The Most Important Principles for Staying Young: Can You Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?

17 Mar

Our basic premise is that your body is amazing. You get a do over. It doesn’t take that long, and it isn’t that hard if you know what to do. In these notes, we give you a short course in what to do so it becomes easy for you and for you to teach others. We want you to know how much control you have over both the quality and length of your life.

This month’s YOUR Do-Over Tips are about preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

  1. Q) My 89-year-old mother passed away after having Alzheimer’s for about seven years. I’m 59 and scared I’m going to develop it and so will my kids. Is there anything we can do to reduce our risk? Karen B., Stillwater, OK
  1. A) We’re sorry for your loss, but there’s good news about avoiding Alzheimer’s. True, early onset Alzheimer’s seems to be familial; if a parent has the gene associated with early-onset (when symptoms appear before age 50), a child has a 50/50 chance of developing Alzheimer’s. But your mom had late onset (after age 65) cognitive dysfunction, maybe Alzheimer’s. Most late onset cognitive dysfunction is a combination of vascular dementia (not enough blood flow), brain inflammation, and other factors. Researchers have not found a specific gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease in a very high percentage of cases and think it arises from a combination of factors.

A new study in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry has identified nine risky conditions for Alzheimer’s (all modifiable—great news!) and several ways to protect yourself from developing the disease (great news, again!).

The modifiable risk factors are:

  • obesity;
  • current smoking (in this study they saw the risk in people of Asian descent—we feel pretty sure it applies to most folks);
  • carotid artery narrowing (that’s plaque in arteries on each side of your neck leading to the brain);
  • type 2 diabetes (again, in people of Asian descent—though it would seem possible that this inflammatory condition ups everyone’s risk);
  • low educational attainment;
  • high levels of homocysteine (that’s a marker of inflammation);
  • depression;
  • high blood pressure; and
  • frailty

Fortunately, we know getting 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day and 30 minutes of strength building exercise 2-3 days a week, ditching the Five Food Felons (assiduously avoiding foods with added sugars, syrups, simple carbs, trans fats, and saturated fats), sleeping 7-8 hours a night, de-stressing with routine meditation every morning and night, and enjoying friends and family can help banish those brain-bashing risk factors.

If you and your kids embrace smart nutrition, physical activity, and stress reduction, don’t smoke, and follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding managing your blood pressure, then you’ll be following the blueprint for brain health and a long and happy life.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to send questions—to youdocs@gmail.com, and some of them we may know enough to answer (we’ll try to get answers for you if we do not know).

Young Dr Mike Roizen (aka, The Enforcer)

 NOTE: You should NOT take this as medical advice.

This article is of the opinion of its author.

Before you do anything, please consult with your doctor.

 

You can follow Dr Roizen on twitter @YoungDrMike (and get updates on the latest and most important medical stories of the week). The YOU docs have tow newly revised books: The patron saint “book” of this column YOU Staying Young—revised and YOU: The Owner’s Manual…revised —yes a revision of the book that started Dr Oz to being Dr Oz. These makes great gifts—so do YOU: ON a Diet and YOU: The Owner’s Manual for teens. And, the new book by Dr Mike Roizen: This is YOUR Do-Over

Michael F. Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. His radio show streams live on http://www.radioMD.com Saturdays from 5-7 p.m. He is the co-author of 4 #1 NY Times Best Sellers including: YOU Staying Young.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Let’s Get the FACTS! (Part 3)

15 Mar

This month, we will conclude our three-part series on important facts regarding carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

CTS TREATMENT OPTIONS (continued): Aside from the carpal tunnel, there are several places where the median nerve can become compressed as it travels from the neck, down through the shoulder, through tight muscular areas of the upper arm and forearm, and finally through the carpal tunnel at the wrist. In order to achieve good, long-lasting results, treatment must focus on relieving compression at any point along the course of the nerve. This is why chiropractic works SO WELL as it addresses ALL of these areas using manual adjustments, muscle release techniques, and even physical therapy modalities.

CTS PREVENTION: Because there are multiple causes of CTS, prevention must be tailored to each person. For example, if the patient has diabetes mellitus, maintaining a proper blood sugar level is very important because the blood becomes thicker as the sugar levels increase and it simply cannot pass through our small blood vessels (capillaries), especially those located in the feet and hands. This can eventually lead to the need for amputation due to poor circulation and contribute to the numbness associated with diabetic neuropathy.

Similarly, low thyroid function results in a type of swelling called myxedema that can cause or worsen CTS, and keeping the thyroid hormone balanced in the bloodstream is very important. Managing other conditions that create inflammation or swelling, such as rheumatoid and other types of arthritis, will also help prevent CTS from developing or worsening.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can also occur during pregnancy due to the hormonal shifts similar for those taking birth control pills. The PRICE treatment options presented last month can be very helpful for the pregnant mother and represent important non-medication self-care approaches.

Certain occupations that require fast, repetitive work and/or firm gripping can result in carpal tunnel syndrome because of the friction that results in swelling that occurs when the muscle tendons inside the carpal tunnel rub excessively fast together (kind of like starting a fire with two sticks). Modifying the work task until the swelling is controlled is VERY important, as discussed last month.

Other preventative measures include exercises that keep the muscles and tendons in the forearm and inside the carpal tunnel stretched so that the tendons easily slide inside their respective muscle tendon sheaths. This is accomplished by placing the palm side of the hand (elbow straight) on a wall with the fingers pointing downwards while reaching across with the opposite hand and pulling the thumb back until you feel a good firm stretch. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds or until the forearm muscles feel like they are relaxing. Repeat this multiple times a day.

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs. If you, a friend, or family member requires care for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, we would be honored to render our services.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Where Does Back Pain Come From?

14 Mar

Most of us have suffered from back pain at one time or another. It often occurs after over-doing a physical task, like fall yard work, winter snow shoveling, working on the car, cleaning the house, and so on. But there are times when identifying the cause of back pain can be difficult or impossible. Let’s take a deeper look at where back pain can come from…

Though activity-related back pain is common, many times a direct link to over-use is not clear. Micro-traumatic events can accumulate and become painful when a certain threshold is exceeded. (Think of the old adage “The straw that broke the camel’s back.”)

There are other less well-identified causes of back pain. One is called referred pain. This can be caused by an irritated joint or soft tissue not necessarily located in the immediate area of the perceived pain. For example, pain in the leg can result from an injured facet joint, sacroiliac joint, and/or a disk tear (without nerve root pinch). This is called “sclertogenous pain.”

Internal organs can also cause back pain. This is called a “viscerosomatic response” (VSR). A classic example of this is when the right shoulder blade seems to be the source of pain when the gall bladder is inflamed. This pain can be located at or below the scapula next to the spine and the muscles in the area are in spasm and sensitive or painful to the touch. Also, VSR is often not worsened or changed by bending in different directions (unlike musculoskeletal / MSK pain). Without further testing, it’s easy to confuse this with a MSK or a “typical” back ache. Ultimately, a final diagnosis may require an abdominal ultrasound (CT, MRI scan, and other diagnostics are less frequently used).

Visceral pathology in the back pain patient presenting to chiropractors is reportedly rare, and according to one survey, only 5.3% of patients present with non-musculoskeletal complaints. Other common VSR pain patterns are as follows: Heart – left chest to left arm, mid-upper back, left jaw; Liver – right upper shoulder (front and back), right middle to low back, and just below the sternum; Appendix – right lower abdomen (may start as stomach pain); Small intestine – either side of the umbilicus and/or between it and the breast bone; Kidney – small of the back, upper tailbone, and/or groin area; Bladder – just above the pubic bone and/or bilateral buttocks; Ovaries – groin and/or umbilical area; and Colon – mid-abdominal and/or lower quadrants.

Another challenge to diagnosis is cancer in the spine, which can be primary or metastatic (from a different location). Thankfully, this is very rare. A history of unexplained weight loss, a past history of cancer, over age 50, nighttime sleep interruptions, and no response to usual back care may lead a doctor to recommend tests to determine if cancer is present in the spine.

Bottom line: When patients present with back pain, chiropractors have been trained to look for these less common but important causes of back pain. They get “suspicious” when the “usual” orthopedic tests do not convey the usual responses seen with mechanical back pain. In these cases, they work with primary care doctors to coordinate care to obtain prompt diagnostic testing and treatment.

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs. If you, a friend, or family member requires care for back pain, we would be honored to render our services.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR LOW BACK PAIN! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Are Females the Stronger Sex? One Study Shows Estrogen Protects Against the Flu!

10 Mar

The debate has raged for centuries. Which is the stronger sex? Now, science has evidence that females are tougher than males, at least when it comes to the flu virus.

When an individual comes into contact with the flu virus, whether or not they experience symptoms depends on how much the virus can replicate in they body before succumbing to the immune system. In other words, the more times it replicates itself, the more damage the virus can do. Accordingly, the less the virus replicates itself, the less damage it will do and the less it will make you sick. Less replication also means less chance of spreading from person to person.

Here’s why females seem to have protection against the flu…

A research team gathered nasal cells—the cell type that the flu virus primarily infects—from male and female donors. The researchers then exposed the cells to the virus along with estrogen, the environmental estrogen bisphenol A, or selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM), which are compounds that act like estrogen that are used for hormone therapy.

The researchers found that estrogen, SERM compound raloxifene, and bisphenol A reduced flu virus replication in the nasal cells taken from women but not in those from men.

Dr. Sabra Klein of Johns Hopkins University writes, “Other studies have shown that estrogens have antiviral properties against HIV, Ebola, and hepatitis viruses. What makes our study unique is two-fold. First, we conducted our study using primary cells directly isolated from patients, allowing us to directly identify the sex-specific effect of estrogens. Second, this is the first study to identify the estrogen receptor responsible for the antiviral effects of estrogens, bringing us closer to understanding the mechanisms mediating this conserved antiviral effect of estrogens.”

The Benefits of Vitamin A!

8 Mar

Did you know that vitamin A (retinol) is a powerful anti-oxidant with many health benefits?

  • Vitamin A helps protect the surface of the cornea, and studies have shown it may also play a role in reducing the risk of macular degeneration. While vitamin A deficiency is rare in the developed world, it’s the leading cause of blindness among children in the developing world.
  • It also protects the skin from signs of premature aging and can be used as part of a topical treatment for damaged skin.
  • The vitamin is consumed as pre-made vitamin A (retinol) through animal sources such as beef, poultry, whole milk, and cheese. Plant-based foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and kale are rich in beta-carotene, a substance the human body can convert into vitamin A.
  • Though considered rare, consuming too much vitamin A can lead to toxicity issues, so talk with your healthcare provider before adding vitamin A supplements to your diet. Vitamin A can also interact with medications that involve the skin or liver, blood clot prevention, and antibiotics so again, speak with your doctor first.

Two Acts of Kindness That Will Change the Way You Feel About Humanity…

7 Mar

You have probably heard this old saying, “I would give you the shirt off my back.” It simply means you are a very kind and generous person who would give everything to another person. The saying is very common, but have you ever seen it done?

Putulik Qumaq is homeless. Originally from Northern Canada, Putulik has been living on the streets of Montreal for 17 years. He knows hunger, pain, and cold. So, when he saw a teenager in a t-shirt laying on the sidewalk in the freezing weather, he did something no one else would. Qumaq walked up to the boy and gave him the coat off his back. Qumaq simply told the teen, “It’s very cold” and handed him his jacket.

But this story has a twist… You see, the 14-year old boy was not homeless after all. Instead, he was shooting a video and only acting homeless just to see if anyone would help him. He said some people gave a little bit of money, but most just ignored him. It’s amazing that the one person who gave the most had the least to offer.

Qumaq said he had a feeling when he saw the boy. He said, “He’s young and I’ve been through that.”

Apparently helping people isn’t new for Qumaq. He frequents a Montreal shelter (The Open Door) and is known for his generosity. A volunteer at the shelter, Frank Paris said, “I see them helping individuals all the time. Here, showing love, brotherly love amongst each other.”

David Chapman, the Assistant Director at The Open Door, said those who have been through hardship are often the most generous. He said, “Often, those who live on the street are people with really big hearts, and this is an aspect that’s often not seen… We see a lot of it because we get to know them. We learn to know their names, we learn a little bit about their stories, and in fact, they are some of the most lovely people you’ll ever meet.”

Now, for another amazing example…

At times, New York City (and other major cities) can be a rough place. Riders on the subway tend to mind their own business and rarely may eye contact with one another. But 23-year-old Joey Resto from Brooklyn is different…

Recently, a fellow rider recorded Joey performing a rare act of altruism that has the Internet buzzing. Joey saw an elderly man shirtless and so cold he was shivering. Joey went over, took his shirt off, and gave it to the man. Lazaro Nolasco, the man who recorded the clip, shared it on Facebook and it had been viewed over nine million times as of this writing.

Resto said that after seeing the man on the train and noticing he had abrasions on his head, he realized he couldn’t sit back and do nothing. He told the New York Daily News, “It was a natural reaction to help, to do what I can. I hope they find this guy. It is not hard to spot him. It just came from the heart. I don’t know how anyone could have walked past him and had extra clothing and not given it to him. He was warm for the first time in I don’t know how long. He just curled up in a corner and went to sleep.”

But Resto didn’t stop there. After putting his shirt on the man, he went and got him a black winter hat and put it on his head. He said he wanted to take the man for a hot meal, but he had fallen asleep and was resting so peacefully that Resto did not want to disturb him.

 We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger. You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →