March 30, 2000 [Volume 1, Issue 7]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• The First Line of Defense against Back Pain
• Maintaining Muscle Strength with Age
• Walking OK during Early Stages of Labor?
• The Road to Recovery Is Paved with Nutrition

Chiropractic: The First Line of Defense against Back Pain

With low back pain being the burden that it is to both patients and the health care system, patients and health care practitioners regularly must decide if surgery or more conservative management is the best option.

This review of the literature distills and synthesizes previously published research. The article lists various causes of low back pain, noting what findings in patient histories, physical examinations, and diagnostic imaging represent "red flags" that indicate the need for referral to a specialist for surgical intervention.

After patients are screened for red flags, conservative treatment should be the first line of treatment for patients without absolute signs for surgical intervention.

The authors concluded:

"Of the available conservative treatments, chiropractic management has been shown through multiple studies to be safe, clinically effective, cost-effective, and to provide a high degree of patient satisfaction. As a result, in patients . . . for whom the surgical indications are not absolute, a minimum of 2 or 3 months of chiropractic management is indicated."

Troyanovich SJ, Harrison DD, Harrison DE. Low back pain and the lumbar intervertebral disk: Clinical consideration for the doctor of chiropractic. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Feb. 1999; vol. 22, no. 2, pp96-104.

For additional information on back pain, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/backpain.html

Maintaining Muscle Strength with Age

As we age, we lose muscle strength -- if we lose enough, it can become difficult to do some of the simple, everyday activities we're accustomed to doing, like getting dressed in the morning, taking a bath, eating a meal, even walking from one place to the next.

Maintaining as much muscle strength as possible may help avoid or postpone these frustrating problems later in life. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, men with good hand grip strength in "midlife" (45+ years old when the measurements were taken) reported much less disability related to muscle strength 20 years later. Specifically, men with weak original hand grip measurements had more trouble with household work, slower walking speed, and more difficulty dressing, bathing, eating, etc., than men with strong grip strength measurements.

In other words, more muscle strength now might mean more muscle strength (and less frustration) later. This is especially important because grip strength seems to be a good general indicator of strength in other areas of the body.

Ask your chiropractor to measure your hand grip strength, and ask about appropriate exercises that can help you improve and maintain muscle strength throughout life.

Rantanen T, Guralnik JM, Foley D, et al. Midlife hand grip strength as a predictor of old age disability. Journal of the American Medical Association, February 10, 1999: Vol. 281, No. 6, pp558-560.

Walking OK during Early Stages of Labor?

Pregnancy truly represents a time of change in a woman's life: the birth of a unique bond between mother and child that will last for a lifetime -- and the onset of a series of uncomfortable physical and emotional developments that, fortunately, usually only last for nine months or so.

The beginning of labor is a particularly stressful time for many women (and men!), as contractions start and the baby positions itself to exit the womb. Many women find that walking during labor helps reduce their anxiety and discomfort, yet little research has investigated the potential benefit or harm. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, more than 1,000 pregnant women were assigned to one of two groups: a "usual-care" group confined to labor beds (sitting or lying down) or a "walking group" permitted to walk as desired during the first stage of labor (about six hours prior to the birth of the baby).

Walking had no significant effect on labor or delivery. Average birth weight and infant condition/health were similar in the walking vs. the nonwalking group, and the majority of women who chose to walk said they would do so again. No one ever said childbirth was easy, but health care professionals, family and friends can help ensure that it's the most rewarding experience of your life.

Bloom SL, McIntire DD, Kelly MA et al. Lack of effect of walking on labor and delivery. The New England Journal of Medicine, July 9, 1998: volume 339, number 2, pp76-9.

For additional information on women's health, visit https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/women.html

The Road to Recovery Is Paved with Nutrition

If youíve recently suffered an injury, youíre probably all too familiar with the physical rigors of rehabilitation. Regaining strength and endurance in injured muscles, joints or tissue is a complex process requiring consideration of physical, biological, physiological and nutritional factors.

Speaking of nutrition, a review paper in the Journal of Sports Chiropractic & Rehabilitation addresses the value of nutrition in returning patients to preinjury status. Various nutritional considerations are discussed, including:

* specific energy and nutrient requirements;
* ways of reducing inflammation (enzymes, amino acids, herbs/botanicals);
* repairing/strengthening tissue (glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate); and
* avoiding potential food sensitivities (corn, wheat, milk products, red meat, etc.)

Whether youíre recovering from injury or just trying to maximize health and wellness, proper nutrition is a good place to start. Consult with your chiropractor to develop nutritional and exercise guidelines appropriate to your needs.

Simon JJ. Rehabilitative nutrition. Journal of Sports Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, Dec. 1999: Vol. 13, No. 4, pp145-49.

For additional information on nutrition, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html

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