Author: Dr. Robert Speirs DC

Diet: Green Tea & Exercise = Weight Loss.

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Diet: Green Tea & Exercise = Weight Loss.

Green tea extract may aid in weight loss, according to a new study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Researchers found that recreationally active participants who took a green tea extract capsule every day for four weeks experienced a body fat reduction of 1.63% compared with a placebo group. They also noted a 10.9% increase in exercise performance among those taking the green tea extract during the four-week study. Lead researcher Dr. Dustin Roberts writes, “In essence, our study showed that the use of a green tea extract could potentially help people to lose weight, if combined with exercise. However, we recognize that a larger scale study is now required.”
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, January 2015

Depression Associated with Inflammation in the Brain.

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Mental Attitude: Depression Associated with Inflammation in the Brain. According to a new study, clinical depression is associated with a 30% increase of inflammation in the brain. The researchers’ findings are based on brain PET scans comparing 20 patients with depression and 20 healthy control patients. They did not find any support to suggest inflammation increases the risk for depression and thus conclude that depression is more likely to contribute to inflammation in the body.

JAMA Psychiatry, January 2015

Chiropractic: Back Pain Is #1 Ailment Among Golfers!

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Chiropractic: Back Pain Is #1 Ailment Among Golfers!

With Golf season in FULL SWING (Yep, we went there) this becomes worth noting.

Those who want to keep their golf game strong should focus on maintaining a healthy back. A recent study noted that low back pain accounts for 54% of all golf-related ailments. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, December 2014

#GolfFitness

#BackHealthForGolf

#GolfWellness

#HealthyGolfer

#GolfTips

#GolfLife

#Chiropractic

#GolfInjuryPrevention

#GolfStretching

#GolfTherapy

    Health Alert: Many Public Defibrillators Failing Over Past Decade.

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    Photo by Edgar Martu00ednez on Pexels.com

    Health Alert: Many Public Defibrillators Failing Over Past Decade.

    The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that there have been 72,000 reports of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) devices failing since 2005. AEDs are portable devices that are usually found in public places that are designed to save lives by automatically detecting potentially deadly heart rhythms and delivering an electrical shock to restore a normal heart rhythm. Based on the findings, the FDA plans to strengthen its approval process by inspecting manufacturing facilities and having manufactures file annual reports on device performance.

    Food and Drug Administration, January 2015

    Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

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    Tingling Fingers?

    Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs during compression or irritation of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel on the anterior side of the wrist.

    This condition is usually the result of repetitive wrist movement, such as regular and prolonged use of a computer mouse or repetitive movements at work. Carpal tunnel syndrome can also occur as a result of trauma or tendinitis of the flexor muscles of the wrist, or during pregnancy due to nerve compression as a result of swelling in the hands.

    It is estimated that about 8% of the adult population is affected, making it a relatively common condition. It is the most common compression neuropathy of the upper limb. Women are twice as affected as men.

    The nerves of the hand as well as the tendons of the flexor muscles pass to the anterior aspect of the wrist under the transverse carpal ligament that holds them in place. It is the passage formed by the transverse ligament and the bones of the wrist, called carpal bones, that forms the carpal tunnel. The syndrome usually occurs when, for some reason, the space in the carpal tunnel is reduced and the median nerve is compressed.

    In some cases, a dysfunction of the cervical spine can cause symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome without repetitive wrist extension motion.

    Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause, but is not limited to, numbness and tingling in the first three fingers and half of the fourth, as well as atrophy of the hand muscles. During the night, you may experience pain and numbness from prolonged bending of the wrist. Symptoms are also exacerbated during repetitive activities involving wrist movements.

    Chiropractic: Musculoskeletal Pain Affects School Teachers.

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    Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

    Chiropractic: Musculoskeletal Pain Affects School Teachers.

    An assessment of 486 self-evaluation surveys from female school teachers in Saudi Arabia reveals that musculoskeletal pain is surprisingly prevalent in the profession. Their most common complaint was low back pain, followed by knee pain, heel pain, shoulder pain, upper back pain, hip joint pain, ankle pain, and neck pain. Furthermore, nearly half (46.1%) of the teachers surveyed claimed that their pain affected their teaching performance. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, November 2014

    Mental Attitude: Childhood Neglect May Affect Brain Development.

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    Mental Attitude: Childhood Neglect May Affect Brain Development.

    A new study finds that severe childhood neglect may cause structural changes to the brain, but early intervention may reverse such alterations. Researchers found that children who remained in institutional care exhibited structural changes in certain areas of the brain’s white matter which facilitate communication between different areas of the brain. However, they found that children who had been moved from institutional care to foster care had white matter similar to that of children who had never been in institutional care, suggesting that the movement to foster care reversed the white matter abnormalities. The researchers write, “Our findings have important implications for public health related to early prevention and intervention for children reared in conditions of severe neglect or adverse contexts more generally.” JAMA Pediatrics, January 2015

    Chiropractic: Becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic…

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    Chiropractic: Becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic…

    To become a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic, an aspiring chiropractor must meet stringent academic and professional requirements. Currently, an individual must complete the following steps to become a licensed chiropractor: complete required general college-level studies, obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and complete a clinical internship through an accredited four-year chiropractic college program, pass the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ and/or other state-required examinations, and satisfy any other individual state-specific requirements for licensure, which include mandatory continuing education credits in all but one state. Additionally, a Doctor of Chiropractic can earn additional certifications in areas such as pediatrics, radiology, neurology, nutrition, spinal trauma, and more. National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, August 2014

    Health Alert: Mercury Air Pollution = Mercury in Ocean Fish.

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    Health Alert: Mercury Air Pollution = Mercury in Ocean Fish.

    Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment report that the increasing amounts of mercury measured in ocean fish may be the result of rising mercury levels in the atmosphere. After analyzing past data, investigators found that mercury concentration in ocean fish is rising lockstep with increasing mercury emissions into the air. Assistant researcher Dr. Paul Drevnick warns, “More stringent policies are needed to reduce releases of mercury into the atmosphere. If current deposition rates are maintained, North Pacific waters will double in mercury by 2050.”

    Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, February 2015

    Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

    ~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

    Tingling Fingers?

    Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs during compression or irritation of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel on the anterior side of the wrist.

    This condition is usually the result of repetitive wrist movement, such as regular and prolonged use of a computer mouse or repetitive movements at work. Carpal tunnel syndrome can also occur as a result of trauma or tendinitis of the flexor muscles of the wrist, or during pregnancy due to nerve compression as a result of swelling in the hands.

    It is estimated that about 8% of the adult population is affected, making it a relatively common condition. It is the most common compression neuropathy of the upper limb. Women are twice as affected as men.

    The nerves of the hand as well as the tendons of the flexor muscles pass to the anterior aspect of the wrist under the transverse carpal ligament that holds them in place. It is the passage formed by the transverse ligament and the bones of the wrist, called carpal bones, that forms the carpal tunnel. The syndrome usually occurs when, for some reason, the space in the carpal tunnel is reduced and the median nerve is compressed.

    In some cases, a dysfunction of the cervical spine can cause symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome without repetitive wrist extension motion.

    Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause, but is not limited to, numbness and tingling in the first three fingers and half of the fourth, as well as atrophy of the hand muscles. During the night, you may experience pain and numbness from prolonged bending of the wrist. Symptoms are also exacerbated during repetitive activities involving wrist movements.