Texting is Dangerous Even When You're Not Driving

Everyone knows how dangerous it can be to use your smart phone for text messaging while driving.  Even a momentary distraction that takes your eyes off the road can have disastrous effects.  But it seems that not everyone knows how dangerous texting can be even when you're not driving.n Aside from the obvious dangers of being distracted while crossing a street or parking lot or going up or down stairs, the posture that people typical use for texting stresses the body in many ways, which if done frequently enough, over a long enough period of time can lead to permanent problems.

The picture above exaggerates, of course where the person's head falls off, but the other figures are accurate.  An adult human head weighs about 10 pounds, which when balanced properly in a good postural position (the ear should be directly above the tip of the shoulder) feels weightless.  As the head leans forward, as it does when focusing on a phone screen the pressure on the neck increases dramatically.  The graphic shows it in degrees.  Another way of expressing it is that for every inch the ear is ahead of the tip of the shoulder, add ten pounds. All of this additional stress strains the muscles, vertebrae and discs of the neck, causing pain, stiffness, and ultimately, permanent structural changes that can be quite serious.

A typical 18-24 year old sends or receives roughly 50 texts a day.  That's a lot of time spent looking down.  This is the first generation that has had such widespread use of a device which keeps them sedentary and focused on something that promotes an unhealthy posture.  If you must use your smartphone frequently, make an effort to hold the phone higher, so you won't have to bend your head as far forward to use it.  This simple strategy will help you to reduce the amount of stress on your neck.

Unfortunately, the potential risks of frequent cell phone use for texting and browsing don't end there.  Typically, while focusing on a phone or other hand-held device, the shoulders are slumped and the back is rounded - a posture which crowds the lungs.  Lungs may be further compromised by the quick shallow breaths we tend to take when we're concentrating on something.  Take the time to straighten your spine, roll your shoulders back and take deep breaths to help minimize the impact of the texting posture on your lungs.

Think about what texting can do to your hands.  Many people spend a large part of their day clutching their smartphone in their hands, which can lead to stiffness and even speed the development of arthritis.  Put the phone down when not in use, and take time to stretch your hands and fingers wide open periodically throughout the day to give them a break.

Parents - teach your teens and young adults how to take care of their bodies while they are still young and healthy.  And set a good example with your own texting habits.

Get some exercise on  a regular basis, even if you don't have much time, to counterbalance the time you spend texting, watching videos and surfing the web.  Stretch, jump, walk, run or do yoga.  It will help you to stay limber.  Regular chiropractic adjustments can also prevent the stresses of texting from becoming permanent structural problems.  At Wantagh Woods Chiropractic and Wellness, we treat the entire person in order to promote good health.  Contact us to make an appointment for a free consultation.

Acetaminophen Risks Are Greater Than We Think

As our population ages, more and more people turn to over the counter medications for relief from osteaoarthritis and muscular pain.  The first recommended drug for the purpose is generally acetaminophen, best known as the brand name Tylenol.  Tylenol is commonly believed to be gentler on the stomach than any of the NSAID (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs) category of drugs, which includes aspirin, ibuprofen and others, making it more likely to be recommended for long-term use, but the drug may be neither as effective nor as harmless as people are led to believe.

A group of doctors in the United Kingdom did a review of previously published studies on the safety of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, also known as paracetamol in Britain.  Their findings were disturbing because they showed that taken together, the studies indicate that people who take the maximum recommended daily dosage of acetominophen are at increased risk for cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems.

The findings were clearly dose related.  Non-users had the lowest rate of adverse effects, with low-dose users having a slightly elevated risk, and users who follow the instructions on the bottle for maximum dosage had significantly more adverse effects.

One of the difficulties in studying over the counter medications is that their use is under-reported.  People feel so safe taking them that when asked about medications, they may not even mention them.  An additional difficulty in measuring the amount of acetaminophen that people have taken is that it is often included in multi-symptom cold formulas, so people are taking it without even being aware of it.

If someone is sick and they are taking Tylenol for aches and pains or fever at the same time as a multi symptom cold relief formula, they may be exceeding the recommended dose of acetaminophen and putting themselves at risk for serious side effects.  The best way to avoid this is to avoid multi symptom formulas and take only what is needed.

Despite the popular perception that Tylenol is safe and gentle, it is the leading cause of liver failure in the United States.  Anyone who has any kind of liver problems would be best advised to avoid acetaminophen altogether.  The use of this drug accounts for over 100,000 calls to poison control centers, around 60,000 visits to emergency rooms and hundreds of deaths per year in the United States alone.

Perhaps the most frightening part is that the perception of acetaminophen as safe and effective results in its use for conditions for which it isn't even effective, like the pain of osteoarthritis.  Joint pain tends to be the result of inflammation, and acetaminophen has no anti-inflammatory action, making it not much better than a placebo for controlling this kind of pain.

Based on this information, you might think that using one of the NSAID's would be the solution.  They would be more effective at reducing inflammation, but they too come with their own risks and side effects, so they are not a great long term solution.

For many people, adequate pain relief can be attained with natural measures that are much less likely to cause dangerous and unpleasant side effects.  Manual manipulation of the spine or joint, which can be performed by a chiropractor or physical therapist, followed by strengthening exercises and training in the proper way to move to minimize pain has been shown to give superior relief without unwanted side effects.

Weight loss and increased activity, while it requires a commitment and willpower from the patient invariably reduces pain in the knees, ankles, feet, hips and back.  It will take time and effort, but it will pay off in increased mobility with reduced pain.

There are also several natural substances that have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect, such as the spices tumeric and ginger as well as green tea.  They can be used as part of your regular diet or taken as supplements, but one of the best ways I've seen to harness the natural healing power of food is by drinking the anti-inflammatory tea I recommend to my patients.

In my practice, I adjust limbs as well as spines, and have helped many patients recover from injuries to elbows, wrists, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles, in addition to performing spinal manipulation.  I help my patients achieve optimal health by advising them on exercise, nutrition and other lifestyle aspects.

If you would like to learn more about safe, natural pain relief through chiropractic and nutrition, or if you would like the recipe for anti-inflmmatory tea, visit our website at www.wantaghwoodschiropractic.com or call us at 516-783-0088 to make an appointment.

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.

The Never Ending Salad Bowl

I happen to be one of the lucky ones in that my personal and professional goals are in alignment.  One of my goals for myself is the same as my goal for my patients, to promote optimal health through diet and nutrition, exercise and lifestyle, and of course, chiropractic.  Almost everyone who manages to maintain a healthy diet in this hectic, over-processed world has a secret weapon or two.  One of mine is the never ending salad bowl.

Everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Eating them in an uncooked state adds the benefit of keeping their naturally occurring enzymes intact as well. Enzymes aid in digestion and a host of other bodily functions, and are destroyed by temperatures above 120 degree Fahrenheit.  As a result, the best nutrition is achieved by eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables raw, and one of the best ways to do so is by making salads an integral part of your diet.

You may have heard or read the advice to "eat the rainbow."  They're not talking about Skittles here.  Different vitamins announce their presence in food by their color, so foods that are orange in color tend to be rich in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, red fruits and vegetables may be good sources of lycopene and so on.  Selecting foods that vary in their natural color adds visual interest to your plate and nutritional diversity to your diet.  The larger the number of different species of fruits and vegetables that you incorporate into your diet, the more likely you are to be getting a full complement of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.  If you are not eating at least a dozen varieties each day, you may be missing out.  The never ending salad bowl is a great way to increase the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet, add raw foods, streamline your food preparation and possibly lose weight and improve your health.

You might be thinking that it takes too much time to make a salad every day, or even twice a day, and that's a legitimate concern, but the trick is to be prepared.  Depending upon how much you (and your family) consume and how well your refrigerator keeps produce, you can do most of your prep once or twice a week and have beautiful delicious salads at a moments notice.  Prepare your mixed greens in advance. Avoid iceberg lettuce because it is virtually devoid of any nutritional value.  Make a blend of any or all of the following leafy vegetables: Romaine, Boston lettuce, red or green leaf lettuces like oak-leaf, escarole, frisee, endive, radicchio, arugula, spinach, kale, shredded green or red cabbage.  Use a salad spinner to wash it and spin it as dry as possible.  If you can't spin it dry, it might be better to wash before use, as water clinging to the leaves will speed the lettuce going bad.  If you do nothing else, you will have a blend of several vegetables at your fingertips, going a long way toward meeting your goal of a dozen a day.  If you don't have time for this, use mixed baby greens.

Other vegetables can be chopped in advance and stored in a ready to eat state, or cut as needed.  Avocados, tomatoes and cucumbers are best cut as needed, but carrots, celery, red, white or green onions, bell peppers of any color, radish, fennel and jicama can all be cut, bagged and used as needed.  You can add interest and nutrition with sprouted seeds and beans, fresh herbs, dried or fresh fruits or raw nuts.  Once you've assembled your salad, count up the varieties of produce you've used.  You may be pleasantly surprised.

With all these glorious ingredients at your fingertips, it should be no problem to create a variety of salads on a daily or twice daily basis without taking too much time or getting too repetitive.  If you make a nice salad the cornerstone of your lunch and/or dinner each day, you will automatically consume more fiber and less calories, making it easier to feel full, lose weight and get healthier.  This spring, put a bit more spring in your step by adopting the never ending salad bowl.

Think Globally, Eat Locally

When the whole world seems to be at significant risk from everything from genetically modified organisms to cyber-crime to weapons of mass destruction, does it seem too parochial to be concerned about the origin of your food?  We think it's a good first step, because you have to start somewhere. Buying locally grown foods is a great way to bring more healthy foods into your diet.  Here on Long Island, locally grown foods are typically produced on smaller, family-owned and operated farms that use farming methods more in tune with nature.  Even if they are not certified organic, locally grown foods tend to be safer.  Because their own families are on the farm, these farmers are less likely to use chemical fertilizers, toxic pesticides, herbicides and other unnatural compounds in their farming practices.  Local foods are fresher, because they don't have to travel as far, and are more likely to be picked at or near their peak of ripeness than their pale, hard, imported counterparts.  Many of the produce items available in supermarkets have been off the plant for more than a week and traveled anywhere from hundreds of miles to halfway around the planet.  The longer a fruit gets to stay on the tree or the vine, the more fully its flavor, sugar content and nutritional profile get to develop.  Conversely, the longer it is off the tree or vine, and this holds true for non-fruit edibles like leaves and roots as well, the more the nutrients in the food start to break down, making it a less nutritious choice for you and your family. The reduced distance that your food has to travel helps the environment by cutting down on transportation emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, and your purchase can help the local economy and preserve open space on Long Island and in other regions of New York.  What's not to love? With the rise of the local food movement and the term "locavore" has come controversy over which is better, local or organic?  Our thoughts on this are if you can get food that is both local and organic, go for it!  You're getting the best of both worlds.  If you have to choose, most often, we would go for local.  Here's why. We've already talked about the advantages of buying local produce. What does organic mean?  Organic is a term that is government regulated to mean that the food is not the result of a genetically modified organism (GMO), and grown or raised without the use of antibiotics, pesticides or herbicides.  These are all good things, but what is not addressed is the living conditions of the animals, how soon the product is harvested and how far it is shipped.  It is much easier for a huge factory-farm to obtain organic certification than it is for a small family farmer because of the cost of navigating all the regulations.  Local foods may indeed meet the criteria, but just lack the designation. There was a well-known study conducted at Stanford University comparing the nutrient content of organic foods to that of conventional produce.  They found that there was no significant difference.  That was a comparison of organic vs. conventional produce from huge factory farms and all that was measured was the vitamins and minerals. What was not measured was the pesticide, herbicide and other toxic residue, and local vs. conventional was not tested.  Despite the study's conclusions, we believe that organic is better than conventional, but not necessarily better than local. We're really excited about our new find on the local food front, and we just had to share it with you. We are going to be a pick-up point for a new service called Farmigo.  You log into their website and choose from a wide variety of fruits vegetables, meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, baked goods, pickles, jams and snack foods that are produced within 250 miles of our area.  You order only what you need, when you need it and pay by credit card. Once a week, it gets delivered to our office - on Wednesday, and you stop by to pick it up.  Prices are roughly comparable to what you would pay at a farmer's market, but you get to shop from home, all year round.  Often, you will save money, because they frequently offer coupon codes with great discounts. If you are interested and live within an easy drive of Wantagh, NY, you can sign up at: https://www.farmigo.com/market/wantaghwoodschiropractic-wantagh#market.  Use code "FARMIGO40" to get 40% off on your first order. Once we get our little locavore community going, we're hoping to add some local food events.  Give your body the gift of health and join us. Visit www.wantaghwoodschiropractic.com to learn more about us, or for our contact information.

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.

Introduction

On this blog, you will find random facts related to health and wellness. Some will pertain directly to Chiropractic, but more will pertain to diet, exercise, lifestyle, health news and generally taking responsibility for your own health.

Wantagh Woods Chiropractic and Wellness is about more than just spinal adjustments, even though Chiropractic is the backbone of our practice (pun intended).  If you've been injured in sports or in daily activities, we can adjust the limb to help you heal better, and further speed it along with electric stimulation therapy or other non-invasive therapies.  Chiropractic offers very effective treatment for TMJ, migraines, pinched nerves in the extremities and a host of other painful conditions that are not frequently considered to be connected to the spine.

Our office can also perform a nutritional analysis for patients, helpig them to choose appropriate nutritional supplements for their specific conditions.  Dr. Suzanne Plotnik and I take pride in caring for the whole person and empowering them to take care of themselves.  You can learn more about us at www.wantaghwoodschiropractic.com.