DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Thursday, March 20, 2014 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“You can either be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It all depends on how you view your life.”~ Paulo Coelho

Mental Attitude: High Stress Levels Increase Headaches. New research links high stress levels to increased headache occurrence. This study involved 5,159 people who were questioned about their headaches and stress four times a year over a two-year period. The researchers found that for each headache type (tension, migraine, and combined), the more stress a person experienced, the more headaches they suffered each month. Researcher Dr. Sara H. Schramm writes, "The results add weight to the concept that stress can be a factor contributing to the onset of headache disorders, that it accelerates the progression to chronic headache, exacerbates headache episodes, and that the headache experience itself can serve as a stressor." The American Academy of Neurology, February 2014

Health Alert: Obesity Decline in Young Children! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report the obesity rate among children ages 2-5 fell from 14% to 8% between 2003-4 and 2011-13. Experts at the CDC cite improved fitness and nutrition standards in child care centers, community-based obesity prevention programs, decreased consumption of sugary beverages, and an increase in breastfeeding as possible contributing factors for the decline.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2014

Diet: Do Strawberries Lower Cholesterol? A team of 23 volunteers agreed to eat 500 grams of strawberries (about 30 large strawberries) every day for over a month. Before and after blood samples showed that consuming strawberries led to lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while levels of HDL (good) cholesterol remained unchanged.  The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, March 2014

Exercise: Move While You Work! During the past century, the percentage of workers who are mostly sedentary at work has doubled and may be partly responsible for the increased prevalence of chronic health problems like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Experts recommend employees work physical activity into their day, even if they primarily work at a desk. Some suggestions include stand-up desks and automated computer prompts to get up and move around. University of Iowa, February 2014

Chiropractic: When Self-Care Does Not Work… In 2007, the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society included spinal manipulation in their guidelines as one of several treatment options for practitioners to consider when low-back pain does not improve with self-care. Annals of Internal Medicine, July 2007

Wellness/Prevention: No Need to Screen All Adults for Clogged Neck Arteries. According to a new recommendation from the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF), the general population of adults should not be screened for narrowing of the neck arteries. Panelist Dr. Jessica Herzstein explains, "Carotid artery narrowing is uncommon in the general adult population, so screening everyone would lead to many false positive results. The USPSTF panel did recommend that screening should be reserved for patients at risk for the development of carotid artery blockage and stroke. This includes people over the age of 65 who are at high risk with conditions such as high cholesterol, heart disease, a family history of stroke, or a history of smoking."  Preventive Services Task Force, February 2014

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and To Sign Up For Our Daily Health Update Emails, Go To:www.DrJeffAllynBlog.com or our website at:www.berkleychiropracticclinic.com 

(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)