A Very Special Wedding

As a parent of a child with Down Syndrome, stories like this touch my heart. The pure love story between these two is inspiring to all married couples. My hat goes off to these two wonderful people and to the parents who raised them! I also send them my greatest hopes and prayers for a happy, healthy life!

Congratulations Taylor and Tiffany!

And thanks also to KUSA for reporting the story!


Watch the video on KUSA.
Read the story on KUSA.

Chiropractic is Better and Cheaper- Study Suggests

A study published this May shows that chiropractic patients have lower costs and higher patient satisfaction levels than patients treated by conventional medical doctors!

Researchers found that over the course of the seven-year study, patients visiting chiropractors (and other alternative health care physicians) had 60 percent fewer hospitalizations, 62 percent fewer outpatient surgical cases, and 85 percent lower drug costs when compared with total network HMO utilization rates and costs.

Lastly, the study found that patients seeing chiropractors (and other alternative health care physicians) consistently rated higher levels of patient satisfaction than patients who saw conventional medical doctors.

Study published in the May edition of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.


JMPT

ACA

What's Really in a Twinkie Anyway!?

From a Chinese oil refinery to your Twinkie?

Food makers don't often know where the chemicals in their products come from.
When I began researching the ingredients for Twinkies, I naively thought that their raw materials were extracted from nuts, beans, fruit, seeds or leaves, and that they came from the United States. I was looking to link places with foods — along the lines of California wine or Maine lobster, but for thiamine mononitrate. It turned out that I was way off.

Although eight of the ingredients in the beloved little snack cake come from domestic corn and three from soybeans, there are others — including thiamine mononitrate — that come from petroleum. Chinese petroleum. Chinese refineries and Chinese factories. And there are other unexpected ingredients that are much harder to trace. So much for the great "All-American" snack food.

When you bite into a Twinkie, you are chewing on an international nexus of suppliers. Most of our processed foods — salad dressing, ice cream, meal-replacement drinks — are processed with foreign additives: essential ones, like B vitamins for fortifying flour and the preservative sorbic acid, as well as Malaysian or Indonesian palm oil products, European wheat gluten, Peruvian colorants, Chadian gums and Swiss niacin, made from Swiss water, Swiss air (nitrogen) and North Atlantic or Middle Eastern oil. It's a nice contrast to recall that Champagne comes only from Champagne, France.

Like many other industries, food additives have been off-shored. No major domestic vitamin or sorbic acid manufacturers remain in the U.S. Our last vitamin C plant closed in 2005 — in fact, it closed as I was speaking to an employee about a tour — and most of our artificial colors and flavors come from abroad as well. Our chemical industry is rapidly dismantling its expensive domestic plants and either forming joint ventures with Chinese companies or simply buying chemicals from them. This leads to lower food and pharmaceutical prices, but perhaps at the cost of quality control.

How can you have quality control when you don't even know where the ingredient is coming from? During my Twinkie research, I was particularly surprised that many American food additive "manufacturers" buy chemicals, especially vitamins, from distributors and do not know, or don't ask, where they come from. The distributors usually sing the same song, as they often buy from importers, and the importers buy from exporters who — no surprise — are often not able or willing to identify all of their sources.

Now that the tainted pet food scandal has made us more aware that many additives come from overseas, and China in particular — and that some unscrupulous or, at the very least, unprofessional Chinese manufacturers mix cheaper and poisonous adulterants into some food or pharmaceutical products — most of us would like to see some action...

If you want to have your snack cake and eat it too, you have to remember: You are what you eat.

Reprtinted from the LA Times. To read the rest of this article use the following link:
L.A.Times
By Steve Ettlinger, STEVE ETTLINGER is the author of, most recently, "Twinkie, Deconstructed."May 29, 2007

Minor Nerve Pressure Causes Big Problems, Research Shows

Chiropractors have historically maintained that even small amounts of pressure on the nerves that exit the spine can cause health problems. They have even stated that such pressure can go undetected for years and lead to long-term difficulties. A review of literature published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR) adds further evidence to this contention.

The study, "The Effects of Mild Compression on Spinal Nerve Roots With Implications for Models of Vertebral Subluxation and the Clinical Effects of Chiropractic Adjustment: A Review of the Literature," was authored by Scott Alderson D.C., a private practitioner and George Muhs, D.C., Assistant Professor of Clinical Services at the University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic.

Chiropractic theory maintains that the bones that make up the spinal column -- known as vertebrae -- can become misaligned and/or not move properly, which could place abnormal pressure on nerves and cause interference with how those nerves work. Chiropractors call these misalignments and neurological alterations vertebral subluxations.

According to the authors, research shows that "these alterations would therefore alter the quality and/or quantity of the message sent. At the tissue and cellular level, the message received would not be adequate for the function the body demands. The entire body could then theoretically be affected."

The authors also discussed the possibility that subluxations can go unnoticed for long periods of time since they may not be severe enough in the beginning stages to create outward signs and symptoms. In their view, this makes both age and degree of subluxation factors in the healing process. "One must consider the age of the person with a vertebral subluxation," the researchers explained. "The younger they are, the better the chance for a complete correction."

Matthew McCoy, D.C., editor of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research noted: "This review of literature is extremely comprehensive in nature and adds significant evidence to some of the fundamental positions chiropractors have long maintained -- namely, that subluxations don't always cause symptoms and that the longer a patient goes without correcting them, the worse they become and the more difficult they are to correct. This is another strong argument for having children checked by chiropractors at a young age for vertebral subluxation."

###

Reprinted from EurekAlert

JVSR

Chiropractic Helps Neck Pain, Review Suggests

Chronic neck pain sufferers showed significant improvement with chiropractic care suggests a recent literature review published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT).

Dr. Howard Vernon, DC, PhD, the review's chief author, and his colleagues reviewed nine previously published trials and found "high-quality evidence" that patients with chronic neck pain showed significant improvements in pain-level following spinal manipulation (the form of treatment used by chiropractors). No trial group was reported to remain unchanged, and all groups showed positive changes up to 12 weeks post treatment. No trial reported any serious adverse effects.

Additionally, the reviewers found that mobilization therapy (a physical therapy technique) was beneficial with many patients gaining a full recovery within six to seven weeks; the current evidence did not support a similar level of benefit from massage therapy.

Chiropractors practice a hands-on, drug-free approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, headaches and other neuromusculoskeletal complaints. In addition, a significant amount of evidence shows that the use of chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective and less costly than traditional medical care.

EurekAlert

JMPT

Chiropractic Plus Exercise for Low Back Pain

A study published by the British Medical Journal (2004) finds that spinal manipulation plus exercise offers effective treatment for those suffering from back pain. The Journal concluded that this collective approach to back pain treatment provided "significant relief of symptoms and improvements in general health."

Specifically, the study found that the greatest reduction of pain and the greatest improvement in back function was experienced by patients who received a treatment approach consisting of spinal manipulation and exercise in addition to care from their general practitioner.

"The costs of back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions on the country's economy and workforce productivity are staggering - conservatively estimated at about $50 billion per year," commented American Chiropractic Association President Donald J. Krippendorf, DC. "The ACA is pleased that research such as this is being conducted and brought to the attention of the public through journals such as the British Medical Journal. With reports such as these, we can offer our patients the best care possible."

The MRC trial included more than 1,300 patients from across the United Kingdom, whose back pain had not improved after receiving care from a general practitioner.

According to the ACA, the MRC study is one of a number of recent studies regarding chiropractic's effectiveness for back pain over traditional medical care

EurekAlert

British Medical Journal

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Dr. Richards' Comments:
I came across this article, now 3 years old, and felt it was worth posting anew. The study offered something that isn't considered frequently enough. The patients who had the best results were co-managed by their Chiropractor and their General Practitioner. I love this spirit of co-operation and have been able to work together with members of Hendersonville's medical community to help many patients . I find that with every passing year Chiropractic becomes more accepted by mainstream medical practitioners - not only for their patients, but for themselves. I have had the opportunity to help a number doctors, surgeons, dentists, physical therapists, psychologists, nurses and massage therapists to improve their own spinal alignment.

Chiropractic Lowers Blood Pressure, New Study Suggests

A single chiropractic adjustment significantly reduced the blood pressure of patients with diagnosed hypertension. The improvement lasted through the 8 week duration of the study.

This double blinded placebo controlled trial included 50 participants with documented spinal misalignments at the C1 level (just below the skull). The participants were treated by a Chicago area chiropractor who specializes in a particular technique of upper cervical adjusting (NUCCA). The chiropractor performed a single, specific adjustment to the atlas vertebrae and blood pressure measurements were taken over an 8 week period. Though the improvement in blood pressure was significant, equal to taking 2 blood pressure medications at once, there was not a corresponding change in heart rate. Results were published in the Journal of Human Hypertension.

According to Dr. George Bakris, MD, the studies author, "The mechanism as to why this improvement in blood pressure occurs is unknown and cannot be determined by this study." "The data presented, however, raise a number of important questions including: a) How does misalignment of C1 affect hypertension?; and b) If there is a cause and effect relationship between C1 misalignment and hypertension, is malposition of C1 an additional risk factor for the development of hypertension?"

A larger trial involving multiple practitioners is being planned.


EurekAlert

Journal of Human Hypertension

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Dr. Richards' Comments:
This is a very exciting study. The lion's share of chiropractic research has focused on pain syndromes. This research helps to expand the understanding of chiropractic treatment to other health conditions. The study has several important limitations which must be taken seriously. Particularly relevant to me as a chiropractor is the fact that the chiropractic technique used in this study is not one in common use. It would be very interesting to determine if the same results could be achieved utilizing a mainstream chiropractic technique.

Chiropractic Helps Migraines, Clinical Trial Says

72% of migraine sufferers experienced either 'substantial' or 'noticeable' improvement after chiropractic treatment, according to clinical trials performed at a university in Australia. This study defies the historical bias against chiropractic that some medical practitioners have maintained.

The 123 participants in the study had suffered migraines for an average of 18 years. Approximately 22 per cent of patients had a 60% reduction or better and an addition 50% noted "quite noticeable improvement"- The results are very significant because many of the migraine medications are very strong drugs which have lots of side effects. Some of the migraine medications also have the problem of giving instant relief to the migraine, but creating another 'rebound migraine' the next day.

"Chiropractic is not the be all and end all, but for a good percentage of migraine sufferers the neck is a significant contributing factor, and for them chiropractic treatment is really effective. I'm not saying that everybody's going to be cured, but there's very little to lose" says Dr. Peter Tuchin, the studies author. "I think the vast majority of medical practitioners are now open to chiropractic, but there's a very small percentage who don't realise what developments we've had, what inroads we've made," Tuchin says.

Macquarei University Australia

EurekAlert

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Dr. Richards' Comments:

It is refreshing to see this kind of research finally being done. It troubles me however, that such research has to come from another continent. American medical schools are still dangerously addicted to pharmaceutical research dollars and as such must avoid conducting research that would point patients away from the drug store or risk losing their other research grants. As a Chiropractor, I love to help patients with migraines. The results of chiropractic care are often dramatic and life changing. Please click the link to the headache testimonials page to read the real stories of real patients.

Can I lose weight if I am Pregnant?

It is not only safe for obese women to diet and exercise while pregnant but it should be recommended by doctors, says a small pilot research study conducted at Saint Louis University-Med School.

“Doctors hadn’t encouraged pregnant women who were obese to limit their weight gain or have them lose weight because they were afraid it would hurt the baby,” says Raul Artal, M.D., principal investigator and chair of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at Saint Louis University.

“We found that obese women do not have to gain any weight, and, in fact, can lose weight and it won’t hurt the baby. Pregnancy is an ideal time to start an exercise and fitness program, particularly for women who are obese.”

The study examined the effects weight loss on a population of pregnant women who were also experiencing gestational diabetes. Weight loss was not associated with increased risk to the baby, it was however associated with improving the health of the mother and lowering the risk for C-Section. Additionally the study found that women who both dieted and exercised had better outcomes than those who dieted without exercise.

Until now, the standard advise given to an obese pregnant woman with gestational diabetes was to simply adhere to a "diabetic diet". This research will encourage doctors to rethink the old advise to "eat for two" and "take it easy".

The research appears in the June issue of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, which is published by Canada’s National Research Council.

Ref: EurekAlert

Headaches Related to Risk for Vision Problems

Middle aged migraine sufferers are more likely to suffer retinal damage and blindness than non-sufferers.

"Middle-aged people with a history of migraine and other headaches are more likely to have retinopathy," said the study's lead author Kathryn M. Rose, PhD, with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "This association persisted after controlling for diabetes, glucose levels, cigarette smoking, blood pressure, and use of blood pressure medications."

The researchers believe that these findings point to the
circulatory system as an underlying factor. A previous study linked the occurrence of migraines with both retinopathy and strokes.

Ref: EurekAlert

Chronic Pain May Dim Memory

Study Suggests That Chronic Pain Interferes With Memory-Making Process

By Miranda Hitti, WebMD Medical News

May 23, 2007 -- Chronic pain may distract the mind, hampering the memory-making process, according to a new Canadian study.
Learning more about chronic pain's effects on mental skills such as memory may one day lead to new treatments, note the researchers, who included Bruce Dick, PhD, of the University of Alberta.
They studied 24 adults with chronic pain who were in their mid- to late 40s, on average.
The patients' pain had lasted for at least six months. Their pain score was at least 4 on a scale ranging from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst pain imaginable.
The patients, who were being treated at the university's Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, took memory tests twice -- once after getting a pain-relief procedure such as an epidural injection, and on another day when they hadn't had a recent pain-relief procedure.
The memory tests involved verbal memory (remembering specific words from sentences) and spatial memory (remembering how the letter "J" was shown on a computer screen).
Two-thirds of the patients performed worse on the tests on the days when they hadn't had a recent pain-relieving procedure. Spatial memory was particularly tricky for them, the study shows.
The results didn't seem to be tied to the patients' sleep problems, psychological distress, or age, note the researchers.
"Our findings suggest that pain may disrupt the maintenance of the memory trace that is required to hold information for processing and to later retain it for storage in longer-term memory stores," write Dick and colleagues.
They add that it remains to be seen whether attention training can offset those memory problems.

The study appears in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.

Reprinted from WebMD

One Secret to a Longer Life: Keep Learning

The one social factor that has been consistently linked to longer life, regardless of country, is education. It is far more important a factor than even health insurance. A few extra years of school is associated with extra years of life, as well as vastly improved health during old age.
Not only have studies consistently shown this connection, but there is no limit beyond which more years of school stop adding to a person's life span. There are several theories as to why this may be the case, including a better ability to plan for the future.
Other factors that seem to greatly affect health include tight social networks of friends and relatives, and income level.

New York Times January 3, 2007

The Ledger January 3, 2006

The Review of Economic Studies January 2005; 72(1): 189-221 Free Full-Text PDF

Source: Mercola.com
© Copyright Dr. Joseph Mercola, 2007. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, as long as copyright, contact, and creation information is given, only if used only in a not-for-profit format. If possible, I would also appreciate an endorsement and encouragement to subscribe to the newsletter. If any other use is desired, written permission is required.

Can Chocolate Benefit Your Brain?

A special cocoa, designed to retain naturally occurring flavanols, could help maintain healthy brain function. This could eventually lead to new weapons against cognitive decline and dementia.
Several studies have indicated that flavanols could improve blood vessel function.
For example, research has shown that the indigenous population living on islands near Panama, who consume a type of cocoa rich in flavanols on a daily basis, also experience unusually low rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
The relative risk of death from heart disease on the Panama mainland is 1,280 percent higher than on the islands.
These benefits might also extend to the brain, and could have effects on learning and memory. British researchers studied the results on the brains of young women by studying their brains via magnetic resonance imaging while completing a complex task.
Consumption of the special cocoa resulted in regional changes in brain blood flow for as long as three hours, meaning that cocoa flavanols may have potential as a treatment of vascular damage within the brain.

EurekAlert February 18, 2007

East Valley Tribune.com February 18, 2007

Source: Mercola.com

© Copyright Dr. Joseph Mercola, 2007. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, as long as copyright, contact, and creation information is given, only if used only in a not-for-profit format. If possible, I would also appreciate an endorsement and encouragement to subscribe to the newsletter. If any other use is desired, written permission is required.

Pain Relievers Raise Your Blood Pressure

As you know, drugs sold over the counter (OTC) can be just as dangerous to your health as those sold behind it. Common painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen are no exception.
This new study, monitoring the health of some 16,000 male health care workers with no history of hypertension, discovered about one out of every eight patients over a four-year span were more prone to elevated blood pressures, with OTC analgesics as the common link, based on the numbers:
Anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or naproxin presented the highest risk (38 percent) for elevated blood pressures among those who took OTC painkillers virtually every day, followed closely by acetaminophen (34 percent) and aspirin (26 percent).

The most interesting number of them all: Patients who took at least 15 pain-relieving pills each week elevated their risk for hypertension by almost 50 percent, compared to those who took none.

Remember, the best solutions for treating your pain have nothing at all to do with taking a drug, so don't waste your money or your health on them.


Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 167, No. 4, February 26, 2007: 394-399

EurekAlert February 26, 2007

Source: Mercola.com
© Copyright Dr. Joseph Mercola, 2007. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, as long as copyright, contact, and creation information is given, only if used only in a not-for-profit format. If possible, I would also appreciate an endorsement and encouragement to subscribe to the newsletter. If any other use is desired, written permission is required.

Fun Stuff

Ahh, the good ol' days.
I remember these old games with fondness.
Click on an link to play a game right in your internet browser!
Have fun!

Pac-Man (Use arrows to move)

Frogger (Use arrows to move, p to pause and q to quit)

Space Invaders (Use arrows to move, space bar to fire, p to pause and q to quit)

Find even more at Neave Games: www.neave.com/games