Practice Member Appreciation Party!

Monday, May 7th

9-noon and 3-6 pm

We are so blessed to have you all as a party of our lives, so we are throwing a party in your honor!  We will have great food, fun and free adjustments for all our current practice members on Monday, May 7th.  We also are giving you the opportunity to pay it forward to your friends and family.  We have limited spots available Tuesday-Thursday for free examinations, scans and reports.  I hope that you all can join us for this fun day!

Back pain is one of the most prevalent health issues in America; an estimated 80 percent of us will experience lower back pain at some point in our lives, and approximately $50 billion dollars is spent every year by patients seeking relief for this condition alone, with this number including both direct medical expenses and time lost from work. Because this problem is so costly, it is no wonder that health insurance companies are looking closely at the costs of different therapies... and of great interest to patients and employers alike that these studies show that patients who utilize chiropractors for back pain are not only the most satisfied with the care they receive, but are also costing less money than those seeking care from primary care physicians or orthopedists.

In a study done by American Specialty Health Plans, Inc. that compared the back pain costs of two groups - those whose health care coverage included chiropractic benefits and those whose did not - the evidence was clear that those who utilized chiropractors had lower overall costs by as much as 28%. This reduction was in large part from the elimination or reduction of hospitalization costs, diagnostic costs, and surgical costs. A similar study was done in 2008 by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, showing that not only were expenses significantly lower, but that the use of chiropractors offered positive results. This finding may be even more important than the reduction in expense; the patients who pursue chiropractic treatment over treatment by primary care physicians or orthopedists are far and away more satisfied with the treatment they receive, reporting significant improvements within a month of seeking chiropractic treatment.

Because of these studies and in an effort to lower their own costs, more and more insurance companies are beginning to cover the cost of chiropractic care for acute conditions such as lower back pain and injuries, and chiropractic coverage is offered through both Medicare and Medicaid, and to employees of the federal government. As the focus on preventive care grows, it is anticipated that chiropractic maintenance and wellness care and treatment in areas outside of the spine, such as headache, menstrual cramps and even ear infections will soon be covered as well. For patients whose insurance companies do not cover chiropractic care, the out of pocket expenses still fall well below the costs involved with co-pays and deductibles for medications, doctors visits, hospitalization and surgery.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6842427, Josh Spaulding

Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, was the first of the B vitamins to be discovered. It works in cooperation with the other vitamins in the B vitamin complex. Thiamine helps to convert food, especially sugar, into energy and helps keep your skin, hair and nails healthy. It is also used in intances of “overactive nerves” and is often referred to as the “anti-stress” vitamin.

Energy

Most people will have feelings of weakness and lethargy when they have a deficiency of vitamin B1. This is because B1 interacts with enzymes to produce energy from the processing of sugars. Without this process, our energy levels decrease.

Nerves

Our nerves are covered with a myelin sheath which allows for proper transmission of nerve impulses. This sheath relies on thiamine for its health and maintenance. If there is an inadequate intake of vitamin B1, the sheath may begin to break down. This can cause a prickling or tingling sensation and deadening of the nerves. Some patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (a disease that causes degeneration of the myelin sheath) have found it useful in treating their symptoms.

Beriberi

Beriberi is a disease that affects the peripheral nervous system and is cause by a defeciancy in Vitamin B1. It is named after the Sinhalese word “beri”, which means “weakness,” and was a disease common in parts of Asia around the turn of the last century. It is characterized by a tingling, burning sensation in the feet and hands, swelling, confusion, and breathing difficulty. It is now a rare disease in developed countries due to the fortification of breads and cereals. Fortification is neccesary because most of the thiamine in the flour used in these products is lost in when whole grain is converted to white flour. The B-vitamins are concentrated in the germ and bran, both of which are removed during processing. This is why we always recommend buying whole grain products.

Diabetes and Kidney Function

Thiamine has also been found to be a useful treatment for reversing early stage kidney disease in those with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers did a study in which 40 diabetic patients were supplemented with thiamine. After three months of treatment with 300 mg of thiamine taken orally each day, one third of patients returned to normal protein excretion in their urine. It is estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of those suffering from diabetes are thiamine deficient, and oral supplementation is a simple and inexpensive way of helping to treat some symptoms.

Vitamin B1 has also been used to treat cataracts, atherosclerosis, wernick-korsakoff syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease, congestive heart failure, Depression, Epilepsy, and Fibromyalgia.

The recommended daily value for Thiamine is 1.5 milligrams per day although higher dosages (100 mg three times a day) have been found to be very beneficial. It is found in a wide range of foods, so it is ideal to consume a diet that contains a variety of food to help ensure you are getting sufficient amounts. Thiamine is found in greatest concentrations in yeast and pork, and is also found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, mushrooms and eggs. Vitamin B1 is highly unstable. This means it is easily damaged by heat, acidity, refrigeration and processing. Eating raw or minimally processed fresh foods is important in order to maintain a healthy supply of B1 in the body.

You probably hear about them everyday and they have become even more talked about with all of the new energy drinks coming out. The group of vitamins known as the B vitamins are some of the most commonly misunderstood, simply because they are distinct vitamins that get lumped together. Additionally, they can be known by not only their letter and number but by their formal name as well which can be confusing to many people. These are the B vitamins that are found in the Vitamin B complex group.

• B1 is also thiamin

• B2 is also riboflavin

• B3 is also niacin

• B5 is also pantothenic acid

• B6 is also pyridoxine

• B7 is also biotin

• B9 is also folic acid

• B12 is also cobalamin

You should be aware that there are four additional substances in the B complex group, however they are not known as vitamins. These include choline, lipoic acid, PABA and inositol. When you purchase B complex vitamins, these four components are not included. Also, one or two of the recognized B vitamins may also be omitted. B5 and B7 are so widely available in food that most people get plenty of these vitamins even if they aren’t eating a healthy diet.

You may notice that there are gaps in the numbers of the B vitamins. This is because our understanding of B vitamins has evolved over time. There was initially only a single B vitamin. Scientists later recognized that what had been referred to as a single vitamin was actually made up of many components. These component parts where numbered 1,2,3,4, etc. It was later determined that some of these components (such as B4) did not meet the criteria for being classified as a vitamin and they were dropped. That’s how we ended up with 8 B-vitamins with non-sequential numbers.

One of the things that all the B vitamins share is that they are water soluble. If you consume excess vitamin B, it is not stored, but rather is excreted in the urine. That means that all the B vitamins need to be constantly replenished from our diets.

B vitamins can be found in a variety of whole unprocessed foods including grains, meats and vegetables. Although, the more processed that food is, the lower the content of all the B vitamins will be. A daily multi-vitamin can be a good way to ensure that you are getting the B complex Vitamins your body needs but the best way is to eat good nutritious meals on a daily basis, including 2 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

One of the biggest uses of the B vitamins is as an energy stimulus. Most of the popular energy drinks that claim to give you natural boost of energy without sugar or caffeine are usually high in B vitamin complex.

There are too many components in the Vitamin B complex to discuss the health benefits, deficiencies and Recommended Daily Allowance for the whole group in a single article so we will look at each of the B vitamins individually in future articles. There we will talk about each of these important nutrients.

If you have questions about your current nutrition and supplement plan, just ask. We are here to help!

As you may know, I enjoy a good cup of coffee, in fact I like to fancy myself a coffee connoisseur. For most, it has become a morning ritual. With that in mind, it is interesting to see how it is affecting our health. The medical community seems to have varying opinions, which change every few years, about the positive and/or negative effect that coffee can have. So is the most current information showing that coffee is good or bad for your health? Well, you may not be surprised to find that the answer, in short, is that it’s a little of both.

If you have too much coffee, not only can it become addictive, but it can also lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure, anxiety and upset stomach. And if you add cream and sugar to your coffee it can contribute to your weight gain. Did you know, for example, that a 24-ounce Starbucks venti double chocolate chip frappucino contains an impressive 520 calories!

However, moderate consumption of coffee has actually been shown to help reduce the risk of some problems. It can have a positive and protective effect against diseases including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, liver cancer, gallstones and Type 2 diabetes, just to name a few. It may also lower the risk of stroke in women.

Despite previous beliefs, the current research indicates that there is no increased risk of heart disease or cancer from moderate coffee drinking. Earlier studies that reached those conclusions were erroneous in that they did not take into consideration the other lifestyle habits of the participants that were associated with the increased coffee drinking. These included things like smoking and lack of exercise, two of the major causes of these diseases. Coffee has actually been shown to protect against many forms of cancer.

A study that was recently published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that in cases of endometrial cancer in women there was a 25 percent reduction in those who drank four or more cups of coffee per day. This may be due in part to the fact that coffee can lower concentrations of free estradiol and insulin, in addition to the cancer-fighting effect of coffee’s antioxidant phenols.

Just a few cups of coffee every day can cut a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer by 30 percent. Those who consume six cups of coffee a day decrease their risk of a dangerous form of the cancer by an incredible 60 percent.

Coffee can also help decrease your risk of developing basal cell carcinoma by up to 20 percent, according to scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that women who drink coffee (four cups per day) also have a 20 percent lower risk of depression than those who do not drink any coffee at all.

Recommendations state that you should get no more than 500-600 mg of caffeine intake per day. This is the equivalent of about 6 to 8 cups of brewed coffee. And it is probably better to spread out your consumption of caffeine throughout the day if you are going to get that much.

As with almost everything, the key point to keep in mind is moderation. But all in all, the benefits of coffee consumption may outweigh the risks for most people. In most cases, it is smart to listen to your body, it will usually tell you if what you are doing is beneficial or harmful to you.

Dr. Michael Dody is a chiropractor at Dody Chiropractic in Littleton, CO.