March 2, 2000 [Volume 1, Issue 3]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Can Chiropractic Help Relieve PMS?
• Smoking Linked to Back Pain in Children
• Hormone Therapy May Contribute to Breast Cancer
• Zinc: An Important Mineral for Children and Adults

Can Chiropractic Help Relieve PMS?

Headache, backache, abdominal bloating, cramping, fatigue and mood swings are just some of the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Most women suffer some symptoms of PMS during their childbearing years, but between 10-20% experience severe or disabling symptoms.

Drugs, vitamin supplements and psychotherapy have proven ineffective or undesirable treatment options, with many patients reporting unpleasant side effects and only minimal relief of symptoms. Previous research has suggested the potential benefit of chiropractic care, and a recent study provides further evidence of this association.

In a nine-month clinical trial involving 25 women with diagnosed PMS, 16 patients received active chiropractic treatment (spinal manipulation and soft-tissue therapy) 2-3 times in the week before menses for at least three menstrual cycles; the remaining nine patients received a placebo in the form of chiropractic ìadjustments,î using an instrument set for minimum force, such that patients did not effectively receive treatment.

The two groups eventually changed over, so that both groups received treatment and placebo during the study period. In both groups, results showed that PMS symptom scores decreased after chiropractic manipulation, with a significant decrease in scores for the active treatment phase compared to the nontreatment (placebo) phase.

Schedule an appointment with your doctor of chiropractic and find out more about the benefits of chiropractic care and its potential role in relieving your PMS symptoms.
For more information on womenís health, visit https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/women.html

Walsh MJ, Polus BI. A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of chiropractic therapy on premenstrual syndrome. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Nov/Dec 1999: Vol. 22, No. 9, pp582-85.

Smoking Linked to Back Pain in Children

Even if youíve been confined to a deserted island for 50 years, youíre no doubt aware of the dangers of smoking. Overwhelming evidence links smoking to terminal diseases (including lung cancer and emphysema) and the risk of premature death, including several recent studies mentioned in this publication.

Smoking may also influence back pain, a suggestion also supported by recent evidence and a study that appeared in the December 1 issue of Spine. Students from three high schools in Montreal, Canada were monitored for one year to evaluate the incidence of low back pain (LBP) and its potential association with smoking.

Back pain (pain occurring at least once a week in the previous six months) was twice as likely in smokers than nonsmokers. Additionally, moderate-to-heavy smokers (25 or more cigarettes per week) experienced more pain than light-to-moderate smokers (1-25 cigarettes per week).

Far too many people suffer from low back pain, and far too many people continue to smoke despite the warnings. With increasing numbers of our children smoking and suffering from back pain, isnít it time to lead ourselves and our children down a healthier path?

Feldman DE, Rossignol M, Shrier I, et al. Smoking: a risk factor for the development of low back pain in adolescents. Spine, Dec. 1, 1999: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp2492-96.

For more information on childhood conditions, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/childhood.html

Hormone Therapy May Contribute to Breast Cancer

It is estimated that cancer ends a human life every minute in the United States, and that more than three million others currently suffer from some form of the disease. Among women, breast cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths.

After menopause, many women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to compensate for the bodyís natural decline in hormone production. However, as a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests, the risks associated with HRT use may end up outweighing the benefits.

As part of a nationwide breast cancer screening program called the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project, 46,355 postmenopausal women were evaluated for duration and type of hormone use and monitored for the incidence of breast cancer. Of particular interest was the influence of estrogen, progestin, or a combination of the two hormones on the risk of developing the disease.

During the 15-year study, 2,082 cases of breast cancer were identified. Women taking the progestin-estrogen combination were at higher risk for the disease than women taking estrogen alone, and this risk increased more rapidly in the combination therapy group vs. the estrogen group per year of use.

The authors note that their data suggest that ìthe estrogen-progestin regimen increases breast cancer risk beyond that associated with estrogen alone.î Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits associated with hormone replacement therapy.

Schairer C, Lubin J, Troisi R, et al. Menopausal estrogen and estrogen-progestin replacement therapy and breast cancer risk. Journal of the American Medical Association, Jan. 26, 2000: Vol. 283, No. 4, pp485-91.

Zinc: An Important Mineral for Children and Adults

Most people arenít aware of the importance of zinc in their diet. Zinc deficiency can contribute to acne, fatigue, growth impairment, slow wound healing, delayed sexual maturation, hair loss, high cholesterol, and many other health problems.

Zinc deficiency can also impair the bodyís ability to fight infection. In children, this can greatly increase the risk of suffering from two of the more common infectious childhood diseases: pneumonia and diarrhea. But there may be a solution, and it could be as easy as making sure you and your children get enough zinc.

A study in the Journal of Pediatrics reviewed previous research on the benefits of zinc supplementation, finding 10 trials worthy of analysis. In seven studies, zinc supplementation was provided at 1-2 times the recommended daily allowance (RDA), 5-7 times per week. In the remaining three studies, zinc supplementation amounted to 2-4 times the RDA daily for two weeks.

Zinc supplementation reduced the risk of developing diarrhea and pneumonia in both sets of trials. The authors note that these results emphasize the importance of adequate daily zinc intake, and add that their findings are especially significant to developing countries where zinc deficiency is common (and where diarrhea and pneumonia represent the two leading causes of death).

Good sources of zinc include fish, egg yolks, lima beans, meats, pecans, poultry, soybeans and whole grains. Your chiropractor can evaluate the nutritional needs of you and your children and help ensure that your family gets the vitamins and minerals necessary to stay healthy and fight disease.

Bhutta ZA, Black RE, Brown KH, et al. Prevention of diarrhea and pneumonia by zinc supplementation in children in developing countries: pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Pediatrics 1999: Vol. 135, pp689-97.

If you'd like more information on nutrition, visit https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html

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