Healthy Life Newsletter, February 2024
A Note from Dr. Mha Atma
I sometimes tell patients that truly healing your back or neck pain is something like baking a cake: You need all the ingredients in the recipe, and if you leave one out the cake won’t come out very well. The recipe for healing pain usually includes appropriate exercise, an anti-inflammatory diet, and good chiropractic care. Other ingredients that may be essential include getting adequate sleep, good posture (including a supportive chair and mattress) and managing stress well.
Elaborating on that last point is an eye-opening article in this week’s Los Angeles Times titled “That pain in your back? It’s really a pain in your brain.” It talks about a recent study published in The Journal of Pain which assessed 222 consecutive back and neck pain patients at an orthopedic clinic and found that only 12% had structural problems, concluding that the others had “primary pain” which means symptoms stemming from neural circuits in the brain and not from actual tissue damage in the body. (As a chiropractor, I would guess that many of those patients had spinal joint dysfunction, which does not show up on any x-rays, MRIs, or standard orthopedic tests, and would have improved with chiropractic care. But that does not negate the idea and importance of “primary pain.”)
A recent and very important book that I happened to just finish reading deals with the same concept, and calls this phenomenon “neuroplastic pain,” which other researchers can identify with functional magnetic imaging (FMRI) studies. This pain feels just as real as physical injury, but needs to be dealt with differently. In the book, titled The Way Out, the author illustrates how treatment with a combination of mindfulness and something akin to cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to result in dramatic improvements in chronic pain of all sorts. So the recipe for healing back and neck pain must include dealing with the stress in the brain that seems to also contribute to pain, and we need to include that with the other ingredients I listed above.
You can read the L.A. Times article at latimes.com The Way Out is available at our office or through many online booksellers.
Sleep Affects Your Gut
With increasing research suggesting the gut microbiome exerts considerable influence over our health, and research also connecting the dots between sleep wellness and health, it’s no surprise that the two may also be related. That’s according to a new study that links irregular sleep patterns to higher levels of harmful GI bacteria.
In coming to their conclusion, researchers compared blood, stool and gut microbiome samples among two groups of adults: those with a routine (regular) sleep schedule vs. those with irregular sleep habits – the latter of which the research team termed “social jet lag” – sleep pattern changes between workdays and off days.
Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, findings revealed that a mere 90-minute difference in sleep midpoint (the halfway point between sleep vs. wake-up time) was associated with differences in the composition of the gut microbiome; specifically, more abundant “unhealthy” gut bacteria.
The takeaway: Your gut health and your sleep patterns are related! As such, it’s important to prioritize both, starting with establishing a regular sleep pattern whenever possible. Talk to your doctor for more information, particularly if you can’t seem to get a good night’s sleep on a consistent basis.
5 Common Causes of Neck Pain (and How Chiropractic Can Help)
Neck pain can be acute (short term) or chronic (recurring or persisting for months and even years), but regardless, when you’re in pain, relief is the first thing on your mind. Just as important as relief, of course, is finding the cause and ensuring you avoid the behavior / action that brought the pain on in the first place.
Here are five common causes of neck pain – and why doctors of chiropractic are well-suited to relieve the pain and determine the underlying cause.
1. Poor Posture: Leaning over a desk all day or slouching in your office chair? You’re bound to develop neck pain eventually, if you haven’t already. Do this quick test: In an upright or seated position, round your shoulders and back (poor posture). Does it impact your neck as well? Exactly!
2. Monitor Madness: Staring at the computer screen for hours at a time? That’s not good for your health (or sanity), but from a neck pain perspective, it’s madness, particularly if the screen height forces you to crane your neck up (too high) or extend it down (too low).
3. Sleep Issues: Ideally, we spend a third of our day sleeping, so your sleep habits – for better or worse – can have a dramatic effect on your health. With regard to neck pain, anytime you sleep in an uncomfortable position, particularly one that stresses your neck musculature (think about side-sleeping while grabbing your pillow tightly, sleeping on your stomach with your arms out in front of you, or even sleeping on your back, but with a pillow that doesn’t adequately support your neck), you risk neck pain.
4. Technology Overload: We may spend a third of our day sleeping, but we increasingly spend the other 16 hours typing, texting, tapping and otherwise interacting with our smartphones, tablets, etc. Bottom line: bad for your neck. One doctor has even coined the phrase, “text neck,” to describe the neck pain that can result from this constant technology interaction.
5. The Wrong Movement: Twisting, turning, stretching and stressing your neck is an easy way to cause neck pain. While the muscles in the neck are strong, they can be strained, sprained and even torn, just like any other muscle.
It’s important to note that beyond these common causes, various other health issues can also contribute to or directly cause neck pain, including fibromyalgia, cervical arthritis or spondylosis (essentially spinal arthritis), spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), infection of the spine, and even cancer. The good news is that a doctor of chiropractic can help identify which of these or the above causes is to blame.
When neck pain strikes, most people turn to a temporary solution first: pain-relieving medication. But that’s not a permanent solution, of course, and it doesn’t address the cause of the pain at all, which could be something relatively minor – or more serious. What’s more, research suggests chiropractic spinal manipulation is actually more effective than over-the-counter and prescription medication for relieving both acute and subacute neck pain.
Suffering from neck pain? Then give your doctor of chiropractic a call. They’ll help you relieve your pain and determine the cause so it doesn’t return.
The Dementia Triggers
Early-onset dementia is defined as the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or other manifestation of dementia in someone younger than age 65. (Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.) Understanding the dementia triggers that can elevate your risk of developing dementia at a younger age is the key to prevention. Here’s what you can control when it comes to avoiding dementia at a younger (or any) age.
Among 350,000 plus adults involved in a study on dementia risk factors, with results published in JAMA Neurology, risk factors for early-onset dementia included the following: vitamin D deficiency, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high C-reactive protein levels, social isolation and depression. All of the above are generally considered modifiable in some respect because you can change your diet, exercise more, improve your social patterns, and get treatment for depression.
If you know someone who suffers from dementia, you know you never want to experience it yourself. It is not a normal part of aging, but it can make healthy aging a challenge, rather than a joy. Reducing your dementia triggers – the risk factors that can lead to dementia – is within your power. Make dementia prevention a priority – no matter your age.
Magnesium Has Similar Effect on Cholesterol as Statin Drugs
Magnesium supplementation has some of the same effects on cholesterol as statin drugs, as highlighted by a paper by Andrea Rosanoff and Mildred Seelig that compares the mechanisms and effects of magnesium and statin drugs.
Statins work by blocking an enzyme (HMG CoA Reductase) that your body uses to make cholesterol. Similarly, when there is sufficient magnesium in the body, it works to inactivate this same enzyme though natural control mechanisms. Magnesium is also necessary for another enzyme (LCAT) which lowers LDL and triglyceride levels and raises HDL levels. Further, magnesium activates other enzymes involved in lipid production, such as the conversion of omega-3 and omega-6 into prostaglandins which are important for cardiovascular and general health.
Additionally, both statin drugs and magnesium prevent clotting and atherosclerotic plaques and reduce inflammation. While statins can raise liver enzymes and cause myopathy, a muscle disease resulting in muscular weakness, and cause other side effects, magnesium can protect against myopathy and only has mild gastrointestinal side effects for some. The cost difference is also a differing factor, with statin drugs costing at least $100/month (but may be covered by insurance) compared to magnesium supplements which are less than $20/month.
While statin drugs lower LDL levels more sharply than magnesium, magnesium works through the same pathway to lower LDL levels and more reliably lowers triglycerides and raises HDL, which are also associated with cardiovascular disease. Further, magnesium has similar effects on clotting, plaque formation, and inflammation without the adverse effects and cost associated with statin drugs.
Magnesium also facilitates the utilization of vitamin D (which is also associated with cholesterol reduction), is a natural muscle relaxant, and reduces depression and anxiety, along with other beneficial side effects (including lower blood pressure and improving blood sugar control).
Three Reasons to Choose Chiropractic
When you’re suffering low back pain, shoulder pain or any number of similar musculoskeletal conditions, who gets the call: your medical doctor or your doctor of chiropractic? Your choice of health care provider in those situations could make a big difference, and research is continuing to prove it.
According to the latest study, chiropractic care is at least as effective as medical care for certain musculoskeletal conditions, while reducing health care costs and leaving patients more satisfied with the results.
The authors of the study, published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), went so far as to state that for certain musculoskeletal conditions, visiting an MD first instead of a DC may actually be a mistake:
“The findings of this study support first-contact care provided by DCs as an alternative to first-contact care provided by MDs for a select number of musculoskeletal conditions. Restrictive models of care in which patients are required to contact a medical provider before consulting a chiropractic provider may be counterproductive for patients experiencing the musculoskeletal conditions investigated and possibly others.”
The study sample included 403 patients who saw medical doctors and 316 patients who saw doctors of chiropractic as the initial health care providers for their spinal, hip or shoulder pain complaint. Four months following care, all patients completed a questionnaire that evaluated pain on that day and four months earlier (11-point scale); satisfaction with care received and the results of that care (5-point scale from “very satisfied” to “very unsatisfied”); and other variables. The researchers evaluated related costs of care by reviewing an insurance claims database.
“Patients initially consulting MDs had significantly less reduction in their numerical pain rating score and were significantly less likely to be satisfied with the care received and the outcome of care.” What’s more average per-patient costs over the four-month period were significantly lower in patients who initially consulted DCs ($368 difference compared to MD care).
JMPT Editor-in-Chief Claire Johnson, DC, MEd, emphasized the importance of the latest findings: “Comparative studies – in other words, research that compares the outcomes between two different providers or modalities – are rare for chiropractic care,” she said. “Thus, this study … is especially important if payers and policy-makers are to better understand the ‘triple aim’ as it relates to chiropractic. Specifically, this study helps us better understand what type of care provides better patient satisfaction, is more cost effective, and improves population health.”
The answer, suggests an increasing body of research, is chiropractic care.
Two More Research Tidbits/two More Reasons to Choose Chiropractic
Avoid Surgery with Chiropractic
Low back pain is common, but how it’s treated varies considerably. Unfortunately, too many people skip chiropractic when they could be enjoying the proven benefits – and avoiding the risks associated with pain medication; or even worse, back surgery.
The authors of a new study hypothesized that adult patients with newly diagnosed lumbar disc herniation or lumbosacral radiculopathy (both of which are common causes of low back pain) who received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (CSMT) would be less likely to ultimately undergo lumbar discectomy (a surgical procedure) compared to similarly diagnosed adults receiving non-chiropractic care.
The study found that that “Patients receiving CSMT were significantly less likely to undergo discectomy at both one- and two-year follow-up compared with patients receiving other care.”
Source: BMJ Open
“42 Times Safer With Chiropractic”
“What’s one of many important reasons to visit your doctor of chiropractic instead of a medical doctor if you’re suffering from back pain? It’s a whopping 42 times safer. Here’s why: A new study compared the safety of seniors (65-84 years old) using spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) with those using opioid analgesic therapy (OAT) for chronic low back pain (cLBP). In reviewing five years of data, the study authors found that ‘the adjusted rate of ADE [adverse drug events] was more than 42 times higher for initial choice of OAT versus initial choice of SMT.’”
Source: Spine
No Digital for Baby
How much digital media (essentially, anything viewed on a screen, particularly TV / video) does your child watch on an average day (number of hours) at 12, 18 and 24 months of age? That’s the question asked to parents in an illuminating study that assessed the impact of TV / video on young children’s sensory processing abilities at 33 months. The results should make you reconsider handing that tablet to your young child, or plopping them down in front of the TV, so often (if at all).
According to the study, early-life exposure to digital media is associated with atypical sensory processing in all four domains of the Infant-Toddler Sensory Profile (low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding). The Infant-Toddler Sensory Profile is used to assess how sensory processing affects daily functioning. Per study findings, which appear in JAMA Pediatrics:
“Screen exposure at 12 months of age was associated with a 2-fold increased odds of being in the high category of low registration … while the odds of being in the low category instead of the typical category decreased for sensation seeking … sensation avoiding … and low registration … At 18 months of age, greater screen exposure was associated with increased risk of high sensation … and low registration … At 24 months of age, greater screen exposure was associated with increased risk of high sensation seeking … sensory sensitivity … and sensation avoiding.”
Dysfunction with regard to how your child processes sensory stimuli may be linked to behavioral and neurodevelopmental problems. To learn more about atypical sensory processing, including examples of low registration, etc., go to: sensory-processing.middletownautism.com
5 Reasons Why Meditation Should Be Your New Year’s Resolution
By Julie T. Chen, MD
The New Year is traditionally a time when many of us reflect on our goals and set resolutions for the year to come. From losing weight to getting more organized, these resolutions often come with good intentions, but aren’t always followed through. Inevitably, we become bogged down with life’s many responsibilities and stresses, and many people lose track or even forget about the goals they set for themselves at the start of the year.
A New Year’s resolution that’s worth making this year is making room for daily meditation and reflection. Meditation is easy to learn and incorporate into your daily life, and can be practiced in as little as 10 minutes a day. While the benefits of meditation are more than one article can list, here are the top five reasons why making mindfulness your resolution will change your mental, emotional and physical health.
1. Accessible to All
It’s a common misconception that meditation takes formal training or deep knowledge in order to practice. Meditation is for everyone, and can be accessed by anyone who is willing to carve out time for it. Begin by setting a designated time in the day for meditation, preferably when you know you won’t be interrupted or rushed. Create a place in your home that’s calming and free of distractions, such as a bedroom or backyard; and incorporate candles or other forms of aromatherapy if you find it relaxing.
Begin by sitting cross-legged or in a chair with your spine upright and head up. With closed eyes, put all of your focus on your breathing and try to be aware of wandering thoughts. If you feel distracted, don’t get frustrated; bring yourself back to your breath work and forgive yourself. Start doing this for 10 minutes a day, adding 1 minute to your practice every week.
2. Reduces Stress Naturally
It’s normal to feel under pressure at times at work, school or in relationships, but feeling stressed out on a day-to-day basis is unhealthy, as it takes a toll on emotional, physical and mental health. In a survey done by the American Psychological Association in 2012, researchers found that 20 percent of Americans experience extreme levels of stress, while 64 percent agreed managing stress is important (but only 37 percent of them felt they were managing it well).
Meditation is a wonderful way to reduce stress by calming the nervous system: Putting away stress-inducing thoughts, distracting devices and our work responsibilities while meditating slows down the heart rate and allows your blood pressure to drop. This “relaxation response” is restorative to the body and allows you to feel a sense of calmness that lasts throughout the day.
3. Sparks Creativity
If you feel you’ve lost your inspiration for creation, meditation may be key to helping you get back on track. Meditation gives your mind a “break” from the constant insight needed to churn out new ideas or solutions. Meditation calms the chatter in the mind and allows you to get back to content creation with a renewed perspective – and even creates space for further insight.
4. Maintains Good Health
Practicing mindfulness meditation could help you curb cravings and the urge to grab junk food. In fact, practicing meditation could even help you lose weight, as it emphasizes concentrating your time and energy on enjoying a meal instead of multitasking. Eating and watching TV, driving or surfing the Internet are just a few ways our attention shifts from the food on our plate to other priorities.
At your next meal, put away distractions such as your phone or favorite TV show, and instead focus on the flavors and textures of your food. By keeping awareness on your food, you’re less likely to overeat or make poor food choices.
5. Sharpens Your Focus
Have you ever experienced a midday crash of energy? Instead of grabbing a coffee or sugary snack as a pick-me-up, give 10 minutes of steady breath-work meditation a try. It’s common at times for our focus to blur, especially when we juggle so many daily priorities. Learning to meditate can significantly change your ability to focus whenever you’re feeling distracted.
Try taking 10 minutes out of your workday to sit quietly and in a comfortable position, and center your thoughts and energy on the sounds and feelings of your breath. Observe how deeply you can breathe in and out, and how your breath feels when your abdomen rises and shrinks. By paying sole attention to breathing and blocking out distracting thoughts and sounds, you can sharpen your focus for the next task at hand with peace of mind.
Resource
“The Impact of Stress.” American Psychological Association, 2012.