Chiropractic Care Safer for Most Seniors

Chiropractic treatment is widely accepted as a safe and effective treatment for spinal issues, including sciatica, back and neck pain.  With increasing age, the likelihood of suffering with one of these conditions increases.  Because of that, some researchers wanted to investigate whether chiropractic treatment is as safe for the elderly as it is for younger patients.  They undertook a study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and subsequently published in Spine.

They researched whether the risk of injury to people aged 66 and older after seeing a chiropractor for an issue involving the nervous system, muscles and spine was more, less or equal to the risk of injury following a visit to their primary care physician for that kind of issue.  Their study was based on recipients of Medicare Part B who were treated for these conditions in 2007.  They evaluated the risk of injury for seven days following their treatment.

They found that the risk of injury within seven days of a chiropractic treatment was 76% lower than the risk of injury within seven days of medical treatment for comparable neuromusculoskeletal conditions.  The risk of injury post-treatment was highest for males, older participants and those with co-existing serious conditions.  Chiropractic was determined to be a significantly safer treatment option for seniors experiencing conditions related to the nerves, muscles or bones, except for those with specific medical conditions such as coagulation defects (or long term use of blood thinners), inflammatory spondylopathy, osteoporosis, or aortic aneurysm and dissection, 

In short, if you, or someone you love is a senior who is experiencing pain or weakness related to the nerves, muscles and spine, you should talk to a trusted chiropractor and give them your complete medical history.  If you or they are a good candidate for chiropractic care, it may be the safer option for treatment in the long run.

Diet Can Improve Brain Function

Whether you are a new parent, wondering if there is anything you can do to stack the odds in favor of healthy brain development in your child, or a middle aged person experiencing increasing forgetfulness and brain fog, you might want to know what studies have shown about how you can influence the condition and functioning of the brain with diet.  So many studies have been done, testing so many variables, that the results can be confusing and overwhelming, but the following information seemed to be the most helpful, so I'm presenting it to you.

We've Got Fat Heads
The brain is made up of roughly 2/3 fats, so it makes sense to study the impact of fat consumption on the brain.  The majority of findings in this area indicated that eating fats is good for the brain, but not just any fats.  Trans fats are to be avoided at all costs, and saturated fats from meats and dairy need to be approached with caution.  Saturated fats from grass-fed or free range animals are much safer than from those grown on conventional feed.  Healthy fats, like those found in almonds, avocados, olives and most nuts and seeds are not only safe, but beneficial to the brain.  Fish oil was found to be the most critical to brain health, so unless you're allergic, feel free to consume a variety of fish on a frequent basis, or take a good quality fish oil supplement.  A word of caution - while fats can be healthy, they do contain almost twice as many calories as proteins and carbohydrates, so if you're watching your weight, choose the healthy fats only, and don't overdo it.

There's Something About Carbs...
Some of the research has centered on whether a diet high in carbohydrates is good for the brain.  Those studies have shown that carbohydrates, specifically grains, with wheat being among the worst, lead to increased inflammation, free radical production and oxidative risk, thereby increasing the likelihood of dementia.  This might lead one to adopt a very low carb diet, but other studies have shown that vegetarians, who traditionally consume more carbohydrates tend to have higher levels of brain health.  How can they both be true?  This is where looking at the variables being controlled for and whether they are looking for disease or health comes in.  In short, moderation seems to be the secret ingredient here.  Diets don't have to be all fat or all carbs.  A major factor to look out for is genetically modified grains (GMO), which may be causing the current spike in negative reactions to these foods.

Junk Food and Depression
A study completed in 2012 showed that people who regularly consumed fast food were 40% more likely to suffer from depression.  That study came on the heels of another one in 2011 that showed that the more trans fats people eat, the more likely they are to suffer from depression.  Food is not only fuel.  It is the building blocks for replacing cells throughout our bodies, including our brains.

The Pediatric Brain
You may have heard that breast feeding infants is best for brain development.  One of the reasons may be the presence of DHA in breast milk.  It's the same fatty acid in fish oil, which is critical to brain development and health.

Beyond infancy, studies have shown that children who frequently consume junk foods (sugar, processed sweets, soda, fast food) tend to have higher incidence of worrying, sadness, crying, anxiety, aggression, tantrums and hyperactivity as well as lower IQ's.

Your Safest Course of Action
The Mediterranean diet seems to be the healthiest option for most people.  Here are the guidelines, but remember that fats have more calories and moderation is key.  Opt for organic and/or local fruits, vegetables and grains, organic/grass-fed or free range when it comes to meat, eggs and dairy and wild caught when it comes to fish, whenever possible.

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Beans and pulses are healthy, fiber-filled carbohydrate rich foods with some protein content.
• Limit your grains and choose organic/non GMO varieties.
• Reduce your consumption of meats and choose higher quality.
• Enjoy fish, nuts and free range eggs, which are excellent sources of protein and healthy fats.
• Seeds, avocados and olive oil are also good sources for healthy fats.
• Avoid junk foods and trans fats.
• Keep your portion sizes reasonable.
• Enjoy!

If you'd like to learn more about this, or other health related topics, visit us at www.wantaghwoodschiropractic.com, or come on in.

Flu Vaccine: Is it worth the risk?

Is  getting a flu shot really the single most important thing you can do to protect your health and that of your family?  Here at Wantagh Woods Chiropractic and Health, we respectfully disagree.  Even if there wasn't a list of potential side effects that can be much more serious than the flu, that fact is that this year's flu shot just isn't very effective.  The main strain that is causing problems this year showed up in the sampling after the formula for the vaccine was already set, so this year's biggest threat  is not included in the vaccine. 

The published effectiveness rate for this year's vaccine is about 23%.  However, that figure is only based on people who actually got sick enough to seek medical care.  People who remained healthy were not even considered in the study.  Only about 2% of the population ever develops flu, so a 23% effective rate actually becomes a less than half of one percent improvement in your chances of developing flu.  Would you buy a car whose brakes have been shown to work less than on half of one percent of the time?

So, what is the price you pay for this less than one half of one percent reduction in flu risk?  According to the National Vaccine Information Center, moderate reactions to the flu vaccine may include fever, localized reactions at the injection site, headache, nasal congestion,  fatigue, sore throat, cough, muscle and joint pain, and nausea. Don't those last seven side effects sound a lot like flu symptoms?

More serious complications may include brain inflammation, convulsions, Guillain Barre Syndrome, Bell’s Palsy, limb paralysis, neuropathy, shock,  wheezing/asthma and other breathing problems. Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a severe neurological disorder involving temporary or permanent paralysis that may lead to death.  A closer review of the more serious side effects shows that most or all of them can be attributed to neurotoxicity.  The number of reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following flu vaccines reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) exceeded 93,000 as of November 2013.

Studies suggest that repeated flu vaccines in healthy children may interfere with their immune response, making them more likely to develop influenza.  Current guidelines also recommend routine flu vaccines for pregnant women, despite findings by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that influenza infection is rarely a threat to normal pregnancy.  Instead, they note that  Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, used in many vaccine formulas, has been shown to cause a number of human neurodevelopment disorders.

Chiropractic, nutritional supplements and other natural healing modalities can improve immune function without unwanted side effects.

In short, if you have a choice in taking the flu vaccine and there is no compelling reason to do it, don't.