Brain Boost

One of the very first articles I wrote for this column was about the benefits of physical exercise for improving memory and preventing disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.  The good news is that nearly four years later, this information is still true.  In fact, some newer research reported in a recent book titled, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain shows that exercise is absolutely vital for memory and proper brain function.

It wasn’t that long ago that the physiology books and med-school instructors taught that loss of brain cells was permanent and irreversible.  Fortunately, this was simply not true.  In the past, I’ve shared the research that emotional stress will shrink the cells of the hippocampus (considered to be the memory center of the brain).  One recent study proved that regular exercise will actually enlarge this memory center by 1-2% per year throughout life!  If you’re wondering how exercise can do all of this, the experts believe it’s because of the increased blood flow to the brain.  They also believe that physical exertion develops new nerves and increase nerve-protecting compounds.  Finally, numerous studies have shown that exercise alters the damaging proteins in the brain that are directly linked to Alzheimer’s.  Researchers also believe that you don’t have to dedicate large amounts of time to get a brain boost – as little as 20 minute workouts can improve long-term memory.  In one study of elementary students, they found that 40 minutes of exercise every day increased IQ by nearly four points on average and the fittest students scored 30% higher on IQ testing than average students.  In adult studies, employees who exercise regularly are about 15% more efficient at their jobs.

In most of these studies, it appears that the type of exercise doesn’t really matter as long as you’re getting appropriate exertion to get the heart pumping and increase blood flow to the brain.  Studies involving weight training, walking, running, and other forms all generated similar results.  The key is to know your target heart rate and get up to 90-100% of your target several times throughout the workout.  The only catch to all of these studies is that if you are looking to improve the brain, the exercise needs to be regular and routine.  In a recent rat study, they found that stopping exercise for just three weeks duration resulted in the nerve cells of the brain to begin to decrease and memory to suffer.  In a second similar study where the rats had only been exercising for a short time (10 weeks) followed by three weeks of inactivity, they determined that the benefits of the exercise were lost and the memory and nerve development was the same as those rats that had always been inactive.  The moral of the story is that exercise needs to be done and it needs to be done regularly!  But if you’re worried about aging gracefully and preventing the emotional hardship that goes with losing memory and dealing with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, this information is still great news and should give you hope and motivation.

A Three-legged Stool

When it comes to health challenges and even wellness goals, I find that people often put all their eggs in one basket.  What I mean is, we try just one thing and if that doesn’t work, then we try another one thing.  Unfortunately, most people neglect their health until they get sick and then their one treatment consists of drugs without regard to the side effects or what lifestyle factors ultimately caused them to get sick in the first place.  This is true even though the New England Journal of Medicine has determined that 80% of our health problems should have been prevented through proper lifestyle.   I even find the same phenomenon with people seeking chiropractic care – they simply want to get adjusted without concern of what caused their problems or what else they can do on their own to improve their outcomes.  But there is a much better way.

Chiropractors deal with misalignments of the spine called subluxations that place pressure and tension on the nervous system.  Just like other health problems, subluxation is caused by excessive amounts of physical, chemical, and emotional levels of stress beyond what the body can adapt.  In fact, for a bone to become misaligned, there must be an imbalance of the muscles that are designed to keep the bones aligned, and at least five ligaments of the spinal joints will have been compromised as well.  The number one complaint about chiropractic care is that people respond and do well while they’re under active care, but when care is reduced the problems begin to come back.  Realize, this is not a chiropractic problem; this is either a stability or lifestyle problem.  In terms of stability, most people have imbalanced or weak muscles from sitting too much or doing the same activities over and over causing some muscles to be over-developed and others to be under-developed.  This phenomenon creates inherent stress on a joint and makes it very difficult for people to “hold their adjustments.”  In physical therapy, they would rehab those muscles to stabilize that joint.  My concern with this is what if the joint was imbalanced to begin with and we’re strengthening an improper structure?  In the past, as a chiropractor, I used to believe that all I had to do is restore the alignment and movement of the joint and the body would take care of the rest.  I have learned this is not true when that joint is supported by weak or imbalanced muscles.  When you restore alignment and strengthen at the same time, it’s a win-win.  In terms of lifestyle, I hope it’s only common sense that if I go back to the same faulty lifestyles that caused my problems to begin with, of course my symptoms will return.  This is why the physical, chemical, and emotional components must all be addressed.  When people address their physical stressors and begin to exercise, when they clean up their inflammatory diets, and when they work at reducing stress in their life through exercise, meditation, or other techniques, this is when health is truly restored.

We need to look at health as a three-legged stool where physical, chemical, and emotional well-being makes up the foundation.  When any one leg is compromised, the whole thing suffers.  We live in a world of numerous demands and stressors that complicate healing.  Whether we’re talking about a chiropractic problem or any health problem, you need to look at healing as a multi-dimensional process where you will likely need to make changes on more than one level to achieve real results.

It’s a Brain Thing

Even after 120 years, there are still a lot of people confused about chiropractic adjustments because they don’t want to get their “bones cracked, or popped.”  They believe that the adjustment “pops” a bone that is out of place back into place like snapping Legos into position.  Some of this is the fault of the chiropractor as we have allowed this simplified interpretation to be perpetuated over the years rather than tell the whole truth which is a little more complicated.  The truth is that the adjustment is more about the brain than it is about the bones.

Chiropractors detect and correct something called a subluxation.  Subluxations are indeed minor misalignments of the spine that can create pressure and swelling on the nerves causing interference with the nerve signals thereby adversely affecting everything under the control of that nerve.  The problem with this is that bones don’t just go out of place on their own – they are controlled by the muscles.  There are approximately 108 muscles of the spine whose job is to keep the bones of the spine in proper alignment.  That’s great, except for the fact that muscles don’t do anything on their own.  In truth, muscles do only one of two things – they turn on to contract, and they turn off to relax much like a light bulb.  However, just like the light bulb, the muscle requires an electrical stimulus from the wiring system of the body or the nerves.  And when it comes to maintaining the alignment of the bones through the muscular system, the nerves that coordinate all of this are controlled largely by the coordination center of the brain known as the cerebellum.  This part of the brain requires constant incoming information from all the joints and muscles of the body to coordinate balance and movement and maintain normal posture and proper structure.  So you see, a misalignment of the spine or subluxation is really a coordination problem.  There has to be some kind of disconnect between the bones, muscles, nerves and cerebellum that would allow a bone to stop moving correctly and become misaligned.  Therefore, you cannot truly “pop” a bone back into place.  Even if you could, the imbalanced muscles would pull it right back out of place.  Rather, the chiropractic adjustment moves the bone enough in the right direction to fire off the nerve endings in the joint that report to the coordination center of the brain (cerebellum).  This stimulus from the joint gives the cerebellum the information needed to begin re-coordinating the imbalanced muscles so that the body can begin to move the bone back into proper position and heal on its own.  I like to think of this like resetting the circuit breaker.  Because the muscles and the nervous system itself are very habit-forming this process usually requires repetition to retrain this complex system and ultimately correct the misalignment or subluxation.  So even though most people go to chiropractors for various pains, the process really is not about reducing pain, but rather about improving the function of this brain/body communication.  When this is accomplished, higher function not only leads to less pain, but better performance and ultimately better health because the brain is communicating with the body more efficiently through the nervous system as it was designed to do.  I share this perspective with you because many people are suffering unnecessarily due to commonly held misconceptions about how chiropractic and the chiropractic adjustment work.

Fake Fats

I haven’t picked on trans-fats in a while.  While it’s been well recognized that these fake, unnatural fats have been linked to heart disease for some time, research from the American Heart Association shows a link between trans-fats and advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s as well.

For decades it was the saturated animal fats that were thought to be culprits to chronic disease.  So for years, fats were reduced and removed from foods while things like butter and lard were replaced with margarine and vegetable oil.  This strategy simply has not worked and it’s contributed to millions of early deaths.  The reason why this didn’t work and what you really need to know about trans-fats is that they are synthetic and they prevent the production of a chemical in your body known as prostacyclin which is necessary to keep blood flowing.  As a result, trans-fats cause clogging of the artery walls.  Likewise these oils including vegetable, soybean, corn, and sunflower oils when heated oxidize (or break down).  This reaction causes clotting and hardening of the arteries.  It is this same oxidation that is thought to contribute to the plaques in the brain that are related to Alzheimer’s.  In order to avoid trans-fats, you need to avoid any foods containing or cooked in hydrogenated vegetable oil.  This means avoiding all fried foods such as french fries and many other highly processed foods including chips, cookies, crackers, and cereals.  Even though these pseudo-foods have become the staple of the American diet, the good news is that the body can eliminate trans-fats in about a month when we quit putting them in our pie holes.  This makes eating out very difficult and fast-food almost impossible.  The best strategy is cooking natural whole foods at home.

Please understand that I am not advocating going fat-free.  Your body needs fat for brain function and hormone production!  You just want to reduce and eliminate these toxic fats and replace them with natural fats such as organic butter, avocados, fish oil, coconut and coconut oil, raw nuts (almonds, pecans, and macadamia) and seeds.  And even organic egg yolks and grass-fed meats are on the healthy list.  Another factor to be aware of is that statin drugs for cholesterol also increase the risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s because they deplete the brain of essential fatty acids and coenzyme Q10.  However, when you replace the trans-fats with healthy fats, cut sugar, and add in some exercise and stress reduction, most (if not all) people would not have a need for statin drugs to begin with.  So if you’re looking for a simple way to embrace a healthier lifestyle, consider going no trans-fats for a month and see what happens.

Posture Problems

In the first chapter of every physiology book you’ll find the phrase, “Anatomy dictates physiology.”  In other words, our structure dictates our function or how well things work.  This is certainly true in your neck.  A normal neck has a 35-45 degree curve as measured on x-ray.  Think of this like the bow in a dam or a bridge.  The curve provides flexibility and strength amongst numerous other functions.  When the curve is lost or especially reversed, problems can arise with our physiology.  These include chronic aches and pains, but also bigger problems with overall health.

The normal curve (lordosis) of our neck develops as an infant when we begin to hold our head up and crawl.  As mentioned, this curve reduces stress on the soft tissues of the neck and provides flexibility – think of it like a spring or shock absorber for the weight of the head.  This normal curve keeps the vertical pressure and weight of the head on the backs of the vertebrae rather than the fronts where the discs are.  Likewise, the curve allows the numerous little muscles on the back side of the neck to stay relaxed.  Poor posture from driving or sitting at a desk or especially looking down at a phone, tablet, or laptop for hours will change the muscle balance of the neck; stretching the muscles of the back side while shortening those in the front.  Some studies have shown that this phenomenon will happen 80% of the time after a whiplash accident from a car wreck or other injury.  In previous articles, we called this “upper-crossed syndrome.”  This syndrome results in a straightening of the neck or sometimes even a reversal of the curve.  Either way, when the curve is lost, you lose the functional advantages mentioned above and forces are shifted to the front of the vertebrae and onto the discs.  The result will be chronic tightness of the muscles in the back of the neck, chronic neck pain and stiffness, tension headaches, shoulder tension, and loss of normal range of motion in the neck.  Over time this imbalanced pressure creates excessive wear-and-tear that causes degenerative changes such as arthritis of the spine and breakdown of the discs.  Worse than this, as the head starts to drift forward from these changes of the neck, our shoulders won’t move the same.  Also, breathing will become more difficult.  You can try this on your own – just push your head forward and attempt to rotate your shoulders like you were swimming or take deep breaths.  A landmark 2004 study looking at thousands of subjects found that the loss of curve in the neck will increase tension in the spinal cord and stretch the cord up to 5-7 centimeters.  The study found that people that had this loss of curve on average lived two years less than those who retained the normal curve in their neck.

The good news is that all of this can be prevented and many times reversed.  Obviously, focusing on normal posture is critical.  But even when the curve is lost, there are neck and shoulder exercises that work to undo the damage.  Contoured cervical pillows help prevent the problem, but only if you sleep on your back.  When the curve is already lost, in most cases, you will need to practice some form of neck traction/extension regularly over a period of 6-12 months and there are various products that are designed for this retraining of the neck. 

Billy Goat Cream

Arnica Montana is a product I’ve carried and promoted for many years with great success and appreciation from customers.  Arnica is sold as a homeopathic remedy in the form of oral pellets or a topical cream or gel.  The story I was told is that it was discovered by European goat herders who noticed that the goats ate the arnica mountain flower when they were injured and this flower caused them to heal remarkably fast.  The herders found a way to take it themselves for bruising or traumas and enjoyed similar results.  This week I’d like to share why this product that several of my clients refer to as “billy goat cream” is a good thing to keep around the house for relief of various traumas.

Use of Arnica has been documented back to as early as 1678 when it was used to treat Typhoid Fever in Germany.  It wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that it was used as a registered drug for treatment of bruises and sprains.  Today it is commonly accepted, in its homeopathic form, as a safe and simple method of relief for sore muscles, bruises, sports injuries, joint pain and swelling, and even arthritic pain.  I first used the topical gel on a young woman who had been in a serious motorcycle accident and was suffering from a very large black eye that had persisted for months after the accident.  Her doctors told her that the black eye would fade eventually, but after several months, she was learning to live with it and had given up hope.  We carefully applied the gel under her lower eyelid and two days later, the black eye had gone from jet black to that brownish-yellow color and in two more days after a second application, the eye was completely normal.  I became a believer that week!  With two active boys, living on a farm and participating in several sports, we keep Arnica on hand and the kids know where it is kept for any muscle soreness or injuries.  When it comes to bruising, every customer that’s ever used the product is amazed with the speed and efficiency of its results.

The most common use of arnica is the gel form that can be applied to any sore joint or muscle or bruise.  However, for more severe traumas such as a sports injury or a car accident that is accompanied by multiple areas of pain, I will recommend the homeopathic pellets that dissolve under the tongue.  The arnica flower itself is actually quite toxic, but in the homeopathic remedy it has been diluted literally hundreds of times to where there is no toxicity and what’s left in the pellet is mostly a sugar pill.  Nevertheless, even in this diluted form, the healing potential is still there and when used several times per day, these pellets will provide global relief throughout the body for virtually any trauma.  Because of the toxic nature of the raw flower, it is not advised for use during pregnancy nor is it recommended to place the gel on an open wound.  Outside of this, it’s one of the safest, most effective products I know and it should be considered a staple for every medicine cabinet.

A Longevity Lesson

I found an article touting a blood test that can be used to predict longevity.  In actuality, the article was referencing a research study that was done in 2011 and the blood test is looking at microscopic structures on the end of your chromosomes (DNA) called telomeres.  The researchers of this study believe that lifespan can be predicted based upon how long your telomeres are -- the longer they are, the more replications of your DNA you still have left.  While it’s true that these telomeres are a very accurate indicator of how well your DNA is aging, I wouldn’t rush out to get the blood test.

Back in my teaching days, we taught that these telomeres work like photo copies.  Every cell and the DNA inside is constantly being copied or replicated.  Just like when you make a copy of copy of a copy of any document, eventually the quality fades to the point that it’s not functional.  The problem with this study is that it’s too fatalistic -- it suggests that we all have an inborn clock that will time out based on the telomere length we’re born with.  The science of Epigenetics has taught us that numerous lifestyle factors will either shorten or lengthen the lifespan of our chromosomes and their telomeres.  Specifically, a low glycemic diet, rich with fruits and vegetables, regular exercise as well as proper sleep and healthy adaptation to stress will all maintain telomeres for longer periods.  Unfortunately, inflammatory diets high in sugar, grains, and trans-fats, a sedentary lifestyle, and chronic stress will all accelerate the degeneration of these telomeres and our genes alike.  There are literally hundreds of articles that support this lifestyle model of DNA.  One study performed by a Dr. Kent showed that regular chiropractic adjustments reduce the oxidative stress on the cells and enhance repair of the DNA strands.

My point is that this telomere test is situational.  The good news is that no matter what your telomere length is right now, you can enhance longevity by practicing a healthy lifestyle.  Believe it or not, one of the best indicators of how well you are aging is your ability to maintain lean muscle in place of fat.  This is why resistance or strength training in addition to cardiovascular training is critical.  You must challenge your muscles and build strength! Adopting a healthy lifestyle is essential to outsmarting your DNA and living a longer life. Contact us about our wellness program if you are looking for some guidance to get started with this.