August 2006 Health Newsletter

Back Pain – Who Doesn’t Have It!

A recent study from Europe indicates the rates of back and neck pain continue to soar and exist as a worldwide problem for all societies. According to their findings from studying 600 males aged 35 to 70 years old, the one-year prevalence of back and neck pain was as follows: 17 percent for mid-back pain, 64 percent for neck pain and 67 percent for lower back pain. In terms of severity of pain, the most severe and disabling tended to be those suffering from bouts of lower back pain followed by mid-back pain and neck pain. Fortunately, your local chiropractor is willing, able and professionally trained to help!

Author: ChiroPlanet.com
Source: Spine. 31(16):1846-1849, July 15, 2006.
Copyright: ChiroPlanet.com 2006

Fight Prostate Cancer With Omega-3 Fatty Acids

A new study on animals will promote further studies that may help those men suffering from prostate cancer. According to findings from this new study, increased amounts of omega-3 fatty acids can slow the progression of prostate cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids are largely found in cold-water fish that are, unfortunately, not abundant in the diets of most North Americans. North Americans do tend to have very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids that are present in large quantities in corn and other vegetable based oils. Unfortunately, omega-6 fatty acids do not share those health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. According to researchers, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the Western diet is around 15 to 1. Through dietary changes and omega-3 supplementation, researchers suggested getting the ratio around 2 to 1 or even lower. Higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids help to fight inflammation that in turn can slow tumor growth and progression as well as promote the healing of injured tissues.

Author: ChiroPlanet.com
Source: Clinical Cancer Research, August 1 2006.
Copyright: ChiroPlanet.com 2006

The Long-Term Effects of Teen Athletics

New research reveals males who were involved with athletics in their later teens had bone-building advantages later in life, regardless of future training. Weight training as well as weight-bearing aerobic training helps to increase bone mineral density or BMD. The more dense the bone, the less likely there will be a fracture. Thus, those with higher BMDs, especially in the pelvic region – where many osteoporotic fractures occur in the aging – have a lesser likelihood of fall-related fractures. Bone fractures due to falling are all too common in the elderly and, due to the lack of mobility that followings, often result in serious to terminal health conditions such as pneumonia. According to researchers of this study, even those active male athletes who stopped training later in life would likely reduce their future fracture risk by 50 percent.

Author: ChiroPlanet.com
Source: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, July 2006.
Copyright: ChiroPlanet.com 2006

Exercise Improves Quality of Life In Breast Cancer Survivors

Some of the serious side effects experienced by female breast cancer survivors is a subsequent decrease in quality of life as well as an overall lingering fatigue. Past research has found that cancer survivors are able to successfully counteract these symptoms through participation in aerobic-type activity including walking, jogging and involvement in other cardiorespiratory activities. A new study now finds strength-building resistance weight training similarly shares these same beneficial outcomes. In the study, one group of breast cancer survivors participated in three 90-minute exercise sessions per week consisting of resistance exercises for the body. Another group of breast cancer survivors simply continued on with their lives as usual. Women involved with resistance training showed significant improvements in quality of life as well as a decrease in fatigue. Those women continuing on with life as usual showed no improvements whatsoever.

Author: ChiroPlanet.com
Source: International Journal of Sports Medicine, July 2006.
Copyright: ChiroPlanet.com 2006