Archive for March, 2010
Drugs…Just in Case?
March 31st, 2010 | 
Author: As a chiropractor who believes in the human body's ability to heal itself, often with the aid of natural, non-invasive, drug-free chiropractic treatment, I am always dismayed, but never surprised, at some of the pernicious claims and tenacious effrontery of drug companies when it comes to pain killers, in general, and the "treatment" of a number of conditions that don't get any better with drugs or are made worse by them. And, as a chiropractor who has helped hundreds of headache sufferers not only get temporary, but permanent relief, when I read about a drug study for yet another pain med that will likely keep headache sufferers numbed to their pain, but in the process numb to the rest of their life as well, I feel like shouting from the rooftops: "Try chiropractic first!" But, today, when I read about a study, sponsored by Merck (who also makes the product), I really felt compelled to say that this particular study is shamefully playing to the fears of migraine sufferers when, in fact, the drug itself only offers "less severity" at best when it comes to a migraine headache.
The study, conducted by Dr. X. Henry Hu of Merck & Co.and colleagues, found that one in five migraine sufferers had "avoided" a work-related commitment because they were afraid of getting a migraine, while 27 percent reported canceling a work commitment for this reason, and round 28 percent said they had avoided or canceled social commitments due to fear of migraines.
I have treated many patients who told me how much they'd "feared" the onset of a migraine and limited their activities in life because of that fear, so I do understand how devastating the fear of migraines can be. And, yet, the only "solution" this study offered?
This study is "important," said Dr. Hu, because the unpredictability of migraines could contribute to people's anxiety and fear about them and early treatment with migraine drugs called triptans can help reduce headache severity. "Because of the lack of predictability of future migraine attacks, migraine sufferers may benefit from increased education on the importance of keeping medications available at all times," he and his colleagues concluded.
My conclusion? If you suffer from migraines, give your chiropractor a call today!
SOURCE: Headache, published online March 25, 2010.
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Losing Weight the Lazy Way?
Though it is unclear how most U.S. men and women feel about gastric bypass surgery versus losing weight by adopting a healthy lifestyle, since Americans tend to have the most overweight people, per capita, than any other country, it is safe to say that a new poll conducted in Briton might also apply to attitudes in this country. The new British poll suggests that more than half of Britons would rather shift excess weight through drastic surgery than diet or exercise. More women than men, in fact, see weight-loss operations as the key to quick results.
As a chiropractor, I find these poll numbers very unfortunate. Weight-loss is, of course, very important for a person’s overall health — from helping to avoid cardio-vascular disease and diabetes to preventing the degenerative and often debilitating changes in the musculoskeletal system that occur as the body attempts to compensate for excess weight. I work with people every day who are experiencing debilitating and unnecessary back, hip, and knee pain as the result of the excess weight their body is attempting to carry around. Do these people need to lose weight? Yes, of course, but often these very same people have a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle, both of which impact the quality of their health, including organic function, oxygen and nutrient distribution, and mobility and energy, all of which will eventually affect their longevity. Overall, 26 per cent of women said they never exercise and would rather endure the discomfort of surgery than visit a gym once a week. Though this is not a majority by any means, it is still an unfortunate number of women who do not understand that 1) weight-loss surgery has serious risks and should only be considered when all other healthier means have been attempted and failed, and 2) the only way to genuinely get healthy and stay that way, in addition to weight loss is to eat a healthy diet (a balanced, nutritious) and have regular physical exercise (30 minutes at least five days a week).Huh? What’s That About Painkillers?
As a chiropractor I believe that there are many reasons for people to avoid taking painkillers whenever possible. Most people know that not only can painkillers become quickly addictive, but that they carry risky side effects. Though many of us are familiar with many of the negative side effects of painkillers, here’s one that surprised me. A new study in men hints that taking over-the-counter painkillers on a regular basis can actually lead to hearing loss, especially in younger men. And, an even bigger surprise, the study focused on the most common over-the-counter painkillers, Tylenol and Advil. So listen up!
Researchers found that men younger than age 50 who regularly took acetaminophen more than two times a week had roughly double the risk of hearing loss compared to men who did not take acetaminophen regularly. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and certain other pain relievers. They also found that men within this same age group who regularly took ibuprofen (the main ingredient in Advil) or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) at least twice a week had a nearly two-thirds higher risk of hearing loss than men who took NSAIDs less often. Men who took aspirin twice a week had a one-third higher risk.
The findings, which were published in the American Journal of Medicine March 2010, stem from nearly 27,000 men enrolled since 1986 in the Health Professionals’ Follow-Up Study. As part of the study, the men, who were between 40 and 74 years old at the outset, provided information on analgesic use, hearing loss and other relevant factors every 2 years for 18 years, during which time 3,488 men were diagnosed with hearing loss. For more information on this interesting study, go to Reuters.com