Wellness News Archive:
(Click on topic to view information)

• If you smoke - STOP! I cannot emphasize this enough. There are absolutely no good reasons to smoke, and plenty to quit this terrible, health-robbing habit.
  
• Eat out less often. Most prepared foods are higher in fat and sodium, making them unhealthy. Also, restaurant portions are getting larger, as a result, so are we.
  
• Drink plenty of water - dehydration can cause of fatigue, and thirst is often misinterpreted as hunger. The average person should drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Unfortunately, coffee, tea and soft drinks don't count towards this total!
  
• Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can inhibit your body's ability to absorb nutrients from your food.
  
• Eat more raw or frozen fruits and vegetables. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutritional value in vegetables and fruits that can be eaten raw. Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables have more vitamins that are natural and minerals than canned ones do. Be sure to eat the skin of most fruits and veggies - apples, pears, potatoes, etc., that's where most of the nutrition is found.
  
• Consume 25-30 grams of fiber daily - this can help prevent digestive disorders, heart disease and colon cancer. Add nuts and beans for added protein. Whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice and quinoa are delicious tasting, and good sources of fiber.
  
• Eat less animal protein, select low or fat free dairy products and lean cuts of beef and white meat poultry.
  
• Get active! Try to exercise 20-30 minutes a day, 3-4 times per week.

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Inflammation and Heart Disease

Researchers at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital have added to the "inflammation hypothesis" evidence which suggests some people are at high risk of heart attacks, despite normal cholesterol levels, due to inflammation in their bloodstream. The inflammation can be caused by many things, high blood pressure, smoking, lingering infection, and chronic gum disease, to name a few. This increases the risk of heart attack by weakening the walls of blood vessels, making fatty buildups burst.

These conclusions were drawn after following 27,939 participants in the Women's Health Study for 8 years. Because approximately half of the women who suffered from heart attack and stroke had "safe" levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, the researchers looked at levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the women's blood. CRP is necessary for fighting injury and infection, and blood levels can be easily tested with an inexpensive test. After looking at CRP levels, it was discovered that the women with the lowest levels (below one-half milligram per liter of blood), had the lowest risk of heart attack. When CRP levels went up to approximately three per liter, the risk of heart attack and stroke more than doubled.

The debate now becomes whether to routinely test CRP levels. Dr. Richard Milani, of the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, will now recommend a CRP test for nearly everyone getting a cholesterol test. His rational is that "If I have enough concern to check a patient's cholesterol, it seems naïve not to include an inexpensive test that would give me even more information." Others aren't so sure and would like to see more testing before CRP tests become routine, and drugs are used to lower CRP levels. Dr. Sidney Smith, research director at the American Heart Association (AHA) is willing to begin testing those considered at intermediate risk because of conditions like age, obesity, and high blood pressure. But, he isn't convinced that people considered low risk need to be tested. The AHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working on reviewing the evidence for CRP testing but will now go back to the drawing board following the release of these new results.

In addition, this study didn't involve any male participants, although small studies on men have come to similar conclusions. The Brigham study will be published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The Associated Press, November 14, 2002

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CoQ10 for Parkinson's Disease

A new study from the University of California at San Diego offers preliminary evidence that supplementing a patient's diet with coenzyme Q10 may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. The study was small, involving only 80 people, but at the end of the 16-month test period, the mental and activities of daily living scores of each member of the group that were given CoQ10 had declined 44% less than those in the placebo group. The highest dose used in the study, 1,200 mg daily, was associated with the most benefit. The researchers believe the nutrient is not merely giving symptomatic relief, as it took a number of months for any significant difference to appear. They theorize that CoQ10 preserves nerve function, noting that other studies have shown diminished concentrations of the vitamin in the nerve cells of Parkinson's patients.
Neurology, October 2002.

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Asthma and Winter Exercise

Athletes with asthma face many challenges with exercise and participation in sports, and working out during the cold winter months presents even more problems.

Following are some suggestions adapted from Reuters Health to minimize those problems:

• Check with a sports medicine physician before initiating an outside exercise program. If you aren't already a regular exerciser, now may not be the time to start exercising outdoors.
  
• Before an outdoor workout, use an inhaler to prevent spasms in the muscles that affect the airways.
  
• Since cold, dry air can trigger bronchial spasms, consider swimming as a cross-training exercise during the winter.
  
• Drink plenty of water and dress in layers that include a windproof and waterproof shell.
  
• Wear a scarf to protect your mouth and nose to warm the air before you inhale it.
  
• Plan for exercise inside during periods in which your asthma is particularly troublesome.

In spite of the precautions that athletes must take, exercise-induced asthma that is properly diagnosed and treated will allow for training and competition at any level.
Georgia Tech Sports Medicine and Performance Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 3, December 2000

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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Every fall, just as the leaves begin to change and we set our clocks back, my office manager - Donna, feels a dark cloud descend over her - she says she "feels miserable and just wants to hibernate." But, like clockwork, the cloud lifts with the first sunny days in early spring. "I feel like myself again, happier and ready to get up and go," she says.

Like more than 10 million other Americans, Donna suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a mood disorder that affects people during the winter. SAD is somewhat like a human hibernation: sufferers become sluggish, they tend to oversleep, and they may become depressed and withdraw from others. There is some debate among researchers, but they think it is triggered by the reduction of sun during the winter months, imbalances in body chemistry and rhythms. The symptoms normally peak in December, January and February.

So how do you know if you have SAD? If you have this disorder, it starts around the same time every winter. You may experience irritability, a lack of interest in your normal activities, mild to severe depression, and/or feelings of guilt and despair. You may also crave sweets and other carbohydrates, more than usual. Fortunately, not everyone experiences these symptoms to the same degree. Women are more prone to SAD than men are, and the condition is prevalent among people in the northern half of the country, and shift workers. SAD also runs in families.

Some known treatments for SAD are bright light therapy - people with severe symptoms can use special light boxes that provide up to 10,000 lux (a measure of light intensity). This treatment consists of sitting a few feet away from the box for 30 minutes to two hours a day. Also, daily 30-minute doses of sun, vitamin D supplementation. For more serious cases of SAD, prescription antidepressants have been shown to help.

For more information about SAD, contact the National Organization for Seasonal Affective Disorder, P.O. Box 40133, Washington, D.C. 20016 (www.nosad.org).
Remedy, Winter 2002/2003

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Common Sense Care For Lower Back Pain

In years past, physicians often recommended that a person suffering from lower back pain should spend a few days in bed resting, so as not to aggravate the injury or increase the pain. However, this recommendation has changed in the last decade, as studies show that when it comes to back pain, bed rest can actually increase pain and delay healing.

A recent randomized controlled study was done, comparing two treatments for people suffering from back pain. Researchers assigned patients to one of two groups for four days. One group of patients spent a minimum of 16 hours a day resting in bed and ceased all activities, while the other group spent a maximum of 12 hours a day in bed and resumed normal daily activities. The patients, ages 18-65, were seen three times after the initial "treatment" phase: at day six or seven, at one month, and after three months.

Pain intensity, functional disability, and spine stiffness were similar for patients in both groups at all three appointments after treatment. However, a greater percentage of the people in the bed rest group initially needed time off from work than did the people in the normal activity group, 86% vs. 52% respectively.

Normal activity has become apparent as a better treatment option than bed rest for low back pain. Movement allows your muscles and spine to stay strong and flexible. It is important to stay mobile to prevent back pain and ward off its progression to long-term, debilitating pain.
Rozenberg S, Delval C, Rezvani Y, et al. Bed rest or normal activity… Spine 2002:27(14), pp. 1487-1493.

Chiropractic and Pro-Football

Have you ever witnessed a crushing tackle during a game of Monday Night Football and wondered how these players can get back out on the field and play again the next week? Well, besides being big and tough, one way these players in the NFL get back on their feet is through chiropractic treatment. Sports chiropractors focus on treating injuries of the muscles and bones. With back pain alone appearing in as many as 75% of professional athletes every year, and possibly a greater percentage of football players, NFL players are requiring chiropractic care for their aches and pains.

To determine the use of chiropractic in the NFL, a questionnaire was sent to the head athletic trainers of every team in the league. The questions related to frequency and type of treatment used to treat the injured players. Of the two-thirds of trainers who responded, the results indicated a strong use of chiropractic.

· 45% of NFL trainers had personally seen a chiropractor;
· 77% of NFL trainers has referred players to a chiropractor; and
· 31% of NFL teams had an official chiropractor on their staff.

The trainers surveyed in this study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics predominately referred players to chiropractors for low back pain, neck injury, and headaches. With professional sports organizations beginning to embrace chiropractic, perhaps more of the general public will seek out this natural and safe alternative to drugs and surgery.

Stump JL, Redwood D. The use and role of sport chiropractors in the NFL… Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2002:25(3), p.e2.

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Nuts about Beans

A recent study of nearly 10,000 individuals showed that people who eat beans, peanuts, and other legumes at least four times a week have a 21% lower risk of heart disease than those who eat legumes less than once a week.

The researchers couldn't say why bean-eaters have healthier hearts. However, the possibilities may be because beans have soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol, and folate, which can lower blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that promotes heart disease.

What you can do to include more beans in your diet: Think of them not just as beans, but as chick pea salad, split pea soup, rice and lentils, bean burritos, hummus and pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans).

Arch. Internal Medicine 161:2573,2001

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Spinal Manipulation May Benefit Asthma Patients

Patients afflicted with asthma may benefit from spinal manipulation in terms of symptoms, immunological capacity, and endocrine effects. An investigative team headed by Ray Hayek, Ph.D. has been conducting a trial at 16 treatment centers in Australia involving 420 patients with an average age of 46, in an effort to find out what effects spinal manipulation has on symptoms, depression and anxiety, general health status, and the levels of immunity as reflected by the concentrations of both an immunoglobulin (IgA) and an immunosuppressant (cortisol). This investigation draws from several references in the scientific literature, which suggest that different forms of manual therapy (including massage) improve the symptomotology and lower cortisol levels in asthma patients.

Dr. Hayek reported that only the patient group that underwent spinal manipulation displayed significant improvement in asthma symptoms and depression and anxiety scores. In addition, patients undergoing spinal manipulation displayed dramatic increases of IgA and decreases of cortisol through the post treatment period. This suggests that there were physiological consequences to their manipulative treatments reflecting increased immunological capacities, which would be expected to ward off subsequent asthmatic attacks.

These biochemical changes not only suggest the effects of spinal manipulation are more far-reaching than commonly believed, but that they may be more long-term as well. The gain in IgA and simultaneous loss of cortisol following a spinal manipulation would be expected to reduce the incidence and severity of infections of the airways. There would be less of a risk under these circumstances of compounding the symptoms of asthma.

This research represents one of approximately 50 projects administered by the FCER since 1990, in the effort to document both the theory and practice of chiropractic to increase its effective integration into healthcare systems worldwide.

The FCER, 2002

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Back Exercises Halt Spine Fractures in Older Women

We all know that exercise is essential for a healthy life. If you are a woman over the age of 50 and question the necessity of an exercise/strengthening program, the results of the following study may peak your interest.

Strengthening back muscles with special exercises helps prevent fracture of the spine years after people quit doing the exercises. Dr. Mehrsheed Sinaki and his colleagues of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN reevaluated a group of fifty women between the ages of 58 and 75 who had completed a study 10 years earlier. Twenty-seven of the women (the back exercise group) were taught a series of back-strengthening exercises to be performed for 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 2 years. Twenty-three of the women (the control group) exercised during the 2-year period but did not follow the same back-strengthening program. After the study was completed, women in the back exercise program were told they could stop doing their exercises, and they did.

Ten years later, the researchers contacted the women and compared back strength, bone density and the rate of spinal fractures between the two groups. Follow-up measurements showed that the women in the back exercise group has lost some strength and bone density, but it was significantly less than that seen in the control group.

The most important finding was the rate of vertebral fractures among the women in the control group was almost three times greater than for the women in the back exercise program. The researchers concluded that strong back muscles could reduce the risk of vertebral fractures in estrogen-deficient women.

Reuters Health, Health Bytes Newsletter: 9/23/02

Vitamin E May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease

Two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that diets high in vitamin E can reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The first study examined 815 Chicago residents over the age of 65. At the beginning of the study, none of the volunteers showed symptoms of mental decline and all were questioned about diet and followed for 4 years. Of the volunteers, 131 developed Alzheimer's - 14.3% of those with the lowest intake of vitamin E, 5.9% of those with the highest intake. Even when other factors that can influence the risk of Alzheimer's, such as education and age were taken into account, a 70% reduction in Alzheimer's was seen in those people with the highest vitamin E intake.

The second study followed 5,395 people for 6 years, all of whom were over the age of 55 in the Netherlands. One hundred forty-six of the people developed Alzheimer's disease. Those with the highest intakes of vitamins E and C were the least likely to have the disease. Both studies examined vitamin consumption in the diet rather than through supplementation.

Vitamin E can be consumed in your diet by eating dark green vegetables, whole grain products, nuts, animal protein and vegetable oils. If you would like more information on including the appropriate amount of vitamin E, or any other vitamins or minerals in your diet, feel free to call me during our regular office hours.

The Associated Press, June 26, 2002

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Work-related Repetitive Stress

After a long day of repetitive work, you may experience pain in your neck and shoulder muscles. This pain can result from muscle and tissue overuse, or from psychological factors, such as low social support, job dissatisfaction, and low individual job control.

In a study published in the journal Spine, researches evaluated risk factors for neck and shoulder pain and tenderness in over 3,000 workers at 19 production plants. Workers performing non-repetitive tasks were used as a comparison group. Almost twice as many workers performing repetitive work (7%) had neck or shoulder pain with muscles tenderness compared to the comparison group, less than 4%. Pain was strongly linked to a decreased quality of life. Factors associated with neck or shoulder pain were previous injury, high repetitiveness, high force, female gender, and high job demands.

If your job involves repetitive or heavy work, you are especially susceptible to developing work-related neck or shoulder pain. Be sure to follow proper lifting procedures, and maintain good posture and body mechanics to avoid injury. As your chiropractor, I can help you develop an exercise and stretching program to help minimize your pain, and/or the risks of developing it.

Anderson JH, Kaergard A, Frost P, et al. Physical, psychosocial, and individual risk factors for neck/shoulder pain… Spine 2002:27(6), pp. 660-667

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Exercise and High Blood Pressure

Almost 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure (BP), and cardiovascular disease has been the primary cause of death in the U.S. for over 80 years. Studies show that reducing your BP reduces your risk for heart disease and death, even when lowered by only a small amount. Medications have been shown to lower patient's risk for cardiovascular disease, but they may have dangerous side effects. Aerobic exercise alone can be prescribed to lower your BP.

Any form of regular aerobic exercise can significantly reduce the BP in every type of previously sedentary person, regardless of race, gender, weight, and presence of hypertension (high BP). Even a small decrease in average BP can dramatically lower your risk for cardiovascular disease and death. Whether or not you currently have high BP, you should maintain a consistent regimen of aerobic exercise to ward off disease, premature death, and obesity.

Whelton SP, Chin A, Xin X, et al. Effect of aerobic exercise on blood pressure… Annals of Internal Medicine 2002:136(7), pp. 493-503

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Music May Soothe Your Backache

While music is thought to soothe the savage beast, a new study by Austrian researchers at the 10th World Congress on Pain, suggests it may also be beneficial for a bad back. According to the researchers, the key may be using the music as a tool to help relax muscles and dissolve tension.

In the study, 65 hospitalized patients, ranging in age from 21 to 68, including 24 women and 41 men, with chronic low back pain after back surgery for a herniated disc were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups got standard medical care and routine physical therapy. But one group also received instruction on how to use relaxation imagery while listening to music. The group that received the music and relaxation intervention listened to music every day for 25 minutes, using headphones. After three weeks, the group listening to music had substantially better pain relief. They also said that they had fewer sleep disturbances from the pain than did the group that did not listen to the music.

"Music, as well as the relaxation imagery, works on the autonomic nervous system and reduces muscular and inner tension. …causes the experience of rest, calmness and well-being, and a reduction of pain." according to Franz Wendtner, a researcher at the General Hospital of Salzburg. "Self-efficacy and a sense of control increase, boosting the ability to deal with pain. Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness are reduced, because the patients recognize that they are no longer handed over to their pain."

The researches are still trying to figure out what kind of music works best, but believe calm music as well as classical would be most advantageous. They also suggest that patients with back pain can do this on their own at home.

Doheny K, Reuters Health September 3, 2002

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Menstrual Cycle Phase and Knee Injuries

Women are two and a half times more likely to injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the ovulatory phase of their menstrual cycle (days 10-14) than during other times.

These findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, are consistent with the results of previous smaller studies on the relationship between the menstrual cycle and ACL injuries. The recent study was conducted by a team of Cincinnati Sports Medicine researchers that included Edward Wojtys, M.D., University of Michigan, and Cincinnati orthopedic surgeon Thomas Lidenfeld, M.D.

The investigators evaluated 65 female athletes who sustained acute ACL injuries. Evaluations were conducted within 24 hours of the injuries and urine samples were collected to accurately validate the menstrual cycle phase by measuring hormonal levels at the time of the tear.

The results showed that women had a significantly greater than expected percentage of ACL injuries during the ovulatory phase and a less than expected percentage of ACL injuries during the luteal phase (day 15 until the end of the cycle). For a subset of 14 women who were taking oral contraceptives at the time, there was an indication of some protection from ACL injuries, but this trend did not reach the level of statistical significance.

Dr. Wojtys warned against overreacting to the findings. "We don't want women to press the panic button. This research does not justify pulling women out of sports or putting them on oral contraceptives in order to prevent ligament injuries. There is some evidence that ACL injuries are tied to the menstrual cycle and probably to hormones, but we don't have enough information yet to justify the use of oral contraceptives in order to prevent injuries. Even if it is the menstrual cycle that is having some effect on the susceptibility of soft tissue, which hormone is related to the susceptibility is not clear. Nor do we know exactly were it is acting".

Dr. Lindenfeld added, "We know that there are estrogen and progesterone receptor in the ACL and that estrogen can affect the formation, metabolism, and function of soft tissue. It is also possible that hormones influence injury levels by affecting the neuromuscular system. A third possibility is that there might be another hormone that fluctuates in concert with estrogen and may be the true culprit."

Georgia Tech; Sports Medicine & Performance, Vol. 9, No. 11, August 2001

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Dietary Cereals and Asthma

The percentage of people with asthma has increased steadily over the last half of the 20th century: a recent study showed that 35% of 12 to 14-year-olds in the United Kingdom experience allergy symptoms annually. This increase may be linked to environmental factors, including eating certain foods. Eating dietary cereals, such as wheat, rye, oats, and barley, can cause an allergic reaction to grass pollen. Providing cereals in the diets of infants, whose digestive systems are not fully mature, may increase the likelihood of grass pollen allergies later in life.

Between 1989 and 1999, the authors of a study in the Journal of Clinical & Experimental Allergy studied more than 16,000 patients admitted to the allergy unit at their clinic in Spain. Of these, 250 patients with grass-pollen asthma and 250 asthma-free individuals were selected for the study. Patients or their parents were asked about the patients' diets as infants, including how long they were breast-fed only.

People who were fed cereals in the first three months after birth were six times more likely to later suffer from grass-pollen asthma than their peers who were breast-fed only. Regarding allergy sufferers, 84% of those with an early cereal diet were allergic to grass pollen, compared to only 15% of those who were breast-fed.

Don't feed your infant cereal-based foods for at least the first year of life. Breast milk is the best nutritional source for infants, especially during their first six months of life. Breastfeeding provides a natural and safe food source for your baby. Other studies have shown that it reduces a child's risk for conditions like heart disease, digestive problems, developmental problems, and infections.

Armentia A, Banuelos C, Arranz ML, et al. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 2001:31(8), pp.1250-1255.

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Chronic Low Back Pain:

Chronic low back pain causes countless days of lost work and health insurance dollars spent; yet the causes of this long-term condition remain elusive. Why do some people recover quickly from back pain while others suffer for years? A recent study in the journal Spine adds to the growing body of information that helps us understand the causes of recurring back pain and injury.

Low back pain is known to causes sufferers to utilize their back muscles differently, or substitute the wrong muscles for lifting tasks. This added force could hasten spinal disc degeneration. This study investigated the force during lifting on the spines of 22 back-pain patients and 22 healthy individuals in two phases; once measuring spinal forces while participants lifted in a specific posture, and the other allowing individuals to personalize their posture to lift comfortably. The researchers wanted to determine how back-pain patients might compensate for their pain.

The researchers found that patients tended to compensate for back pain and injury by substituting inappropriate back, side, and abdominal muscles for lifting, rather than the correct muscles that hurt. The resulting force on the spine was significantly increased in back-pain patients, as uninjured muscles were used to compensate for injured muscles. By guarding the injured muscles, back-pain sufferers imposed twice as much twisting force and 1.5 times more compressive force on their spines as healthy people did, when lifting the same object in a controlled fashion. Also, lifting more slowly, as those with back pain tended to do, only prolonged, and intensified the force on the spine.

If you suffer from chronic low back pain, talk with me about treatment options like exercise and stretching to help you avoid substituting the wrong muscles while lifting.

Marras WS, Davis KG, Ferguson SA, et al. Spine loading characteristics of patients with low back pain compared to asymptomatic individuals, Spine 2001:26(23), pp. 256-2574

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Protein Supplementation and Weight Training

As we age, we experience a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that can seriously reduce functional abilities. Weight training can be an important way to counteract this process. Proper diet, especially consuming protein after a workout, can also help gain muscle size and strength. The question is, does it matter when this protein is ingested?

A recent study in The Journal of Physiology determined the importance of when a protein supplement was taken after exercise in seniors. Thirteen 70 to 80-year-old men completed a resistance training program consisting of three strength exercises (leg press, knee extension and lat pulldown- a back exercise) done on fitness equipment, performed three times per week. Seven of the men took a protein supplement within 5 minutes of exercise, while the remaining six took the supplement two hours later.

After 12 weeks, leg muscle size, isokenetic strength (force against a non-moving object), and overall lean body mass increased in the immediate-supplementation group only. Both groups increased the amount of weight used in the workouts - but the immediate-supplementation group increased their strength by a larger margin.

If you are advancing into your senior years, it's important that you maintain a regular workout to retain your ability to perform daily physical tasks. Regular resistance training or weightlifting can successfully prevent or slow muscle and tissue loss. Also, be sure to eat a protein supplement or high-protein food such as poultry, fish, eggs, milk or beans, immediately after you workout. Protein is the building block your muscles require for repair and growth.

Preparation for Outdoor Winter Activities Prevents Injuries

When snow, ice, and frigid weather blast into town, watch out, says the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Winter recreational activities and chores can pose problems for the outdoor enthusiast whose body is not in condition. Winter sports like skating, skiing and sledding can cause painful muscle spasms, strains, or tears if you are not in shape. Even shoveling show the wrong way, climbing awkwardly over snow banks, slipping on icy sidewalks and wearing the wrong kinds of clothing can pose the potential for injury.

Simply walking outside in the freezing weather without layers of warm clothing can intensify older joint problems and cause a good deal of pain. As muscles and blood vessels contract to conserve the body's heat, the blood supply to extremities is reduced. This lowers the functional capacity of many muscles, particularly among the physically unfit.

ACA-sponsored Olympic speed skater Derek Parra advises: "Warming up is essential. Even when you are pressed for time, it's better to shorten the length of your workout and keep a good warm-up than to skip the warm-up and dive right into the workout. Skipping your warm-up is the best way to get hurt. You can complete a good warm-up in 15-20 minutes. It will make your workout more pleasant and safe."

Derek and the ACA suggest that you start with some light aerobic activity (jogging, biking, and fast walking) for 7-10 minutes. Then follow these tips to help you fight back the winter weather:

Skiing and Skating: Squats - Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, knees aligned over your feet. Slowly lower your buttocks as you bend your knees over your feet. Stand up straight again. Do 10-15 squats. Lunges - Step forward with one foot. Let your back knee come down to the floor while keeping your shoulders in position over your hips. Repeat the process with your other foot. Do 10-15 lunges.

Snow Shoveling: This activity can also wreak havoc on the musculoskeletal system. Follow these tips for safer shoveling: If you must shovel snow be careful. Shoveling can strain de-conditioned muscles between your shoulders, upper and lower back, buttocks, and legs. Do a few minutes of warm-up stretching before you begin shoveling. Dress accordingly; layer clothing to keep your muscles warm and flexible. When you do shovel, push the snow straight-ahead. Do not try to throw it. Walk it to the snow bank. Avoid all sudden twisting and turning motions, which can strain your spine. Bend your knees to lift when shoveling. Let the muscles of your legs and arms do the work, not your back muscles. Take frequent rest breaks to take the strain off your muscles. Fatigued bodies injure easily. Stop immediately if you feel chest pain, or if you get very tired or have shortness of breath. These symptoms could indicate a serious health condition. You may need immediate health care.

If after any of these activities you are sore, apply an ice pack to the affected area for 10-15 minutes. Remove it for one to two hours. Repeat this procedure 2-3 times a day for the next day or two. If you continue to feel soreness, pain, or strain after following these tips, call my office for a chiropractic treatment.

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Stroke Risk and Cervical Manipulations:

A paper published in the October 2 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) by Scott Haldeman, DC, MD, PhD, Paul Carey, et al. ("Arterial Dissections following Cervical Manipulation: the Chiropractic Experience") reports that the chances of arterial dissection after cervical manipulation is approximately 1 in 5.85 million manipulations. The authors specifically state: "The likelihood that a chiropractor will be made aware of an arterial dissection following cervical manipulation is approximately 1:8.06 million office visits, 1:5.85 million cervical manipulations, 1:1430 chiropractic practice years and 1:48 chiropractic practice careers." The authors note that their numbers are "significantly less than the estimates of 1:500,000 to 1:1 million cervical manipulations, calculated from surveys of neurologists."

The Haldeman, Carey, et al. Study reviewed malpractice data from the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association (CCPA) between 1988 and 1997 on stroke claims following chiropractic manipulation. Dr. Paul Carey, one of the principal authors of the study and president of CCPA stated: "This study is based on the most factual evidence available for determining the risk of stroke associated with neck adjustment. There has been much recent speculation about this risk, and some neurologists have expressed concern that the risk may be higher than previously believed. This most recent study establishes such an extremely low degree of risk, that patients can feel confident about the safety of neck manipulations performed by chiropractors."

In the same issue of the CMAJ as the Haldeman, Carey, et al., study was the paper '"Cervical Manipulation and Risk of Stroke" by Drs. Kapra and Bondy. They noted that the Haldeman, Carey, et al., study provided "important data about the association between stroke and specific chiropractic interventions" but opined that the "use of malpractice claims data is unlikely to lead to an accurate estimation of the risk of stroke." Still, Kapra and Bondy state that the risk associated with cervical manipulations "is both small and inaccurately estimated" smaller than that associated with many commonly used diagnostic tests or prescriptive drugs."

Dynamic Chiropractic, November 5, 2001, Vol. 19, No. 23

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Massage vs. Acupuncture for Lower Back Pain:

A recent study found that massage therapy beat acupuncture in easing people's suffering. Researchers from the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, WA and Harvard Medical School assigned 262 people with lower back pain to traditional Chinese medical acupuncture or massage. A third group was given educational materials.

Ten weeks later, 74 percent of patients getting massage scored their treatment as very helpful, compared with 46 percent of acupuncture patients. A year later, those who received massage had fewer symptoms than the acupuncture group; in addition, they had greater mobility and needed fewer pain relievers.

The massage therapists in the study met the following criteria: They were licensed, had at least three years' experience, and practiced deep tissue or Swedish massage.

Reader's Digest, January 2002

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Air Travel - Economy Class Syndrome:

Deep vein thrombosis - blood clots, usually in the deep veins of the legs, can be the result of sitting in cramped airplane seats for long flights. You know how hard it is to shift around in your coach seat, and long hours of immobilization can cause circulation problems. Muscular contractions are part of what your body needs to get the blood in your legs back to your heart. The longer you sit in one position, the higher your risk of clots.

When part of a clot dislodges and travels to your lungs, that is called a pulmonary embolism. This is a serious, life-threatening medical emergency. Being of northern European descent can increase your risk, as do oral contraceptives, cigarette smoking, pregnancy, and obesity. Here are tips from American Running Association Editorial Board Member, Randy Eichner, M.D., to help reduce your risk of clotting.

	Try to get an aisle or a bulkhead seat so you have more space. Move around as much as possible. Squirm, fidget, walk the aisles, stand beside your seat, and do three sets of 10 toe lifts. Don't sit with your legs crossed. This can cut off your circulation even faster.
	Drink plenty of fluids, but skip caffeine and alcohol; they will quickly dehydrate you. Airplanes are notorious dehydrators and that can thicken your blood, making it more prone to clotting.
	Eat low fat foods, a fatty meal can increase your risk of clotting.
	Some airline authorities recommend taking one baby aspirin before a long flight, but, while it is likely to decrease your risk of a clot, there are risks associated with blood thinning. Discuss this with your doctor before you fly.

Fight the Blahs with Bananas

What we eat can affect how we feel. Anyone who has had too much turkey at Thanksgiving can attest to feelings of sleepiness, brought on by not only overindulgence, but also a compound present in turkey.

There are foods that are thought to have the opposite effect. Recent research shows compounds found in some foods can elevate our moods, and may be especially effective against the blues brought on by gloomy weather. Some great foods to stock up on this winter include:

• Bananas - They contain serotonin, a hormone found to ease depression
  
  
• Fish and oat flakes - These, and other foods like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, contain the element Zinc, which can help improve your mood.
  
  
• Pasta, noodles and other forms of carbohydrates - These foods increase bloodsugar, which can temporarily boost mood.
  

People who are prone to the winter blues should monitor or cut down their consumption of meat, which can inhibit the production of serotonin.

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Research Review

A newly published study supports the belief that chiropractors are capable of serving as primary health care providers. Through a consensus process to develop a list of primary care activities, two panels - one made up primarily of medical doctors, the second exclusively chiropractic - concluded that with respect to a list of 53 primary care functions found to occur daily in medical offices, chiropractors can make diagnoses in most of them (92%) and can make therapeutic contributions in more than 50%.

Both panels agreed upon the classification of terms used for primary care, which emphasize such aspects as information gathering with assessments, screening and prevention activities, additional diagnostic procedures and techniques, counseling and education, management of acute and chronic illnesses, services to special population groups such as geriatric or pregnancy care, coordination and referrals, and counseling on complementary modalities of care.

This represents the overcoming of a substantial barrier, which separates the chiropractic and allopathic physician communities. It addresses a basic suspicion by the authors of the study that "much of what is generally considered primary could be provided by professionals other than medical doctors (M.D.s) and osteopaths (D.O.s)." (Gaumer GL, Walker A, Su S. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. May 2001; Vol. 24, No.4, pp.239-259.)

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Give Yourself the Gift of Antioxidants

Dietary antioxidants like beta-carotene and vitamins C and E are known to aid in the prevention of some cancers. Do they also effectively avert the onset of cardiovascular diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Observational studies in the past have shown that these antioxidants may protect against incidences of cardiovascular disease and death, but now there may be evidence that is more conclusive.

To determine if dietary antioxidants are related to the presence of peripheral arterial disease (a cardiovascular disease), the authors analyzed data on approximately 4,400 people in the Rotterdam Study. This study was designed to investigate cases of long-term, disabling diseases and their risk factors in the Netherlands. The 55-to94-year olds' diets were evaluated, and peripheral arterial disease was examined using blood pressure readings in the hands and feet.

Eating foods high in antioxidants decreased incidences of peripheral arterial disease, but with differences between genders. In women, subjects with high vitamin C intake were less likely to have the disease, compared to those with low intake of vitamin C. Men with high vitamin E intake, on the other hand, were less likely to have cardiovascular disease than those with low intake.

Women: You can get natural vitamin C in high concentrations from fruits and vegetables like oranges, green peppers, tomatoes, watermelons, and leafy greens. Try to eat these foods raw or lightly cooked for higher vitamin concentrations.


Men: Be sure to eat foods rich in vitamin E, such as soybeans and vegetable oils, nuts, spinach, and sweet potatoes. Wheat germ oil, although less common, has the highest amount of natural vitamin E.

Both men and women should eat a variety of these foods to obtain the other health benefits of these vitamins.

Klipstein-Grobusch K, den Breeijen JH, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary antioxidants and peripheral arterial disease: The Rotterdam Study. America Journal of Epidemiology 2001:154(2), pp.145-149

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Men and Osteoporosis

A man over the age of 50 has a greater chance of suffering a fracture as a result of osteoporosis than of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. And almost one in five men will suffer a hip fracture by age 90, with a third of them dying as a result of complications during healing.

But osteoporosis continues to be viewed solely as a disease of women - even among doctors. "It's a disconcerting problem," comments Lei Wang, MD, a physician at the Tufts-affiliated New England Medical Center. "As doctors, we often don't talk to male patients about their bones. Even when male patients present symptoms of osteoporosis identical to those of female patients - such as back pain - we may neglect osteoporosis as a potential culprit." It is not surprising when you consider that no uniform recommendation exists for the routine screening of men for osteoporosis, as it does for women.

For that reason, it is important for men to be aware of red flags for the disease, such as loss of height, changes in posture, and sudden back pain. There are a number of conditions that can raise osteoporosis risk, including the use of drugs like corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, and chemotherapeutic agents; low testosterone levels; intestinal, liver or kidney disorders that could affect use of calcium and vitamin D; alcoholism; and limited mobility.

Fortunately, treatment options for men with osteoporosis continue to expand. While the estrogens used in women's hormone replacement therapy and the hormone-like drug Evista are not considered appropriate options, the Food and Drug Administration has given approval for men to take Fosamax and, in cases of steroid-induced osteoporosis, Actonel. In addition, physicians may also prescribe testosterone replacement therapy and Miacalcin. The latter is only officially approved for women now but may work similarly to reduce bone loss and prevent fractures in men.

Of course, men, like women, should do all they can to prevent osteoporosis in the first place; avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake; consume at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 International Units of vitamin D each day (1,200 milligrams of calcium if you are 51 or older and 600 units of vitamin D if you are at least 71); and engage in regular weight-bearing exercise, such as brisk walking or jogging.

Tufts University, Health and Nutrition Letter, Sept. 2001, Vol. 19, No. 7

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The Power of Positive Thinking

A recent study in the journal Spine suggests that pessimistic thinkers may have trouble recovering from low back pain. The authors examined the relationship between patient expectations of treatment benefits and treatment outcomes. One hundred thirty-five patients with chronic low back pain were divided into either a massage or an acupuncture treatment group. Prior to the study, patients rated how helpful they expected their treatments to be on a scale from 0-10, with 10 being extremely helpful. After 10 weeks of treatment, the functional ability of each patient was determined using a disability scale.

Patients with higher expectations for their treatment experienced less pain in 86% of cases, while those patients with low expectations only improved in 68% of cases. Odds of improvement were five times greater for the high-expectation group than the low-expectation group after adjusting for other factors, such as physical health, age, education, etc. Patients who expected benefit from one treatment, as opposed to the other, improved more from that particular treatment.

As this evidence suggests, attitude may influence your recovery as much as the actual treatment that you receive. So, don't let an illness or health problem get you down! Try to think positive the next time you receive treatment for any illness.

Kalauokalani D, Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, et al. Lessons from a trial of acupuncture and massage for low back pain: Patient expectations and treatment effects. Spine, July 1, 2001:26(13), pp.1418-1424.


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Teen Smoking Can Lead to Low Back Pain

Smoking can more than double an adolescent's risk of developing long-term low back pain, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers investigated the influence of various risk factors on the development of low back pain: high growth spurt; poor flexibility; physical activity; work; mental health; and smoking. Five hundred and two school students were studied over one year, and data were gathered from student questionnaires and physical measurements. Overall 17 percent of the students studied reported low back pain. The most noticeable risk factor was a major growth spurt, more than two inches in six months, which more than tripled the odds of developing low back pain. The other risk factors in developing low back pain were all preventable: smoking, working out and poor flexibility in the upper leg muscles. Clearly, you can help your teen avoid low back pain by talking to them about the risk factors and warn them of the consequences that they may face later in life. Have them follow a few simple rules:

• Avoid smoking
  
• Stretch the upper leg muscles, especially after exercise
  
• When weightlifting, use proper techniques and don't over do it
  

Feldman DE, Sheir I, Rossignol M et al. Risk factors for the development of low back pain in adolescence. American Journal of Epidmiology 2001: 154(1), pp.30-36.

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American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M)

Recently I attended a seminar sponsored by the A4M on Anti-Aging and I found it most interesting. Here are just some of the facts that were presented:

• In 1900 the average life span was 46 years
  
• In 1990 the average life span was 75 years
  
• In 1900 the three leading causes of death were: pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhea/enteritis
  
• In 1994 the three leading causes of death were: heart disease, cancer, stroke. The leading causes of death now are lifestyle related, as opposed to acute illnesses.
  
• From 1960 to 1990, death rates from heart disease were almost halved, and stroke deaths plummeted 62%
  
• 100 year-olds are the country’s fastest growing age group
  
• In 1999 there were about 70,000 centenarians in the U.S., with 160,000 expected by the year 2010, and 1 to 4 million by the year 2050
  

The overall message that I left with was that age is inevitable, aging is not. Basically it comes down to lifestyle choices, if you are ready to make some changes in your daily lives, then you can slow or even reverse the aging process.

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Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is also known as the silent disease, for often the first sign is a fracture. Did you know that 1/3 of American women over 60 have spinal compression fractures due to osteoporosis? Did you know that in the United States there are ¼ million hip fractures a year? Or that there is a 50% mortality rate of women over 70 with a hip fracture?

Bone is living tissue that is constantly remodeling; building and breaking down. There is a natural balance between bone growth and bone loss. When this balance changes and you lose more bone than you build, then you have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the loss of bone, or bone density to be precise. Women start to lose bone in their late twenties and early thirties. Unfortunately, this is not detected or even tested for until age 49. The test of choice these days, or the gold standard is the DEXA scan. This test is non-invasive and measures the bone density of the patient's spine and hip. Do not rely on X-rays for your bone density testing, as there needs to be at least a 50% loss of bone to even see it on the films, and by this time it is too late.

Risk Factors:

• Female
  
• White/Asian
  
• Small Boned
  
• Family History
  
• Coffee, Alcohol, or Smoking
  
• Poor Diet
  
• Amenorrhea
  
• Early Menopause
  
• Maldigestion
  
• Physical Inactivity
  
  

Prevention of Osteoporosis includes:

• Increase intake of green leafy vegetables, and soy.( Be careful with soy as many people are allergic)
  
• Decrease intake of meat, sugar, soda, saturated fats, coffee, sodium
  
• Decrease smoking and alcohol
  
• Increase sunlight exposure
  
• Maintain GI health
  
• Avoid toxic metal exposure
  
• Increase weight bearing exercise
  
• Early assessment of risk
  
• Early prevention measures
  
  

Treatment Options:

• HRT(hormone replacement therapy)
  
• Calcium (1200-1500mg daily)
  
• Hydroxyapatite
  
• Ipriflavone
  
• Magnesium (250-750mg daily)
  
• Vitamin C
  
• Vitamin D
  
• Boron
  
• Zinc
  
• Glucosamine Sulfate
  
• Horsetail
  

As everyone is unique, please consult with your Chiropractor and your Physician on the proper amounts and dosages for the above-mentioned supplements and drugs.

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Beyond Musculoskeletal

Chiropractor--you may think that means a "Spinal Specialist", but as evidenced by the graph below this is not justified. Chiropractors can effectively treat many other conditions. Next time you are in the office, just ask




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Think Twice before Going under the Knife

Surgeons perform thousands of procedures each year in hospitals all across the country. In many instances, surgery may be the only option to save one's life - but it is always necessary? With recent reports of the alarming (and increasing) percentage of adverse events associated with surgical procedures, you may want to think twice before going under the knife.

Case in point: a study in Spine that compared conservative care vs. surgery for the treatment of a specific type of spinal fracture called a "burst fracture". Eighty patients with a diagnosed burst fracture were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Patients in the non-operative group wore a back brace for three months, at all times except when bathing and stayed in hospital beds until their pain was controlled. After three months, patients were allowed activities of daily living and light sedentary work. Patients in the operative group underwent surgery, "posterior fixation", and were evaluated two years later.

Results showed limited differences between the two groups in terms of long-term pain relief and improvement of overall function. The study authors also point out that surgery cost four times as much as conservative care, and recommend early activity to the point of pain tolerance.

If you or someone you know is considering surgery for back pain or other musculoskeletal problems, investigate the value of non-surgical, conservative care by scheduling a consultation with your doctor of chiropractic.

Shen W. Liu T, Shen Y. Nonoperative treatment versus posterior fixation for thoracolumbar junction burst fractures without neurologic deficit. Spine 2001:Vol.26, No. 9, pp1038-45.

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Give your Baby a Better Start - with Exercise

New research provides more reasons to keep exercising during pregnancy, or start exercising if you don't already. Forty-six pregnant women who were not regular exercisers were assigned to either a no-exercise group or a group that did weight-bearing exercise three to five times per week for the duration of the pregnancy beginning at eight weeks. The researchers found that measures of fetal and placental growth were enhanced for the exercising women, resulting in babies born with higher birth weight and height as compared to the non-exercising controls.

(American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2000 Vol. 183, No. 6, pp.1484-1488)

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Tomatoes - Antioxidant Power

If you eat loads of tomatoes - fresh or in sauces - chances are your blood lycopene level is quite high. Take heart; there is nothing to worry about. Lycopene is yet another antioxidant found primarily in tomatoes that seems to decrease your risk for certain cancers as your blood level increases. In a review of the available research, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found tremendous consistency among 72 different studies of the inverse association of tomato consumption and cancer. In other words, the more tomatoes and tomato products an individual consumes, the lower the rate of cancer, particularly cancers of the prostate, lung and stomach.

This is very persuasive evidence, although the author notes that dietary research cannot confirm a direct cause and effect relationship. Dietary evidence is always complicated because there are too many variables that cannot be controlled; for example, the effects may be from some other compound usually present when tomatoes are eaten. However, the consistency of the findings over so many studies, both dietary-based and blood-based, argues strongly against bias. There is just too much evidence from a variety of sources to raise much doubt about the findings.

Fresh tomatoes, though loaded with lycopene, may not provide the same protection as cooked. Italian cooking seems to be the best way to get your lycopene. Here's why: Bioavailability - the degree to which a nutrient is actually used by the body versus just passing through - is greatest when the tomato is cooked and when it is in the presence of dietary lipids or fats, as in spaghetti sauce. Italian sauce makes lycopene easy medicine to take and another way to guard your health for the long run.

(Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 91, No. 4, pp. 317-331; Vol. 91, No. 15, pp.
1331)

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The Grapes Have It

A daily drink of alcohol,red wine in particular,has been shown to provide benefits against coronary heart disease.This is due to the fact that red wine is loaded with flavoniods, which have beeen associated with lowering the risk of heart disease. Wine is thought to improve the chemistry associated with LDL, the bad cholesterol, preventing it from causing oxidative damage to the arteries. In addition, flavnoids dilate(relax) the blood vessels, which reduces the risks of atherosclerosis. New research has shown that grape juice produces both these heart protective effects without the alcohol.

In this research, 15 adults with documented coronary artery disease drank two glasses of purple grape juice a day for 14 days. Both dilation of the blood vessels and improvement of the LDL oxidation were observed. If you don't want to drink alcohol, you may still be able to enjoy the same preventive effects with grape juice. Be sure to choose the "juice only" alternatives rather than those with added sugars, even if they are fruit sugars.

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Benefits for Colic with Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation

Good news for babies with colic! A report published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics details the positive effect of spinal maipulation on infants with colic. See below for full report:

For Release: December 7, 1999Contact: Robin R. Merrifield1304 Perry Ave.Bremerton WA 98310 Phone: 360-478-2716Fax: 360-478-0834 Study Finds Benefits for Colic with Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation Des Moines, Iowa--The first controlled randomized clinical trial involving the chiropractic management of infantile colic has just been published by a research group in Denmark at Odense University and in private practice. Although previous studies dating back over the last 10 years have been encouraging, this is the first demonstration of the clear clinical advantage conferred upon infants by spinal manipulation as compared to a control group given dimethicone, commonly used in medical treatment of colic. Each of the two groups of infants, aged 2-10 weeks, was given one of the two treatment regimens (daily administration of dimethicone or 3-5 treatments involving light pressure with the fingertips to restricted vertebral segments in the spine or pelvis) over a 2-week period. The parents of both groups received counseling on diet and lifestyle concerning the care of their participating children. The main outcome measure was the mean hours of infantile colic behavior (indicated by the number of hours of crying) as registered in the diaries of the trial participants. By trial days 4 to 7, the number of hours of crying was reduced by 1 hour in the dimethicone group as compared to a reduction of 2.4 hours in the manipulated group. This disparity became even greater at days 8 to 11 (reduction of crying in the manipulated group of 2.7 hours as opposed to 1 hour in the dimethicone group). Essentially, the manipulated group did significantly better than the medicated group from trial day 5 onward. For the manipulated group, the results were virtually indistinguishable from those in a prospective study done by the same principle author 10 years ago. This particular investigation is significant in that it is one of a growing number of clinical trials that have yielded positive results for patients presenting conditions other than back pain or headache; it may even signify the management of a visceral rather than a musculoskeletal disorder by spinal manipulation. The only remaining possibility is that infantile colic is a musculoskeletal (rather than the more widely assumed visceral) disorder. In addition, it also adds to the rapidly growing body of literature which supports the effectiveness of chiropractic in the management of pediatric disorders, such as otitis media, enuresis, asthma, and hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder, in addition to colic. Adding these findings to the body of literature that has appeared within the past decade, it is no longer pertinent to suggest that there is no role for chiropractic in treating childhood disorders. This study, authored by Jesper M. M. Wiberg, Jan Nordsteen, and Niels Nilsson, titled “The Short-term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with a Blinded Observer,” was published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, October 1999, Volume 22, Number 8, pages 517-522.

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Sciatica

Scientists have identified a genetic mutation that significantly raises the risk of sciatica, a common cause of back pain. Sciatica affects about five percent of adults in the United States and is one of the most common causes of chronic disability. In a recent study, individuals with this gene mutation were three times more likely to have sciatica, a spinal disc disease that affects the body's largest nerve and causes pain in the lower back and legs.

This study, appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, states that sciatica has been linked to environmental factors such as improper lifting and sitting for extended periods. This new finding suggests that people with this genetic variation are especially vulnerable to such stresses.

The mutation is thought to damage a protein in the disk called collagen IX. This can make the disc prone to rupture, often resulting in pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down each leg. The mutation can now be found in a relatively simple blood test, offering a new way to diagnose sciatica, which often does not show up on MRI studies.

Paassilta P, Lohinav J, Perala M, et al. Identification of a novel common genetic risk factor for lumbar disk disease. The Journal of the American Medical Association 2001:285(14), pp.1843-1849.

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Eating Away at Wrinkles

A fountain of youth may be as close as your kitchen, new study findings suggest. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and unsaturated fats may ward of wrinkles by boosting the skins natural defenses against sun damage.

In an international study of eating patterns and skin aging, investigators found that dark and fair-skinned people who ate plenty of wholesome foods but passed on butter, red meat and sugary confections were less prone to wrinkling.

Some of the skin- smoothing foods included green leafy vegetables, beans, olive oil, nuts and multigrain breads, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Many of the skin- protecting foods in the study were high in antioxidant vitamins, which tend to fend off environmental damage.

More than 400 adults, aged 70 and older, who ate more of the foods that are universally recommended for good health had smoother skin. The study authors speculate that certain foods offered skin protection due to their high levels of antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, and E. Monosaturated fats such as olive oil may offer beneficial protection through the same mechanism. Fatty acids are present in the skin, and monosaturated fats resist oxidative damage.

Purba M, Kouris-Blazos A, Wattanapenpaiboon N, et al. Skin wrinkling: can food make a difference? Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2001:20(1), pp 71-80.

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Backpacks Hurting Your Child

Listen to Jerome F. McAndrews D.C. speak on the subject of the misuse of school backpacks on a MSNBC interview. Click on http: www.fcer.org and go to the bottom left hand column and click on the photo. I thought it was very interesting.

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Traveling with Disabilities

A great website to check out-http://www.disabilitytravel.com/.

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