June 13, 2006 [Volume 7, Issue 13]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Music to Soothe the Aching Back
• Antioxidants for Your Migraines
• Yoga Offers Benefits for Breast Cancer Patients

Just think about the power of music: It can bring an isolated person out of their shell, make a sad person feel happy, and provide inspiration and support in time of need. For people who are in chronic pain, a new study shows that music can make a big difference in the way people feel about themselves and their ability to deal with the pain.

In the study, 60 people suffering from chronic back pain, neck pain and other conditions were recruited from pain and chiropractic clinics, and divided into two groups. One group listened to music on headsets for one hour per day for seven consecutive days, while a control group did not listen to music at all. Among those who listened to music, half could choose the music themselves, while the other half selected from five relaxation recordings provided by the researchers.

After one week, people who listened to music reported that their pain had decreased by between 12 percent and 21 percent; in the group of patients who didn't listen to music, however, their pain levels actually increased 2 percent. People who listened to music also reported feeling less depressed and less disabled, and felt that they had more power over their pain, than people in the control group.

Of course, while this study shows that music can help reduce pain, it doesn't mean that chiropractic care is any less effective. Music is simply another instrument chiropractors can recommend to their patients as a means of pain relief. An adjustment from a chiropractor is one of the best, most effective ways of treating back pain and other ailments - with or without musical accompaniment! To learn more about how doctors of chiropractic can relieve pain, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/musculoskeletal.

Siedliecki SL, Good M. Effect of music on power, pain, depression and disability. Journal of Advanced Nursing June 2006;54(5)553-562.

Everyone knows that antioxidants like vitamin C, beta-carotene and lycopene are good for you, and that they can neutralize the effects of free radicals, which may cause cancer. But can they really prevent migraines? To answer this question, people who suffered from chronic migraines were given a combination of three antioxidants (pine bark extract, vitamin C and vitamin E), which they consumed each day for three months. At the beginning and end of the study, each person completed a questionnaire that measured the number of days they suffered from migraines, along with the severity of their headaches.

The antioxidant combination appeared to be effective in reducing both the frequency and the severity of migraines. In the three months prior to the study, the study group suffered from migraines an average of 44.4 days per patient. At the end of the study period, the number of headache days had decreased to 26.0. When migraines did occur, they seemed less severe while patients were taking antioxidants. Before the study, patients rated the severity of their migraines at an average of 7.5 (out of 10); after treatment, average headache severity fell to 5.5.

While pine bark extract is available only as a supplement, vitamins C and E can be found in dozens of foods. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, green vegetables (mainly asparagus, broccoli and spinach) and tomatoes. Vitamin E, meanwhile, can be found in vegetable oils, sweet potatoes, avocados, nuts and sunflower seeds. Talk to your doctor of chiropractic about how you can incorporate these foods into your diet, and visit www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/nutrients.html for additional information.

Chayasirisobhon S. Use of a pine bark extract and antioxidant vitamin combination product as therapy for migraine in patients refractory to pharmacologic medication. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain May 2006;46:788-793.

Research has shown that yoga increases strength and flexibility, and helps to promote both physical and mental well-being. New evidence of yoga's benefits was recently put on display at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting, where a study found that yoga could significantly improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients.

In this study, 61 women with breast cancer undergoing six weeks of radiation therapy were randomized to participate in a twice-weekly yoga program during or around the time of their radiation treatments, or to be put on a waiting list. (The control group also practiced yoga, but upon completion of radiation therapy). The yoga program emphasized loosening and breathing exercises, deep relaxation, meditation and postures, and excluded some positions that would be difficult for people with decreased range of motion.

Women who participated in the yoga sessions reported "significantly better" physical functioning scores in activities such as walking long distances, climbing stares and lifting groceries. They also reported "significantly higher" overall health scores, and had lower levels of fatigue and less difficulty sleeping, than women in the waiting list group. To learn more about the physical and mental benefits associated with yoga and other forms of exercise, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/sports.html.

Cohen L, Chandwani K, Thornton B, et al. Randomized trial of yoga in women with breast cancer undergoing radiation treatment. Abstract #8505. Presented at the 42nd annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Atlanta, Ga., June 4, 2006.

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