Golf Cart Injuries on the Rise

Golf cart injuries have more than doubled over the last 17 years.

Since 1996 there have been an estimated 150,000 such injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms, one third were children. This represents a 130% increase over the last 17 years.

Golf carts can move at quite a clip once they get going and the occupants are relatively unprotected in the case of a crash or if the cart flips over. They are also becoming more commonly used in a wide variety of settings, not just on the golf course.

So what is the answer to golf related injuries? Well, if you're a golfer, try walking instead. Walking is fantastic exercise and golf is a great way to get those life-giving steps in.

Source: AJPM

Migraines, Sleep Habits and Melatonin

Another new study has linked Migraine headaches and sleep disturbances.

When hyperactive nerve cells send impulses to blood vessels, Migraines can be the result. This is accompanied by the release of brain chemicals and inflammatory substances that cause the pulsations to be painful.

Research recently published in the journal Headache demonstrated a link between migraines and sleep disturbance. Researchers conducted a detailed sleep interview with 147 women with migraines. When asked whether they were refreshed or tired upon waking, none reported feeling refreshed, and more than 80% said they were tired when they woke.

In a second study on sleep habits and migraines, also published in Headache, researchers provided stronger evidence that good sleep habits reduce both the number and intensity of migraine headaches. In these findings, 43 women with transformed migraines received behavioral sleep instructions or placebo instructions in addition to usual medical care. The women recorded their migraine headaches in diaries. At the end of the study, the women who received behavioral sleep instructions reported a significant reduction in migraine headache frequency and intensity.

Taking melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime can help curb migraine headaches, according to a small study by Brazilian scientists.

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain's pineal gland; it helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. Imbalances in the level of melatonin in the body may be related to headaches like migraines and cluster headaches.

The findings, which come from a team of researchers led by Mario F.P. Peres, MD, PhD, of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paolo, Brazil, show that melatonin may be used as a preventive therapy for frequent migraine sufferers.

During the study's last three months, participants took 3 milligrams of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime.

Sources:
Peres, M. Neurology, August 2004; vol 63: p 757
American Headache Society: "Headache Hygiene Tips." The International Headache Society: "Epidemiology of Headache." WebMD Medical Reference: "Women and Headache: Migraine." The Women's Guide to Ending Pain by Howard S. Smith, MD, and Debra Fulghum Bruce, PhD. Calhoun AH. Ford S. Finkel AG. Kahn KA. Mann JD. Neurology. 2006; vol 46: p 1039. Calhoun AH. Ford S. Headache, 2007; vol 47: pp 1178-83. Vincent Fortanasce, MD, neurologist, psychiatrist; author, Anti-Alzheimer's Prescription. Ronald Fieve, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center; author, Bipolar II. The Fibromyalgia Handbook, Harris H. McIlwain, MD, and Debra Fulghum Bruce, PhD. Medicinenet, "Migraine Headache."

Exercise as Good as Surgery for Knee Pain

An exercise regime is as effective as surgery for people with a chronic pain in the front part of their knee, known as chronic patellofemoral syndrome (PFPS).

PFPS is often treated with arthroscopic surgery, in which equipment is inserted through small incisions in your knee to diagnose and fix the problem. However, there is little evidence that this treatment is the best option.

The study, conducted by researchers at The ORTON Research Institute in Helsinki, Finland, compared arthroscopy with exercise in 56 patients with PFPS.

One group of participants was treated with knee arthroscopy and an eight-week home exercise program, while a second group received only the exercise program.

After nine months, patients in both groups experienced similar reductions in pain and improvements in knee mobility. A follow-up conducted two years later still found no differences in outcomes between the two groups.

The only difference discovered was in cost: those who had received the surgery had to pay over $1,300 more than the exercise-only group.

The researchers concluded that arthroscopy is not a cost-effective treatment for PFPS.

Sources:

Science Daily December 13, 2007
BMC Medicine December 13, 2007, 5:38

Faith Can Heal Say Medical Researchers

This is a time of year that many of us are thinking about Faith. You should be pleased to know that your faith and your health work together! There are hundreds of studies that document a link between faith and health. Here are just a few of those findings:

Longevity
A nationwide study of 21,000 people found that those who regularly attend religious services (more than once a week) live on average 7 years longer than those who never attend.

Blood Pressure
Duke University found a significant protective effect against high blood pressure among Caucasian males who considered religion very important and who attended church regularly.

Recovery From Surgery
A Dartmouth Medical School study found that patients who are comforted by their faith were 3 times more likely to be alive 6 months after open heart surgery than those who found no comfort in religion.

Heart Health
A study in India found that those who prayed regularly were 70% less likely to have coronary heart disease.

Why the relationship between faith and health? That is obviously the subject of much debate. Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School explains that humans under psychological stress experience raised blood pressure, raised heart rates and lowered immunity. He finds that the opposite response can be elicited by combining two steps: repeating a prayer, a word, a sound, a phrase or movement, and disregarding all other thoughts. Meditation, prayer, tai chi and yoga all provoke this healthful state.

Generally the health benefits described above are not attributable to any one particular religion. These positive effects have been noted in observers of many faiths.


Source:
The above is based on the article titled "Heaven Can Wait", by Elena Serocki and published in Readers Digest, May 2001

The Key to Better Aging is Mobility Says New Study

In a paper published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers closely examined the factors that affected Health-Related Quality-of-Life for a group of older Americans. The study revealed that mobility is a key factor impacting quality of life for older adults.

The researchers concluded that "Taken together with past research, which has demonstrated that loss of mobility predicts loss of independence, mortality, and nursing home admission, it is clear that interventions that can preserve or improve mobility in older adults could produce increases in both quantity and quality of life."

As a chiropractor I have always taught my patients that when it comes to their physical health, they must "use it or lose it". Mild stretching along with moderate exercise are a great start for most patients. Add to this a daily 30 minute walk during which you focus your mind in meditation, re-affirm your daily decisions and pray and you have a recipe for a long, happy, healthy life! Chiropractic adjustments are designed not only to improve nerve flow and relieve pain, but to restore your range of motion and balance.

The New Year is right around the corner. Maintain your mobility with stretching, exercise, regular adjustments and a hearty daily walk! Thus you will add "Years to Your Life and Life to Your Years!"

Reference:
Science Daily
American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Magnets Not Helpful For Pain Researchers Say

Considering magnets for pain? According to research published last month in the Canadian Medical Association Journal: They are probably not helpful.

The study addressed a common patient question, namely "Would magnets help me?" I have generally replied, "Maybe. Maybe not." Though I have never used magnets to treat patients, many of my patients have anecdotally reported improvements with magnets. The researchers point out that this improvement is matched by the placebo (fake magnets) used in the studies. The researchers concluded "magnets cannot be recommended as an effective treatment".

But perhaps we shouldn't be too quick to draw conclusions. Seven years ago I attended a medical conference. It was the 19th Annual Geriatric Research Symposium. The keynote speaker was the world famous opiate researcher, and author of the book "Molecules of Emotion", Candice Pert, Ph.D. One of the memorable speakers attending the symposium was Beverly Rubik, Ph.D., an internationally known researcher. Dr. Rubik, who served as a member of the Advisory Panel to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has focused her career on exploring the strange corners of unconventional medicine. At the conference, she discussed magnets and electrical fields in general. She pointed out that the way lizards regenerate their tails (after researchers cut them off) is by altering the magnetic polarity of the injury site. She illustrated to the group that magnetic fields are almost definitely involved in our healing process as well. The question to her was not IF magnets could work, but rather, what strength of magnet, what polarity, what shape, what placement, and for how long? These questions have never been adequately explored.

In the future, when my patients ask me, "Would magnets help me?" I will still reply, "Maybe. Maybe not." I don't believe we have heard the final word in the magnetic debate yet.

Sources : WebMD, CMAJ

Adverse Drug Reactions Have Doubled

Over the last decade, reports of adverse drug reactions, including death, have doubled, according to a report published on September 10th in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"We are losing substantial amounts of ground in protecting people against serious injury and death from prescription drugs," said Thomas J. Moore, senior scientist, drug safety and policy, for the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and the lead author of the study.

Tylenol, a commonly used over-the-counter pain killer, is the 5th deadliest drug in America. "Painkillers have always been a problem, especially the opioids, but it seems to be getting worse," Moore says. "They are being used more." Fentanyl patches, for instance, made the list of common offenders, and Moore say they are "hugely powerful and very addictive."

The “Hit List”:

On the list of drugs most commonly identified in fatal events:

1. Oxycodone (OxyContin and others)
2. Fentanyl (Duragesic and others)
3. Clozapine (Clozaril)
4. Morphine
5. Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
6. Methadone
7. Infliximab (Remicade)
8. Interferon beta (Rebif, Betaseron, Avonex)
9. Risperidone (Risperdal)
10. Etanercept (Enbrel)
11. Paclitaxel (Taxol)
12. Acetaminophen-hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, and others)
13. Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
14. Rofecoxib (Vioxx)
15. Paroxetine (Paxil)

Drugs on the list of those most commonly identified in disability or serious outcomes:

1. Estrogens
2. Insulin
3. Infliximab (Remicade)
4. Interferon beta (Rebif, Betaseron, Avonex)
5. Paroxetine (Paxil)
6. Rofecoxib (Vioxx)
7. Warfarin (Coumadin)
8. Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
9. Etanercept (Enbrel)
10. Celecoxib (Celebrex)
11. Phentermine (Pro-Fast)
12. Clozapine (Clozaril)
13. Interferon alfa (Alferon N, Infergen, Intron A, Roferon-A)
14. Simvastatin (Zocor)
15. Venlafaxine (Effexor)

These data are based on serious adverse drug events voluntarily reported to the FDA though the Adverse Events Reporting System (AERS), known as the "MedWatch" reports, from 1998 to 2005. A serious adverse drug event is defined as one that results in death, a birth defect, disability, hospitalization, was life-threatening, or needed intervention to avoid harm.

Experts caution that the data may only represent the “tip of the iceberg” as patients and doctors often fail to report adverse events to the FDA and many drug related injuries and deaths may not have been recognized as such.

Source: WebMD

The Web is Changing the Doctor-Patient Relationship

A new Harris Poll finds that more adults than ever before are searching the Internet for health information and using this information when they visit their doctors.

Over the last 2 years the number of people using the Internet to find health information has increased from 53% to 71%, and the majority of these people state that they have searched for health information within the last month. 160 million people have searched the Internet for health information. The majority of people who have searched for health information online feel that were able to find what they were looking for and that the information was reliable. Additionally the majority of them state that they used this information to assist them in their conversations with their doctors. 55% state that they have searched for health information based on discussions with their doctor.

The researchers concluded that the internet "had a big impact on the knowledge of patients, the questions they ask their doctors and is therefore changing the doctor-patient relationship and the practice of medicine. There is every reason to believe the impact of the Internet on medical practice will continue to grow."

Source: Harris Interactive

Green Tea May Prevent Cancer Research Shows

Green tea boosts production of detox enzymes, rendering cancerous chemicals harmless, according to new research.

Green tea has long been of interest to researchers given studies that have shown populations in which it is often consumed, such as the Chinese and Japanese, generally have lower rates of cancer.

The researchers discovered that green tea boosts the bodies natural production of crucial cancer fighting enzymes as much as 80%. "[The enzymes] actually convert known carcinogens to non-toxic chemicals, and studies have shown a correlation between deficient expression of these enzymes and increased risk of developing some cancers,” according to the study’s lead investigator, H.-H. Sherry Chow, Ph.D., a research associate professor at the University of Arizona.

“This is the first clinical study to show proof that chemicals in green tea can increase detoxification enzymes in humans,” Chow said. “There may be other mechanism in play by which green tea may protect against cancer development, but this is a good place to start.”

These findings are published in the August issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Source: Eurekalert

Surgeons Under-Report Complications

Researchers found that after back surgery, patients report their own complication rates from surgery as much as 10 times higher than their surgeons do.

In the past, surgical outcomes have been assessed by the surgeon only, with success being judged from a predominantly surgical or technical perspective. Nowadays, it is generally accepted that the patient should be the main judge of outcome. Unfortunately, the assessment of complications after surgery has not enjoyed this same enlightened approach.

Researchers gave questionnaires to both patients and surgeons one year after back surgery. In the patient questionnaire, the patient was asked “did any complications arise as a consequence of your operation 1 year ago (e.g. problems with wound healing, paralysis, sensory disturbances, etc.)?” Patients answered "yes" at a rate of 29% while their surgeons reported complications in as few as 3-10% of cases.

This gap in reporting illustrates the need to more adequately consider the perceptions of the patients in defining the complication rate related to back surgery.

Source: Spine Meeting Abstracts

Disrupted Sleep Makes Pain Worse

A new study indicates that frequently interrupted sleep can make one more susceptible to pain by altering the body’s natural systems that regulate and control pain and can even lead to spontaneous painful symptoms.

The study included 32 healthy women who were studied for seven nights. The women were assigned to one of three groups: a control group that slept undisturbed; a group that was woken up eight times during the night;and a third group that went to bed later than usual. On the sixth night, the women in the latter two groups underwent 36 hours of total sleep deprivation, followed by an 11-hour recovery sleep.

During the study, researchers tested the women’s pain thresholds and pain inhibition. The women in the group that had been woken up eight times during the night showed an increase in spontaneous pain, while those in the other two groups did not, showing that disrupted sleep impairs natural pain control mechanisms that are thought to play a key role in the development, maintenance, and exacerbation of chronic pain.

Conclusion: For those with chronic pain, getting continuous, undisturbed sleep is key to controlling the pain.

Sources: American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Reprinted from Spine-Health.com

Dr. Richards Comment:

Back pain and sleep quality is a two way street. It is hard to sleep when you hurt and hard to heal when you can not sleep. Patients under chiropractic care often note improved sleep soon after beginning treatment.

Click here to read stories from patients about improved sleep after chiropractic treatment.

Honey I Shrunk the Kids with Ritalin

Researchers report that Ritalin stunts the growth of children. After 3 years on the drug they are a full inch shorter and almost 5 pounds lighter than their peers. The research was published in the August, 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Methylphenidate , marketed under the name "Ritalin", is the controversial amphetamine drug used to treat ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Over the years, many voices have been raised accusing the pharmaceutical industry of conducting mass experimentation on children as the dangers of long term use have never been adequately determined. The industry has allowed the drug to be prescribed to millions of children and is only now discovering the effects of long term use by tracking the drugs effects on the children who have taken it.

Ritalin may be destined to follow in the foot steps of so many popular drugs of the past which have been recalled, banned, faced an onslaught of lawsuits only to be replaced by the next "miracle drug".

The following text is reprinted from the National Institute of Health:

Methylphenidate [Ritalin] may cause sudden death in children and teenagers with heart defects or serious heart problems. This medication also may cause sudden death, heart attack or stroke in adults, especially adults with heart defects or serious heart problems. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.

Methylphenidate [Ritalin] may slow children's growth or weight gain. Your child's doctor will watch his or her
growth carefully. Talk to your child's doctor if you have concerns about your child's growth or weight gain while he or she is taking this medication. Talk to your child's doctor about the risks of giving methylphenidate [Ritalin] to your child.

Methylphenidate [Ritalin] may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

nervousness
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
dizziness
nausea
vomiting
loss of appetite
stomach pain
diarrhea
headache
painful menstruation

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

fast, pounding, or irregular
heartbeat
chest pain
shortness of breath
excessive tiredness
slow or difficult speech
dizziness or faintness
weakness or numbness
of an arm or leg
seizures
changes in vision or blurred vision
agitation
abnormal thoughts
hallucinating (seeing things or hearing
voices that do not exist)
motor tics or verbal tics
depression
mood
changes
fever
sore throat
unusual bleeding or bruising
muscle or
joint pain
hives
rash
itching
difficulty breathing or
swallowing

Sources:
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
National Institute of Health - Medline
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