June 2020 Health Newsletter

Looking to increase athletic performance and possibly your vertical jump height? Give an adjustment a try! A small blinded trial was conducted recently in young female athletes who were suffering from ankle joint dysfunction to see if an adjustment to the joint could affect their vertical jump height. The ankle joint, more technically referred to as the talocrural joint, is the joint formed from the ends of the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) and the top bone of the ankle, the talus. Half of the female athletes with ankle joint dysfunction received an adjustment to their ankle joint once a week for three weeks while the other half received a sham treatment once a week for three weeks. On average, those receiving the adjustment to their ankle joint saw an average 0.47 cm increase in their vertical jump as compared with the sham group. It’s important to recognize that adjustments provided by doctors of chiropractic can be delivered to and benefit more than just the joints of the spine. If you or someone you know is suffering from pain or dysfunction, or is simply looking to enhance their physical performance and overall health, give your local chiropractor a call today!

Sugary sodas may feel like the perfect thirst quencher, but prolonged soda consumption can actually have serious consequences in the long run. Over time, studies have shown increasing links between soda consumption and the risk for high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and even heart problems. In fact, one Swedish study observed the soda consumption of 42,000 men over the course of 12 years. There were roughly 3,600 new cases of heart failure during the 12-year long study, and it concluded that men who regularly drank two or more servings of soda per day had a 23% greater risk of experiencing heart failure in their lifetime.  Women are strongly advised to ditch the soda as well. Long-term soda consumption in women has been strongly linked to a rise in insulin problems, high blood pressure, obesity, and type-2 diabetes, all of which are triggers for major heart problems. Heart failure occurs when the heart does not have the strength to pump enough oxygen and blood. 23 million people across the globe already deal with heart failure, and it will only continue to worsen with the regular consumption of processed foods, sodium, and sugary beverages like soda.