Category: Newsletter Library

Our shoulder joints have the greatest range of motion of any of the musculoskeletal joints in our bodies. The shoulder joint is really two joints, the glenohumeral joint between the arm bone (humerus) and the shoulder blade (scapula) and the acromioclavicular joint between the acromion (a bony projection off the scapula) and the collarbone (clavicle). The glenohumeral joint is a ball-and-socket joint and the acromioclavicular joint is a gliding joint.

Acting together, these joints enable the shoulder to achieve a full 360º of motion in both the frontal (side to side) and sagittal (front and back) three-dimensional planes. The important caveat is that this extensive freedom of motion comes with a price: the shoulder not only has the most mobility, but is also the most unstable joint in the body.

The glenohumeral joint may be easily dislocated, most typically by a fall on an outstretched arm. The ligaments of the acromioclavicular joint are easily sprained and the joint itself is easily dislocated. Acromioclavicular joint injuries may be described as “AC separations”. Overall, injuries to the shoulder joint are common, most frequently experienced by people participating in exercise activities and sports and by older people as a result of a fall.

The shoulder joint has built-in protection in the form of the four muscles comprising the rotator cuff, the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.1 The rotator cuff muscles participate in all shoulder joint and upper arm motions and provide stabilization to the shoulder as the joint moves through three-dimensional space. But the rotator cuff muscle group is itself subject to injury (muscle tears) and degeneration as a person ages of the tendons that attach the muscles to the shoulder and arm bones.

Thus, the shoulder joint needs additional protections to maintain its structural integrity and mechanical performance.

In days gone by, people did demanding physical work every day, automatically providing training and resilience to the anatomical components of the shoulder. But in the 21st century, with the decline of the farming and manufacturing sectors and the rise of the service economy, most people no longer engage in actual physical work. As a result, most of us require regular vigorous exercise to maintain physical fitness and good health. With specific respect to the shoulder, upper body strength training exercises will help provide the necessary activity and mobility to ensure ongoing functionality of our shoulder joints. 2,3

As well, obtaining regular chiropractic care helps ensure that our spines are working properly, providing effective mechanical support to our shoulder joints, and that our nerve systems are working at high levels to coordinate all the physiological activities necessary to our long-term health and well-being.

1. Sangwan S, et al: Stabilizing characteristics of rotator cuff muscles: a systematic review. Disabil Rehabil 37(12):1033-1043, 2015
2. Heron SR, et al: Comparison of three types of exercise in the treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy/shoulder impingement syndrome: A randomized controlled trial. Physiotherapy 103(2):167-173, 2017
3. Abdulla SY, et al: Is exercise effective for the management of subacromial impingement syndrome and other soft tissue injuries of the shoulder? A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration. Man Ther 20(5):646-656, 2015

A book cover may not necessarily tell the whole story and may not accurately portray the nature of the contents within. Publishing companies pay high salaries to their marketing staff to create cover copy that will entice prospective buyers to make a purchase. But many times the book itself does not live up to the hype. Similarly, fitness clubs and weight loss programs promote their services by pitching the ideal of slim, well-toned members; happy, young people whom you would be unlikely to ever encounter during your actual real life.

Commercial pitches typically focus on the superficial characteristics of whatever is being promoted. The well-worn guidance in advertising states, “It’s not the steak. It’s the sizzle.” But in terms of health and wellness, what’s happening on the inside is what counts. It may be personally gratifying to look good, but being buff does not by itself guarantee good health.

Many cautionary tales demonstrate the accuracy of this assessment, including the untimely demise in his early 50s of a renowned long-distance runner and best-selling author of a book that celebrated the running ethos. Ensuring long-lasting health and well-being is an ongoing process and requires commitment and dedication. The general components are: healthy nutrition, regular vigorous exercise, sufficient restful sleep and a positive mental attitude

It is likely that at various times, most of us will fail to fulfill one or more of these requirements. The key is to acknowledge that sometimes other life concerns take precedence and return to our healthy lifestyles as quickly as possible.

By incorporating healthy lifestyles in our daily activities, we train our bodies to work efficiently and effectively. The long-term result is optimal levels of health and wellness. When we eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, and obtain necessary rest, all of our physiological systems obtain the resources they need to function well and work in harmony with every other system.

An additional support to achieving ongoing health and wellness is getting regular chiropractic care. Regular chiropractic care helps to ensure that your nerve system, your body’s master system, is on the job and coordinating all of your body’s internal functions that help to keep you well. By detecting and correcting spinal misalignments that are sources of nerve interference, regular chiropractic care helps you and the members of your family be healthy and achieve wellness and your other life goals.

1Griffiths K, et al: Food Antioxidants and Their Anti-Inflammatory Properties: A Potential Role in Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer Prevention. Diseases 2016 Aug 1;4(3). pii: E28. doi: 10.3390/diseases4030028

2Saragiotto BT, et al: Motor control exercise for chronic non-specific low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016 Jan 8;(1) doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012004

3Nowakowski S, et al: Sleep characteristics and inflammatory biomarkers among midlife women. Sleep 2018 Mar 30 doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsy049. [Epub ahead of print]

Good spinal alignment means good biomechanical health. Essentially, your spine is the biomechanical center of your body. Your legs are connected to your spine via two large and strong pelvic bones. Your arms are connected to your spine via your shoulder blades, ribs, and numerous strong muscles and ligaments. Spinal alignment supports the functioning of all these associated components. When your spine is in line, then all of your body’s mechanical abilities, such as bending forward and backward, twisting and turning, and walking and running are able to be performed at maximal levels.

In addition to the importance of spinal alignment for physical performance, spinal alignment is also a key factor in the functioning of all of your body’s physiologic systems. In other words, spinal alignment is a critical element in obtaining and maintaining good health.1 Specifically, your spine houses and protects your spinal cord and 31 pairs of spinal nerves, the lengthy cord-like extension of your brain and the primary branches extending from that main trunk.

When your spine is out of alignment or misaligned, the small ligaments that hold the vertebras together and the small muscles that move those bones become irritated and inflamed. Left undetected, this soft tissue inflammation can affect the local spinal nerves, leading to nerve irritation. The resulting nerve interference disrupts the flow of information between your brain and the regions of your body supplied by the irritated spinal nerves, potentially resulting in loss of function or abnormal function of affected cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. Nerve interference may cause muscle tightness and pain, as well as signs and symptoms of conditions affecting your gastrointestinal, immune, endocrine, and cardiorespiratory systems. Overall, spinal misalignment and nerve interference may be involved in causing a wide variety of conditions and disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system and other systems of your body.2,3

Regular chiropractic care plays a primary role in helping you and your family maintain high levels of health and well-being. By detecting and correcting spinal misalignments and sources of nerve interference, regular chiropractic care helps optimize spinal functioning. As well, by directly addressing nerve interference, regular chiropractic care helps information flow more freely between your brain and the rest of your body. As a result, all of your physiological systems receive and transmit more timely and accurate information regarding metabolic status, need for nutrients, and other requirements. In this way, regular chiropractic care helps us achieve more complete physiological performance and attain higher standards of overall health and wellness.

1Wieland LS, et al: Yoga treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017 doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010671.pub2
2Coulter ID, et al: Manipulation and mobilization for treating chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Spine J: 2018 doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2018.01.013. [Epub ahead of print]
3Yeganeh M, et al: The effectiveness of acupuncture, acupressure and chiropractic interventions on treatment of chronic nonspecific low back pain in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Clin Pract 18, 2017

What is so good about an apple? Is it the color, ranging from ruby red to pale pink? Is it the crunch? The sweetness? Or is it, instead, a combination of all of these qualities, plus the natural goodness derived from the apple’s secret ingredients — phytonutrients? If this were a multiple choice quiz, the answer would be “all of the above”. Importantly, in addition to possessing numerous appealing physical qualities, apples contain an abundance of health-promoting biochemicals known as phytonutrients.1,2 These specific organic molecules are derived not only from apples but many other fresh fruits and vegetables, and help power the immune system, protect against cancer, maintain healthy eyes, and assist cells in clearing out metabolic waste products such as free radicals.

An apple may be considered one of Nature’s abundant miracles, and all fruits, vegetables, and grains may be regarded in the same light. Fresh produce, including grains, are nutritious in that they provide us with vitamins, minerals, and raw materials for energy. As well, these foods help us attain and maintain optimal levels of health and well-being by furnishing us with a broad range of power-packed, almost magical chemical sequences, the phytonutrients, that assist each and every cell, tissue, organ system, and physiological structure do its job in the best way possible.3

These are some of the reasons why “an apple a day” is so important to good health. One could also add “an orange a day”, “a tomato a day”, “a squash a day”, and “a serving of broccoli a day”. Overall, a healthy lifestyle includes eating at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. Good nutrition helps support our other healthy lifestyle choices, including doing at least 30 minutes of regular, vigorous exercise each week and obtaining sufficient restful sleep. The time and effort we spend in consistently achieving these healthy lifestyles help us reap the substantial rewards of a lifetime of good health.

As well, regular chiropractic care helps us put everything together in the arena of long-term health and well-being. By detecting and correcting spinal misalignments and areas of spinal dysfunction, regular chiropractic care helps ensure that the nerve system, the body’s master system, is working at peak capacity. In this way, regular chiropractic care helps ensure that all other physiological systems, including the cardiorespiratory, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems, are doing their jobs effectively. Regular chiropractic care helps us get the most out of our commitments to a healthy lifestyle and helps our families and ourselves achieve high levels of health and wellness.

1Kashyap D, et al: Fisetin: A bioactive phytochemical with potential for cancer prevention and pharmacotherapy. Life Sci 194:75-87, 2018
2Gammone MA, et al: Prevention of cardiovascular diseases with carotenoids. Front Biosci (Schol Ed) 9:165-171, 2017
3Ghosh N, et al: Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: Progress and Prospect with Herbal Medicine. Curr Pharm Des 22(2):247-264, 2016

Young peoples’ bones stop growing by approximately age 20, somewhat earlier in women and somewhat later in men. Long bone growth, that is, in the arm, forearm, thigh, and leg, ceases later and smaller bone growth, that is, in the hands, feet, and spine, ceases earlier. In essence, you’re as tall as you’re going to be by your mid- to late teens, and at the latest, by approximately age 20 or so. A great deal of a person’s height is comprised of the length of her or his spine and approximately 25% of the length of an adult human spine consists of the thickness of the intervertebral discs.

Intervertebral discs (IVDs) are cartilaginous structures, composed of a gelatinous center termed the nucleus pulposus and thick fibrocartilage bands encircling and supporting the inner ball bearing–like nuclear material. Together, the inner and outer structures create a hydraulic mechanism which adapts, moment by moment, to mechanical forces, primarily those of gravity, impinging upon the human form. The intricate design of the IVD helps to distribute outer mechanical forces efficiently, so that no single physiological component is required to support an excessive force or weight. Thus, IVD integrity is essential to normal human activities, and appropriate maintenance of the IVD cartilaginous structure is necessary to help ensure effective performance.

Obtaining sufficient water is the primary nutritional requirement of intervertebral discs. Therefore, drinking four to eight glasses of water each day will greatly assist in supporting one’s function as a physiological machine. As well, physical activity is needed to help pump fluids into the IVD cartilage. When one is sedentary, as most of us are during the large majority of our waking hours, IVDs progressively lose water content over the course of the day. Dehydrated IVDs may lead to diminished spinal range of motion and increased stiffness, which may in turn cause muscular inflammation, neck pain, and low back pain.

Thus, we want to be sure we’re taking steps to keep our IVDs healthy. In addition to engaging in regular exercise and drinking enough water, making sure we get regular chiropractic care helps support the integrity and efficient functioning of our intervertebral discs and the workings of our spinal columns as a whole. By detecting and correcting dysfunction of spinal intervertebral joints, regular chiropractic care boosts the functioning of IVDs, increases the mobility of the spine in all three dimensions, and optimizes spinal performance. By participating in healthy lifestyles and getting regular chiropractic care, we help maximize our health and well-being now and into the future.

1. Vo NV, et al: Molecular mechanisms of biological aging in intervertebral discs. J Orthop Res 34(8):1289-1306, 2016
2. Bowden JA, et al: In vivo correlates between daily physical activity and intervertebral disc health. J Orthop Res Oct 4, 2017 doi: 10.1002/jor.23765. [Epub ahead of print]
3. Steele J, et al: Can specific loading through exercise impart healing or regeneration of the intervertebral disc? Spine J 15(10):2117-2121, 2015

Spring is arriving. The days are getting longer, the air is fresher, and the sunlight is brighter. Flowers and bushes are beginning to bloom. Tree sap is running and there are new baby animals in the world. In short, the world is being renewed and, if we choose to, we too can actively participate in this process of rebirth and rejuvenation.

We can get with nature’s program, in a sense, by paying greater attention both to what’s happening around us and what our bodies, our instinctive and intuitive selves, are telling us. For example, it’s pretty likely that no one’s inner physiological self is telling him to eat at a fast-food hamburger place every other day. It’s pretty likely that no one’s inner bodily compass is telling her to remain sedentary all day long, working all day, staying at home the rest of the time, and never going to the gym or doing any other form of exercise.

On the contrary, our bodies know what’s good for us. Without any conditioned responses to get in the way, we would accurately notice our inner inclinations and respond appropriately. For example, in the wild, one never encounters an out-of-shape bird or squirrel. Rhododendrons and roses are never tired or fatigued. Lilacs and lilies never appear listless or depleted. All these living entities get their nourishment directly from the environment. All these living entities are constantly exercising throughout the day; flowers and plants by aligning themselves with the rays of the sun, following the earth’s daily rotation, and birds and other animals by engaging in food-collecting, play and preening activities from dawn to dusk.

But humans have mechanization and labor-saving devices. In consequence, we no longer are required to engage in exercise to do our work and obtain sufficient nourishment. As well, in Western societies, we have vastly more food choices available than do our plant and animal friends. It’s very easy for us to go long stretches of time without engaging in any vigorous exercise, and it’s very easy to make food choices that appeal to our cravings rather than to appropriately reasonable nutrition.

Importantly, we have the ability to realign with nature’s imperatives and, in the process, dramatically enhance our overall health and well-being. Such realignment includes eating a nutritious diet, including at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day and adhering to a weight-maintaining calorie limit of approximately 2000 calories per day for moderately active females and approximately 2500 calories per day for moderately active males. Doing at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise five days a week is another critical component of our process of getting healthy. As well, obtaining regular chiropractic care helps ensure that our bodies are functioning at peak capacity and able to derive maximum benefit from the good foods we’re eating and the time we’re spending exercising. Regular chiropractic care ties together all our other health-promoting activities. Your family chiropractor will be able to provide expert guidance and recommendations regarding achieving optimal health and well-being.

1. Mellendick K, et al: Diets Rich in Fruits and Vegetables Are Associated with Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Adolescents. Nutrients 10(2). pii: E136. doi:10.3390/nu10020136 2018
2. Hannan AL, et al: High-intensity interval training versus moderate-intensity continuous training within cardiac rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Access J Sports Med 9:1-17. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S150596. eCollection 2018.
3. Emary PC, et al: Management of Back Pain-related Disorders in a Community With Limited Access to Health Care Services: A Description of Integration of Chiropractors as Service Providers. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 40(9):635-642, 2017

Concussions are becoming increasingly common, especially among school-age athletes. It has been estimated that there are up to 3.8 million sports-related concussions in the United States each year. Concussions are problematic as, by definition, a concussive injury involves some degree of trauma to the brain. A concussion injury literally jolts the brain, causing this precious organ to bounce against the bony walls of the skull. The violence of the blow directly determines the degree and extent of brain cell damage. Importantly, any person can experience a concussion from having sustained a blow to the head. Falls are commonly implicated in a concussion history, especially in those who run or walk for exercise and may trip over a crack in the sidewalk or a hidden tree root on a trail, as well as in the elderly.

In 2013, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued its latest update on the Evaluation and Management of Concussion in Sports. The update, representing a summary of evidence-based guidelines, referenced several standardized symptom checklists including the Standardized Assessment of Concussion and the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale/Graded Symptom Checklist, both of which had moderate to high sensitivity and specificity in identifying sports-related concussions when administered soon after a suspected concussion. In 2013, the AAN also published Concussion During Sports Activities, a summary of evidence-based guidelines for patients and their families. The AAN documents note that concussion symptoms include headaches, dizziness, double vision, confusion, sensitivity to light or sound, and nausea and vomiting. Signs of a concussion that others can observe include slurred speech, changes in balance and coordination, a blank stare, and behavior and personality changes.

Concussion resolution may be evaluated by use of standardized checklists and return to age-matched normative values regarding cognitive performance and physiological function, as well as neurocognitive testing. An athlete who has sustained a concussion should not return to play/practice until her or his physician has assessed that the athlete is asymptomatic, the concussion has resolved, and the athlete is off medication.

Once a patient’s concussion has resolved, chiropractic care can provide substantial assistance. A blow to the head necessarily involves trauma to the neck vertebras (cervical spine) and regional muscles, tendons, and ligaments. As well, an injury significant enough to cause a concussion can also cause damage to the spinal nerves in the neck. Such trauma can cause nerve irritation and interfere with the normal motion of the cervical spine. Spinal dysfunction and nerve irritation/interference can then cause a range of pain symptoms and altered physiological function, not only in the neck and shoulder region but also in other locations and other systems such as the gastrointestinal, immune, and endocrine systems.

By beginning or continuing regular chiropractic care once concussion symptoms have resolved, a post-concussion patient can obtain treatment that will help ensure that her or his spinal column and nerve system are functioning at peak capacity. In this way, regular chiropractic care helps post-concussion patients achieve and maintain optimal levels of health and well-being.

1. Broglio SP, et al: National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Management of Sport Concussion. J Athletic Train 49(2):245-265, 2014
2. American Academy of Neurology: Update: Evaluation and Management of Concussion in Sports, 2013 — https://www.aan.com/Guidelines/Home/GetGuidelineContent/583
3. American Academy of Neurology: Concussion During Sports Activities: Summary of Evidence-based Guidelines to Patients and Their Families, 2013 — https://www.aan.com/Guidelines/Home/GetGuidelineContent/586

Chronic disease is a major problem in U.S. health care. More than one-third of Americans have one or more chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The personal costs to patients and families are often severe, daily, and ongoing. The economic costs to society are almost $1 trillion annually.

Heart disease includes high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, coronary artery obstruction, angina, and heart attacks. Most of these conditions represent a chain of events. Left untreated, of course, high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

Most cases of diabetes develop from a pre-diabetic state which is also known as insulin resistance. Insulin – a hormone produced by the pancreas – is necessary for cells to be able to absorb glucose from the bloodstream and use the glucose for energy. If cells become insulin resistant, glucose stays in the bloodstream, leading to a pre-diabetic condition.

Left untreated, pre-diabetes likely advances to diabetes, in which insulin resistance is combined with insulin depletion, as the pancreas loses its ability to produce this important hormone. Diabetes may lead to many severe problems, including kidney failure, and is a leading cause of death from heart failure.

Cancer is now being recognized as a chronic disease. Rather than being a mysterious disorder that occurs randomly, many cancers are now understood to have many elements in common with other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Pain is a common element to chronic disease. Affected persons often take daily pain medications. Most people become tolerant to their medication and require increasingly stronger doses. The pain of chronic disease is notoriously difficult to treat.

In recent years a holistic approach has been successfully applied in the treatment of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Chiropractic care is an important component of the holistic approach.

Chiropractic care helps restore more normal biomechanical function to the spine, which in turn improves the ability of the nerve system to effectively communicate with the rest of the body. Important benefits of this restored function may be an improvement in the body’s ability to repair damaged tissues, a strengthened immune system, and reduced levels of musculoskeletal pain. Such improvements may help lead to improved daily functioning. As levels of pain decrease, a person may be able to engage in more physical activity. Multiple benefits follow.

Chiropractic care is a key part of an integrative approach to the management of the pain of chronic disease. Your local chiropractor will be glad to help you determine whether chiropractic care is right for you.

¹“An Unhealthy America: The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease”. Santa Monica, CA, Milken Institute, 2007
²Eddy DM, et al: The metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk: implications for clinical practice. Int J Obes 32(Suppl 2):S5-S10, 2008
³“Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer”. Washington, DC, American Institute for Cancer Research, 2007