August 2011 Health Newsletter

A percentage of individuals who undergo spinal surgery can experience mild to debilitating postsurgical spinal pain. This is one of several potential side effects of undergoing the knife. Researchers recently set out to evaluate the success of chiropractic care in managing postsurgical spinal pain in patients. In a retrospective study, researchers reviewed 32 cases of chiropractic care delivered to patients suffering from postsurgical lumbar spine pain. To be included, patients must have been treated with chiropractic care for a minimum of 2 weeks and undergone pre and post-treatment pain measurement evaluations to determine the overall change in their pain levels. Findings indicated the mean pain score was lowered from 6.4 to 2.3 out of 10 after their course of chiropractic care. According to the researchers, the reduction in pain was most remarkable in patients who underwent a surgery that combined lumbar discectomy, fusion, and/or laminectomy, with an average pain reduction of 5.7 of 10. Importantly, no adverse events were reported for any of these postsurgical patients who received chiropractic care. If you've had spinal surgery and are now suffering from postsurgical pain or are considering surgery, why not call your local doctor of chiropractic today. Your skilled evaluation will be safe, informative and there's no obligation.

If you're a parent of a child or teen, you or your spouse are likely the ones responsible packing your kid's lunches and placing them in a lunchbox or paper bag. New research from Texas indicates in a testing of more than 700 preschoolers' lunch packs, less than 2 percent of those temperature critical foods (meats, dairy and vegetables) were within a safe temperature zone. This, despite the fact that 45 percent of the packed lunches included an ice pack. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends perishable foods be kept cool and that any perishable foods that have reached 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for 2 or more hours not be consumed. After all, the latest stats from the CDC indicate that one in six Americans get food poisoning each year. Experts recommend including several ice packs with packed lunches and having perishables placed into a fridge once kids arrive at school to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Obesity rates have been on the rise with current numbers indicating roughly 2 out of 3 adults and 1 out of 3 children are either overweight or obese. It's hugely concerning as obesity is directly responsible for many detrimental health conditions and in turn has devastating effects on healthcare costs. One of the known culprits for the increase in obesity rates is the increased consumption of sugary drinks such as soda. It's estimated that the average American consumes 56 gallons of sodas each year. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), American adults are consuming 22 teaspoons of sugar daily. For teens, the number shoots up to 34 teaspoons daily. Much of this sugar comes from soft drinks and candy. The AHA suggests adults should be eating no more than 6-9 teaspoons of added sugar daily. Clearly, there's a large discrepancy. New U.S. dietary guidelines now recommend drinking water instead of sugary drinks like soda. A number of public awareness campaigns have been launched by local governments and health departments in order to educate the people about the negative effects of sugary drinks and fatty foods. So what do the large soda makers such as Coca Cola and Pepsi think about these efforts to educate the population and battle obesity? Similar to the past tactics of big tobacco, they're not going to sit idly by and watch our hired officials attempt to keep us healthy. They have increased their lobbying costs from $8 million in 2007 and 2008 to $60 million in 2009 and 2010. They've also targeted and attempted to cripple local governments by either issuing legal document requests or initiating lawsuits. In early July, the American Beverage Association (ABA) sued New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for their efforts in reducing local obesity rates. According to experts, these tactics come directly from the tobacco industry's playbook. So next time you crack that cool refreshing soda, aside from remembering the negative health effects such as an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, just remember you're also likely supporting a company that feel it's appropriate to pursue our local health agencies for doing the job we hired them to do - to keep us all healthy.

American Chiropractic Association Launches 2011 Public Health Awareness Campaign The world is getting smaller thanks to modern technology; but unfortunately, aches and pains are growing as a result. This fall, doctors of chiropractic (DCs) will educate the public on how they can stay connected without pain during National Chiropractic Health Month in October. This year’s theme—"Get TechnoHealthy!"—focuses on ways people can remain healthy while toting the gadgets they love or working long hours in front of a computer. The excessive use of mobile devices and incorrect posture while using smart phones and other gadgets or while sitting in front of a computer can lead to neck, back, wrist and even thumb pain, in addition to other musculoskeletal issues. The problem is becoming so widespread that earlier this year a spokesperson for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that musculoskeletal injuries remain one of the biggest workplace health and safety problems in American industry. "People will be delighted to learn that they can enjoy technology without experiencing pain," says Dr. Rick McMichael, president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). "Our bodies are made to move—not to maintain the same stooped-over posture for long periods of time or to repeat the same motions endlessly. The good news is that there are stretches and exercises that can help prevent pain and injury. There are also natural approaches to treating aches and pain, such as chiropractic care, that don’t involve drugs or surgery."

Experts in treating musculoskeletal conditions, DCs can offer patients a number of strategies to lessen the toll of technology on their bodies. Among them:

• When using devices such as smart phones and BlackBerries that have small keyboards, avoid typing for more than three minutes without a break.
• Keep messages short and simple; abbreviate.
• Practice using other fingers for typing, especially when thumbs hurt.
• Don’t slouch when texting.
• Keep wrists upright, straight and close to the body when holding a device.
• Don’t bend your neck excessively when texting; tuck your chin in instead and look down.
• Turn your devices off on the weekends (or at least Sunday)!
• Get outside, exercise and enjoy nature, too! Balance is key to staying healthy.
  

For more tips on proper use of technology and good health, visit www.TechnoHealthy.com.

Sponsored by ACA, National Chiropractic Health Month is a nationwide observance held each October. The event helps raise public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic care and its natural, whole-person, patient-centered approach to health and wellness.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of patient care and ethics, and supports research, legislation, insurance reforms, and public awareness activities that contribute to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients. Visit www.acatoday.org.