It’s the rare child who actually wants to eat fruits and vegetables. Kids are bombarded by television and radio ads for cereals, candy, and chips that contain huge amounts of sugar and large quantities of saturated fat. The sugar craving begins in childhood – kids quickly develop a taste for sweets. To a child’s sugar-sensitized palette, the complex sugars contained in fruits and vegetables are a poor substitute.

We can carry these habits into adulthood and our long-term health suffers as a result. Twenty-four hours is not enough time in the day for most of us, and many consistently choose fast foods as a means of satisfying our need for food and a method for limiting the amount of precious time we spend on meal preparation.

But fast foods are not really food in the sense that the nutrition they provide is minimal. Fast foods are essentially empty calories.

In the 1950s and 1960s a well-known health-related slogan was “an apple a day makes the doctor away”. This advice represented ancient folk wisdom. Today, decades of research has shown that apples, and all fruits and vegetables, have remarkable health-promoting and disease-fighting properties.

Most fruits and vegetables are packed with magical biochemicals called phytochemicals – “phyto” means plant. Phytochemicals give fruits and vegetables their color, so the more colorful a food, the more phytochemicals it contains.

Ongoing research studies have shown that phytochemicals – of which there are thousands of varieties – provide protection against the development of many chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis.1,2

Many phytochemicals are antioxidants and neutralize free radicals in human cells. Others have anti-inflammatory properties, and these help slow the aging process.

Fruits and vegetables are so important for our health and well-being that many national organizations have promoted the “five to stay alive rule” – the recommendation is to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day.3

Portions could include any of these – an apple, an orange, a banana, a cup of grapes, a cup of blueberries, a yam, a couple of carrots, a couple of tomatoes, and a couple of tablespoons of broccoli.

For many of us, “five to stay alive” would be a radical departure from our old habits. It might take a little effort to develop new shopping and eating habits, but once you’re in the groove it is likely you’ll be feeling so much better you’ll wonder why you didn’t start this healthy-eating plan sooner.

Your chiropractor is an expert on nutritional health and will be glad to help you create a food plan that works for you and your family.

1de Kok TM, et al: Mechanisms of combined action of different chemopreventive dietary compounds: a review. Eur J Nutr 47(Suppl 2):59-59, 2008 2Ware WR: Nutrition and the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer: Association of Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 With the Role of Fruit and Fruit Extracts. Integr Cancer Ther December 2008 3Liu RH: Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action. J Nutr 134(Suppl 12):3479S-3485S, 2004

For more information on health and nutrition please contact Dr. Jason Fowler at www.lakestlouisdc.com

According to the Mayo Clinic four out of five people in the United States will experience low back pain nyc at least once during their lives.Back pain is a very common complaint. It is said that back pain nyc is the most common reason why people miss work or consult a doctor.There is a bright side. Most back pain nyc can be prevented and in treating back pain nyc surgery is usually the last option and seldom needed.For instance, spinal decompression therapy is an effective, safe and non-surgical way to alleviate chronic low back and neck pain.Causes of back pain nycThere are several things that can develop that cause back pain nyc to occur or reoccur.If you get to know a little bit more about your back, its components and how they function it may be easier to help determine what’s causing your particular back pain nyc. Once you learn the underlying cause of your back pain nyc then you will be in a position to take the best course of action on a treatment plan that’s best for you.Muscle spasms can be one cause of severe back pain nyc but most often back pain nyc is a result of strained muscles and ligaments. Improper or heavy lifting or sudden awkward movements are among the most frequent causes.Understanding discs, sciatica and stenosisThe discs in your back serve as cushioning between the verterbrae in your spine. Even though some people who have bulging herniated discs suffer no pain whatsoever there are times when the soft matter within a disc may burst and push on a nerve. This is usually painful and causes lingering pain.Sciatica pain results from irritation of the sciatic nerve. The irritation is caused by several factors including infection or injury. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in our body and it starts at the nerve roots in the lumbar spinal cord in the low back. When the sciatic nerve has inflammation or has been irritated it produces symptoms of sciatica. But sciatica is most commonly a result of a bulging or herniated disk pressing directly on the nerve. Symptoms of sciatica include numbness, tingling sensation and intense sharp shooting pain traveling down from the lower back area and through the back of the thigh to the back of the leg.The joints most commonly affected by osteoarthritis also known as degenerative joint disease are hips, hands, knees and the lower back. In some cases arthritis in the spine can result to a congestion of the space around the spinal cord, a condition called spinal stenosis. This congestion can have an effect on one or more areas of the spine and put pressure on the spinal cord or on the nerves that extend out from the congested areas.Spinal stenosis symptoms include pain, cramping or numbness in legs, back, neck, shoulders or arms along with frequent loss of sensation in extremities and several occurrence of problems with bladder or bowel functions. Spinal stenosis is most commonly caused by osteoarthritis-related bone damage. Mild symptoms of spinal stenosis are often aided by pain relievers, physical therapy or a supportive brace.Spinal decompression therapySpinal decompression therapy is a slow and therapeutic elongation of the spine which alleviates pressure on compressed vertebrae and discs. During decompression therapy the patient lies immobilized and relaxed on the spinal decompression table while the device applies decompression forces to the injured areas. When required, it is equipped with a safety switch that enables the patient to immediately stop the decompression forces.Check with your doctor to find out if spinal decompression therapy is right for you.

Lower back pain nyc is one of the most common causes of job-related disability and why some people miss work. It is also the second most common neurological ailment in the United States, second only to headache. In fact, approximately 80% of adults in Western countries have, at some point, experienced lower back pain nyc.
For some fortunate people, pain in the lower back may be resolved by itself or with the aid of medication within two to four weeks. However, there are some cases of lower back pain nyc that may last for more than a few weeks, during which case the condition is termed as “chronic” and “progressive,” meaning it can only grow worse over time.
Moreover, 60-80% of those patients who suffer their first episode of lower back pain nyc may experience recurring pain within one year.
According to current research, there are certain muscles in the back that work to stabilize the spine. When the spine or the back suffers an injury, these muscles are reflexively inhibited or shutdown. Worse still, these muscles do not spontaneously recover, and this is true even if patients do not feel pain and are able to return to normal activity levels.
As a result of the inhibition of these muscles, called lumbar multifidi and the transversus abdominus, lower back pain nyc occurs. However, there are steps you can take to prevent the same thing from happening to you.
Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy
One way to prevent the inhibition of the lumbar multifidi and transversus abdominus is through a series of physical therapy exercises.
Designed to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and keep the spine healthy, these physical therapy exercises may range from back stabilization exercises to muscle strength development and several wide variety of techniques.
In addition, a physical therapist may also recommend such methods as heat therapy, ultrasound, massage, mobilization, and education about posture and body mechanics in order to prevent lower back pain nyc from recurring.
Some of these methods will be discussed later on. You will also find some practical self-help tips provided by experts to help you avoid lower back pain nyc or prevent the condition from worsening.
However, before we head on to learning how lower back pain nyc is treated through physical therapy, it is important that we first understand what causes lower back pain nyc.
Lower Back Pain: CAUSES
There are actually many types of back pain nyc, but the most common is pain in the lower back. Why? You might ask. The reason is simple: you carry most of your weight in the lower back. Thus, it is highly likely that a person would suffer pain in that area.
There is no definitive cause of lower back pain nyc. Sometimes, the causes of the condition are so complex that it is difficult to pinpoint just a single one.
However, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals have observed that lower back pain nyc is often a result of strained back muscles and ligaments due to any of the following activities:
Improper posture
Heavy lifting
Sudden awkward movement
Muscle spasm
Stress
We could all be guilty of the above activities. We may not suffer any back pain nycs now, but it is likely that as we get older and the degree of inhibition of the back muscles as a result of these activities increases, back pain nyc becomes a very distinct possibility.
In addition to these common activities, lower back pain nyc may also result from specific conditions, such as:
Herniated disk (when the disk material presses on a nerve)
Sciatica (when a herniated disk presses on the sciatic nerve. The condition causes sharp, shooting pain through the buttocks and the back of the leg.)
Spinal stenosis (when the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots becomes narrow. This is caused by arthritis and bone overgrowth, the pain resulting from when a nerve gets pinched in the narrow space.)
Spondylosis (a type of arthritis affecting the spine due to degenerative changes brought on by aging)
Spondylolisthesis (when one vertebra in the spinal column slips forward over another)
Lower Back Pain: TREATMENT
The treatment of lower back pain nyc depends on several factors, including the specific type of lower back pain nyc (whether it is chronic or acute) and the purported cause.
For instance, acute lower back pain nyc is commonly treated with pain relieving drugs, such as analgesics, or some forms of exercises that can help relax the muscles.
On the other hand, chronic back pain nyc or one that lasts for more than two weeks and is progressive may be caused by some underlying condition, during which case the treatment plan may consist of resolving the underlying condition to treat the back pain nyc.
Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy Exercise
Physical therapy exercise is one of the most common methods of treating lower back pain nyc. In fact, many home remedies for lower back pain nyc consist of exercise, because the general theory is that if you remain active, you remain healthy. This is true in most cases.
However, for purposes of this article, the exercises featured here will be those that are practiced by physical therapists to treat patients with lower back pain nyc.
Generally, in physical therapy exercises, the exercise program for back pain nyc should encompass a set of stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, and low impact aerobics. Read below for more on these exercises:
-Stretching
The back of a person is composed of the spinal column and contiguous muscles, ligaments and tendons. All these are designed to move in consonance with each other so that any limitation in the range of motion in any of these components of the back result in back pain nyc.
Stretching for lower back pain nyc specifically targets soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and tendons, found in the back and around the spine. By stretching, the spine and soft tissues are mobilized, increasing motion and thus, relieving pain.
There are many kinds of stretching exercises employed by physical therapists. One is the Hamstring Stretching Exercise which works to relax tight hamstrings, a common symptom of lower back pain nyc. This exercise is said to help decrease the intensity of lower back pain nyc among sufferers.
-Strengthening
Physical therapists generally use two forms of strengthening and back pain nyc relief exercises, usually depending on the specific condition of the patient. These are the McKenzie exercises and dynamic lumbar stabilization exercises. However, the two forms of strengthening exercises may also be combined should the therapist find it appropriate to do so.
-McKenzie Exercises
Named after a physical therapist in New Zealand, McKenzie exercises are primarily extension exercises that could help reduce pain generated from the disc space and also may help reduce the symptoms of herniated disc by reducing pressure on a nerve root.
For acute pain, the McKenzie exercises should be done frequently, at least once every two hours. In addition, patients are advised to avoid flexing their spine when exercising.
-Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization Exercises
Using this back exercise technique, the first thing that a physical therapist does is to look for the patient’s “neutral” spine. This refers to the position that allows the patient to feel the most comfortable.
Afterwards, when the patient is in that position, the back muscles are then exercised in order to “teach” the spine how to stay in this position.
Performing these exercises on a regular basis can help strengthen the back muscles and keep the spine well-positioned.
Low Impact Aerobic Exercises
The purpose of low impact aerobic exercise is to recondition the back. Patients who undergo reconditioning of the back through low impact aerobic exercise will have fewer episodes of lower back pain nyc.
In addition, whenever an episode of lower back pain nyc does occur, the pain is less intense and lasts only for a short period.
Another benefit of low impact aerobic exercise is that patients tend to stay functional that is, they can continue with their regular work and carry on with recreational activities. In contrast, patients who do not undergo low impact aerobic exercises typically experience the gradual loss of their functional abilities.
For low impact aerobic exercises to achieve their desired results, they should be continuous. This will increase the heart rate and keep it elevated as well as increase the production of endorphins, which are pain fighting hormones released by the body.
Here are some examples of low impact aerobic exercises that you may want to try in order to lessen or reduce lower back pain nyc:
-Walking
One of the simplest forms of aerobic exercises, walking is generally considered as very gentle on the back. To get the maximum benefit from walking as a form of low impact aerobic exercise, walk two to three miles three times per week.
-Stationary Bicycling
This form of aerobic exercise is less painful on the back since there is lower impact produced. This is beneficial for patients with lower back pain nyc who may find walking too painful.
-Water Therapy
Sometimes referred to as aquatherapy, water therapy is simply doing exercise in the water. The buoyancy works to provide effective conditioning at the same time stress on the back is reduced.