NEW Body & Mind Series Lecture!

Body & Mind Series #3: March 3, 2009 6:30pm
Weight Loss and Management:
The facts your gym class probably never told you about but should have.

If you have ever been on a diet, an exercise program, or anything else to try to lose or manage your weight, you need to attend this event! We will be reviewing some of the most common road blocks to weight loss that you probably never even thought about, AND providing you with helpful tips and ways to help you get past them! NO we are not planning to put you to sleep, talk about portion control, or some of the other points commonly made in books and other topic lectures. What are we going over? You'll just have to come to find out!

Please email us at DrKatrina@ActionSportsChiropractic.com to receive our Evite with complete details about this Informational and Networking night! See you soon!

Multivitamins: Necessary or Evil?

The topic of multivitamins and whether or not it is important to take one is one of the most frequently asked question in my office. Unfortunately, there isn't always one direct answer to that question. The answer is very dependent upon an individuals dietary choices, health, additional medications, energy expenditure, and lack-there-of in each of the above categories.

Although it is a fantastic concept that "if we eat properly, we should have enough nutrition and not require additional vitamin supplements", it often ends up just that: a concept. In today's world of food processing and shipping, many foods are either A.) not left to ripen naturally long enough to develop their full potential of vitamin and mineral content, and/or B.) they have been stripped of much of their original contents in the packing and processing plants. Needed quantities of B Vitamins, Vitamin E, Chromium, Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Essential Fatty Acids are just a sampling of some of the common nutrients lost in the procedures mentioned above.

In addition, with the active lifestyle of many professionals and athletes, the so-called "average recommendations" can change along with changing metabolism and stress levels which are affected by fluctuating hormones and enzymes in the body. In overweight individuals, the metabolism of glucose and other nutrients can have an even greater degree of fluctuation and handling/absorption deficiencies. Likewise, medications can affect the completion of digestion processes with the foods we eat. Overall, ensuring complete nutrition is more of a case of "You are what you absorb" rather than simply "You are what you eat".

My recommendation for anyone over the age of 15, and even for many children, is to at the very least get yourself in the habit of taking a good clinically researched multivitamin such as the Nutrilite Basic Daily Vitamin or the DoubleX MultiVitamin/MultiMineral for those under high stress or high physical activity demands. I would recommend getting the kinds in the Women's or Men's Packs for ease of use, but a single multi is a great, cost effective baseline and starting point. Last, and most importantly, if you have any health conditions, talk with your health care provider about additional recommendations to meet your specific needs, or about getting a basic blood panel to help point out any deficiencies that may be an underlying cause of your stress or health conditions.

For a Smile

Just a little something to start your week out healthy and smiling.

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/misc/25_ways_to_improve_your_health.htm

Xray Vrs. MRI: What is best?

For anyone not involved in the health care field, it can be very easy to become confused or even completely clueless to know the difference between getting an XRay or MRI. The only thing that most people seem to know is that an MRI usually costs more. With the way many insurance companies work, forcing their clients to get an XRay before allowing them to get and MRI, many individuals are led to believe the common misconception that they both are used to view the same thing. WRONG. XRay Imaging and MRI are two different processes used to visualize different structures, with very different details. In short here's what they SHOULD be used for:

X-Rays: Primarily used to view changes or abnormalities of bones. (Fractures, arthritis, tumors, dislocations, scoliosis, etc.) They can also be used to see some abnormalities in the lungs, heart, or areas where calcification might be take place such as the gall bladder or kidney. XRay do NOT visualize the Spinal Discs, only the spaces where the disc should be. Depending on the view, an X-Ray may be helpful to a practitioner in ruling out certain bony conditions, and give them clues as to weather or not a patients condition warrants further imaging of the soft tissues surrounding an area.

MRI: Used to view soft tissue structures such as the Spinal Disc, Meniscus, Ligaments and Tendons and muscle. Depending on the pathology suspected, a radiologist may inject certain fluids into an area to improve the contrast between structures that are being viewed.

There are several other methods used to visualize bony changes and soft tissue changes such as CT Scans and Bone Scans, but these are the most common. If a practitioner suggests sending you for Xraya or an MRI, make sure that you always ask them to explain why. I feel that it is an unfortunate state of many clinics (chiropractic, orthopedic, whatever) that Xrays are overused, often unneccessary, and often a misuse of healthcare dollars. If I suspect that a patient has a disc or soft tissue related problem such as a shoulder labrum or meniscal tear, and don't suspect damage to the bone, I'll often refer them out for an MRI. Why? This will be able to show me disruptions of both the soft tissue and bone, and eliminates the time and cost of getting an xray which probably wont show me anything anyhow. A patients history, orthopedic tests and physical examination can provide a great amount of information as to what a patients problem is, but with out the eyes of Superman, it is my opinion that an MRI is many times, (not all), the better way to go.