March Newsletter 2016
Stock up on supplements… because during the entire month of March, all of our nutritional supplements are 25% off! So be sure to come in this month to get a great deal on all of your supplements at a reduced price.
Exercise and weight loss go together well… or do they? Everyone who ever tried to lose weight has heard the mantra, exercise more and eat less. According to recent research on weight loss, exercise is good for you but not extremely effective for losing weight. There are two main reasons. One, our body adapts to the higher activity level and gets more efficient at it so that the same exercise will burn fewer calories. This explains why at first you do seem to lose weight after a few days or a week or two of starting a strenuous exercise regimen but then the weight loss will slow down or plateau, and it may even reverse. The second reason is that often exercise makes you hungrier. This research was done at the City University of New York, but is also from the author, Gary Taubes who wrote the book, Why We Get Fat and What to Do about It.
Antidepressants rated “Adults Only”… according to a warning on the bottle telling consumers that the drug is meant only for adults and is not meant to be given to teenagers. The statistics are out that antidepressants double the risk of aggressive behavior and suicide in teenagers, while they don’t seem to affect adults the same way. About 1.63 million patients in the U.S. and about 100,000 patients in the U.K. who are under the age of eighteen are taking Prozac regularly. These findings are from the Nordic Cochrane Center, an independent review body. Their study states that most drug studies are paid for by the manufacturer and that the adverse reactions that might be reported ‘disappear’ from the files. They noted that while the website of one of the drug companies listed “deaths may be associated with anti-depressants”, no mention of suicides was made. These risks were ‘discovered’ in a re-analysis of the 70-day studies of 18,562 people, one-half of whom were taking either SSRI (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor) or SNRI (Serotonin/Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor). Aggressive behavior from children includes hostility and even assaultive behaviors. I wish I could say this is recent news, but experts have known this since 2004.
Shingles ‘remedy’ you might not know… there is a theory that adults used to get a ‘natural’ immune booster when raising children. Natural health professionals note that the incidence of shingles has increased since 1995, which is when the government began recommending children be given the chicken pox vaccine. It is thought that prior to that time, when children got the chicken pox, their adult caregiver’s immune system was boosted against shingles, renewing the immunity it had acquired in childhood when they had the chickenpox.
If you have numbness and tingling in your fingers… it could be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS), especially if it occurs at night. TOS is caused by blood flow to the arms and hands that is constricted. There are two main arteries that come up from the heart and branch off to the arms. They go over the first rib and under the clavicle (aka collarbone). If this space becomes smaller, it can constrict blood flow to the arms and hands. Typical symptoms are numbness and tingling in the hands. It is often worse at night, especially if a person sleeps with their arm up by their head.
Pain with numbness and tingling in the hands is often diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). If the problem is only in the wrist that diagnosis stands. You can test yourself for CTS by holding the backs of your hands together in front of the body with elbows bent. If this hurts in the wrist it’s more likely to be carpal tunnel syndrome.
To check for TOS, a simple test is done in the doctor’s office by taking the pulse at the wrist with the patient seated. The pulse is felt first with the arm hanging down, then holding it up over the head, and then while the patient takes a deep breath and holds it 5 seconds while simultaneously tucking their chin. The doctor bends the arm slightly and pulls it back. If the pulse disappears then the problem is more likely to be TOS and not CTS. This is often paired with cervicobrachial syndrome, where the vertebrae in the neck are pinching the nerves as they exit the spinal cord to go out to the arms.
A four part strategy can usually correct this problem. First, get regular chiropractic adjustments for the neck, back, arm, wrist, and hand. Second, get regular massages to release any tight muscles that are involved in compressing the nerve tissue, particularly in the chest and neck areas. Third, do a series of stretches that pull your shoulder blades together behind you. You can either do the doorway stretch by placing your hands shoulder high on either side of a doorway and leaning forward, or press your shoulders into the backrest of the car, or bring your elbows behind you and look up slightly. The fourth strategy is to do an ergo metric analysis by checking the position of your daily activity spaces. For example, make sure your desk is not too high or your chair too low. Evaluate the height of your table, countertop, pillow, and mattress. Any activity where you are bent slightly forward with your arms in front of you should be checked for ergonomic correctness.
Funny Business Signs…seen around ‘Anytown’, USA J
¬ Gynecologist office: “Dr. Jones at Your Cervix”
¬ Podiatrist’s office: “Time wounds all heels”
¬ On a Septic Tank Truck: “Yesterdays meals on Wheels”
¬ Optometrist’s office: “If You Don’t See What You’re Looking For, You’ve Come To the Right Place”
¬ Plumber’s Truck: “We Repair What Your Husband Fixed”, or “Don’t Sleep With a Drip, Call Your Plumber”
¬ Tire Shop: “Invite Us to Your Next Blow Out”
¬ On an Electrician’s Truck: “Let Us Remove Your Shorts”
¬ In a No Smoking Area: “If we see smoke we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action”
¬ Outside a Muffler Shop: “No appointment needed. We hear you coming”
March Fundraiser… will be on Saturday, the 19th, from 9 to 1. Come in for either a chiropractic adjustment or meridian balancing treatment in exchange for a donation of your choice. Proceeds from this month’s fundraiser will benefit TCRAS.
Exercise and weight loss go together well… or do they? Everyone who ever tried to lose weight has heard the mantra, exercise more and eat less. According to recent research on weight loss, exercise is good for you but not extremely effective for losing weight. There are two main reasons. One, our body adapts to the higher activity level and gets more efficient at it so that the same exercise will burn fewer calories. This explains why at first you do seem to lose weight after a few days or a week or two of starting a strenuous exercise regimen but then the weight loss will slow down or plateau, and it may even reverse. The second reason is that often exercise makes you hungrier. This research was done at the City University of New York, but is also from the author, Gary Taubes who wrote the book, Why We Get Fat and What to Do about It.
Antidepressants rated “Adults Only”… according to a warning on the bottle telling consumers that the drug is meant only for adults and is not meant to be given to teenagers. The statistics are out that antidepressants double the risk of aggressive behavior and suicide in teenagers, while they don’t seem to affect adults the same way. About 1.63 million patients in the U.S. and about 100,000 patients in the U.K. who are under the age of eighteen are taking Prozac regularly. These findings are from the Nordic Cochrane Center, an independent review body. Their study states that most drug studies are paid for by the manufacturer and that the adverse reactions that might be reported ‘disappear’ from the files. They noted that while the website of one of the drug companies listed “deaths may be associated with anti-depressants”, no mention of suicides was made. These risks were ‘discovered’ in a re-analysis of the 70-day studies of 18,562 people, one-half of whom were taking either SSRI (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor) or SNRI (Serotonin/Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor). Aggressive behavior from children includes hostility and even assaultive behaviors. I wish I could say this is recent news, but experts have known this since 2004.
Shingles ‘remedy’ you might not know… there is a theory that adults used to get a ‘natural’ immune booster when raising children. Natural health professionals note that the incidence of shingles has increased since 1995, which is when the government began recommending children be given the chicken pox vaccine. It is thought that prior to that time, when children got the chicken pox, their adult caregiver’s immune system was boosted against shingles, renewing the immunity it had acquired in childhood when they had the chickenpox.
If you have numbness and tingling in your fingers… it could be Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS), especially if it occurs at night. TOS is caused by blood flow to the arms and hands that is constricted. There are two main arteries that come up from the heart and branch off to the arms. They go over the first rib and under the clavicle (aka collarbone). If this space becomes smaller, it can constrict blood flow to the arms and hands. Typical symptoms are numbness and tingling in the hands. It is often worse at night, especially if a person sleeps with their arm up by their head.
Pain with numbness and tingling in the hands is often diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). If the problem is only in the wrist that diagnosis stands. You can test yourself for CTS by holding the backs of your hands together in front of the body with elbows bent. If this hurts in the wrist it’s more likely to be carpal tunnel syndrome.
To check for TOS, a simple test is done in the doctor’s office by taking the pulse at the wrist with the patient seated. The pulse is felt first with the arm hanging down, then holding it up over the head, and then while the patient takes a deep breath and holds it 5 seconds while simultaneously tucking their chin. The doctor bends the arm slightly and pulls it back. If the pulse disappears then the problem is more likely to be TOS and not CTS. This is often paired with cervicobrachial syndrome, where the vertebrae in the neck are pinching the nerves as they exit the spinal cord to go out to the arms.
A four part strategy can usually correct this problem. First, get regular chiropractic adjustments for the neck, back, arm, wrist, and hand. Second, get regular massages to release any tight muscles that are involved in compressing the nerve tissue, particularly in the chest and neck areas. Third, do a series of stretches that pull your shoulder blades together behind you. You can either do the doorway stretch by placing your hands shoulder high on either side of a doorway and leaning forward, or press your shoulders into the backrest of the car, or bring your elbows behind you and look up slightly. The fourth strategy is to do an ergo metric analysis by checking the position of your daily activity spaces. For example, make sure your desk is not too high or your chair too low. Evaluate the height of your table, countertop, pillow, and mattress. Any activity where you are bent slightly forward with your arms in front of you should be checked for ergonomic correctness.
Funny Business Signs…seen around ‘Anytown’, USA J
¬ Gynecologist office: “Dr. Jones at Your Cervix”
¬ Podiatrist’s office: “Time wounds all heels”
¬ On a Septic Tank Truck: “Yesterdays meals on Wheels”
¬ Optometrist’s office: “If You Don’t See What You’re Looking For, You’ve Come To the Right Place”
¬ Plumber’s Truck: “We Repair What Your Husband Fixed”, or “Don’t Sleep With a Drip, Call Your Plumber”
¬ Tire Shop: “Invite Us to Your Next Blow Out”
¬ On an Electrician’s Truck: “Let Us Remove Your Shorts”
¬ In a No Smoking Area: “If we see smoke we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action”
¬ Outside a Muffler Shop: “No appointment needed. We hear you coming”
March Fundraiser… will be on Saturday, the 19th, from 9 to 1. Come in for either a chiropractic adjustment or meridian balancing treatment in exchange for a donation of your choice. Proceeds from this month’s fundraiser will benefit TCRAS.
