DAILY HEALTH UPDATE: Thursday, March 06, 2014 Dr. Jeff Allyn, Berkley Chiropractic Clinic

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Mental Attitude: Anxiety and the Brain. Experts estimate that approximately 18% of adults in the United States are affected by anxiety. New research has found a brain circuit that connects an area called the lateral septum with other brain regions in a way that promotes anxiety. Researcher Dr. David Anderson writes, “Part of the reason we lack more effective and specific [therapies] for anxiety is that we don't know enough about how the brain processes anxiety. This study opens up a new line of investigation into the brain circuitry that controls anxiety." Cell, January 2014

Health Alert: Smoking May Cause Early Menopause. A new report reveals that Caucasian women with specific genetic variations who smoke can experience symptoms of menopause nine years earlier than average. Dr. Samantha F. Butts, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn Medicine explains, "We already know that smoking causes early menopause in women of all races, but these new results show that if you are a white smoker with these specific genetic variants, your risk of entering menopause at any given time increases dramatically." Menopause, January 2014

Diet: Satiated Preschoolers. Recently, researchers examined the feeding practices of preschoolers at child-care centers. They discovered that sitting children with child-care providers and letting the kids serve themselves at meal time helps them better understand portion sizes and how to self-identify when they feel full, two useful skills for preventing children from overeating.  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, October 2013

Exercise: Exercise May Slow Retinal Degeneration. New research on mice suggests that moderate aerobic exercise can help preserve the structure and function of nerve cells in the retina, even if they've already been damaged by disease. Researcher Dr. Machelle Pardue writes, "This is the first report of simple exercise having a direct effect on retinal health and vision. This research may one day lead to tailored exercise regimens or combination therapies in treatments of blinding diseases."  The Journal of Neuroscience, February 2014

Chiropractic: Let's Talk. In this interesting case-study from nearly 16 years ago, the parents of a 7-year-old sought out chiropractic care for their child who had experienced speech difficulties since she was one and a half years old. The little girl had been developing normally until 18 months of age when she stopped communicating using spoken words. Despite evaluations by an audiologist, psychologist, and speech therapist, no cause for her change in behavior was determined. Her Doctor of Chiropractic identified biomechanical abnormalities in her spine, pelvis, and cranium, and after seven weeks of spinal and cranial adjustments, she was able to communicate successfully using a vocabulary of more than 60 words. Follow-up evaluations showed that her speech continued to improve.   Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, April 1998

Wellness/Prevention: Smartphones Could Help People Avoid Air Pollution. Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may soon be able to use their smartphone to help avoid air pollutants (such as sulphur and nitrogen oxides) that can worsen their condition. Scientists say wearable or environmental sensors connected to the internet could provide data that can be sent to COPD sufferers alerting them to avoid environments that may worsen their illness.  International Journal of Computational Intelligence Studies, February 2014

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and To Sign Up For Our Daily Health Update Emails, Go To:www.DrJeffAllynBlog.com or our website at:www.berkleychiropracticclinic.com 

(This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.)