The Most Important Principles for Staying Young: Sweet Solutions to Sugar Addiction

21 Jul

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.

Nearly 13% of North American adults’ caloric intake comes from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and sugar. That adds up to 152 pounds (~69 kg) of sugars a year — that’s another whole person! No wonder so many people are fighting obesity, metabolic disorders, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Ever since the book Sugar Blues came out in 1975, researchers have debated if sugar really can trigger an addiction’s “gotta-have-it-and-have-it-now” response.

Now it seems it really does. Scientists at MIT say mice will cross an electrified zone to get to sugar even when they’re completely full and eating the sugar stimulated the same areas of the brain in the same manner as other addictive substances (both legal and illegal). So, if you have a sweet tooth that just won’t quit, it’s time to use proven detox methods. Talk to your doctor about reducing your sugar intake and/or set up an appointment with a nutritionist or coach (check out Dr. Mike’s Cleveland Clinic Wellness Center online) who can offer you nutritional guidelines, emotional support, and a plan. Get a buddy to do the added-sugar elimination with you so you can offer each other support and cook healthy foods together.

Thanks for reading. And 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).

Best,
Young Dr. Mike Roizen (aka, The Enforcer)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Neck Pain – The Great Mystery!

19 Jul

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) develops when the median nerve is pinched at the palm-side of the wrist causing numbness in the index, third, and thumb-side half of the ring/fourth finger. Since the median nerve passes through the neck, it’s possible that dysfunction in the neck can interfere with the median nerve, resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome-like symptoms. Sometimes the median nerve can be “pinched” in both the neck and the wrist in what’s known as double crush syndrome.

Though many patients benefit from both surgical and non-surgical CTS treatment approaches, it is not uncommon for the results to fall short of a total resolution of symptoms. In these unsuccessful cases, it’s possible the median nerve is “pinched” at one or more locations other than the area the treatment focused on. In some cases, the hand symptoms and other signs of CTS can improve following treatment to relieve cervical dysfunction. The opposite can also be true with neck pain and related symptoms improving when the carpal tunnel is treated.

The concept of “differential diagnosis” has to do with considering multiple possible causes that can create similar symptoms, and one by one, ruling “in” or “out” each diagnosis by performing various tests with the ultimate goal of coming away with one solid diagnosis. Of course, the problem with this is that there is often more than one diagnosis at play, and in such cases we must determine which one is primary vs. secondary.

Taking our topic this month as an example, a chiropractor may often see cervical spine x-ray findings such as degenerative disk spaces, osteoarthritic spurring, or narrowing of the foramen that the spinal nerves pass through in route to the arm and hand. However, they may not be sure if these findings are “clinically important” or even contribute to a “cervical radiculopathy” or pinched nerve in the neck. It’s possible to see these same x-ray findings in patients with no radiating arm symptoms whatsoever. Similarly, patients with radiating arm / hand complaints may have NONE of these findings! The same holds true with bulging and/or herniated disks in the neck because these may or may NOT cause any radiating symptoms. When a chiropractor is able to reproduce arm and hand symptoms during an examination of the neck that are similar to CTS, this increases the doctor’s suspicion that at least a portion of the hand complaints may be attributed to nerve compression from the neck. When both neck and wrist findings co-exist, tests like EMG (electromyography) and NCV (nerve conduction velocity) can really help in some cases, but in other instances, the degree of nerve loss (the amount of damage) may not be enough to be accurately assessed with such diagnostic tools.

The “bottom line” is that all health care practitioners start “conservative” and wait until all approaches have been exhausted prior to recommending surgery. As described in previous articles, there are MANY non-surgical approaches that chiropractors can provide and you owe it to yourself to try these conservative approaches first!

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.

Low Back Pain – When is it DANGEROUS to Wait?

14 Jul

Low back pain (LBP) typically results from relatively “benign” causes, meaning it’s usually safe to wait and try conservative / non-emergency care first. However, there are a handful of times when prompt medical emergency management is appropriate, and it’s important that everyone is aware of these uncommon but dangerous and sometimes deadly causes of LBP, hence the purpose of this article.

“Red flags” trace back to the 1980s and 1990s, so this is not a “new” topic. In fact, guidelines for the care of LBP that have been published around the world ALL commonly state the anyone exhibiting these “red flags” needs to be promptly diagnosed and referred for emergent care. The common conditions cited in these guidelines include (but are not limited to): 1) Cancer, 2) Cauda equine syndrome, 3) Infection,  4) Fracture. The patient’s history can sometimes uncover suspicion of these four conditions BETTER than a routine physical examination, though a definitive diagnosis is usually made only after special diagnostic tests have been completed including (but not limited to) imaging (x-ray, MRI, CT, PET scans), blood tests, bone scans, and more.

1) Cancer: a) Past history of cancer. b) Unexplained weight loss (>10 kg within 6 months). c) Age over 50 or under age 18. d) Failure to respond to usual care (therapy). e) Pain that persists for four to six weeks. f) Night pain or pain at rest.

2) Infection: a) Persistent fever (>100.4º F). b) Current/recent URI (upper respiratory tract infection like pneumonia) or UTI (urinary tract or kidney infection). b) History of intravenous drug abuse. c) Severe back pain. d) Lumbar spine surgery within the past year. e) Recent bacterial infection (cellulitis or persistent wound – e.g., a decubitus ulcer or “pressure sore” in the low back region). f) Immunocompromised states such as those caused by systemic corticosteroids, organ transplant medications, diabetes mellitus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

3) Cauda Equina Syndrome: a) Urinary incontinence or retention. b) Saddle anesthesia. c) Anal sphincter tone decrease or fecal incontinence. d) Bilateral lower extremity weakness or numbness. e) Progressive neurologic deficit or loss – major muscle weakness or sensory deficit.

4) Fracture: a) Prolonged corticosteroid use. b) Age >70. c) History of Osteoporosis (poor bone density). d) Mild trauma over age 50. e) Major trauma at any age (such as a fall).

Another red flag is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurism. Signs include: a) Abdominal pulsations. b) Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerotic vascular disease). c) Pain at rest or night time pain. d) Age >60.

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.

Do You Crave Late Night Snacks?

13 Jul

You should be in bed but instead you are wandering around the kitchen searching for something to eat.  How many times are you going to open the refrigerator door hoping something new and delicious is going to appear that was not there 30 seconds ago? If this description fits you, then you are not alone.  Countless people are the victims of late night cravings.

In a newly published study, exercise science professors and a neuroscientist at Brigham Young University used MRIs to measure how people’s brains respond to high and low-calorie food images at different times of the day.  The results showed that images of food, especially high-calorie food, can generate spikes in brain activity, but those neural responses are lower in the evening.

Lead study author Dr. Travis Masterson notes, “You might over-consume at night because food is not as rewarding, at least visually at that time of day… It may not be as satisfying to eat at night so you eat more to try to get satisfied.”  In other words, when you eat at night, your brain is just not as satisfied as when you eat at other times during the day.  Just knowing your brain is “tricking” you and that you do not actually need more food may help you avoid late night binges, weight gain, and the associated health risks.

Do You Suffer from Snoring or Sleep Apnea?

9 Jul

Sleep apnea is a common problem, affecting as many as 26 percent of adults. Sleep apnea is a term used to describe a condition in which a person is unable to breathe properly during sleep, which can have serious health consequences. Some experts believe the rise in sleep apnea diagnoses over the recent decades is related to the dramatic rise in obesity over the same time frame.

Snoring is a related problem caused by a restriction in your airway stemming from either your throat or nasal passageway. It’s the vibrations caused by air as it struggles to get through your soft palate, uvula, tongue, tonsils, and/or muscles in the back of your throat that create the snoring sound.

Not only do these breathing disruptions interfere with sleep, leaving you unusually tired the next day, but they can also reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood, which can impair the function of internal organs and/or exacerbate other health conditions you may already have. Previous research has also linked sleep disturbance to cognitive decline and dementia so if you’re having trouble sleeping, take action now to find help. Not only will you feel better now but your golden years may be a bit more golden

Teen Becomes Hero on His Way to Jail!

7 Jul

We hear it every day.  The news is filled with it and so are Facebook posts.  The tension seems to grow by the minute.  I’m sure you know what I am referring to just by reading this first paragraph.  If not, you must be living in a cave.  Either way, you are going to love what you are about to read. It’s NOT about who is right and who is wrong.  It’s not about one side versus another.  In fact, it’s not about all that controversy at all. If you are looking for that, this is not for you.  You can get your fill of that by turning on any of the cable “news” shows out there. This is for you if you want proof of the brighter side of things.  Proof that people actually do care about each other.  Proof that just because someone does one — or even a few bad things —  they may not be a bad person and can still make wonderful choices and do amazing things. Here’s the story…

Jamal Rutledge was off to a bad start in life.  By 17, he already had several run-ins with the law.  According to a Sun Sentinel article published earlier this year, “Rutledge was being booked for violation of probation on charges including burglary and violation of juvenile imposed conditions…” Seems like a pretty bad kid, doesn’t he?  Well, the story gets better… While Officer Franklin Foulks was filling out some mandatory paperwork in relation to Jamal’s arrest, he grabbed his chest in pain, fell off his chair, and collapsed to the floor.  Jamal, who was sitting just a few feet away, did not hesitate to react.  He immediately got up and started kicking the security fence and screaming for other officers to come help. In no time, help arrived and began administering CPR and defibrillation to Foulks’ heart.  There is no doubt that Jamal’s immediate action saved the life of Officer Foulks.

This may seem ironic at first, but the irony is overshadowed by the much bigger picture.  That bigger picture is the fact that Jamal is not an evil person, he is just a misguided kid.  While he made some bad decisions in his life thus far, he still has the ability to care about other people – even people he might dislike under a certain set of circumstances – and save lives. It’s amazing how important “certain circumstances” are.  It is not uncommon for two people who think they hate each other in one environment to find out they like or even love each other when placed in totally different surroundings.  Most of the time it is because the false narrative of “us vs. them” falls apart once people deal with each other on a personal level.  We see how our “enemies” are actually just like us and not enemies at all.

The “common enemy” is the battle cry of those who profit from promoting division… not unity.  War not peace.  Struggle not success.  Author and speaker, Wayne Dyer has often said, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”  I have a feeling Jamal and Foulk understand what Wayne Dyer is talking about.  I bet they have both changed the way they look at things, and because of that, their entire lives have changed…

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