September 2012 Health Newsletter

Baum Chiropractic Newsletter

A recent Norway study indicates that in both men and women obesity is strongly associated with chronic low back pain. The increased weight of being obese wreaks havoc on the spinal tissues that are placed under constant and increased stress due to the additional weight. Fortunately, most obesity is treatable and with loss of the additional weight, many experience significant improvements in their back pain complaints, not to mention the improvement or reversal of many other related health conditions. Fortunately, chiropractic care can still help before the additional weight comes off, or, if the additional weight cannot be lost. Chiropractors not only provide relief for many experiencing back pain due to obesity, but some additionally offer treatment programs directed at weight loss and strategies to improve one’s overall health. If you’ve got extra pounds to lose and are suffering from back problems, you deserve an opportunity to try chiropractic care!

Pregnancy is a time of rapid physiological changes with the most dramatic being physical. Those physical changes are often associated with pain and discomfort. For those expecting mothers who do experience pain and discomfort, the primary location is in the region of the lower back, pelvic girdle and legs. A recent study conducted by the Spain National Health Service indicated that more than half of pregnant women experience low back pain (71%) and pelvic girdle pain (65%), and close to half (46%) experience leg pain. Results came from 61 clinicians across 5 regions in Spain consisting of 1158 pregnant women in their 31st through 38th week of pregnancy. Chiropractors have thorough training to assist with the physical pain and discomfort often associated with pregnancy. There are a number of chiropractic techniques as well as exercise and stretching regimes that can be utilized to help reduce the pain and discomfort of pregnancy and keep the future mom on track for the big day. If you're an expecting mother experiencing those pregnancy related pains and discomfort, why not consider safe, natural chiropractic care.

In a finding that should come as a surprise to no one, a new U.S. study concluded that physically fit 50 year olds suffered less from chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and colon cancer, as they aged. The study of over 18,600 men and women, linked treadmill tests, done at the age of 50 and meant to establish cardiovascular health, to an additional 26 years of Medicare claims. Men in the lowest fifth of fitness scores in the initial evaluation experienced a rate of chronic disease of 28 percent per year. In contrast, the the rate of the top fifth was 16 percent per year. In women, the rates were 20 percent and 11 percent. Currently, national guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week. While the findings do not prove that exercise cuts the risk of chronic disease, it does appear that it makes a difference as we age. However, researchers added that the study did not take into account genetic and environmental factors which may affect the chronic disease rates.

A team of researchers from Stanford University recently concluded that organic produce and meat isn't any better for you than non-organic food when it comes to vitamin and nutrient content. The study compiled over 200 other studies that compared the health of people eating organic versus conventional foods, along with the nutrient and contaminant levels of the foods themselves. The researchers found there was no difference in the amount of vitamins in the plant and animal products, and only a slight difference in the nutrient values. To be considered "organic", U. S. Department of Agriculture guidelines require that farms avoid the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics and that livestock have access to pastures while grazing. Unsurprisingly, the researchers noted that the organic foods generally reduced exposure to pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the studies, more than a third of the conventional produce had detectable pesticide residues, compared to just seven percent of the organic samples. Conventional pork and chicken were 33 percent more likely to carry antibiotic resistant bacteria than their organic counterparts. However, because both the organic and non-organic samples fell well within acceptable pesticide residue levels as set by the USDA, the Stanford team added that more research is needed to explore the benefits of organic foods before drawing any further conclusions of it's effects on human health.

A study of 78 families with children diagnosed with autism found that the age of the father when the child was conceived was key to the risk of the disorders developing. Autism spectrum disorders can range from the relatively mild social engagement difficulties seen in people with Asperger's syndrome, to severe mental retardation with a profound inability to communicate. Currently in the United States an estimated 1 in 88 children have autism. The study, led by researchers in Iceland and recently published in Nature found that, as men age, the number of hereditary mutations in their sperm increased. These mutations proportionally increased the chance their offspring would develop autism or schizophrenia. It is estimated that an average of two new gene mutations occurred for every year in the father's age past puberty; meaning the chance for new mutations being passed on to offspring doubled every 16.5 years from puberty on. The Icelandic study's findings also supported three recent American studies which found that fathers were four times more likely to pass on these mutations than mothers. The average age of Icelandic fathers in the study was 33 years. But, the researchers pointed out that because there are so many factors that contribute to the health of offspring, it is not possible to say at what age this could be a concern to an expectant father.