March 23, 2004 [Volume 5, Issue 7]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Turning Your Head Could Become a Pain in the Neck
• Are You Still Using Hormone Replacement Therapy?
• Time for a Change
• A Spoonful of Cinnamon Helps the Blood Cholesterol Go Down

Studies have shown that approximately 70 percent of people are afflicted with some form of neck pain at some point in their lives; 5 percent to 10 percent suffer neck pain that is debilitating. However, the symptoms associated with "nonspecific" neck pain - pain not associated with injury, disorder, or tissue degeneration - have not been studied extensively.

In a recent study in the journal Spine, researchers examined 40 adults, ages 19-42, with no prior neck injuries or treatment, to study the structural composition of the neck and its relation to pain. Volunteers were tested for neck-muscle endurance, range of motion, and extension, and questioned about their history of recurrent neck pain or discomfort.

More than one in three (35%) of the study participants reported experiencing neck pain/discomfort weekly or more frequently, with duration of symptoms lasting from 30 minutes to 48 hours per occurrence. In these subjects, neck muscle endurance, neck extension and range of motion were significantly reduced compared to the remaining 26 subjects - those without reported neck pain.

The bottom line, according to the authors, is that physical limitations involving neck movement and endurance may be early signs of neck pain. Before any of that happens, make an appointment with an expert in preventing and managing musculoskeletal pain and associated limitations - a doctor of chiropractic.

To learn more about musculoskeletal conditions and the benefits chiropractic can provide, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/musculoskeletal.

Reference: Lee H, Nicholson LL, Adams RD. Cervical range of motion associations with subclinical neck pain. Spine, Jan. 1, 2004:29(1), pp33-40.

For the past 20 years, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among postmenopausal women has steadily increased, but recent studies have determined that some combinations of hormone therapy drugs increase the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Has this new evidence had an affect on HRT use?

Interested in determining whether the use of hormone therapy declined following published evidence in July 2002 documenting its adverse health affects, researchers studied trends in HRT use among postmenopausal women from 1995 through July 2003, and found that obstetrician/gynecologists supplied over 70 percent of hormone therapy prescriptions. Hormone therapy use increased from 58 million in 1995 to 90 million in 1999, then stabilized through June 2002. However, following the July 2002 findings, prescriptions began steadily declining.

Based on this data, researchers projected that only 57 million women would use hormone replacement therapy in 2003 (less than the total users in 1995), and that even fewer would utilize the therapy in 2004.

Are you still using HRT? Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking hormone replacements, and investigate nonpharmaceutical options that may be just as effective -- and safer.

Learn more about women's health at www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/women.html.

Reference: Hersh AL, Stefanick ML, Stafford RS. National use of postmenopausal hormone therapy: annual trends and response to recent evidence. Journal of the American Medical Association, Jan. 7, 2004;291(1), pp47-53.

Think your fitness level doesn't affect your job performance? Think again! A recent study suggests that physically fit employees are more productive, have fewer absences and are more satisfied with the quality of their work than their less physically active counterparts.

Researchers surveyed 683 men and women to assess whether lifestyle-related health risks, including a lack of physical activity, poor cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity, are linked to aspects of job performance, such as absenteeism, work performance and relationships with co-workers.

Physically active employees reported better work quality and overall job performance, and those with higher levels of physical fitness reported positively on the quantity of work performed, as well as a reduction in the amount of effort needed to complete the work. Researchers also found that work quantity increased as employee fitness levels increased.

Twenty-two percent of study participants were classified as obese, with 4.5 percent labeled "severely" obese. Obese employees reportedly had more difficulty getting along with co-workers, while severely obese employees reported a higher number of absences related to health. The study concluded that poor health related to lifestyle choices negatively impacts work performance.

If you suspect that your work performance is suffering because of an unhealthy lifestyle, talk to a doctor of chiropractic about getting back on track with some healthier choices. It could save your life and your job!

For more information on health and wellness, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/general/wellness.

Reference: Pronk NP, Martinson B, Kessler RC, Beck AL, Simon GE, Wan P. The association between work performance and physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. January 2004;46(1), pp19-25.

According to Mary Poppins, "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down in a most delightful way." A new report suggests that the equivalent of a spoonful of cinnamon a day can significantly lower blood sugar, cholesterol and lipid levels, which is most delightful news for people with - or at risk of developing - diabetes.

Sixty people with type 2 diabetes were divided into six groups; three groups received daily doses of cinnamon (1, 3 or 6 grams, respectively), while the other groups received placebo capsules containing wheat flour. The cinnamon was consumed for 40 days, followed by a 20-day washout period. Blood glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol levels were all significantly lower in patients receiving cinnamon compared to those given a placebo.

While adding cinnamon to the diet won't cure a person with diabetes, it may help protect diabetic patients from some of the worst complications that arise from the condition, such as blurred vision, heart disease and kidney failure. There are a variety of ways cinnamon can be incorporated into a person's diet, such as adding it to coffee or cereal, or making a tea out of boiling water and cinnamon stick.

For more information on herbs, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/herbs.html.

Reference: Khan A, Safdar M, Muzaffar Ali Khan M, et al. Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care December 2003;26, pp3215-3218.

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