Health care breakthroughs are big business. We know this because such news is reported in the Business Section of newspapers and magazines. Discussions relate primarily to the potential impact on the company's share price and revenues. Possible benefits to patients are a secondary concern compared to the amount of money involved.
Business coverage of these issues is yet another reminder of how far health care has moved away from its original and sole focus on treatment. Sadly, the bottom line has become the bottom line. And yet, there may be real breakthroughs on the horizon. Advances in DNA analysis and nanotechnology may bring us closer to a world of personalized treatment for cancer and other disorders.
For example, university researchers have been working for years on methods to deliver cancer drugs to the actual tumor.1 If possible, this would substantially improve on current treatment which floods the patient's entire body with highly toxic anti-cancer medication.
These new methods - collectively termed targeted cancer therapy - involve the cancer drugs hitching a ride on very small particles - nanoparticles - which are programmed to seek out and attach to the malignant tumor.2 The toxic drug only interacts with the tumor cells, killing the tumor but not affecting any of the patient's normal cells. If this research pans out, meaningful progress would be made.
Early detection of disease - cancers, hormonal disorders, inflammatory diseases - is often discussed as a critical factor in the success of treatment. Recently, in the last ten years, progress in the fields of nanotechnology and DNA and protein analysis has brought us closer to real-world early detection.
Researchers are gaining the ability to analyze very small amounts of biomarkers - specialized proteins that may indicate the presence of specific diseases - in both blood and individual cells3. A lot more work needs to be done to standardize these tests and understand which biomarkers are related to which diseases - but this seems to be merely a matter time. Within ten or fifteen years, such analysis may become readily available and routine. This would be a real breakthrough.
However, rather than placing our bets on diagnostic and treatment methods that may or may not become available, doesn't it make more sense to take care of our physical health right now, today? The vast majority of diseases that affect Americans - heart disease, diabetes, and obesity - are, for the most part, lifestyle disorders. And, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that many cancers are also related to lifestyle.
Of course, lifestyle is a code word for good nutrition, regular exercise, sufficient rest, a positive mental attitude, and rewarding family and personal relationships. An important part of lifestyle is maintaining a body that works - and the best way to ensure good overall health is with periodic, regular chiropractic care.
Chiropractic treatment ensures your body is working at its optimum. Chiropractic treatment gives your body its best chance of functioning at a level of optimum health. Your chiropractor will be glad to help you learn how to achieve a healthy, vibrant lifestyle.
1Choi MR, et al: A Cellular Trojan Horse for Delivery of Therapeutic Nanoparticles into Tumors. Nano Letters 7(12):3759-3765, 2007
2Zahr AS, Pishko MV: Encapsulation of paclitaxel in macromolecular nanoshells. Biomacromolecules 8(6):2004-2010, 2007
3Favis R, et al: Universal DNA Microarray Analysisof p53 Mutations in Undissected Colorectal Tumors. Human Mutation 24:63-75, 2004
We all know that five 30-minute sessions of vigorous exercise each week is necessary for obtaining and maintaining high levels of health and well-being. The type of exercise doesn't matter, although a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training provides optimal benefit. However, what many people don't seem to know is that their exercise time needs to be focused, that is, mentally focused. Without such specific attention, you may not derive the benefits you're seeking. Importantly, your exercise time is not just another way to spend time.1,2
If you visit a fitness center as an observer, you may see a lot of people wearing exercise gear who are doing many things, none of which is exercising. You'll see people doing a set with weights and then spending the next few minutes scrolling through their text messages, responding to a phone call, or fooling around with the playlist on their portable music device.
You'll see people who are presumably exercising, but what they're really doing is carrying on an extended conversation with their "personal trainer" throughout their entire set of 12 bench presses or 12 dumbbell squats. You'll see acquaintances meet by chance, as each one is on his or her way to another piece of equipment. They stop and chat for 10 minutes before moving on to where they were going and resuming their exercise session.
The same kinds of non-exercise activities occur in the stationary bike/elliptical machine/treadmill area, where people are consistently interacting with their electronic devices or talking with neighbors or passers-by while simultaneously striding, stepping, or pedaling, furiously or otherwise.
What's wrong with this picture? None of these texting-phoning-and-socializing-while-exercising persons seems to have been informed that exercise time is for exercise. But that's a critical message to have missed. When exercising, concentration is key.3 When you exercise, you're training entire physiological systems to respond to mechanical loads and ever-changing weight-bearing stresses. Deep structures involved in this training include muscles and ligaments attached to your spine and the long bones of your legs and arms, as well as the electrical control centers in your heart. These deep structures must be able to respond instantaneously, receiving and sending accurate information on the fly from and to your brain and your cardiorespiratory and endocrine systems.
Any other input and output, such as talking to friends or manipulating an electronic playlist, will act as noise and seriously interfere with gaining any lasting benefit from your exercise activities. Also, distractions lead to injury. When you're distracted, your body is cooling down. The back strain or hamstring pull you've experienced may, in fact, be accurately attributed to a failure of focus.
The takeaway is that interruptions should be brief. You can certainly chat with a friend for 30 seconds or a minute. You can very quickly page through your text messages, if that's what you feel you need to do. But your focus should immediately snap back to your exercise. By fully focusing on what you're doing, the valuable time you spend exercising will result in appropriate long-term benefits.
1Weng TB, et al: Differential Effects of Acute Exercise on Distinct Aspects of Executive Function. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2014 Oct 9. [Epub ahead of print]
2Voss MW, et al: The influence of aerobic fitness on cerebral white matter integrity and cognitive function in older adults: results of a one-year exercise intervention. Hum Brain Mapp 34(11):2972-2985, 2013
3Raine LB, et al: The influence of childhood aerobic fitness on learning and memory. PLoS One 2013 Sep 11;8(9):e72666. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072666. eCollection 2013
As Martha and the Vandellas sang back in the 1960s, summer's here! There's so much to do and we want to make sure we have a great time. Baseball, basketball, volleyball. Swimming and surfing. Walking and running. Hiking and climbing. Rollerblading and skateboarding. Now that summer's here, everything's possible and everything's available.
Whether you live near the Maine woods, the plains of Nebraska, the beaches of southern California, or the glories of New York City's Central Park, summer is the time to be outdoors. Summer is the time to be active. It's important to get prepared for all this activity to ensure we can have fun all summer long.
This is especially challenging when you sit at a desk Monday through Friday and can't wait to get started on Saturday morning. Seven AM finds you on the tennis court or the golf course, ready to start slamming balls around. Or you hit the track and start pounding out the first few laps of your three- or four-mile run. Or you paddle out to meet the waves, ready to ride one in and rule the world.
What happens to many of us on these gung-ho Saturdays is a range of unwelcome injuries - muscle pulls, tendon strains, ankle sprains, or worse. These injuries are unexpected and most unwelcome. They may restrict our activities for several weeks and interfere with our summer plans and summer fun.
The solution is preparation. If you're older than 25, the reality is you have to prepare for physical activity. And even if you're younger than 25, it's still smart to prepare.
Regular exercise during the week will prepare you for all your weekend summer fun. 1,2 One of the most important benefits of regular exercise relates to training your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints to do physical work. Exercise teaches your muscles to support heavy loads, and exercise teaches your joints how to handle mechanical stresses throughout their full ranges of motion.
The result is you're able to play your sports and do your activities full out. You're already pre-prepared by the exercise you've done during the week.
Now this doesn't imply you can go out on the tennis court and start serving at 100 miles per hour. Nor can you start your Saturday morning run at full speed. Nor can you start spiking balls over the volleyball net in the first five minutes of your practice game.
It's still important to warm-up and get into the rhythm of the activity or game. Loosen up and get all the parts moving before reaching your peak. And be sure to do some cool-down activities afterward. For most of us, the cool-down is just as important as the activity itself. Cooling-down helps us build muscle tone and improves flexibility, so our sports performance and skill level can continue to develop and improve.
Your chiropractor will be glad to help you design an exercise program that will work for you and help ensure a summer of fun!3
1Reinold MM, et al: Current concepts in the scientific and clinical rationale behind exercises for glenohumeral and scapulothoracic musculature. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 39(2):105-117, 2009
2Sturnieks DL, et al: Exercise for falls prevention in older people. J Sci Med Sport February 18th, 2009
3Hoskins W, et al: How to select a chiropractor for the management of athletic conditions. Chiropr Osteopat 17:3, 2009
Climbing a hill is a useful metaphor for activities involved in accomplishing a major goal, overcoming longstanding obstacles, or achieving a noteworthy milestone. But you must be prepared to engage in such a climb. Striking out without a metaphorical map, compass, bottle of water, or raingear will consistently result in limited success or actual failure. From a health and fitness perspective, climbing a hill may represent a real, concrete process. When you're out on your daily walk or run, unless you live and train entirely at sea level you're going to encounter changes in elevation. If you live in mountainous regions such as Southern California or along the Appalachian Trail, such variations in terrain require greater levels of aerobic capacity. Unless you want to spend your exercise time huffing and puffing, climbing a hill in the literal sense necessitates a high level of cardiovascular fitness.
Cardiovascular fitness may also be termed cardiorespiratory fitness.1 Such fitness refers to heart and lung capacity. With increased cardiorespiratory fitness, your heart's stroke volume increases. In other words, your heart pumps more blood with each beat than it did prior to attaining such fitness. More blood pumped per beat means your heart works less to achieve the same result. Your heart becomes more efficient, your blood pressure goes down, and your cells and tissues receive more nutrition more quickly.2,3 Similarly, with increased cardiorespiratory fitness your lungs take in more air with each breath. Such increased lung capacity means more oxygen is available to cells and tissues more quickly. Your entire cardiorespiratory system becomes more efficient. You're expending less metabolic energy and obtaining greater metabolic returns. Cardiorespiratory fitness substantially improves your overall health.
Attaining the goal of cardiovascular (cardiorespiratory) fitness involves the same type of thoroughness as that involved in achieving family and business-related goals. You plan your work and then work your plan. Interval training is a proven method of enhancing cardiovascular fitness, a method that is both mentally and physically challenging. Accomplishing your interval training goals also provides a great deal of fun and personal satisfaction.
Interval training involves alternating intense and slow periods of activity. Let's say you run three days a week, you average approximately 12 minutes per mile, and you run 3 miles per day. Now you'll substitute one interval training day per week for one of your regular running days. On your interval training day, you'll begin by lightly jogging 1 mile. Then you'll run 1/4 mile at 2:45, that is, slightly faster than your regular 3-minute per 1/4 mile pace. You'll continue with 1/4 mile at a very light recovery pace. Next, you'll repeat the sequence of fast (2:45) 1/4 mile followed by the slow recovery 1/4 mile. Repeat the sequence once more, add 1/2 mile of lightly jogging cool-down, and you've run your daily 3-mile quotient. Going forward, you may infinitely vary your interval training sequences, running 1/2 mile, 3/4 mile, and 1 mile interval distances at slightly faster than your race pace. You'll get faster gradually as your cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity increase. Within 6 months of engaging in consistent interval training, climbing hills may seem no more difficult than running on flat ground. Not only will you have become much more fit, you will have made tremendous gains in overall health and well being.
1Lavie CJ, et al: Exercise and the Cardiovascular System: Clinical Science and Cardiovascular Outcomes. Circ Res 117(2):207-219, 2015
2Myers J, et al: Physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness as major markers of cardiovascular risk: their independent and interwoven importance to health status. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 57(4):306-314, 2015
3Nayor M, Vasan RS: Preventing heart failure: the role of physical activity. Curr Opin Cardiol 2015 Jul 3. [Epub ahead of print]
It seems as if every few months there’s a new diet whose rules and requirements we must follow if we’re going to reach the goal of good health. The “paleo” diet provides a great example of this phenomenon. We’re exhorted by paleo proponents to eat lots of fats and animal protein. Carbohydrate consumption should be fairly light. Grass-fed beef is prized by paleo-dieters. You may consume unlimited amounts of butter, and must eliminate all cereals, legumes, and dairy products (except butter of course) from your diet. Now unless you’re a paleo convert, these prescriptions may seem to fly in the face of everything you’ve ever known about healthy eating. Paleo supporters will respond with the claim that human biology developed over the course of hundreds of thousands of years and that agriculture is brand new, having arrived about 10,000 years ago. That’s worth thinking about, but we may remember that other diets backed by correspondingly compelling logic and dollops of science have come and gone over the course of many decades.
For instance, the Atkins diet is still going strong for more than 50 years. The main requirement of the Atkins diet is low carbohydrate consumption, and in this way the Atkins program resembles the paleo diet. High-protein consumption is the other pillar of the Atkins approach. The rationale was that such an eating plan would force your body to burn fat, rather than glucose, for energy. But the diet hasn’t withstood rigorous scientific scrutiny.1,2
Vegan and vegetarian diets have also been popular for many decades.3 The vegetarian lifestyle has wide appeal and vegetarian recipes are famed for their simplicity and palate-pleasing qualities. However, vegetarian contrarians do exist. Some studies even suggest that vegetarian or vegan diets may be associated with anxiety, depression, and neurologic dysfunction.3
The bottom line is that good sense should prevail. Starting a diet because the program was touted in a magazine article or a talk-show interview may not be in every person's best interest. Simply put, any diet may be harmful to a particular person. It's important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. Paleo, Atkins, and vegetarian diets may create great benefits for certain persons, but may cause real medical problems for other people. The best overall approach for most us is to eat regularly from a wide variety of food groups, make sure to eat five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and pay close attention to portion control and calorie intake. Those desiring more detailed information and recommendations will find their chiropractors and family physicians excellent sources of expert guidance.
1 Noto H, et al: Low-carbohydrate diets and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. PLoS One 2013;8(1):e55030. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055030. Epub 2013 Jan 25
2 Lagiou P, et al: Low carbohydrate-high protein diet and incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Swedish women: prospective cohort study. Br Med J 2012 Jun 26;344:e4026. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e4026
3Plotnikoff GA: Nutritional assessment in vegetarians and vegans: questions clinicians should ask. Minn Med 95(12):36-36, 2012
We think mostly of chiropractic treatment in terms of lower back pain, neck pain, and headaches. In fact, there are numerous additional wide-ranging benefits to chiropractic health care. Many of these benefits are related to getting more out of our exercise activities.
For example, aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular function.1,2 As a result, during periods of rest the heart rate is slowed and the ability of the lungs to take in air (vital capacity) is increased. A slower heart rate means the heart is working more efficiently. Likewise, increased vital capacity means the lungs are working more efficiently. Fewer heart beats per minute and fewer breaths per minute result in reduced "wear and tear" on these critical systems. Aerobic exercise makes us healthier.
When we have stress, our muscles get tight. Sometimes this tightness is prolonged, and the normal mobility of our bones and joints is compromised. Reduced mobility of the spinal column creates a spiraling effect of tight muscles, tight ligaments, and further loss of mobility in the neck, middle back, and lower back. We experience pain in these areas as a result.3
These patterns may persist. We all know people who have frequent neck pain or lower back pain. These patterns of pain and limited mobility may result in changes to the normal curves of the spine. Normal curves may become flattened, and these changes result in further discomfort, muscular tension, and pain.
Importantly, loss of the normal spinal curvature in the neck and middle back may place additional stress on the heart and lungs. The actual physical space in which these organs function may become reduced. Maximum function may be compromised and efficiency is lost. Brisk walking used to be easy. Climbing stairs used to be no problem. Now these normal daily activities may leave you out-of-breath. You're huffing-and-puffing and don't know what's happened.
You begin doing aerobic exercises to try to improve cardiovascular function. But the potential benefits are limited by these underlying muscle, ligament, and joint problems. You spend a lot of time exercising but don't seem to be making any improvements.
Chiropractic health care may be able to restore more normal functioning. Chiropractic treatment restores mobility to spinal joints. The gentle treatment relieves stress on the spinal muscles and ligaments, which in turn improves spinal range of motion. Muscle tightness eases, pain and stiffness are reduced, and you become more flexible.
In addition, this improved flexibility allows your chest and rib cage to expand much more fully when you breathe. Your heart and lungs have more room to function, and you can now actually begin to receive the full benefits of your aerobic exercise.
Chiropractic care helps you get fit and stay fit!
1Pivarnik JM, et al. Effects of maternal aerobic fitness on cardiovascular responses to exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 25(9):993-998, 1993.
2Jackson EM, Dishman RK. Hemodynamic responses to stress among blackk women: fitness and parental hypertension. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34)7):1097-1104, 2002
3Petrella RJ, et al. Can primary care doctors prescribe exercise to improve fitness? Am J Prev Med 24(4):316-322, 2003
In effect, aerobic exercise and strength training complete each other. When you engage in both activities, consistently, week by week, you are maximizing your training benefits across the board.1,2,3 Together, these life-affirming activities help you paint a beautiful picture of vibrant health and well-being.
1Field T: Exercise research on children and adolescents. Complement Ther Clin Pract 18(1):54-59, 2012
We're all familiar with the mechanism of action-and-reaction in the world of sports. Pitcher-and-batter is an action-reaction duo in baseball. A basketball guard driving to the hoop and a defender leaping to block the shot is another example. A racecar driver negotiating a tight turn at speed is executing a complex series of actions and reactions.
Actions and reactions may also refer to choices we make in our daily lives. Someone cuts you off as you're trying to get into the left-hand lane. That's an action. Yelling and shaking your fist in the direction of that driver who by now is long gone is one sort of reaction. Taking a deep breath and simply releasing your tension is another sort of reaction. We may also take action on our own behalf or be reactive to events as they unfold. These are personal choices and, of course, there's no "right" way to be. However, the outcomes and consequences of an active vs. a reactive approach may often be different. These differences are apparent when we consider our approaches to personal health.
For example, the numbers of people affected by chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer continue to increase. In the United States one out of every three persons has a chronic disease, and most of these people have more than one chronic disease. It's also well-known that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. The majority of these disorders are related to people being reactive when it comes to their health. For example, the majority of cancers are preventable.1 Eating more food than your body needs for energy is a choice. Over time these extra calories accumulate in the body and one or more chronic diseases is the result. Finally, your doctor informs you that you have type 2 diabetes. You react to this news and declare you're going to cut down on junk food, lose weight, and really get serious about exercise. You're in reaction mode.
But there are consequences. Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of developing cancer 2 as well as cardiovascular disease. Once you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes it's certainly important to be reactive, but an active lifestyle approach could easily have prevented long-term consequences. Likewise with cardiovascular disease. You've never felt you needed to watch your weight, but as the years have gone by you've gradually gained weight and now you're concerned. Your doctor may inform you that both your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels are way too high and recommend several lifestyle changes that have been shown to be beneficial. Now you're in reactive mode and you eagerly desire to make a change.
Again, there are consequences. High blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels are important risk factors for heart attack and stroke. 3 Engaging in healthful actions in the first place helps to reduce these risks.
Regular chiropractic care is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Chiropractic care can be reactive, helping you to recover from an injury to your back or neck. Chiropractic care can be of even greater benefit from an active perspective. Chiropractic care helps to ensure that all of your body systems are working efficiently and working in harmony. Chiropractic helps you maximize the benefits from your lifestyle actions of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and sufficient rest.
1 American Cancer Society: Cancer Prevention and Early Detection. Facts and Figures. Atlanta, GA, ACS, 2008
2 Currie CJ, et al: The influence of glucose-lowering therapies on cancer risk in type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 52(9):1766-1777, 2009
3Robinson JG, et al: Atherosclerosis profile and incidence of cardiovascular events. A population-based survey. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 9(1):46, 2009
Chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes have increasingly high prevalence in world populations.1 Such prevalence is rising despite extensive use of prescription medications. Problematically, many people have two or more concurrent chronic disorders and are taking multiple medications. But frequently the various physicians are not in contact and are not aware of the patient's complete list of current prescriptions. No single physician or nurse is managing the patient's array of medications. As a result, potentially harmful drug interactions are a common occurrence.2,3 Mistakes are made and patients may suffer serious side effects. In such adverse circumstances, the cure in fact may be worse than the disease.
In today's health care systems, people as patients need to be good custodians of their own care. In many health systems, a patient is lucky if he or she is able to spend more than five uninterrupted minutes with their doctor. Physicians are rushed and harried by numerous responsibilities related to management of their offices, all of which take precious time away from patient interactions. In such an environment, patients need to be proactive to do their best to ensure that recommended treatment is actually going to be helpful, rather than potentially harmful. This is a very difficult task, as most people do not have backgrounds that will help facilitate understanding of such decision-making. But especially for those with a chronic disease, it's critically important to master at least a basic level of information regarding their condition and various types of treatment.
In addition to expanding one's knowledge base, an important long-term strategy is to begin to make lifestyle choices that will support good health. Appropriate and effective lifestyle choices include regular exercise, a healthy diet, and sufficient rest. All three of these key components of good health can be started right now. An exercise program should consist of five 30-minute sessions of vigorous exercise every week. A healthy diet consists of daily selections from all five major food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. A daily diet should include at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Regarding sufficient rest, 7-8 hours of sleep per night is a good average for most people. If you're not waking up feeling rested and refreshed, you're probably not getting enough sleep.
Ultimately, each of us is responsible for our own health and well-being. Prescription medication may be necessary, but of course such treatment is primarily directed toward the effects of a person's disease or disorder. Changes in lifestyle are required to address the underlying causes of such conditions. Beginning to institute and maintaining healthful lifestyle choices will provide long-term benefit for the welfare and well-being of our families and ourselves.
1Bauer UE, et al: Prevention of chronic disease in the 21st century: elimination of the leading preventable causes of premature death and disability in the USA. Lancet 384(9937):42-52, 2014
2Rotermann M, et al: Prescription medication use by Canadians aged 6 to 79. Health Rep 25(6):3-9, 2014
3Marengoni A, et al: Understanding adverse drug reactions in older adults through drug-drug interactions. Eur J Intern Med 2014 Oct 10. pii: S0953-6205(14)00282-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ejim.2014.10.001. [Epub ahead of print]
Headaches are big business. For the drug companies, that is.
Approximately 10 million Americans suffer daily headaches, and 50 million have headaches often enough to seek medical care. Approximately 23 million Americans suffer from migraines. Billions of dollars are spent each year on Aleve and Motrin for tension headaches and Imitrex for migraines.
But all that money might just as well be poured down a hole in the ground, because the statistics haven't changed in almost 20 years. Approximately one out of every six Americans suffers from headaches.
Tension headaches are most common, caused by muscle spasm in the neck and shoulders, stress, and even eye strain. The dull, pounding pain may be severe, and there may be nausea. Migraines are even more debilitating, and may be preceded by an "aura" - visual symptoms such as flashing lights or loss of portions of a visual field.
Headaches, although common, should never be taken for granted. People suffering headaches should, at some point, have a physical examination to rule out underlying problems such as high blood pressure.
Importantly, an unusual headache, accompanied by brand-new symptoms, should be evaluated by a physician immediately. A sudden, severe headache, "like nothing I ever had before", needs immediate attention. If you've never thrown up as a result of a headache, and suddenly you are, you need to see a physician. An unusual, unexpected level in the increase of headache pain needs immediate attention. Any of these situations could be caused by a serious underlying problem, and an MRI is usually necessary.
Chiropractic treatment may be of benefit for many people suffering with tension headaches and even migraines. A chiropractic physician will perform a complete physical examination, which may include x-rays. Underlying causes of headaches are ruled out. If a medical condition is suspected, the patient may be referred to the appropriate specialist.
Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a gentle procedure that reduces muscle tension and increases spinal mobility. Neck and shoulder muscles are freed from being held in fixed positions, resulting in increased circulation, improved nutrition, and more efficient muscle activity. The frequency and intensity of tension headaches may improve noticeably. Migraine headaches may improve as well.
Regular exercise and a balanced diet are very important in the treatment of headaches. Exercise improves all aspects of muscle function and improves circulation. Improved cardiovascular function means more blood is flowing to neck and shoulder muscles, bringing oxygen and nutrients and removing irritants such as lactic acid.
A balanced diet ensures that neck and shoulder muscles are getting the energy sources, vitamins, and minerals they need to work properly. A balanced diet in combination with regular exercise also results in weight loss, removing unnecessary mechanical stress in the form of excess pounds.
Headaches are usually a symptom of being out-of-balance. Exercise, balanced nutrition, and chiropractic care can help restore balance to our highly stressed lives.
1"Hospital Treats Headache Suffers". The New York Times, 12/25/88.
2Source: National Headache Foundation - www.headaches.org
3Source: Yale Medical Group - www.ymghealthinfo.org
