants in the 1987-1997 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study (NGHS). The authors based their epigenetic age assessment using GrimAge2, which utilizes "second-generation markers of epigenetic aging that account for clinical and functional biomarkers, and is most notable for its robust associations with human mortality and morbidity risk, including time to death and comorbidity counts."

The women consumed a daily average of 61.5 grams of added sugar each, with a range of 2.7 grams to 316.5 grams. (Sixty grams of sugar is the equivalent of three Snickers candy bars.)

The authors noted that "even in healthy dietary contexts, added sugar still has detrimental associations with epigenetic age. Similarly, despite higher added sugar intake, healthier dietary intakes appear to remain generally associated with younger epigenetic age."

According to their findings, the gains from eating a Mediterranean diet could be offset by consuming 31 grams of added sugar (only 1.5 Snickers bars). The authors suggest that to increase their epigenetic health, individuals need to both optimize the nutrient intake in their diets while reducing their sugar as much as possible.

Everyone's epigenetic clock is ticking. We have the power to speed it up or slow it down. In many cases, our eating habits are based on what we're taught. If you've been taught to eat a diet high in added sugar, ask your doctor for help outlining a sensible long-term plan to reduce added sugar and in so doing, lower your epigenetic age.

 

Reference

 

1. Chiu DT, Hamlat EJ, Zhang J, et al. Essential nutrients, added sugar intake, and epigenetic age in midlife black and white women: NIMHD Social Epigenomics Program. JAMA Netw Open, 2024;7(7):e2422749.

---------------------------------------

 

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: I've been including a piece about vitamin D in almost every newsletter because it's such a simple but crucial way to improve your health. And that goes even more for children!)

 

https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3159

 

Kids Need Vitamin D

 

Two big reasons why vitamin D supplementation may be critical during your child's first few years: They might not be getting enough as past generations due to increasingly more time spent indoors, occupied with smartphones, video games and other electronic devices; and results of new research suggests higher levels may reduce the odds that they experience psychiatric issues by age 6.

Let's see what the new research suggests and why a conversation with your doctor about your young child's vitamin D status can't hurt.
Researchers investigated the impact of high-dose (1,200 IU) vs. standard-dose (400 IU) vitamin D3 supplementation during children's first two years on the risk of developing psychiatric symptoms (internalizing and/or externalizing) at ages 6-8. Infants were randomized to receive either standard-dose or high-dose supplementation from ages 2 weeks to 24 months. (Examples of "internalizing" behaviors include depression, anxiety, emotional symptoms, social withdrawal, etc.; examples of "externalizing" behaviors include tantrums, verbal aggression, kicking or biting, etc.)

Only 5.6% of children who received 1,200 IU of D3 experienced clinically significant internalizing problems, compared with 11.8% of children who received the standard dose (400 IU). Differences in externalizing problems were not significant between groups.

Is your young child getting enough vitamin D? For that matter, if you have a child of any age, are they getting enough? The first, easiest step to ensure they get enough: Don't keep them locked up in the house all day, every day. Sunlight is the most readily available source of vitamin D, and as long as they don't overdo it (i.e., get sunburned), they'll reap the benefits (which go beyond vitamin D). The second step: Make sure they're eating foods that are high in vitamin D or have been supplemented with D. Add vitamin D to the conversation when you talk to your doctor about the health of your young child.

---------------------------------------

 

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: I know that some folks with busy stressful lives are challenged to fit exercise in. But our bodies are made to move, and every bit of movement that you can build into your day can make a difference.!)

 

https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=2878

 

Get Fit, Burn More Fat – Especially If You're a Woman

 

Think of a boulder that shakes free of its fixed position at the top of a mountain and begins to roll downward. The farther it travels, the faster it goes, picking up momentum that only stops when it a) hits the bottom or b) hits something in its path that changes its trajectory or otherwise slows it down. The same general principle works when it comes to burning fat.

Your fitness is the boulder. For many people, it starts at a fixed position – sitting on the couch, doing nothing, wishing you could shake yourself free and start "rolling" toward a healthier, happier, fitter life. And then something happens that gets you up and moving. That's an important moment, because new research suggests that as you get more fit each and every day from that moment forward, your body is capable of burning more fat. Just like the boulder picking up speed, your continually fitter self picks up fat-burning speed.

In the study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Medicine, healthy adults ages 19-63 participated in a cycling fitness test while researchers measured their fat-burning ability ("peak fat oxidation"). Across the age ranges included in the study, physical fitness predicted fat-burning efficiency when exercising: the fitter the person, the more efficiently their body burned fat. Interestingly, this relationship appeared to be stronger in women than men.

The moral to the story? The fitter you get, the more fat your burn! Now if that isn't motivation to get back in the gym, call your fitness buddy for an outdoor workout, or talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program for the very first time ... what is?

 

---------------------------------------

 

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: This is an important piece, but I also really like the picture!)

 

https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3429

 

Calm Beginning, Healthier Gut

 

Parents have long known that a calm, supportive childhood helps kids feel emotionally secure. Now, new research suggests those benefits may extend deep into the digestive system – and may even shape gut health well into adulthood. Scientists studying the connection between stress and digestion found that the experiences children have early in life can influence how the gut and brain communicate for years to come.

The research, published in the journal Gastroenterology, examined both animal studies and health data from tens of thousands of children. Researchers discovered that chronic stress during childhood appears to affect the "gut-brain axis," the constant communication network linking digestion, mood and the nervous system. When that system is repeatedly strained during early development, digestive issues such as abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel symptoms may become more likely later in life.

The growing science around the gut-brain connection is changing how experts think about health overall. Instead of viewing emotional wellness and digestive wellness separately, researchers increasingly see them as deeply connected. That means efforts to lower stress in childhood may offer benefits that last far beyond childhood itself.

The clear takeaway: Nurturing emotional health early in life may help build a healthier foundation for the entire body, including the gut, for years to come.

 

---------------------------------------

 

(Note from Dr. Mha Atma: Although I'm a lifelong vegetarian, I don't encourage patients to be vegetarians, but rather to eat an anti-inflammation diet, which includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, beans, some whole grains (but not flour products) and protein of their choice. But this important article touches on the downsides of eating certain types of animal protein.)

 

https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/the-backlash-to-iarcs-report-that-meat-probably-causes-cancer/

 

The Backlash to IARC’s Report that Meat Probably Causes Cancer

 

By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

 

How did the meat industry, government, and cancer organizations respond to the confirmation that processed meat, like bacon, ham, hot dogs, and lunch meat, causes cancer?

“It is rare, in the history of nations, that one finds good reasons to render homage to the generosity and altruism of governments and those in power: the birth of the International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC] presents one of those rare occasions.” It all started with a single letter from a grieving husband, relating his wife’s suffering after being diagnosed with cancer, cascading into an open letter calling for governments to devote half of 1% of their military budgets to fight for life by attacking one of the greatest plagues that weighs on humanity. And 18 months later, the IARC was born in the World Health Organization. What was its overarching motive? Cancer prevention.

The IARC is best known for its monographs, book-sized reports evaluating whether or not some suspected carcinogen does in fact cause cancer. They are “generally accepted as close to a final word” as there is on whether or not something is carcinogenic. And its 114th monograph, published in 2018, focused on meat. After considering more than 800 different studies and thoroughly reviewing the scientific literature, a group of 22 experts from 10 countries concluded its 500-page report by saying, “Consumption of red meat is probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A)But processed meat was placed as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest level of certainty, meaning that according to the best available evidence, the consumption of processed meat causes cancer.

So, that means foods like bacon cause cancer. Ham, hot dogs, breakfast links, and lunch meat cause cancer. But its definition also includes, for example, turkey deli slices. Specifically, eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer, cancers of the colon or rectum, which is the second most deadly cancer worldwide, after lung cancer, which is caused largely by smoking. “Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.,” as well, and it doesn’t just strike older people. It is also a leading cause of cancer and death from cancer earlier in life.

The meat industry wasn’t happy, calling it a “dramatic and alarmist overreach.” Speaking of dramatic and alarmist overreach, one agricultural group in Italy sent out a press release: Just say no to terrorism on meat.
 

Go to:  https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/the-backlash-to-iarcs-report-that-meat-probably-causes-cancer/ to read the rest of this article.