Why Americans Love Chiropractic

Why Americans Love Chiropractic

By Editorial Staff

Findings from the most recent National Health Interview Survey providing data on the use of chiropractic and other complementary health care approaches by U.S. adults reveals why Americans utilize chiropractic and what they value most. The survey provides data on lifetime (54.6 million; 24%) and 12-month (19.1 million; 8.4%) use of chiropractic services and various sociodemographic characteristics. But the most intriguing data illuminates the primary reasons for visiting a doctor of chiropractic and the perceived health and wellness benefits received by chiropractic users. Why visit a chiropractor? Here’s why:

Reasons for Visiting a Chiropractor

• For general wellness / disease prevention: 43.6%
• To improve energy: 16.3%
• To improve athletic or sports performance: 15.4%
• To improve immune function: 11.4%
• To improve memory or concentration: 5.3%

Benefits of Chiropractic

• Improves overall health or makes feel better: 66.9%
• Helps to sleep better: 41.9%
• Helps to reduce stress level or to relax: 40.2%
• Makes it easier to cope with health problems: 38.5%
• Gives a sense of control over own health: 32.5%
• Helps to feel better emotionally: 27.4%

Overall Value in Maintaining Health and Well-Being

• Very important: 47.9%
• Somewhat important: 29.6%
• Slightly important: 13.9%
• Not at all important: 8.7%

Effectiveness in Helping Specific Health Problem

• Helped a great deal: 64.5%
• Helped some: 25.8%

Why Not Just See an Medical Doctor?

• Chiropractic combined with medical treatment would help: 64.8%
• Chiropractic treats the cause and not just the symptoms: 61.9%
• Chiropractic is natural: 37.5%
• Medical treatments do not work for specific health problem: 33.8%
• Chiropractic focuses on the whole person: 24.9%
• Medications cause side effects: 18.1%

So, let’s recap: U.S. adults visit doctors of chiropractic for a variety of health and wellness reasons (not just when they have back pain); the majority find it “very important” or “somewhat important” in maintaining their overall health and well-being, yet most all believe it is effective in helping their specific health problems; and chiropractic presents an all-natural, drug-free alternative to traditional medical care. Someone you know needs chiropractic!

Exercise: The Key to Better Grades?

Exercise: The Key to Better Grades?

By Editorial Staff

For better or worse, we live in an increasingly competitive world, which means when it comes to education, grades matter – big time. While they don’t necessarily reflect the learning process, effort expended or lessons learned, grades remain an important indicator of knowledge, critical thinking and other variables that translate well into adulthood.

And of course, when applying for college, few application reviewers consider the straight D student, even if that student gave 100 percent in the classroom every day.

With all the tutoring clubs, online support groups and other tools at students’ / parents’ disposal these days, it’s encouraging to know a simple grade-booster exists that doesn’t require money or even a great deal of extra time: exercise. Research suggests children who exercise more perform better in several academic subjects and are more attentive compared to their less-active peers.

The most recent study to examine this association reviewed 26 studies involving more than 10,000 children ages 4-13. Results, published in the peer-reviewed research journal Pediatrics, showed that increased physical activity, particularly physical education, improved various aspects of academic achievement , “especially mathematics-related skills, reading, and composite scores.” Students who exercised more also appeared to stay more focused on their schoolwork than students who exercised less.

In the studies analyzed, researchers increased physical activity levels through expanded recess, afters-school sports or active breaks between lessons throughout the school day – which also may suggest academic performance is related to whether kids get breaks from their long days sitting in the classroom. Definitely food for thought for the education system.

From a parent standpoint, teaching your kids to exercise and encouraging them to take active breaks at home, particularly while doing schoolwork or studying for quizzes / tests, could help their academic performance – and will certainly help avoid the health perils of a sedentary lifestyle. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Worried About Screen Time? So Are Your Kids

To Your Health
December, 2017 (Vol. 11, Issue 12)

Worried About Screen Time? So Are Your Kids

By Editorial Staff

The Digital Age has brought with it costs and benefits, with one of the greatest costs, at least if you ask many parents, being the amount of time their children are immersed in potentially dangerous, distracting, mind-numbing “screen time” via cellphones, laptops, tablets and all other manner of electronic devices. But don’t think you’re the only ones worried about your kids’ screen time. So are they – well, sort of. Here’s another reason to limit your children’s time and some great suggestions on how to do it.

No parent wants their child to experience anxiety, much less depression, but it can happen for various reasons. Peer pressure, home / school demands and other factors can all come into play. So why would anyone want to add “screen time” to the mix when research suggests it also may contribute to anxiety and depression?

Researchers recently investigated the potential connection between exposure to digital media – television, video games, computers, tablets, smartphones, and other devices – and anxiety / depression in children and adolescents. Here’s what some of the current research suggests, according to the researchers’ review, published in the peer-reviewed research journal Pediatrics last month:

“Anxiety resulting from lack of emotion-regulation skills because of substituted digital media use”
“Social anxiety and depression from lack of social interaction because of substituted digital media use”
“Anxiety because of worries about being inadequately connected”
“Anxiety, depression, and suicide as the result of cyberbullying and other media use behaviors”

So, what can you do about it? Limiting your child’s digital media use seems like the easy answer, but it’s not necessarily that simple. After all, as the researchers suggest, removing digital media, particularly for communication purposes (texting, emailing, etc.) can increase your child’s anxiety and depression because they feel they’re helpless to connect with their friends / communicate with “their world.” Here are a few suggestions the researchers provide to create a healthy balance of digital media use in your home:

Develop household rules about digital media use and media use in general.
Help teach children about appropriate vs. inappropriate content using ratings, reviews, plot descriptions, etc.
Screen material before allowing your child to access it, and block sites / use content filters according to age.
Look for high levels of anxiety, sleep problems, behavioral problems and other symptoms that could be related to digital media use.

Finally, keep in mind that in moderation, digital media has benefits for your children, particularly with so many apps and websites at your fingertips to teach, motivate and inspire your child to learn. Talk to your doctor for more information about the pros and cons of digital media and how to make it a healthy part of your household.

Why Every Day Should Be Bring-Your-Chiropractor-to-Work Day

Why Every Day Should Be Bring-Your-Chiropractor-to-Work Day

By Editorial Staff

You’re at home on a Wednesday for all the wrong reasons. Rather than enjoying a midweek vacation day, your painful back is confining you to the bed or couch, with just about every movement eliciting pain. What if you could be back at work and out of pain – working hard to get ahead so you could truly enjoy your time off when you choose to take it, not when your bad back makes you take it?

If your workplace offered chiropractic care, both of the above scenarios might become reality. That’s because workers who are offered chiropractic care for as little as one day a week in the workplace have lower rates of absenteeism than national averages, regardless of the reason.

In a recent study, a company offered in-office chiropractic services (generally described as “wellness care” – everything from spinal adjustments to stretching, laser therapy, advice on nutrition / exercise, ice vs. heat for strain / sprain injuries, etc., and all within the chiropractor’s scope of practice ) to its employees one day a week for three years. Almost all employees took advantage of the services during the course of the study period. Absenteeism rates over the three-year period were 0.72%, 0.55% and 0.67% for company workers; lower than Labor Force Statistics over the same three-year period (1.5%, 1.2% and 1.1%).

Does your company offer chiropractic? If it does, hopefully you’re enjoying the benefits. If not, what are you waiting for? And if your company isn’t on board, why not broach the topic? As this study suggests, providing chiropractic care at the workplace has benefits for both employees and the employer – a real win-win for everyone involved.

A Sugar-Cancer Connection?

A Sugar-Cancer Connection?

By Editorial Staff

Could the dreaded “C” word – cancer – one day be paired with an even more dreaded word that’s the cause of the first: the “S” word? We’re talking about sugar and too many of us are essentially addicted to it, putting our health at risk courtesy of tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes … and yes, perhaps even cancer. While the sugar-cancer connection is still considered a “myth” in many scientific circles, evolving research may eventually change that perception.

Here’s where sugar and cancer may intertwine: Scientists have long known that the rapid production of cancer cells occurs as the cells take glucose and ferment it, producing lactic acid. Normal, healthy cells rely on respiration, rather than fermentation, taking glucose and turning it into carbon dioxide and H2O. Now, researchers have identified that as sugar is broken down within cells, an intermediate compound produced during the process activates a specific protein that can mutate into a cancerous gene.

The researchers used yeast cells for their experiment, since yeast cells, like cancer cells, also rely on fermentation, not respiration. According to the researchers, this cycle also may explain why cancer cells multiply at a rapid rate. Results of their study were published in the journal Nature Communications, and of course, follow-up research utilizing human cancer cells is required to substantiate the findings.

While the researchers are quick to dispel the notion that sugar directly causes or spreads cancer, they do emphasize that healthy cells handle sugar in a controlled fashion, while cancerous cells may not; and that excess sugar intake certainly can lead to obesity, which is a known risk factor for numerous types of cancer.

If nothing else, it may mean cancer patients should be wary of sugar intake to avoid proliferation of cancer cells, since all cells use glucose. The more glucose (sugar), the more energy for cells – normal and cancerous – to utilize. And because cancer cells tend to grow rapidly, they require more energy to do so. More sugar = more energy. What’s more, high sugar intake (specifically added sugars) generally means you’re not eating a nutritious diet; which means you’re not getting the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. It also means you may be overweight / obese, which as mentioned, is a major contributor to cancer.

While we wait for research on cancer cells to verify the sugar-cancer connection, one thing is clear: Too much sugar is a bad thing! Talk to your doctor for more information.

Time for Chiropractic

Time for Chiropractic

By Editorial Staff

It’s a great time to visit your chiropractor, and a recent Gallup survey makes it clear: pain is a major issue for many people, and overwhelmingly, they would rather try nondrug pain-relief therapies such as chiropractic care versus pain-relieving medications. Well, they’re in luck, because chiropractic offers the answer.

According to the 2017 Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic Annual Study of Americans, pain is an ongoing issue for many Americans, particularly neck and back pain (two conditions commonly treated by chiropractors): “About one in four adults in the U.S. (27%) have seen a healthcare professional for significant neck or back pain in the last 12 months. More than half of those adults (54%) have had an ongoing problem with neck or back pain for five years or more.”

But medication is not the preferred option, particularly in light of the opioid epidemic: Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) of Americans “prefer to try other ways to address their physical pain before they take pain medication prescribed by a doctor.” And yet pain medications are still widely used: “Among those who have had ongoing neck or back pain for less than 12 months, seven in 10 have taken a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as Advil®, aspirin or Aleve®, to manage the pain, and 45% have taken acetaminophen, such as Tylenol.®”

So, let’s sum up: Americans are in pain, don’t want to take prescription pain medication, but often take over-the-counter pain medication. Sounds like it’s time for chiropractic instead, especially in light of the fact that according to the survey, Americans perceive chiropractic as safer than both prescription and OTC medication and back surgery for neck/back pain.

Don’t risk the potential side effects of pain medication – drugs that only temporarily relieve the symptom (pain) – when your chiropractor can relieve your pain without drugs while addressing the root cause of your problem. It’s time for chiropractic.

Spending a Painful Day Off

To Your Health
October, 2014 (Vol. 08, Issue 10)

Spending a Painful Day Off

By Editorial Staff

We all have our “story” when we don’t show up at work on any given day; some more valid than others. After all, “My car broke down” or “I had to take my daughter to urgent care” generally come off much better than “I slept in and missed the bus” or “I lost my car keys.” Now here’s a truly valid reason for work absenteeism, and unfortunately, it’s becoming more prevalent throughout the U.S.: chronic pain.

According to a recent study published in the peer-reviewed research journal Spine, workers suffering from chronic pain are more likely be absent from work – and more likely to stay absent – compared to workers not suffering from chronic pain. In fact, among a study population of more than 8,000 workers, chronic pain sufferers were significantly more likely to be absent from work one or more days: 20 percent more likely if suffering from neck pain, and 22 percent more likely if suffering from low back pain or headache pain (migraines), respectively.

The good news is there are natural solutions to all three of these common conditions, starting with chiropractic care, and research supports it. Talk to your chiropractor if you’re suffering from pain, whether acute or chronic, before it gets so bad that you have to miss work. After all, you deserve to save your personal leave time for a well-deserved vacation, not to endure chronic pain.

Poor Sleep Leads to Chronic Pain

Poor Sleep Leads to Chronic Pain

By Editorial Staff

Not getting enough sleep – or not enough quality sleep that leaves you refreshed and ready to take on the day, rather than fatigued, irritable and ready to crawl right back into bed? A major health issue could be in your future: chronic pain. In fact, your odds of suffering chronic pain due to poor quality and/or quantity of sleep may increase by a factor of two or three compared to people who experience better sleep.

A large multi-national review of 16 studies spanning 10 countries and involving 61,000 participants arrived at this disturbing conclusion, with the lead study author even declaring that the impact of sleep on pain may be more significant than the impact of pain on sleep – often regarded as a major contributor to poor sleep.

And that wasn’t the only finding: Poor sleep also was associated with impaired responses to bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances, poor physical functioning, increased inflammation, higher cortisol levels, and other markers of pain, fatigue and overall compromised health.

Chronic pain isn’t something to mess with, but you don’t have to, thanks to your doctor of chiropractic. Discuss any pain you’re experiencing and don’t forget to mention any sleep issues. Whether poor sleep is causing your pain, or pain is causing poor sleep, your chiropractor can help determine the cause and correct it. Now that’s called a win-win.

School’s in Session – And So Is Back Pain

School’s in Session – And So Is Back Pain

By Editorial Staff

Another school year means … back pain? Yes, it’s true: Your kids are at risk for back pain during the school year. Here are a few of the primary reasons why they’re at risk and what you can do to help prevent it:

Problem #1: Backpack (Mis)use

Backpacks are a significant cause of back pain in children for several reasons. First, the average backpack is loaded with binders, books, lunch and all sorts of miscellaneous items. Add that up and strap it to your child’s back, and you’ve got a significant negative force – sometimes 25-30 percent or more of the child’s actual weight. Struggling to shoulder that heavy a load on a daily basis can lead to postural compensations (leaning forward, leaning back, etc.) and other issues that can lead to back pain.

What You Can Do: The American Chiropractic Association suggests backpack weight be no more than 5-10 percent of a child’s bodyweight. Weigh your child’s fully loaded backpack; if it’s above 15 percent, talk to them about how to reduce the weight. Does every textbook need to be brought to / from school every day? Are online versions available? Can copies be purchased / rented? Is a rolling backpack a better option?

Problem #2: Sitting Around

After 2-3 months of blissful leisure, kids return to the classroom essentially full time. Instead of running around outside all day, they’re confined to desks from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., depending on their age. Now consider the average school desk for a moment – not exactly a massage chair. More likely hard plastic or wood, with no real options for adjusting height or anything else. No wonder a recent study found nearly six in 10 schoolchildren ages 12-15 reported back pain in the previous year, with “remaining seated at school” a primary cause.

What You Can Do: Obviously you can’t do much about your child’s desk size / height at school, but you can certainly do something about it at home, which is where kids progressively spend more and more time doing homework and studying. Make sure your child’s desk is appropriate for their size in terms of height, space for their legs / thighs under the desk, and room to “operate” on the top of the desk. If they have a computer, make sure the keyboard is positioned correctly so their shoulders don’t slump / roll forward when typing. Also ensure that they aren’t bending their neck up or down to look at the monitor. Finally, select a comfortable desk chair that can be adjusted, provides good support for their entire spine, and helps meet the above requirements regarding monitor and keyboard positioning.

Problem #3: Stress Levels

It’s said summers are stress free, and your kids deserve it after a long, productive school year. But then school starts up again, which can increase the entire family’s stress levels exponentially. As adults, we’re much better (with exceptions) at handling stress than kids are, which means the school year can create significant angst for children. And what’s a major contributor to back pain: stress!

What You Can Do: As parents, we can teach our children stress-reduction techniques and put them into practice throughout the school year. Adequate sleep is a must, as is a balanced diet. Scheduling their day, including homework and free time, is key to both keep kids on track with their schoolwork and also let them enjoy some moments of respite during what can be a hectic day. Encouraging them to communicate with you openly and honestly during times of stress builds the parent-child bond, and in terms of stress, it lets them release their frustrations, rather than keeping things bottled up. And the most important stress-reduction tip: Don’t sweat the small stuff! If they’re done with their homework for the day, let them enjoy their electronic devices / TV for awhile. It won’t destroy them … not like stress can.

Don’t let back pain limit your child’s potential. Talk to your chiropractor about these and other causes of back pain, and how you can limit your child’s risk. After all, don’t all children deserve a pain-free school year (and every day in between)?

Knee Osteoarthritis: Steroid Injections Aren’t the Answer

Knee Osteoarthritis: Steroid Injections Aren’t the Answer

By Editorial Staff

Knee osteoarthritis can be painful and limit your activities, but corticosteroid injections aren’t the answer, according to new research published in the May 16, 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In the study, quarterly steroid injections actually increased cartilage loss over a two-year period without providing any benefit. That’s a loss-loss situation if you ask us.

Patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis with synovitis were divided into two groups, with one group receiving the corticosteroid injections every 12 weeks for two years and a second group receiving a placebo (saline injections) at the same frequency and over the same time frame. Patients in the steroid group lost an average of 0.21 mm in cartilage thickness over the two-year period compared with only 0.10 mm, on average, in patients not receiving corticosteroids.

What’s more, patients receiving steroid injections scored only 1.2 points lower on a 0-20 pain scale (0 = no pain, 20 = extreme pain), while patients not receiving steroid treatment scored 1.9 points lower following the intervention period. In other words, patients who received no steroids reported less pain at three-month follow-ups than patients who received steroids!

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the world, which makes finding effective treatment options paramount. Unfortunately (and as we’ve said repeatedly with other scenarios), drugs – in this case, injections – may not be the answer. If you suffer from osteoarthritis, talk to your doctor about non-drug alternatives to manage your pain and reduce other symptoms.