July 6, 2000 [Volume 1, Issue 17]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Chiropractic for MIGRAINES
• Tobacco Withdrawal Influenced by Menstrual Cycle
• Can Orthotics Improve Your Golf Game?
• Chondroitin Sulfate May Help Arthritis

It's another sunny July afternoon and your kids are out by the pool, laughing, playing and enjoying the sunshine. (Make sure they’re wearing sunscreen!) You’d love to join them, but you’re trapped inside again, enduring the pain and frustration of another migraine headache.

If you suffer from migraines, you’re certainly not alone. They’re relatively common, affecting an estimated 10% of the population. What can be done to get rid of migraines? According to a recent study, chiropractic care may hold the answer.

One hundred and twenty-seven migraine patients (at least one migraine per month) were divided into two groups for comparison. Group 1 received chiropractic adjustments at specific vertebral subluxations determined by the treating practitioner; group 2 served as controls and received inactive treatment (electrical stimulation with no current delivered). Subjects receiving chiropractic adjustments reported substantial improvement in migraine frequency, duration, disability, and medication use following two months of treatment. One in five participants reported a 90% reduction in migraines, and half reported significant improvement in migraine severity.

Are you tired of migraine headaches ruining your day? With conventional over-the-counter medications proving less than effective (and often accompanied by dangerous side effects), it’s time to fight the pain from another angle. To find out more about the potential benefits of chiropractic care, schedule an appointment with your doctor of chiropractic. And for more information on headaches, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/headaches.html

Reference: Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Feb. 2000: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp91-95.

Tobacco Withdrawal Influenced by Menstrual Cycle

The variety of physiological and emotional changes associated with the female menstrual cycle can contribute to a number of distressing symptoms: anxiety, depression, abdominal bloating, backache, headache, irritability, and mood swings. It’s estimated that 70-75% of all women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms at one time or another, with up to 40% reporting symptoms severe enough to affect their day-to-day lives.

The profound dangers of smoking include chronic emphysema, lung cancer, and various other cancers of the mouth, nose and throat. If you’re trying to quit, you know that withdrawal symptoms can be distressing - and in many ways similar to the symptoms associated with PMS.

The similarities between the two may be even more profound, according to a recent study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Researchers found that tobacco withdrawal symptoms were significantly greater among women who quit smoking during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (day 15 or more) than among women who quit smoking during the follicular phase (days 1-14). These results were maintained even when considering use of oral contraceptives, which are known to alter menstrual cycling.

If you’re a woman trying to quit smoking, you’re on your way to protecting yourself against a number of life-threatening conditions associated with consistent tobacco use. If you haven’t yet quit, these findings suggest that you may want to select a day to quit early in the menstrual cycle rather than later on, when the combination of PMS symptoms and withdrawal symptoms may prove more distressing than you can handle. Your doctor can provide you with more information on the dangers of smoking and how to quit (and stick with it).

Reference: Perkins KA, Levine M, Marcus M. Tobacco withdrawal in women and menstrual cycle phase. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000: Vol. 68, No. 1, pp176-80.

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

Can Orthotics Improve Your Golf Game?

The competition can get pretty fierce out on the golf course, whether it’s Tiger Woods battling David Duval for $1.3 million or two amateurs spending a lazy Saturday afternoon playing for a beer. Small, subtle adjustments can often make the difference between winning and losing, a point emphasized by a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.

Twelve experienced golfers took part in the study, designed to examine the effect of orthotics (custom-made, flexible shoe inserts) on the golf swing, before and after nine holes of simulated golf. Subjects wore the orthotics daily for six weeks, and measurements were taken using an electronic device that measures club speed (club-head velocity, or CHV) as the golfer swings.

Use of the custom-fit, flexible orthotics increased CHV by 3.5 miles per hour, translating to appromixately a 15-yard increase in the distance the ball traveled in the air. Orthotic use also appeared to reduce the effects of fatigue associated with nine holes of golf, suggesting the potential for more consistent golf performance.

The authors caution that their results only address a specific sample of golfers using a specific set of orthotics. For more information on the potential benefits of orthotics for golf and for overall health and wellness, schedule a consultation with your chiropractor.

Reference: Stude DE, Gullickson J. Effects of orthotic intervention and nine holes of simulated golf on club-head velocity in experienced golfers. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, March/April 2000: Vol. 23, No. 3, pp168-74.

For additional information on sports and fitness, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/sports.html

Chondroitin Sulfate May Help Arthritis

Thin, brittle bones can break without warning - one of the most distressing complications associated with arthritis. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. The common misconception holds that the disease only affects the elderly, but millions of young people, including children, are also affected.

Previous research suggests that exercise and nutritional factors can help fight arthritis by improving bone strength. Further evidence of this potential nutritional role comes from the Journal of Rheumatology, which published a study evaluating the utility of chondroitin sulfate (CS) in the management of osteoarthritis.

Chondroitin sulfate is the substance that gives cartilage (the spongy portion of bone) its elasticity and fluidity, suggesting its potential usefulness in influencing bone strength. This study reviewed previous controlled trials of CS in the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA), finding that:

• In seven reviewed trials, reported pain was only 57% of original baseline scores in groups taking CS; and
  
  
• Patients taking CS reported reductions in consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) and/or analgesics compared to baseline.

The authors emphasize that their results require additional support, but note that "There is evidence that chondroitin sulfate can reduce pain and improve function in patients suffering from osteoarthritis." If you or someone you know suffers from arthritis, talk to your doctor about the potential benefits of chondroitin sulfate.

Reference: Leeb FG, Scheweitzer H, Montag K, et al. A metaanalysis of chondroitin sulfate in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Journal of Rheumatology, Jan. 2000: Vol. 27, pp205-211.

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