Better Health,  Naturally         

www.shierfamily.org

health@shierfamily.org

Dr. Ben Shier,

Doctor of Chiropractic

Cindy Nelson, 

Chiropractic  Technician

Ann Ross, 

Chiropractic Assistant

Kristen 

Licensed

Massage Therapist

Press Releases

At Shier Family Clinic of Chiropractic, we want to help you stay informed of any changes in the healthcare field and within chiropractic. Whenever we find pertinent research articles, press releases or news stories that affect you and your family's health directly, we will post them here. This page will contain stories, articles and links to other websites. Feel free to pass on any of this information, or call our office with any questions. If you find any stories or research articles yourself, feel free to inform us.

Reversing the Damage of Our Super-Sized Lifestyle
Besides smoking, the biggest contributor to poor health and other diseases in our country is increased weight gain. Individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, while individuals with a (BMI) of 30 or more are considered obese. Obesity is defined as an excessively high amount of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass. Most of these people are at least thirty pounds over their healthy weight. Individuals with a BMI or 35 are considered to be severely obese, and those with a (BMI) of 40 are considered morbidly obese. Generally, the morbidly obese are over 100 pounds over their recommended weight.

According to the CDC, about 66% of people in the USA are now overweight, with 32% being obese.  About 3% of people, or 6.8 million adults, were morbidly obese in 2005. Obesity increases a person's risk of contracting numerous diseases, including diabetes, heart diseases and cancer.

Data from 2000 shows that an astonishing 15% of teens form 12-19 years of age are overweight, with that number increasing at an alarmingly high rate each year. Overweight and obese youth are more likely to become overweight and obese adults with significant health problems, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Since we know that a large percentage of our population is overweight or obese, it is important to show how obesity can lead to other serious illnesses. Recent research has shown that obesity can cause inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation to fight off infections and heal injuries is beneficial, but only lasts for a short period of time. The cells and chemicals released by the body are pretty harsh and are designed to destroy foreign invaders. When inflammation hangs around in the body for no specific reason, it damages healthy tissues, such as blood vessels. Prolonged inflammation can lead to hardening and narrowing of arteries, decreasing blood flow to various organs. Symptoms include stroke, heart attack, erectile dysfunction and degenerative disc disease. Chronic inflammation causes serious illnesses, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia. It can even play a role in osteoporosis, depression, endometriosis, headaches and aging. Since the most common form of medical treatment for these diseases are prescription drugs, people who are overweight or obese are more likely to be on multiple medications, and therefore increase their risk of adverse drug reactions.

The typical American diet is full of pro-inflammatory foods. Processed grains like corn and wheat found in white bread, wheat bread and corn chips, sugar, potato chips, grain-fed beef and chicken, and omega-6 oils like corn, safflower, sunflower, and peanut oils all contribute to increased inflammation. In fact, most processed foods are made primarily with grains and oils that promote inflammation. According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sugar-sweetened soft drinks contribute over 7% of our calorie intake each day, and represent the largest single food source of calories in the US diet.

Since inflammation is a major contributor to the overall decreased health of Americans, is largely associated with being overweight and obese, and the majority of our diet is made up of pro-inflammatory foods, it makes sense that changing the way we eat would change the state of our health. A diet focused on omega-3 fatty acids and avoiding omega-6 fatty acids will help decrease the amount of inflammation in the body. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are olive oil, flaxseeds, chia seeds, fish, fish oil, grass-fed meats, and omega-3 eggs. Other foods that help decrease inflammation are red wine, dark chocolate, fruits, veggies, garlic, almonds, ginger, coconut, coconut oil, and turmeric/curry. Pay attention to fruits and veggies with deep, dark colors and try to eat a rainbow of colors everyday.
The quality of food you eat is as important as what you eat. Research has shown that organic and locally grown foods carry more nutrients than their conventional and genetically modified counterparts. Adding nutrient dense varieties will have a greater impact on your overall health. Grain-fed meats promote inflammation in the body, as opposed to organic and grass-fed meats. Making sure your food comes from high quality sources will have a huge impact on your health.

Supplementation may be necessary, especially if you are not able to eat organically and locally grown food. Almost everyone can benefit from a basic formula of a high-quality multi-vitamin, magnesium, calcium, EPA/DHA, and vitamin D. Research shows that the best source of vitamin D is the sun. If you are unable to spend time in the sun every day, a high-quality supplement is absolutely necessary. Other important supplements include CoQ10, ginger, turmeric, proteolytic enzymes, garlic, ginseng, probiotics, fiber, selenium, and a vitamin B complex. Specific supplements and dosages are determined by individual nutritional demands, so it is important to find a natural healthcare provider who can help you determine your needs.

Health is a multi-faceted way of life that includes diet, nutrition, exercise, genetics, spirituality, emotional well being, and more. This article touched on a very important aspect of overall health, and that is decreasing the amount of inflammation produced in the body, along with maintaining a healthy weight. These two things together will significantly reduce your risk of suffering from the seven major diseases in our country, and give you a higher quality of life. It’s not too late to reverse the damage of our super-sized lifestyle.

CHIROPRACTIC DOES NOT INCREASE RISK OF STROKE
According to a February 2008 report in the journal Spine, A new study (published January 24, 2008 in Ontario, Canada) finds there is no evidence of excess risk of stroke following chiropractic spinal manipulation (adjustment). In the study, researchers noted that patients are no more likely to suffer a stroke following chiropractic treatment than they would after visiting their family doctor’s office. The study goes on to say that the association between a vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) stroke and visits to a chiropractor or medical doctor are likely due to patients with an undiagnosed vertebral artery dissection (tear, separation) seeking care for neck pain and headache before their stroke.

According to the authors of the study, neck pain and headaches are common problems associated with considerable comorbidity, disability and costs to society. A 2003 study demonstrated that headache was the most common pain condition prompting lost productive time, with an average of 3.5 hours lost each week.

“This is a very important study”, states Dr. Brenda Trudell, a chiropractor in Mount Horeb, WI, “because many people that visit a chiropractor already have headaches and neck pain. Chiropractic adjustments offer many of these patients substantial relief, so it is important to know that it is safe and not causing more problems. People go to chiropractors and medical doctors to get treatment for the pain, but something more serious may already be happening.”

This study shows that patients with a VBA dissection commonly have headache and neck pain, but that the stroke occurs spontaneously, without being caused by the chiropractor or the medical doctor. There was no difference in the incidence of strokes regardless of whom they saw for the pain treatment. The study also reported that many people who have these types of strokes also have other serious health conditions that make them more susceptible, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and connective tissue disorders.

It is important to realize that while these events are extremely rare, they are serious. Help your chiropractor or medical doctor by giving them the following information if you have a headache:
Have you ever had anything like this before?
Can you pinpoint a cause?
Any changes in vision, hearing or other senses?
Describe the pain: pounding, sharp, dull, achy, radiating
Has it been getting better or worse since it began?
Do you feel dizzy or light-headed?
Have you experienced any nausea or vomiting since the headache began?

Answering these questions will help get to the cause of the headache and get you the proper care in a timely fashion.

Hidden Healthcare Costs of Our Super-Sized Lifestyle

Doomsday is upon us if you follow the news. We are in the midst of an economic collapse and stock prices are falling. Gas prices are soaring and a war rages on. All of these things affect the economy and your pocketbook. But do you know what else directly affects your pocketbook? Healthcare. Whether it’s your own personal medical expenses or the indirect costs of increased insurance premiums from others’ poor health decisions, we are all paying dearly for the terrible health crisis in this country.

This is two-part story on the financial burden we all face because of the poor health choices we make as a nation. The first segment breaks down the costs each year for the most common chronic diseases, and the second part will give real solutions to the major conditions that plague us and rob us blind each year.
According to Harvard research, in the US, someone files for bankruptcy every 30 seconds as a result of treatment they received for a serious health problem. Most of these people are middle class. Fifty percent are homeowners and have some college education. Many are the breadwinners of the family, and three-fourths have health insurance. Many employers spend over 60% of their profits on healthcare costs. According to the chairmen of Starbucks and General Motors, their companies spend more money on health insurance than they do on coffee and cars.

The reason the problem is so large is that the majority of the medical expenses go toward treating preventable lifestyle related diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, obesity and smoking related conditions. Insurance has become known as “sick” care, not health care. It is no longer used for things beyond our control, such as accidents and rare genetic disorders. And since having health insurance doesn’t even guarantee protection if you get sick with, we are all, in essence, one serious illness away from bankruptcy.

Seven main conditions are causing America’s healthcare crisis: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, stress, obesity and adverse drug reactions. Let’s go through a few of these conditions and break down the costs to see how your pocketbook is directly affected. Averages are figured by cost to society divided by the total population.

2.2 million Americans suffer adverse drug reactions each year, including properly prescribed medications and drug interactions between multiple medications. This costs us about $12 billion per year on medical expenses and lost production. Many drugs themselves have serious side effects and lead to more healthcare problems. According to the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, of the best selling prescription drugs on the market, 148 were know to cause depression, 133 caused hallucinations, 148 lead to constipation, and 27 caused insomnia. When Americans rely on drugs to “fix” problems, we end up with more problems to fix. The average cost to a family of four is $164 a year.

In 2004 cancer cost the US $74.3 billion in direct medical costs, and $135 billion in individual and lost production costs, for a whopping total of $210 billion. We ultimately pay for this through increased taxes, rising insurance premiums and co-pays, and higher prices on items we purchase. If you are one of the unfortunate ones to be diagnosed with cancer, the costs are even greater. The quality of life costs are truly staggering when you factor in expensive therapies and the physically debilitating nature of the disease, which often leads to lost work. Many never fully regain their health, and sometimes the treatments themselves lead to more cancer and problems in the future. In this case, no treatment can ever be as effective as prevention. Average cost to a family of four is $2876 a year.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can show up as conditions such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and congestive heart failure. As a whole, it is the most expensive and most common lifestyle related disease in the US. 71 million Americans, or one-fourth of the population, have some form of CVD, and 2500 die each day from it. More people die from CVD than from cancer, chronic lower respiratory infections and accidents combined. Even if death doesn’t result, the disease often leads to permanent disability and costs the US over $400 billion each year in medical expenses and lost production. These numbers will only increase as the population age increases with the baby boomers. Average cost to a family of four is $5520 a year.

Chronic pain, which includes arthritis, back pain and headaches, costs the US over $120 billion a year in medical expenses and lost work. One in six Americans suffer from this debilitating condition, 80% of which are between 24-64 years of age. Along with the pain, many also experience depression, helplessness, stress, loss of family and property, and decreased immune system function. Unfortunately, most of these people are only offered painkillers, anti-inflammatories and steroids, which carry their own inherent dangers such as addiction and stomach disorders. While some may experience temporary relief, these pills rarely fix the actual problem causing the chronic pain. Average cost to a family of four is $1643.

Obesity and diabetes affect millions of Americans and take an enormous toll on our healthcare system and our pocketbooks. Stress makes it increasingly difficult to cope and our immune system often suffers. Average cost to a family of four for obesity, diabetes and stress, respectively, are $1027, $1808 and $780 a year.

For the seven most expensive conditions our healthcare system faces, the average cost to a family of four is $13,818 per year. That is over one trillion dollars a year in healthcare costs, lost productivity and increased expenses, and is more than we spend on defense and education combined. In the next segment, we will discuss how obesity and diabetes actually lead to many of the other conditions we are faced with, and how to reverse the effects of our poor life style choices. Our fast food nation has led to Super-Sized healthcare costs, and the likelihood of a major healthcare crisis grows right along with our waistlines.