Food Poisoning

Stats & Facts About Food Poisoning

• More than 200 known diseases are transmitted through food!
• Norovirus is the leading cause of illness and outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States.
• Salmonella is the second leading cause to food poisoning. There are almost 7,000 serotyped Salmonella isolates.
• Long-term effects from food poisoning include Kidney disease from E. coli and possible arthritis from Salmonella, among others.
• Campylobacter infection causes more than a third of Guillain-Barre Syndrome cases.
• Most people don’t realize they have food poisoning because most do not get sick enough to have the laboratory tests required to confirm an organism caused their illness. For example, for every one case of Salmonella illness confirmed in the laboratory, there are approximately 30 cases of Salmonella illness that were not confirmed.

Other Misconceptions

An Arizona Department of Health Services epidemiologist shed light on why food poisoning is so tricky to diagnose.

• Most of the time, the last thing you ate isn’t what made you sick.
• Many foodborne diseases don’t produce the toxins until after they are in your intestines, and once the process begins, it can take days to weeks for levels to increase enough to cause problems.
• The same pathogen can affect different people differently.

Sleep Disorder Improvements

Sleep Disorder Improvements Have Been Linked to Chiropractic Care.

According to SLEEPMED of Santa Barbara:

Insomnia Statistics

• 20 to 40% of all adults have insomnia in the course of any year

Stress Headaches

Stress Headaches

By Laurie Mueller, BA, DC, CFMP

Origins of the Stress Headache..

Headaches are a common condition presenting to chiropractic offices. This article will focus on the specific anatomy contributing to the stress headache, also known as the muscle tension headache. Stress can come from mental or physical sources. Emotionally it can come from small things, like irritation in traffic, or from something more serious, like going through a divorce, having anxiety or worry, or having a difficult time at work. Day-to-day demands are certainly a source of stress for many people. Physical stress can be another strong contributor. It can stem from poor posture, prolonged ill-positioning, repetitive motions (assembly line at work for example), or injuries (sprain/strain or whiplash). Whether mental physical, or both, the final result can be muscle tension. This is commonly seen in today’s world where so many individuals are over-stressed with life’s responsibilities. Sedentary lifestyles and workstations, such as sitting at desks and computers for long hours at a time, can also contribute to the problem.

Muscles and Bones

Many different muscles can be involved with tension, but for headaches, our top muscular culprits include the suboccuipital muscle group and the trapezius. This is especially true of our desk workers who may be ill positioned ergonomically, with their heads hanging forward in anterior weight bearing, putting tension into the suboccipitals.

The suboccipitals include rectus capitis minor and major, and obliquus capitis inferior and superior. We’ll also knowledge a few neck muscles that cancontribute like the splenius, semispinalis, and SCM. These all have attachments on the skull, most of them on the occipital bone at the back of the skull. The different muscles insert at various locations in the upper cervicals and all the way down to the upper thoracics.

Tension in these muscles can easily cause stress to other muscles of the skull and contribute to subluxations of the occiput, neck, and upper back.

The trapezius is our giant diamond-shaped muscle that covers the back. We see the left half of it in this diagram. It has attachments on the occiput, nuchal ligament, spinous process of C7-T12, lateral third of the clavicle, and scapula. When someone gives you a shoulder rub, they are actually massaging the upper belly of the trapezius muscle. That muscle belly is a common place to find spasm and trigger points, and it is a big contributor to neck discomfort and headache.

Management of Stress Headache

Ergonomics, how the patients position themselves at their workstations, will be an issue that the doctor will explore and try to remedy with the patient. If positioning is bad and not corrected, then the patients may find themselves in an endless cycle of muscle spasm and subluxation. The goal is to find causative factors and help remedy them.

During the course of examination and diagnosis, the doctor will also rule out other headache headache types (such as migraine, which could have a different origin), or other conditions such as food sensitivities. Occasionally, doctors may even find or suspect serious, such as brain tumors, and need to refer out.

Headaches invariably go hand in hand with muscle spasm and subluxations, and so adjusting the needed segments is a first line of defense in a chiropractic office.

Muscle/trigger-point work/stretching should be expected. The doctor may perform this technique if the office doesn’t have a massage therapist in-house. This can be coupled with muscle strengthening exercises that the patient performs at home.

Passive care modalities can also be used and are often administrated by the CA. This could include ice, heat, ultrasound, or electric stimulation (EMS) over the spasmed muscles.

Special Considerations

Note that we never perform EMS over the thyroid gland or the carotid sinus area. Why? Because stimulation of the gland could cause a hormonal surge, and the carotidsinus is full of baroreceptors, which tell the brain about blood pressure. Stimulation in this region can cause a dramatic drop in blood pressure and the patient could pass out.

 

VITAMIN E SUCCINATE

Vitamin E supplementation was protective against the development of various cancers, most notable lung and prostate cancer. Over a number of years, vitamin E succinate (alpha- tocopheryl succinate) has shown the most impressive anti cancer properties compared to all other forms of vitamin E. This form of Vitamin E causes rapid production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) selectively within cancer cells, triggering cell death, while being nontoxic to normal, healthy cells. Vitamin E succinate also inhibits the anti- apoptotic function of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, normally expressed by tumor cells.

Human Studies Underway

The impressive experimental cancer- killing effects of vitamin E succinate, coupled with our understanding of its observed anti- cancer properties (particularly reactive oxygen species- inducedd apoptosis). It may be wise to choose a multivitamin that contains vitamin E in the form of vitamin E succinate at a minimum dose of 400 IU for purposes of health promotion and possibly cancer prevention.

VA EXPANSION BILL MAKING PROGRESS

Legislation has been approved by the Senate that would expand chiropractic services within the Veterans Administration by requiring the chiropractic benefit be provided “at not fewer than two medical centers or clinics in each Veterans Integrated Service Network by not later than two years after the date of the enactment” and at 50 percent or more of VISN medical centers no later than three years after enactment. As per the Expansion of Provision of Chiropractic Care and Services to Veterans.

Study shows injections for radiculopathy and spinal stenosis are ineffective for long-term pain relief.

A recent study, “Epidural Corticosteroid Injections for Radiculopathy and Spinal Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” (Annals of Internal Medicine, August 2015), concludes that epidural corticosteroid injections for radiculopathy and spinal stenosis are ineffective for long-term pain relief and have no effect on long-term surgery risk.

In response, experts at the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) point out that the use of chiropractic care is documented to yield improved clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, and a 28-percent reduction in the likelihood of surgery when used as a primary approach in the management of spine-related conditions.

Healthy and Nutritious

The reality is that eggs are an amazing source of protein, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. While once considered a health risk, the egg can actually be called a “superfood”. Yes, the yolk does contain the lion’s share of cholesterol, but it also contains almost 3 grams of protein and is a great source of vitamins A, D, B6, B12 and iron. Consuming only the egg white eliminates many of the nutrients and all of the antioxidants found in eggs.

Eggs (yolk and white) contain vitamins A, B2, B5, B6, B12, De, E and K, calcium, folate, phosphorus, selenium and zinc. As a whole, the egg has 77 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of healthy or good fats, and omega-3 fatty acids, which lower triglycerides ( a well-known risk factor for heart disease).

This amazing food also contains the cell membrane-building nutrient choline, which is lacking in almost 90 percent of diets. Choline is important from a health perspective because it promotes normal cell activity, liver function and nutrient transportation in the body. Then there’s the nine essential amino acids the egg contains.

Last, but not least, eggs can actually be beneficial for eye health, since they contain the important antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which have shown to help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.

With zero carbs, no sugar, no gluten and 6 grams of protein, an egg should be a dietary staple. As with many food items, it is my recommendation that the best source is always going to be organic.

Melatonin: A Promising Natural Agent in the Prevention of ALS

Experimental studies have suggested melatonin could block key steps in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, primarily by acting as a brain antioxidant an inhibiting the build-up of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain (a hallmark feature of Alzheimer’s disease). Several clinical studies suggest melatonin can block the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to full-blown dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent animal study suggesting melatonin also blocks key steps in the development of Lou Gehrig’s disease (also known as amytrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS), a disease that causes progressive muscle weakness and eventual death due to the failure of respiratory muscles.

A research team determined melatonin is a powerful antioxidant which blocks the release of enzymes that activate programmed cell death (apoptosis) of nerve cells involved in the development of ALS.

The researchers involved in the recent animal study stated: “We demonstrate that melatonin significantly delayed disease onset, neurological deterioration and mortality in ALS mice.” More specifically, melatonin was shown to inhibit nerve degeneration and nerve cell death of the motor nerves involved in ALS.

BCM-95 Curcumin and BosPure Boswellia in prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer

In the first study of its kind, researchers have demonstrated novel and previously unknown mechanisms of action by which BCM-95 Curcumin and BosPure Boswellia work synergistically to prevent colorectal cancer and demonstrate anti-tumor activity in both in vitro and in vivo.

“We have known for awhile that curcumin and boswellia both have potent anti-cancer properties,: said Ajay Goel, PhD, one of the study’s authors. “In this study, we investigated how they work in conjunction to reduce proliferation and increase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (various mechanisms by which cancer cells are killed). We found that the two together activate a broader array of gene regulators called microRNAs, with a wider spectrum of impact compared to either compound individually.”

Whole grains may benefit you heart and lengthen your life

Foods made from whole grains – the hard, dry seeds of plants – have been a nutritional staple for thousands of years. They provide a wealth of heart-healthy nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, good fats, enzymes, antioxidants,  and phytonutrients, according to the April 2015 Harvard Heart Letter.

Eating whole grains instead of highly processed grains has a wide range of health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood cholesterol, and reducing chronic inflammation.

Wrapping around a solution

When people repeatedly push themselves to the limit, the body eventually breaks down, leading to injury and pain. And unsurprisingly, many of these patients take either prescribed or over-the-counter (OTC) medication on a regular basis to control pain and inflammation. But if medications should not be used over extended periods, what can be done instead? One safe alternative is using kinesiology tape (k-tape) over the site of pain. In individuals with chronic low-back pain, a study found that k-tape in conjunction with usual care resulted in a better pattern of abdominal muscle recruitment compared with pre-treatment measures. Another study found that regardless of the technique of application, k-tape was helpful in reducing pain and disability in individuals with chronic lo-back pain.

In a recent unpublished study in the U.S., researchers used ultrasound  imaging to show that k-tape has a lifting effect on subcutaneous tissue layers. This preliminary finding is in line with the long-held belief that k-tape’s mechanism of action is partially achieved through decompression of local tissues.

Clinically, this may be the reason for dramatic changes in the reduction of swelling and hematomas with k-tape application. This lifting effect creates convolutions on the skin that potentially decompress lymphatic vessels and facilitates the removal of exudates from the treated area.

The lifting effect is also thought to improve circulation locally, allowing ecchymoses to be cleared more efficiently. Finally, the lifting effect may simultaneously decrease pressure on superficial nociceptors and stilmulate mechanoreceptors, leading to less perception of pain in the underlying tissue.

Volunteering and Blood Pressure

Research conducted at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh showed that middle-aged and older people have a lower instance of hypertension when they devote time to helping others through volunteerism.

Those who reported participating in volunteer work for a minimum of 200 hours each year during the initial meeting in 2006 were determined to be 40 percent less likely to end up with elevated blood pressure at the second meeting than their peers.

The Evolution of Probiotics

In clinical practice, we see patients with complaints that cross the entire spectrum of health. On of the most common concerns is associated with digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) health. Patients may have constipation, diarrhea, bloating and/or chronic GI infections such as Candida; or associated problems such as small-intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Probiotics have ample research suggesting their ability to support a healthy digestive tract. The digestive tract is an extremely dynamic environment that, when properly balanced and healthy, works in amazing ways.

The clinical use of probiotics has been evolving over time. Consider a type of beneficial bacteria that was actually developed from studies looking at the relationship of the microbiota on the root system of plants and the microbiota in the human digestive tract. Efficacy has been shown in treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

B Vitamins Improve Memory, Prevent Brain Atrophy

The 2010 OPTIMA [Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing] study showed that the accelerated rate of brain atrophy in elderly with mild cognitive impairment could be slowed via supplementation with homocysteine-lowering B vitamins, which included folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. This is an important finding, as 16 percent of individuals older than age 70 have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). 50 percent of whom realize further progression to Alzheimer’s disease. It is well-documented that brain atrophy is a characteristic of subjects with mild cognitive impairment who progress to Alzheimer’s disease.

Given the emerging importance of these B vitamins on the rate of brain atrophy after age 60, memory, cognition, and risk of MCI and Alzheimer’s disease, health care practitioners should consider evaluating plasma folate (more ideally using erythrocyte folate test), plasma B12 levels and total plasma homocysteine levels in patients over age 50 to identify those who would best benefit from supplementation with these three B vitamins. When warranted, a low dose of prevention may translate into many more years of normal cognitive function and preserved quality of life and dignity.

                                                     

Laser Therapy: How It Works

The goal of laser therapy is to stimulate chemically damaged cells through specific wavelengths of light. When cells are chemically damaged they stimulate the pain cycle. The laser excites the kinetic energy within cells by transmitting healing stimuli known as photons. The skin absorbs these photons through a chemical effect. Since the laser is photo- chemical and not photo-thermal there is no heat damage done to the tissues.

Laser therapy does many other things like ignite the production of enzymes, stimulate mitochondria , increase lymphatic drainage, and elevate collagen formation to prevent the formation of scar tissues. Laser Therapy is a great opportunity for quick and effective healing. We now offer Laser Therapy here at Magnolia Chiropractic.

So please give us a call today!