Eating a Diet Rich in These Types of Foods Could Cut Your Risk for Heart Attack By Nearly a Third!

3 Mar

I’m going to tell you something very important that you should already know. Then, I am going to tell you something just as important you probably do not know. The combination of these two things could save you from developing heart disease as well as suffering a stroke!

First, here’s what you SHOULD already know…

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is a major factor in preventing the #1 cause of death worldwide: heart disease. In fact, eating more fruits and vegetables is #2 on the Mayo Clinic’s list of “Heart-Healthy Diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease.”

According to experts from the Harvard University School of Public Health, “A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check…”

For 14 years, Harvard researchers followed 110,000 men and women as part of the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. They found compelling evidence that a fruit and vegetable-rich diet can lower an individual’s risk for heart attack and stroke.

Here’s what they wrote: “The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke.”

The research team went on to speculate that even though all fruits and vegetables may offer some heart-healthy benefits, the produce with the most impact may have been “…green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices)…”

When they reviewed other long-term studies that looked at diet and subsequent cardiovascular disease risk, they observed similar results: “Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.”

Not only is eating lots of fruits and veggies good for your heart but other research has shown a produce-rich diet can lower blood pressure, decrease cancer risk, and even lower the chances for developing type 2 diabetes.

Those are all things you should know, but it’s always great to read a little reminder about just how great fruits and vegetables are for you. Many times we need these little reminders to get us back on track!

Here’s Something You May Not Know…

As mentioned earlier in this article, heart disease is the world’s #1 killer. Stroke is also high on the list, but thanks to improvements in medicine and healthier lifestyles, stroke is on the decline among seniors. It recently dropped from the #4 most common cause of death among the elderly to #5. That’s the good news. Now for the bad news…

Stroke is quickly become a problem among younger adults in the United States. For Americans under age 44, the risk of first-time stroke has been on the rise since at least the mid-1990s.

A large-scale study called the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study has followed an estimated 1.3 million adults for several decades. Among those of European descent aged 20-54, the risk of first-time stroke increased from 26 per 100,000 adults in 1994 to 48 per 100,000 adults in 2005. For those of African descent, the risk jumped from 83 per 100,000 in 1994 to 128 per 100,000 in 2005. Nowadays, nearly one-third of first-time strokes are experienced by middle-aged and younger adults, not the elderly!

For experts like Dr. Brett Kissela of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, the reasons behind this dramatic increase in stroke among younger adults are pretty clear: Today’s Americans are more likely to be overweight/obese, diabetic, and hypertensive at a younger age than their parents’ generation.

In fact, when researchers looked at study participants who did have a stroke, they found those patients were more likely than the general population to be overweight, have diabetes, have high blood pressure, and smoke.

The good news is that this means most strokes can be prevented by paying early attention to risk factors. Eating a healthy diet (including lots of fruits and vegetables), getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight, and not smoking are all things you can start doing right now to not only lower your risk for a heart attack but also a stroke and several other preventable causes of death and disability.

Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.

Two Quotes from This Icon Can Be the Catalyst That Vastly Improves Your Life…

1 Mar

Dear Patients and Friends,

Do you like quotes? If you do, then you are going to love this.

In just a moment you are going to discover two incredible quotes. Before I give them to you, you must understand this…

These two quotes cannot change your life. Words… no matter what anyone says… do not have the power to do that all by themselves. Only actions and reactions to those words actually create any type of change.

A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

Another definition for a catalyst is: a person or thing that precipitates an event.

So, these two quotes can definitely be the catalyst for the changes you are looking for, and you can be the person that precipitates the events. So, you will be a catalyst too.

These two quotes were said by the late motivational speaker, Jim Rohn. If you like these quotes, you might want to look him up.

Quote #1:

“You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.”

Quote #2:

“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.”

These two quotes are so powerful because they give you almost all you need to be healthy or successful in almost anything you do.

Most people think success is luck or something so complicated that they can never achieve it. The truth is, success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced every day.

Little hinges swing big doors. And doing a few correct things—consistently—for long periods of time leads to massive success.

Quote #1 is so important because you must understand that “overnight success” is, for the most part, a myth. Success takes time. You must accept this fact and put your time in. Don’t get discouraged from hour-to-hour or day-to-day results. Think long term. Think years. And success will be yours.

Sincerely,

Dr. Binder

Headache Danger Signals

25 Feb

There are four main arteries that bring blood to the brain: two in the front of the neck called the carotid arteries and two in the back of the neck called the vertebral arteries. The carotid arteries supply the front and middle portions of the brain with blood while the vertebral arteries join together to form the basilar artery that supplies blood to the back portion of the brain and the brain stem.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted and oxygen can’t get to the brain tissue, which causes damage. Each area of the brain is programmed to run different bodily functions, so symptoms associated with stroke can be mild to severe depending on the amount of area involved. Stroke victims commonly have problems with speech, behavior, thought processing, motor skills, and memory.

There are basically two ways a stroke can occur: 1) Blockage in one of the many arteries (called Ischemic stroke, which is associated with about 83% of cases), or 2) A tear, leak, or rupture in a blood vessel (called hemorrhagic stroke, which is associated with about 17% of cases). Again, symptoms are directly related to where the blockage or bleed occurs and the area deprived of oxygen. Mini-strokes (called TIAs or Trans-Ischemic Attacks) can precede a larger stroke and last a few minutes to several hours. These are caused by a temporary disruption in blood flow and SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED, as these are important warning signs of a potential larger impending stroke!

Studies have shown that the symptoms associated with stroke are similar to those that drive people to either their family doctor and/or chiropractor—most notably, neck pain and headache.

So, what is the difference between the symptoms of a “normal” neck pain/headache vs. one associated with stroke? In some cases, not much! However, a stroke-related headache is often SUDDEN, SEVERE, and UNUSUAL for that person. The tension-type “normal” headache may be part of the patient’s long-term history, not severe or unusual, and NOT typically accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness.

A 2008 study found that the incidence rate of stroke occurring in the clinics of an MD vs. a DC were IDENTICAL. In other words, it’s not the treatment performed by either type of doctor that caused the stroke but rather the stroke had already occurred and the symptoms drove the person to see either their MD and/or DC. In recent case reports, two different patients presented to their chiropractors with these headache/neck pain symptoms. In both cases, their doctor properly identified they were at risk for a subsequent stroke and referred them to the appropriate healthcare professionals BEFORE any treatment was administered.

Classic stroke symptoms include: 1) Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg, usually on one side of the body; 2) Difficulty in speaking or understanding language; 3) Altered vision (poor acuity or blurriness); 4) Sudden severe headache; 5) Unexplained balance loss or dizziness. If any these occur, call 911! Time IS of the essence for minimizing brain damage!

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, we would be honored to render our services.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL717-697-1888

Whiplash – What Exercises Should I Do? (Part 2)

23 Feb

Last month, we looked at the VERY important deep neck flexor muscles. As promised, this month, we will cover exercises to work the deep neck extensors.

Since the 1990s, the deep neck flexors have been getting most of the attention as being the “missing link” in rehab of the neck after whiplash. As important as the deep neck flexors are, the deep neck extensors cannot be ignored. In fact, BOTH the deep neck flexors and extensors have to work in concert to control segmental movement! A 2013 study reported the deep neck extensors can become quite de-conditioned and weak in patients with neck pain. Recent studies confirm that neck pain patients typically display reduced activation AND a less defined activation pattern in the deep neck extensors, and the amount of weakness and poor activation is proportional to the amount of pain present (i.e., the higher the pain level, the worse the activity response).

PROCEDURE 3 (Prone Neck Extensors): Lying on your stomach, arms at your sides, palms facing outwards, tuck in the chin without looking down. Lift you head and chest off the floor and hold the position for ten seconds or as long as can be tolerated. Remember, stay within “reasonable boundaries of pain” (that only YOU can define) and gradually add repetitions over time.

PROCEDURE 4 (Neck Extensor Isometrics): Sitting or standing, tuck in your chin without looking down. Extend the head back slightly and place one hand behind the head. Slowly push the head back into your fingers at about 10% of maximum force and gradually use a greater amount of force over time. Once you feel you have good motor control and are tolerating the exercise well, vary the amount of resistance from 10% to 90%, gradually increasing then decreasing the resistance SLOWLY (crescendo and decrescendo the resistance)!

PROCEDURE 5 (Neck Extensor Isotonics): Same as above but this time the head moves while applying a steady light (10-25% of max.) resistance from full extension into full flexion. Repeat this for three to five slow repetitions through the full range. Keep your chin tucked while moving the head into your hand. The object is to SMOOTHLY move your head into and out of flexion/extension SLOWLY through as much of the range as possible (remember you define the pain boundaries)!

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 Whiplash, we would be honored to render our services.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR WHIPLASH!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Can Chiropractic Help My Headaches?

22 Feb

Everyone, well at least almost everyone, has had headaches from time to time, and we all know how miserable they can make us feel. In fact, at some point in time, 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches that range between mild and dull to throbbing, intense, and debilitating, sometimes to the point of requiring bed rest in a dark, quiet room.

The common reflex is to reach for that bottle of pills and pray the headache subsides so you don’t have to call in sick and lose another day of productivity when you have so much to do. Unfortunately, between the side effects of many medications designed to help headaches and the pain associated with the headache, this approach is frequently NOT the answer. So what is?

The good news is that many studies have identified spinal manipulation therapy (SMT), the main type of care utilized by chiropractors, as being very effective for popular types of headaches—in particular tension-type headaches that arise in the neck. An important 2001 study reported that SMT provided almost immediate relief for headaches that arose in the neck with SIGNIFICANTLY fewer side effects and longer-lasting results compared with commonly prescribed medications.

Another interesting study that found similar results included tracking the prevalence/frequency of headaches after treatment stopped. The authors of the study reported the patients receiving SMT had continued to experience sustained benefits throughout the following weeks, and even months, in contrast to those in a medication treatment group where headaches came back almost immediately after they discontinued treatment.

The most commonly prescribed medication for tension-type headaches are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Common over-the-counter options include ibuprofen (Advil, Nuprin, etc.) and Aleve (Naproxen). For those who can’t take NSAIDs because of blood thinning and/or stomach-liver-kidney problems, doctors commonly prescribe acetaminophen (Tylenol), but it can be hard on the liver and kidneys, especially when taken over time.

So, what can you expect from a visit to a chiropractor for your headaches? The typical approach begins with a thorough history and examination with an emphasis of evaluating the neck and its associated function. Your doctor of chiropractic may also perform tests designed to reduce pain and some that provoke a pain response to identify the “pain generator” or cause!

Because each patient is unique, the type of care provided will be individually determined based on the findings, the patient’s age, comfort, and preference of both the provider and patient.

So, the next time you find yourself reaching for pills because of headaches, remember that there are better options! Give chiropractic a try. You’ll be GLAD you did!!!

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 neck pain or headaches, we would be honored to render our services.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR HEADACHES!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888


Fibromyalgia and Sleep — Is There a Connection?

18 Feb

Is there a connection between fibromyalgia (FM) and sleep disturbance? Let’s take a look!

FM is a condition that causes widespread pain and stiffness in muscles and joints. Patients with FM often experience chronic daytime fatigue and some type of sleep problems like getting to sleep, staying asleep, and/or feeling restored in the morning upon waking. The National Institutes of Health estimates between 80-90% of those diagnosed with FM are middle-aged women, although it can affect men and happen at any age. As little as 10-20 years ago, it was hard to find a doctor who “believed” in FM, and it was common for the patient to be told that their pain “was all in their head.” FM has now been studied to the point that we know it is a real condition, and it affects between 2-6% of the general population around the world.

It is well established that sleep disturbance frequently occurs after surgery, which usually normalizes as time passes. One study used a group of healthy women who were deprived of sleep (particularly slow wave sleep) for three days to see if there was a link between sleep disturbance and pain. Results confirmed that the women experienced a decrease in pain tolerance and increased levels of discomfort and fatigue after three days—the same symptoms found among FM sufferers!

Fibromyalgia may have NO known cause, or it can be triggered by other conditions such as repetitive stress injuries, car crash injuries, and other forms of trauma. FM also appears to run in families though it’s still NOT clear if this is a true genetic link or caused by shared environmental factors. Some feel FM is a rheumatoid condition, and though FM is NOT a true form of arthritis, it has been found that people with arthritis are more likely to have FM.

FM sufferers frequently suffer from conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine headaches, arthritis, lupus, and major depressive disorders. Approximately 20% of FM patients have depression and/or anxiety disorders, and a link between chronic pain and depression exists and seems to play a role in people’s perception of pain.

Because conditions such as sleep apnea can result in symptoms similar to FM, it’s recommended that patients suspected of FM keep a sleep/sleepiness diary in order to rule out sleep apnea as a cause for their condition.

There are many “tips” for improving sleep quality, which we will dive into next month, as these may prove VERY HELPFUL in the management of FM!

If you, a friend or family member requires care for Fibromyalgia, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

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

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