How Important Are Music and Art to Your Happiness?

5 Jan

Here is something you will find very interesting, especially if you like to listen to music or look at art.

Researchers have reported the first real-world demonstration of what happens in the brain when people observe artwork.

A team of University of Houston scientists analyzed brain activity data collected from more than 400 people who wore EEG headsets as they viewed an exhibit at the Menil Collection, offering evidence that useable brain data can be collected outside of a controlled laboratory setting.

The researchers said that conducting a study in the lab is artificial and they wanted to look at how to measure brain activity both in action and in context.

Compared with baseline readings, they found significant increases in functional, or task-related, connectivity in localized brain networks when the subjects viewed art they considered aesthetically pleasing.

By looking at brain activity alone, the researchers could predict with 55 percent accuracy whether the participant was looking at a complex piece of art, a moderately complex piece of art, or a blank wall.

Researcher Dr. Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal notes, “I don’t think we will understand the mystery [of how art is created]. The conception of art is a very individual process, built on the artist’s experiences, skills, memories, values and drives. But we will know what happens in the brain. We might find that there are people who are very attuned to visual art, or to music, or poetry, and there might be an underlying common neural network. If we know that, we could optimize the delivery of art for therapy, for teaching.”

What About Music?

One thing is clear, our eyes are amazing and very complex. Here is something you probably know: Pupils reflexively adjust— getting bigger and smaller— based on the amount of light available at any given time. Light makes them contract and darkness makes them dilate.

Now for something you probably do not know: Pupil size is also controlled by thoughts, emotions, and mental effort. For example, pupils dilate when viewing an exciting image or while working on a difficult mental task—like a hard math problem.

Sounds can also affect the pupil. For example, pupils can dilate when a person listens to two people argue. Everyone knows that music can create strong emotional reactions in people, but pupil dilation in response to music had not been systematically studied until now. In a recent study, a joint research team from the University of Vienna and the University of Innsbruck, both in Austria, found that listening to a romantic opera dilated listener’s pupils.

In participants who claimed music plays an important part in their lives, the research team observed the participants’ pupils dilated to a greater degree during more arousing parts of the opera compared with calmer sections.

In other words, it seems the more importance you place on music, the more of an emotional impact it may have on your life. The team notes future studies will involve other musical genres so they could see how the results from this study extrapolate.

Lead researcher Dr. Bruno Gingras adds, “Our research clearly demonstrates that pupil size measurement is a promising tool to examine emotional reactions to music. Moreover, because pupil responses cannot be voluntarily controlled, they provide a direct access to listeners’ preconscious processes in response to music.”

What About Sad Music?

In 2013, a team of Japanese researchers found that sad music might actually evoke positive emotions… which is why such songs are so popular. The researchers explain that sad music evokes contradictory emotions because the participants in their study tended to feel sad music to be more tragic, less romantic, and less blithe than they themselves felt while listening to it.

According to the researcher team from Tokyo University of the Arts and the RIKEN Brain Science Institute: “Music that is perceived as sad actually induces romantic emotion as well as sad emotion. And people, regardless of their musical training, experience this ambivalent emotion to listen to the sad music… Emotion experienced by music has no direct danger or harm unlike the emotion experienced in everyday life. Therefore, we can even enjoy unpleasant emotion such as sadness. If we suffer from unpleasant emotion evoked through daily life, sad music might be helpful to alleviate negative emotion.”

It should be noted that other research has shown possible negative effects associated with listening to sad music in some people. According to researcher Dr. Suvi Saarikallio, “Analysis showed that anxiety and neuroticism were higher in participants who tended to listen to sad or aggressive music to express negative feelings, particularly in males. This style of listening results in the feeling of expression of negative feelings, not necessarily improving the negative mood.”

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.

Do You Want to Be Healthy and Happy? Really… Do You?

4 Jan

Let me ask you an important question. It might change your life.

Here’s the question: If you could have anything, what would it be?

Most people say they want some huge amount of money. If they had enough money, all their problems would be solved and they would be happy. While I will agree having money is better than being poor, having money will not bring you the happiness you think it will.

Why? Because there are other things you must have to be happy that money cannot buy. Ironically, if you have the other things, money tends to come as well.

Probably the most important thing you need to be happy is AMBITION. Ambition is a powerful force that turns hopeful wishes into reality. But it must be the correct ambition.

The correct ambition leads you on the right course to have a wonderful life. Legitimate ambition says you only want something at the service of others… not at the expense of others.

If it is your ambition to be great, you must first find a way to serve others. If it is your ambition to be wealthy, you must first learn how to give. If it is your ambition to be healthy, you must first learn to stop doing the things that make you sick.

Ambition is at the core of every success, while wishes and wants without the correct ambition are completely worthless.

The greatest ambition you can have is to stop doing the things that make you sick and start doing the things that make you healthy.

Every day you are faced with simple choices. Should you eat healthy food or junk food? Should you exercise or sit on the couch? Should you think positive thoughts and live a positive life or should you be negative and full of stress?

All of those things are really just simple choices, and if you make the right simple choices every day for just one month, your life will change. You will see results, gain momentum, and notice the things in your life that you really want being created and achieved.

The correct ambition and intention is the key. The rest will follow.

Sincerely,

Dr. Binder

The Cholesterol Controversy!

28 Dec

With all the hype about cholesterol, where does the truth lie? On one hand, some doctors recommend EVERYONE be placed on a statin (cholesterol lowering medication) regardless if their cholesterol levels are high or not. On the other hand, some experts report that statins are unnecessary and cholesterol is both essential and good for us. So, where does the current research fit into this picture?

Let’s look at a July 2015 Harvard School of Public Health publication that reported “….it would be cost effective to treat 48-67% of all adults aged 40-75 in the [United States] with cholesterol-lowering statins. By expanding the current recommended treatment guidelines and boosting the percentage of adults taking statins, an additional 161,560 cardiovascular-related events could be averted.” The authors of the report start their discussion by recognizing the “new cholesterol treatment guidelines have been controversial” and seek to weigh the pros and cons of their recommendation. They point out that on one side, “there is strong evidence that statins reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke” and on the other, they report that “…more people would be at increased risk for negative side effects, such as memory loss, type 2 diabetes, and muscle damage.”

Of interest, in November 2013, the American Heart Association and others recommended that statins be prescribed for people with a 7.5% or greater risk of heart attack or stroke over a 10-year period (down from 10-20% or higher in previous guidelines), including many with no existing cardiovascular issues. An article in the July edition of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports the 7.5% was acceptable in terms of cost-effectiveness, “…but more lenient treatment thresholds of ≥3.0-4.0% would be “optimal…and would avert an estimated additional 125,000-160,000 CVD-events.”

The opposing camp regarding cholesterol management says that inflammation is at the core of heart disease and stroke, NOT cholesterol. Moreover, RAISING the amount of cholesterol-rich foods in our diet is reportedly WISE since only a small amount of our body’s cholesterol actually comes from diet and most is produced by the liver. Cleveland Clinic’s cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen says we NEED cholesterol, a theory that is now embraced by the new 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), as they have taken a TOTAL about-face compared with their 2010 recommendations (which had “stood” strong since the 1960s). The DGAC are now stating that “cholesterol is not considered a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.”

Other researchers say lowering dietary cholesterol is likely causing far more harm than good. Our cell membranes, as well as activity that goes on INSIDE our cells, our liver (cholesterol is a precursor to bile acids needed to digest the fat we eat), our digestive system, and our brain (which contains 25% of the cholesterol in our body) REQUIRE adequate cholesterol levels. Low levels of HDL cholesterol have been linked to several brain-related malfunctions including depression, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, violent behavior, and suicide. Also, cholesterol provides insulation for our nerve cells and plays an important role in the production of hormones (particularly testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen). Cholesterol is also important for the production of vitamin D, as when sunlight hits our skin, the cholesterol in the skin is converted into the vitamin.

Obviously, we have a choice: limit / reduce our cholesterol or embrace it. Which camp appeals to you the most?

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 CALL 717-697-1888

Whiplash – What Can I Expect?

24 Dec

Whiplash, or “Whiplash Associated Disorders” or WAD, is the result of a sudden “crack the whip” of the head on the neck due to a slip and fall, sports injury, a violent act, or most commonly, a motor vehicle collision (MVC), particularly a rear-end collision. In describing “what can I expect” after a whiplash injury, one thing is for certain, there are many faces of whiplash, meaning the degree of injury can range from none to catastrophic depending on many factors, some of which are difficult or impossible to identify or calculate. Let’s take a closer look!

Even though the good news is that most people injured in a car crash get better, 10% do not and go on to have chronic pain, of which about half have significant difficulty working and/or doing desired everyday activities. There is a “great debate” as to the way experts describe “chronic whiplash syndrome” (CWS) as well as how these cases should be managed. Some feel there is something PHYSICALLY wrong in the CWS patient, especially if severe neck or head pain persists for more than one year. There is some proof of this as Dr. Nikolai Bogduk from the University of Newcastle in Australia and colleagues have used selective nerve blocks to anesthetize specific joints in the neck to determine exactly where the pain is generated. The patient then has the option to have that nerve cauterized or burned and pain relief can be significant in many cases. Dr. Bogduk and his group admit that these CWS patients have more psychological symptoms, but they feel this is the result of pain, not the CAUSE.

On the other hand, experts such as Dr. Henry Berry from the University of Toronto report the EXACT OPPOSITE. He argues that it’s not JUST the physical injury that has to be dealt with but also the person’s “state of mind.” Dr. Berry states that when stepping back and looking at all the complaints or symptoms from a distance, “…you see these symptoms can be caused by life stress, the illness ‘role’ as a way of adjusting to life, psychiatric disorders, or even [made up by the patient].” Berry contends that it’s important to tell the patient their pain will go away soon, advises NO MORE THAN two weeks of physical therapy, and sends people back to work ASAP.

Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine’s Dr. Michael D. Freeman, whose expertise lay in epidemiology and forensic science, disagrees with Dr. Berry stating that the scientific literature clearly supports the physical injury concept and states, “…the idea that it is a psychological disturbance is a myth that has been perpetuated with absolutely no scientific basis at all.” Dr. Freeman states that 45% of people with chronic neck pain were injured in a motor vehicle crash (which includes three million of the six million of those injured in car crashes every year in the United States).

Here’s the “take home” to consider: 1) CWS occurs in about 10% of rear-end collisions; 2) Some doctors feel the pain is physically generated from specific nerves inside the neck joints; 3) Others argue it’s a combination of psychological factors and care should focus on preventing sufferers from becoming chronic patients.

Many studies report that chiropractic offers fast, cost-effective benefits for whiplash-injured patients with faster return to work times and higher levels of patient satisfaction.

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 Dec

According to the World Health Organization, headaches are among the most common disorders of the nervous system affecting an estimated 47% of adults during the past year. Headaches place a significant burden on both quality of life (personal, social, and occupational) and financial health. They are usually misdiagnosed by healthcare practitioners, and in general, are underestimated, under-recognized, and under-treated around the world. So, what about chiropractic and headaches… Does it help?

Suffice it to say, there are MANY studies showing chiropractic care helps headache sufferers. For instance, in a review of past research studies using an “evidence-based” approach, chiropractic treatment of adults with different types of headaches revealed very positive findings! Researchers note that chiropractic care helps those with episodic or chronic migraine headaches, cervicogenic headache (that is, headaches caused by neck problems), and tension-type headaches (chronic more than episodic). There appears to be additional benefit when chiropractic adjustments are combined with massage, mobilization, and/or adding certain types of exercises, although this was not consistently studied. In the studies that discussed adverse or negative effects of treatment, the researchers noted no serious adverse effects.

In patients suffering from athletic injuries, particularly post-concussion headache (PC-HA), chiropractic care can play a very important role in the patient’s recovery. With an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related brain injuries occurring each year, approximately 136,000 involve young high school athletes (although some argue this is “grossly underestimated”).

Several published case studies report significant benefits for post-concussion patients after receiving chiropractic care, some of which included PC-HA from motor vehicle collisions, as well as from slips and falls. For example, one described an improvement in symptoms that included deficits in short-term memory as well as attention problems. In this particular study, a six-year-old boy fell from a slide in the playground, and after 18 months of continuous problems, underwent a course of chiropractic care. After just three weeks of care, his spelling test scores improved from 20% to 80% with even more benefits observed by the eighth week of care!

Another case study looked at a 16-year-old male teenager with a five-week-old football injury who had daily headaches and “a sense of fogginess” (concentration difficulties). He reported significant improvement after the second visit, with near-complete symptom resolution after the fifth visit (within two weeks of care). After seven weeks of care, he successfully returned to normal activities, including playing football.

Dizziness and vertigo are also common residuals from concussion and were present in a 30-year-old woman just three days following a motor vehicle accident. She also complained of headache, neck pain, back pain, and numbness in both arms. The case study noted significant improvement after nine visits within an 18-day time frame.

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 NECK PAIN! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dietary Strategies to Treat Fibromyalgia

21 Dec

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common condition that affects about five million Americans, often between ages 20 and 45 years old. FM is very difficult to diagnose primarily because there is no definitive test like there is for heart, liver, or kidney disease. Equally challenging is the ability to effectively treat FM as there are frequently other conditions that co-exist with FM that require special treatment considerations. Typically, each FM case is unique with a different group of symptoms and therefore, each person requires individualized care.

Fibromyalgia symptoms can include generalized pain throughout the body that can vary from mild to severely disabling, extreme fatigue, nausea/flu-like symptoms, brain “fog” (“fibro-fog”), depression and/or anxiety, sleeping problems and feeling un-refreshed in the mornings, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, morning stiffness, painful menstrual cramps, numbness or tingling (arms/hands, legs/feet), tender points, urinary pain or burning, and more!

So, let’s talk about ways to improve your FM-related symptoms through dietary approaches. When the FM symptom group includes gut trouble (bad/painful gas, bloating, and/or constipation), it’s not uncommon to have an imbalance between the “good” vs. the “bad” bacteria, yeast, and problems with digestion or absorption. Think of management as a “Four Step” process for the digestive system:

  1. REMOVE HARMFUL TOXINS: Consider food allergy testing to determine any foods the FM patient has a sensitivity for. Frequently, removing gluten, dairy, eggs, bananas, potatoes, corn, and red meat can benefit the FM patient. The use of anti-fungal and / or anti-bacterial botanicals (as opposed to drug approaches such as antibiotics) can be highly effective. A low allergy-potential diet consisting of fish, poultry, certain vegetables, legumes, fruits, rice, and olive and coconut oil is usually a good choice.
  2. IMPROVE DIGESTIVE FUNCTION: The presence of bloating and gas is usually indicative of poor digestion, and the use of a digestive enzyme with every meal can be highly effective!
  3. RESTORE THE “GOOD” BACTERIA: Probiotics (with at least 20-30 billion live organisms) at each meal are often necessary to improve the “good” gut bacteria population, which will likely also improve immune function.
  4. REPAIR THE GUT: If the gut wall is damaged, nutrients like l-glutamine, fish oils, and n-acetyl-d-glucosamine may help repair it.

This process will take several months, and some of these approaches may have to be continued over the long term. Doctors of chiropractic are trained in nutritional counseling and can help you in this process. As an added benefit, many FM sufferers find the inclusion of chiropractic adjustments to be both symptomatically relieving and energy producing.

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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