FROM CHIROPACTIC/ALTERNATIVE/PAIN MEDICINE:
- Back pain strikes nearly 80 percent of all adults, yet its causes are not fully understood. A growing cadre of doctors and scientists now believes that chronic back pain is a disease of the nervous system, not the spine. This breakthrough has opened the doors to new kinds of treatments that could banish back pain forever.
- Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue. People with fibromyalgia have chronic widespread pain, as well as "tender points" on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, and legs, which hurt when slight pressure (about 9 pounds) is applied. People with fibromyalgia may also have other symptoms, such as: Trouble sleeping, Morning stiffness, Headaches, Problems with thinking and memory (sometimes called "fibro fog"), Irritable bowel syndrome. Women with fibromyalgia may also have painful menstrual periods. Fibromyalgia may also be associated with depression. The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, but problems with the nervous system could be involved. It is estimated that fibromyalgia affects as many as 1 in 50 Americans. Most people with fibromyalgia are women, and most are diagnosed during middle age. However, men and children also can have the disorder.
- Some individuals afflicted with multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis or chronic pain have found respite in a tried-and-true practice – acupuncture.
- Women's Health. The Office of Research on Women's Health offers podcasts and transcripts discussing the latest news in women's health research and includes conversations with guests on a variety of subjects, including osteoporosis, vulvodynia and irritable bowel syndrome, which affects about 10% to 20% of the U.S. population and is more common in women. Here is the internet link. http://orwh.od.nih.gov/podcast/podcast_archive.html.
FROM NUTRITION NEWS:
- Obesity Rates from the CDC. National goal is 15% by 2010. Texas is currently at 9th on the list and tied with Oklahoma with a 28.1% obesity rate.
- GOOD, BAD & UGLY of BREAKFAST fast foods (pass on these):
McDonald’s: Deluxe Breakfast with a regular or large biscuit and the Big Breakfast because they can set you back a minimum of 790 calories, 51 g fat, and 18 g saturated fat.
Burger King’s: Enormous Omelet Sandwich (730 calories, 45 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, and 1,949 mg sodium) containing an omelet on a specialty bun topped with bacon, sausage, and cheese -- a high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium sandwich containing almost a day’s worth of fat and sodium.
Jack-in-the-Box: Sirloin Steak & Egg Burrito with Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa has a whopping 790 calories, 48 g fat, and 5 g saturated fat along with 6 g fiber.
Carl’s Junior: French Toast Dips with syrup are the better bet but hardly healthy. Worst bets include the Breakfast Burger loaded with a burger, egg, bacon, cheese, and hash brown nuggets (830 calories, 47 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 1,580 mg sodium, and 3 g fiber) or the hard-to-hold Loaded Breakfast Burrito bursting with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, 2 cheeses, and salsa wrapped in a tortilla (820 calories, 51 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 1,530 mg sodium, and 2 grams fiber).
Dunkin Donut: Triple Chocolate Muffin (660 calories, 33 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 4 g fiber) or Peanut Butter Cup Cookie (590 calories, 29 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, and 3 g fiber).
Starbuck’s: Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake (570 calories, 28 g fat, 10 g sat fat, 7 g protein.
Subway: 6 inch Chipotle Steak & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich (600 calories, 32 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 1,470 mg sodium, 6 g fiber). - Allergy Foods: the 8 most common allergy foods are: Milk (mostly in children), eggs, Peanuts, Tree nuts (like walnuts and pecans), Soy, Wheat, Fish (mostly in adults), Shellfish (mostly in adults).
- Cholesterol. Supplements of fish oil and red yeast rice, coupled with lifestyle changes in diet and exercise habits, can reduce cholesterol as much as standard cholesterol-loweringmedications known as statins, according to a new study.
FROM MEDICAL RESEARCH/MEDICINE:
- Smoking. More than half of all people with chronic pain are smokers, and research suggests that cigarette smoking may make chronically painful conditions worse.
- On July 30th the US House of Representatives approved the Veterans Health Care Policy Enhancement Act of 2008. Section 4 of the bill contains the pain care provisions championed by APF and many individuals and organizations in the pain community. The bill will now be reconciled with the bill that was recently passed in the Senate.
On July 31st Senators Hatch and Dodd introduced the National Pain Care Policy Act in the Senate as S. 3387. Except for a few minor changes, the language is the same as the House measure. PLEASE TAKE ACTION in support of this Senate bill. The introduction of this bill in the Senate is a very significant step and with our coordinated efforts to encourage our Senators to support this bill, we may see this important legislation passed in this session of Congress. ACT NOW! - Heart Attack Symptoms: The most common symptom of a heart attack is severe chest pain. Many people describe the pain as discomfort, pressure, squeezing, or heaviness in the chest. People often put their fist to their chest when they describe the pain. The pain may spread down the left shoulder and arm and to other areas, such as the back, jaw, neck, or right arm. Many people also have at least one other symptom, such as: Pain in the upper belly, often mistaken for heartburn, sweating, nausea and vomiting, trouble breathing, a feeling that their heart is racing or pounding (palpitations), feeling weak or very tired, feeling dizzy or fainting.
