November 20, 2009 | Filed under: General Interest
CONCLUSION: In noninstitutionalized older adults, a group at high risk for all-cause mortality, serum 25(OH)D levels had an independent, inverse association with CVD and all-cause mortality. Randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation in older adults are warranted to determine whether this association is causal and reversible.
Summary in English: This recent study found a direct relationship between those older adults with vitamin D inadequacies and an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality. So basically if you don’t have enough Vit D your likelihood of dying is significantly higher.
They are going to do more research but why wait. Vitamin D is actually a more like a hormone than a vitamin so it makes sense it is so crucial. But it is easy and cheap to test for Vit D and to supplement with.
Vitamin D can be produced within your body by the sun but it’s very difficult to get enough sunlight in the bay area to provide you with adequate Vitamin D levels (current research states 32 ng/mL as the threshold for optimal health, meaning it should be above this).
Come in we’ll order a quick and easy blood test and determine what your levels are and if you need to supplement how much you’ll need. Vitamin D is also something you don’t want to overdose so it’s important know where you are.
November 18, 2009 | Filed under: Drugs, General Interest, Headaches
Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, which is a return of stomach contents up into the esophagus, which frequently causes heartburn, is typically treated with a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPI) such as Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium. The commonly know side effects include diarrhea and headaches and even hip fractures.
A recent study published in the World J Gastroenterology found that patients on PPIs gained an average of 8 pounds over 2 years of use compared to those receiving a placebo.
This is a significant problem, the study goes on to say “that patients should be encouraged to manage body weight through lifestyle modifications”. That is good advice but many patients already battle with weight gain so another card stacked against them is not ideal.
I have been able to improve GERD symptoms through natural supplements, supported by the research that do not have this negative affect. When I work a patient up from a functional medicine approach, this is a common problem that quickly responds favorably to conservative care. Even if a person is on a PPI, the natural supplement that I use has been shown to decrease heartburn and commonly the need for the medication. The patient’s medical doctors are often shocked but excited about the improvement because typically a person is on a PPI for life.
These drugs are commonly prescribed prophylactically when a patient has pain that is being managed by NSAIDs due to gastrointestinal events (or bleeding in the patients gut) and very often a person’s pain can be managed through chiropractic care so the need for both the PPI and the NSAID will be dramatically reduced.
Bottom Line: Drugs should be utilized short-term while the health care provider and patient searches for the cause of the problem. Too often patients are put on drugs for life (eg NSAIDs or PPIs) and the cause of the problem is then forgotten about but EVERY drug has a side effect, many of which we don’t know yet. So utilize medications conservatively, short-term so you can cope as a more sustainable solution is found.
November 9, 2009 | Filed under: Dr Cohen, General Interest, Sports
I see wrist complaints day-in and day-out from patients from all over the bay area usually the symptoms are improperly classified as carpal tunnel syndrome. It is because of this I decided i would invent something to help create balance for the hand. My practice focuses primarily on balance and our hands, like our trapezius or shoulder muscles, are often under tons of stress from the typical desk job so we need to make sure we balance out the opposite muscles.
In the hands, the finger flexors are overworked and the finger extensors are under utilized. As I type this out I feel my flexors working (not the extensors).
I use to suggest a rubber band over all of the fingers and simply extend (my close friend Dr. Ti Pence, a well-known chiropractor in Japan, swears by the brocolli ruberbands because they’re strong and cheap). Yet, I wanted something that evenly distributed the resistance because I noticed my pinky and ring finger weren”t pulling their fair share.
Before I sink money and time into creating a new device I researched what was out there and ran across the Xtensor which seemed to do exactly what I wanted it to do without worrying about patents and marketing. So I’ve been using it for a few days and am impressed at the workout it gives my hands which is useful to negate the typing on my computer, on my Iphone (or Blackberry), rock climbing, swinging a tennis club (or golf club if I played more), working on patients, and even writing. Think about your daily life, I imagine you over utilize your finger flexors as well.
I’d suggest the Xtensor as a great conservative way to restore balance to the wrist. I bought a case of them so will be selling them at a price lower than the products own website because I think balance is something we should have specially in the hands which we all want to be remain agile.
This is yet another way that ProActive Chiropractic gets you Back to Work, Back to Play.
