To Your HealthTYH Archives

December 5, 2001[Volume 2, Issue 25]

 

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In this issue of To Your Health:

Is Back Pain in Your Future?

Chiropractors know that many things cause low back pain (LBP), including various physical, psychological, and personal characteristics. The effects of work on LBP are often studied; however, little research has focused on previous experiences causing LBP later in life. A recent study in the American Journal of Public Health investigated whether psychological stress can cause LBP a decade later.

Approximately 600 people in Britain who first suffered back pain at age 32-33 were compared to over 5,000 others who did not suffer from back pain. Back-pain information was obtained twice: from a current questionnaire and another completed 10 years previously. Only those with no LBP at age 23, but with later onset, were considered. Psychological stress in patients at age 23 was based on factors including low socioeconomic status, poor grades in school, behavioral problems, and early parenthood.

Those who reported stress at age 23 were two-and-a-half times more likely than their peers to have LBP a decade later. Smoking a half a pack or more of cigarettes per day throughout the 10 years also increased incidence of LBP. Overall, 10 percent of people with no back pain when younger reported it 10 years later.

Many studies have shown that stress leads to back and neck pain. Even if you aren't dealing with back pain now, minimize stress as much as possible to avoid future occurrence. Exercise can aid in stress management. Your doctor of chiropractic can help outline a stress-management program suitable to your needs.

Reference: Power C, Frank J, Hertzman C, et al. Predictors of low back pain onset in a prospective British study. American Journal of Public Health 2001:91(10), pp. 1671-1678.

For more information on back pain, check out https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/backpain.html.

No Grain, No Pain

The percentage of people with asthma has increased steadily over the last half of the 20th century: a recent study showed that 35% of 12- to 14-year-olds in the United Kingdom experience allergy symptoms annually. This increase may be linked to environmental factors, including eating certain foods. Eating dietary cereals, such as such as wheat, rye, oats, and barley, can cause an allergic reaction to grass pollen. Providing cereals in the diets of infants, whose digestive systems are not fully mature, may increase the likelihood of grass pollen allergies later in life.

Between 1989 and 1999, the authors of a study in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy studied more than 16,000 patients admitted to the allergy unit at their clinic in Spain. Of these, 250 patients with grass-pollen asthma and 250 asthma-free individuals were selected for the study. Patients or their parents were asked about the patients' diets as infants, including how long they were breast-fed only.

People who were fed cereals in the first three months after birth were six times more likely to later suffer from grass-pollen asthma than their peers who were breast-fed only. Regarding allergy sufferers, 84% of those with an early cereal diet were allergic to grass pollen, compared to only 15% of those who were breast-fed.

Don't feed your infant cereal-based foods for at least the first year of life. Breast milk is the best nutritional source for young infants, especially during their first six months of life. Breastfeeding provides a natural and safe food source for your baby, and other studies have shown that it reduces a child's risk for conditions like heart disease, digestive problems, developmental problems, and infections. For more information on the essentials of pediatric health, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/pediatrics/index.html.

Reference: Armentia A, Bañuelos C, Arranz ML, et al. Early introduction of cereals into children's diets as a risk-factor for grass pollen asthma. Clinical & Experimental Allergy 2001:31(8), pp. 1250-1255.

Too Many Americans Taking Diet Pills

Long-term weight loss depends on overall lifestyle changes: eating fewer calories and exercising more often. Yet many Americans turn to nonprescription weight loss pills or prescription diet pills because they require little effort to achieve weight loss. These products contain substances that reduce your appetite and stimulate calorie burning in your body. However, some research studies have reported negative side effects of these products, such as heart attacks; strokes; anxiety; sleeplessness; migraines; and seizures. Diet pills are of particular concern to those who have diabetes or high blood pressure.

Information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was utilized in this two-year study, recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers questioned nearly 15,000 adults about weight-loss product use; physical characteristics; presence of diabetes; and various lifestyle choices.

Seven percent of the participants had used at least one nonprescription weight-loss product. The authors of the study suggest that this translates into over 17 million people in the U.S. using these products from 1996-1998. Young, obese women were much more likely to take diet pills - nearly a third had used a weight-loss product. Many diabetic women and women with a healthy weight also reported using the drugs, however.

Obesity rates in the U.S. are increasing, which may lead to an increase in the use of diet pills. If you are trying to lose weight for any reason, avoid taking diet pills. The Food and Drug Administration has taken steps to remove phenylpropanolamine (PPA), the active ingredient in Acutrim and Dexatrim, from all drug products. Sound nutrition and consistent, moderate exercise, although not as simple as popping a pill, are safer alternatives.

Reference: Blanck HM, Khan LK, Serdula MK. Use of nonprescription weight loss products: Results from a multistate survey. Journal of the American Medical Association 2001:286(8), pp. 930-935.

Deflate Your Risk of Ankle Injury

If you play basketball, you've probably suffered at least one ankle injury before while on the court. Ankle injuries are one of the most common injuries in basketball, accounting for over half of the time missed by players. A recent study evaluated injuries in amateur basketball games to determine the primary causes of ankle injury.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, evaluated possible links to basketball ankle injuries, including history of injury; use of ankle tape/ braces; type of shoes; lack of warmup; and position played. Over 10,000 players in one elite and three recreational indoor basketball competitions in Australia were observed; players injured during the study period were asked to complete a questionnaire about their injury. The odds of ankle injury were 1 per 250 games (per person), and nearly half prevented players from returning to competition for at least one week. The three primary risk factors discovered are listed below, with corresponding increased odds of injury:

  • air cells in shoes (four times more likely);
  • history of previous ankle injury (five times more likely); and
  • not stretching prior to the game (three times more likely).

Always seek some form of treatment for an ankle injury (at a minimum, use an ice pack or other cold treatment), even if the injury seems minor. Over half of the injured players did not seek professional treatment, which made them more prone to future ankle injuries. Avoid shoes with air cells while on the court - they may decrease your foot stability. Also, use ankle tape and stretch adequately prior to your game.

Contact your doctor of chiropractic for more information. For all your questions about sports injuries, visit https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/sports.html.

Reference: McKay GD, Goldie PA, Payne WR, et al. Ankle injuries in basketball: Injury rate and risk factors. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2001:35, pp. 103-108.

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