April 8, 2003 [Volume 4, Issue 8]
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In this issue of To Your Health:
As Safe as Can Be
Some people refuse to go to a chiropractor because they fear suffering a stroke after neck manipulation. Recent media attention has focused on the claim of a cause-effect relationship between chiropractic and stroke, yet little evidence actually supports the hypothesis that neck manipulations can cause a stroke. A recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics makes this relationship seem even more implausible.
To
determine the extent of strain on the vertebral artery of the neck during
spinal manipulative therapy, six vertebral arteries were utilized from
five cadaveric specimens, with only the necessary arterial loops exposed.
Strains on the arteries were measured during range-of-motion tests, diagnostic
tests and a number of manipulation procedures. Next, each artery was removed
and strained until failure on a materials-testing machine, with the level
of mechanical failure recorded.
Spinal manipulative therapy on the cervical spine caused an average strain of about 2-6% over resting artery length to the arterial loops, similar to strains measured during range-of-motion tests. The failure tests showed that the vertebral arteries could be stretched to 39-62% over resting length before causing mechanical failure, however. The strain required to damage the vertebral arteries was approximately nine times greater than strain actually produced by spinal manipulation.
The researchers who conducted this study concluded that in normal circumstances, typical chiropractic manipulations to the neck are highly unlikely to tear the vertebral artery, and that the strains measured on the arteries in this study were within the range of those generated during normal activities. In fact, the estimated occurrence of stroke following cervical manipulations is approximately one per 6 million manipulations; even in these cases, the manipulations aren't necessarily the cause of the strokes. By comparison, a person's odds of getting struck by lightning in his or her lifetime are much higher: about one in 3,000.
Reference: Symons BP, Leonard T, Herzog W. Internal forces sustained by the vertebral artery during spinal manipulative therapy. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2002:25(8), pp. 504-510.
To read about neck pain, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/neckpain.html.
Strike While the Iron Is Hot
Iron-deficiency anemia in infants, a condition caused by inadequate levels of iron in the body, was recently covered in a review in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Our bodies require iron to make hemoglobin, a part of the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. If iron levels get too low, an adult might experience fatigue; headaches; dizziness; concentration problems; a pale appearance; and brittle nails and cracked lips. Although few adults in developed nations suffer from this form of anemia, infants are more commonly affected.
In a healthy infant's first months outside the womb, breastfeeding does not provide adequate iron, so iron stored in the liver and bone marrow is utilized. However, by around six months of age, these stores are depleted. Premature birth; prolonged and excessive breastfeeding; providing the wrong types of complementary foods; and frequent infections can all lead to iron deficiency in infants. In children and adolescents, it usually occurs in females as the result of menstruation combined with restricted food intake.
In young children, iron deficiency is characterized by altered behavior, including excessive wariness, irritability and depression, and altered motor development, including a fear of leaving a parent's side. Adolescents and children who were anemic as infants may end up having lower grades and cognitive test scores; worse math scores; and reduced verbal learning and memory abilities.
It is crucial that babies and young children have enough iron while still developing and growing. Strike while the iron is still hot: Feed your kids red meat, poultry and fish - the best natural sources of dietary iron. Fortified breakfast-type cereals and infant formulas are also excellent sources. Infants 7-12 months old, children ages 4-8, and adolescents ages 14-18 require the most dietary iron. When detected, existing iron-deficiency anemia can be treated immediately with iron supplementation provided by a doctor.
Reference: Zlotkin S. Clinical nutrition:8. The role of nutrition in the prevention of iron deficiency anemia in infants, children and adolescents. Canadian Medical Association Journal 2003:168(1), pp. 59-63.
For a wealth of nutrition studies, check out https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition.
Don't Be a Dropout
When was the last time you exercised vigorously? For optimal health, you should be performing a strenuous workout, such as running or lifting weights, several times each week. Based on a recent Gallup Poll, however, the odds are that most people aren't getting nearly enough exercise.
In November 2002, the Gallup Organization conducted a Health and Healthcare Poll of over 1,000 American adults to find out how many are vigorously exercising (i.e., at least 20 minutes of exercise that causes large increases in heart rate and breathing) or performing other forms of physical activity, and how often they're doing it. Gallup then compared the results to a similar phone survey it completed in November 2001.
The percentage of Americans who engage in vigorous exercise dropped from 52% in 2001 to 45% in 2002. Moderate exercise, or activities that cause a slight increase in heart rate (e.g., gardening or walking), has pretty much remained constant. Around 80% of people engage in weekly moderate exercise, although the percentage of those who do also dropped slightly in the past year. At every frequency of exercise, there was evidence of a decline in participation, according to the poll. Also, only a quarter of Americans are weight training, despite numerous efforts by health professionals to encourage people to lift weights every week.
Based on Gallup's "overall exercise index," 54% of Americans are considered sedentary or having low activity levels. So, at the same time Americans are eating more food with higher fat content, they're also working out less and burning fewer calories. Don't be a dropout - if you used to exercise, start working out again. If you've never really worked out, there's never been a better time to start. There may be no better way to stay healthy.
Reference: Saad L. Fewer Americans feeling the burn: Dwindling number report vigorous exercise. Gallup News Service, Poll Analyses, Jan. 10, 2003.
To read more about sports and fitness, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/sports.
Fight Acid With Acid
Recently, a new and highly accurate predictor of declining health has emerged. The amino acid homocysteine, measured through blood serum concentration, is an accurate predictor of risk for stroke and heart disease. Whether homocysteine causes these conditions or is simply correlated has been uncertain, though.
Using 92 studies involving a total of over 20,000 adults, the authors of this study in the British Medical Journal evaluated the possible causation of stroke and heart disease due to high homocysteine levels in the blood. They found that for every unit increase in serum homocysteine, the odds were increased approximately one-and-a-half times for heart disease, deep vein thrombosis (major blood clotting) and stroke.
This adds to evidence suggesting the link between homocysteine and cardiovascular disease is a causal one. Lowering homocysteine concentrations in the blood by even less than one unit may significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, deep vein thrombosis and stroke.
So how can you lower your homocysteine levels? It's easier than you think. Homocysteine can be lowered through supplementation of another acid - folic acid. Also known as vitamin B9, folic acid can be obtained through foods including fortified cereals, peas and beans, spinach and whole wheat. To be sure you are getting enough, taking a multivitamin is your best bet. Folic acid also helps prevent birth defects (when taken by pregnant women), cancer, osteoporosis and depression.
Reference: Wald DS, Law M, Morris JK. Homocysteine and cardiovascular disease: Evidence on causality from a meta-analysis. British Medical Journal 2002:325, pp. 1202-1208.
For more on general health, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/general.
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