Dr. Missaghi’s Newsletter for the month of November

Dr. Missaghi’s Newsletter for the month of November

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Dr. Bahareh Missaghi, DC

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Injuries: The Downside of the Sporting Life

Text Box: Each year, an estimated two million high school athletes are injured while practicing or in the course of a game. Most studies of high school athletic injuries have looked at specific sports, or a variety of sports at just one school. A new study has taken a much broader view of sports injuries at the high school level, with significant findings that could affect the care of both male and female athletes.

This study of more than 6,100 varsity-level athletes from 15 high schools compared injury rates among boys and girls who participated in the same sports (baseball/softball, basketball, soccer, track/cross-country, tennis, or lacrosse). The students were followed for one year, with information collected on the student's age, gender, sport, skill level, injured body part, type of injury, and days lost due to injury.

Overall, 966 injuries occurred - 515 among girls, and 451 among boys. There were significant differences in injury rates between boys and girls for each area of the body. Girls were more likely to injure their ankles, knees, and tibias, while boys had a higher rate of injuries to the tendoachilles complex of the foot. Girls suffered more major injuries (loss of seven days or more) in basketball and soccer, while boys incurred more major injuries while playing baseball or softball.

Understanding why certain types of injuries occur more often among female athletes than male athletes, or during one type of sport compared to another, is crucial to preventing these types of injuries from happening in the future. This information can also be used by doctors of chiropractic, athletic trainers, and others to design effective injury-prevention and rehabilitation programs in the future.

Goldberg A, et al. Injury rate and injury risk in female vs. male high school athletes in gender-matched sports: a prospective cohort study. Presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and

Exhibition, Washington, D.C., Oct. 9, 2005.

Republished with permission

from ChiroWeb.com

Girls Need Breakfast

A new study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association proves that parents are right to urge their teenagers to eat a good breakfast; particularly teenage girls. Nearly 2,400 girls were followed for nine years over the course of their teenage-hood. At 9 years of age about 25 percent were skipping breakfast. But by the time they reached 19 that figure rose to around 75 percent.

According to a separate study published early this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of Nutrition, skipping breakfast means skipping vital dietary sources of bone-building calcium and vitamin D.

"Most bone mass is accumulated before age 20," Dr. Celia Brown explained. "And since teens aren't thinking that far ahead, it's up to parents to help them get a healthy breakfast that includes calcium-rich foods, like milk." Girls who don't eat breakfast are also more likely to put on weight.

The study showed that cutting the first meal of the day, far from being healthy, actually promoted weight gain.

Back Pain Not Cured by Back Exercises Alone

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Chiropractors and other health care providers often prescribe specific types of exercise to help their patients strengthen and mobilize the lower back. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that targeting the back does not always help relieve back pain, and that in some instances, it may even aggravate the condition. The results of a recent study add to this evidence, and imply that general "recreational" exercises may do a better job of easing back pain than specific exercises.

In the study, 681 patients with low back pain were randomized into two groups and tracked for 18 months. People who participated in "recreational physical activities" such as brisk walking for three or more hours per week were more likely to report low levels of back pain, disability, and psychological distress. By contrast, those who performed exercises designed specifically for their backs were more likely to experience back pain and disability.

Exactly why specific back exercises may increase back pain remains unclear; people may perform them incorrectly, or they may be not be prescribed a specific exercise that could benefit their condition.

Whatever the reason, staying active also seems to play a key role in reducing back pain. If you have back pain, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about a wellness plan that includes various types of activities, along with a balanced diet, to help you achieve optimal well-being.

Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H, Chiao C. Effects of recreational physical activity and back exercises on low back pain and psychological distress: findings from the UCLA Low Back Pain Study. American Journal of Public Health, October 2005;95(10):1817-1824.

Republished with permission

from ChiroWeb.com

Mother's Milk Improves Long-Term

Israeli researchers have determined the nutritional value of mother's milk is much higher after one year of breastfeeding than at six months.

Pediatricians Dror Mendel and Ronit Lubetzky at Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center studied 61 women, 27 of whom breast-fed for up to half a year and the rest between 12 and 39 months.

The percentage of fat in mother's milk during long-term breastfeeding averaged 11 percent and reached as high as 28 percent, while breast milk of women who nursed their babies for only several months averaged 7.4 percent and went as high as 12 percent. Mendel told the Jerusalem Post said the findings constituted the first scientific-academic study comparing the nutritional value of mother's milk in short-term and long-term breastfeeding, and counters a myth among pediatricians that the longer a woman breastfeeds, the less nutritious her milk.

eContent Matters.com

Parents Think Kids Behaving Worse

A survey finds almost 80 percent of the parents in Britain believe children behave worse than they did 25 years ago.

The Telegraph reports most generations tend to think their children are less disciplined than they were. But the newspaper said this generation of parents gets some backup from the World Health Organization, which found "worryingly high levels" of bad behavior in Britain. While almost half the parents surveyed blamed high rates of divorce and single parenthood, 81 percent said diet could be partly responsible and 59 percent pointed to the influence of television and computer games.

Another study conducted by researchers from Oxford University suggested diet may be a bigger factor than previously thought. A group of physiologists found 40 percent of the children they looked at became better at arithmetic and spelling when given supplements of Omega 3 fatty acids.

Million Americans Have Diabetes

Diabetes affects nearly 21 million people in the United States, up from 18.2 million in 2003, federal health officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its annual National Diabetes Fact Sheet more than 6 million of those with diabetes do not know they have the disease. The report said an estimated 41 million people have pre-diabetes, a condition that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes - the most common form of the disease -- as well as heart disease and stroke.

"Diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputation, kidney disease and nerve damage," said Dr. Frank Vinicor, director of CDC's diabetes program. "Two-thirds of people with diabetes die from a heart attack or stroke."

American Diabetes Association President Robert Rizza said the CDC report underscores the need for increased research and prevention on diabetes.

"Diabetes touches all of us in some way, which is why we must continue to work together to find a cure for diabetes and to improve the lives of the nearly 21 million Americans affected by diabetes."
Rizza said the CDC report also demonstrates the need for all Americans with diabetes to have access to affordable and adequate healthcare.

eContent Matters.com

Men More Likely to Call-In Sick

A poll by the workplace consulting firm Marlin Co. says men are twice as likely as women to play hooky by calling in sick, reports the Boston Globe.

The firm's 11th annual Attitudes in the American Workplace poll showed that 29 percent of the men called in sick last year when they weren't, compared to 14 percent of the women. Overall, 22 percent of American workers faked a sick day last year, the newspaper reported.

The survey also found that older workers were less likely to lie to take personal time off, with 15 percent of workers age 50 or older faking illness.

Children Seeing Fewer Anti-Smoking TV Ads

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The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a Washington anti-smoking group, says children see fewer anti-smoking ads on television. "The decline is having a measurable impact; it corresponds to a leveling off in smoking rates among our nation's kids," said Daniel McGoldrick, vice president for research. "Too few states have utilized their tobacco settlement and tobacco tax revenues to properly fund such programs and states have cut funding for programs by 28% or $212 million, since 2002."

It would take just 8% of the approximately $20 billion a year the states collect from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes for every state to fund tobacco prevention programs at minimum levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said McGoldrick.

Dental Experts Urge Use of Mouth Guards

Census Bureau officials in Washington say many of the more than 74 million students returning to school this fall will end the school year with lost teeth. The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation says 15 million dental injuries and 5 million cases of traumatically lost teeth occur every year. Many students don't wear a mouth guard for a variety of reasons, according to Dr. Brian Kenyon, lead author of a study that appeared in the July-August issue of the journal General Dentistry.

Some mouth guards may impair breathing or speech, and not all schools require the use of mouth guards for contact sports. Also, some students cite cost as a reason not to use a mouth guard, although they are sold in a variety of price ranges. Kenyon studied 22 students who tested the efficacy and comfort of two different types of custom-made mouth guards. He found custom-made guards constructed with double layers of plastic protection offered double defenses and the extra layers did not reduce comfort. Experts say even the least expensive mouth guard is better than none.

Halloween Can Be Harmful to Pets

Halloween can be hazardous for family pets. "Many pet owners like to include their dog or cat in their Halloween celebrations," says Dan Carey, a veterinarian with The Iams Company. "Sadly, in the process, many owners do their four-legged friends a great disservice by dressing them in uncomfortable costumes; 66% of owners dress their pets for Halloween or give them rich, non-nutritional treats."

Carey suggests: keeping Halloween candy out of reach because chocolate can be especially toxic to pets; disposing of candy wrappers in the trash because a pet could eat them -- and some wrappings, such as foil, could cut the animals. Contact a veterinarian if it's suspected a pet has eaten wrappers, said Carey. Carey also recommends bringing outdoor pets indoors because some trick-or-treaters can take mischief too far -- and nervous or aggressive pets should be kept away from children. Dogs taken along trick-or-treating should be on a leash because even the tamest dog can get excited during Halloween, said Carey.

Fruits, Vegetables Fight Prostate Cancer

A recent study shows fruit and vegetable consumption might be a positive step in fighting off prostate cancer. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine's Department of Urology studied how apigenin - flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables and herbs -affected mice with prostate tumors.

The Case team fed the mice apigenin for eight weeks, then implanted the tumor and continued the apigenin treatment. The team was building off recent studies that said lower cancer risk may be due to the flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables.

They found the tumors' growth slowed and observed none of the side effects commonly found in treatment. Dr. Sanjay Gupta said his team found apigenin lowered "inflammation and oxidative stress" as well as increasing a protein that fights prostate cancer. The study was published in the October online issue of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal.

Dementia Risk Cut in 1/2 by Exercise

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Middle-aged people who exercise 30 minutes twice weekly can cut their risk of developing dementia in half. Researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institute checked for dementia or Alzheimer's disease in a group of 1,500 patients 69 and older, whose exercise habits have been monitored for nearly 35 years. Their results, published online in Britain's Lancet Neurology, also found those who are genetically prone to Alzheimer's disease could see a risk reduction of about 60%.

The amount of exercise that appeared to be necessary to be protective was activity which lasted 20-30 minutes at least twice weekly and which was enough to cause breathlessness and sweating. When researchers also took into account such health risk factors as smoking and alcohol use, the findings remained the same, suggesting that regardless, exercise is beneficial for the brain.

Positive Thoughts May Lead to Good Health

Scientists say a person's outlook on life and the way he or she takes care of the mind as well as body can lead to a longer lifespan.

Dr. David Bennett, the director of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging n Chicago said research shows keeping busy can help the body itself stay in shape and good working order, ABC News reports. He said staying busy doesn't necessarily wear a person out.

Harvard Medical School professor, Dr. Herbert Benson, said controlling stress, by meditation, prayer or positive thoughts, is important. Benson said it can create "biochemical, molecular, physiological changes in the body" that counter-stressful conditions that take a toll on the body.

eContent Matters.com

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