DelVecchio Back and Neck Care Center

Your Weekly Health Update
Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your
Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 01/23/2012
Courtesy of: Dr. Nick DelVecchio
Del Vecchio Back & Neck Care Center
7595 W. 66th Ave, Arvada, Colorado
303-422-3657
Visit us at: www.backcare4you.com

Chiropractic Care: Cell Phones are a Pain in the Neck
One of the newest aliments to emerge from our tech savvy generation, is something referred to as “text neck”. This term has been coined by a South Florida chiropractor and results from excessive strain on the cervical spine from looking in a forward and downward position. This repetitive motion can cause headaches, neck pain, shoulder and arm pain and more. This is not surprising considering the number of hours that people spend each day using hand held devices. Remember; always use proper body mechanics and take frequent breaks for both your neck and eyes.
Mental Attitude: Having a Healthy Attitude
How healthy is your attitude? Do you have the kind of attitude that shows that you are optimistic towards life and makes people want to be around you? For those of you that do, you will be glad to hear that by exhibiting this type of attitude you are directly influencing your health, quality of life and longevity. For those of you that are not there just yet, there is still hope! The benefits include increasing your ability to deal with daily stress and activities, decreased limitations due to pain or emotional stress, a more peaceful and relaxed state of mind and better and longer lasting social connections. Life will always present challenges and frustrations, help yourself by having the right frame of mind to deal with them.
Health Alert: Street Drug Linked to Flesh Eating Disease.
The use of “Bath Salts” has gained a great deal of attention in the news lately. No, these aren’t the sweet-smelling crystals that help you relax or make your skin soft. They are one of the newest street drugs to hit the market. Many states are in the process of making the possession, uses and sale of this product illegal. However, as we know this does not stop people from experimenting. Like many other illicit drugs, people try different means of using the drug. The newest way is by injection, but it comes with some very big side effects. A recent report has revealed a case of a young adult patient that developed Necrotizing Fasciitis as a result of injecting bath salts into the upper arm. Radical intervention was required to save the patient’s life, including amputation, radical mastectomy and chest wall debridement.
Wellness/Prevention: Is Your Child’s School Lunch Making Him Fat?
Providing or offering junk food to children at school for lunch has always been a huge issue. Many blame the sale of junk food as a cause of childhood obesity. However, a new study conducted by Penn State University, concluded that this does not make a significant difference in the in the weight of middle school students. They followed 19,000 individuals (through an observatory study) from grades five through eight in 1,000 schools, both public and private for a school year. The lead researcher Dr. Hook commented that the study found no relationship between children that attended a school that sold junk food and gaining weight. This only shows that the school is not their main source of junk food. Health professionals and obesity experts agree that children need to hear a consistent message about healthy eating and proper nutrition.

Dr. Nick DelVecchio

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 01/16/2012

Courtesy of: Dr. Nick DelVecchio

Del Vecchio Back & Neck Care Center
7595 W. 66th Ave, Arvada, Colorado

303-422-3657 

Visit us at:  www.backcare4you.com

Chiropractic Care: Spinal Manipulation Tops All 

According to results from a new study published in the January 2012 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, spinal manipulation therapy and exercises that patients can learn to do at home are more effective than medication for relieving neck pain. This holds true for both in the short and long term. The study enrolled 272 patients aged 18 to 65 years who had nonspecific neck pain for 2 to 12 weeks. They were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of spinal manipulation therapy, medication, or home exercise with advice. Pain, as reported by the study participants, was measured at 2, 4, 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks. Patients who received spinal manipulation therapy or home exercises reported similar improvements in self-reported disability, medication use, general health status, and adverse events. However, patients said they were more satisfied with spinal manipulation than with home exercise.

Mental Attitude:  Strong Religious Belief May Protect Some from Depression

According to new research (Myrna M. Weissman, PhD, Columbia University), a strong belief in religion or spirituality may provide a protective effect against the recurrence of depression. The initial retrospective study was conducted 1997 and results were published. This new study the researchers examined the biological offspring of their original patient population. The offspring were assessed 10 and 20 years after the first visit by their parents. 114 adult offspring participated in is this study. Those who reported that religion or spirituality was very important to them had one-fourth the risk of experiencing major depression in the following decade than did those who reported no or low beliefs.

Health Alert: Go Nuts for Walnuts

Researchers from the University of Scranton (Scranton, Pa.), compared the amount of powerful compounds called polyphenols in nine types of roasted and raw nuts. Whether roasted or raw, walnuts win. They are loaded with the highest amount of polyphenols and they are believed to reduce your risk of heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels, by improving blood flow, and by cooling the inflammation that’s been linked to heart disease. What’s even more nuts, walnuts are high in fat, but don’t necessarily lead to weight gain.

Wellness/Prevention:  Mind Exercises May Cut Dementia Risk

Scientists have learned in the past decade or so that the human brain works differently than thought. The brain can actually develop new brain cells, even late in life and continually form new connections among existing neurons. A study in Neurology, found that among 101 people who eventually developed dementia, those who frequently participated in one or more activities, such as reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing card or board games, having group discussions or playing music experienced memory decline more than one year later than those who participated in these activities less often. These hobbies build cognitive reserves and delay dementia as much as a higher education. 

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 12/19/2011

Courtesy of: Dr. Nick DelVecchio

DelVecchio Back & Neck Care Center
7595 W. 66th Ave.
Arvada, Colorado

303-422-3657  Visit us at:  www.backcare4you.com

Chiropractic Care: Do You Suffer From Migraines? They’re relatively common, affecting an estimated 10% of the population. What can be done to relieve them? According to a recent study, chiropractic care may hold the answer. One hundred and twenty-seven migraine patients (with at least one migraine per month) were divided into two groups for comparison. Group 1 received chiropractic adjustments at specific vertebral subluxations determined by the treating practitioner; Group 2 served as controls and received no treatment. Subjects receiving chiropractic adjustments reported substantial improvement in migraine frequency, duration and disability two months of treatment. One in five participants reported a 90% reduction in migraines, and half reported significant improvement in migraine severity.

Mental Attitude:  Mindfulness To Reduce Pain

A recent study has shown that a mindfulness-based group therapy intervention produced significant and durable relief for patients with inflammatory rheumatoid joint diseases. The authors hypothesized that it might help patients cope with chronic joint pain. The treatment sessions, which were facilitated by healthcare professionals trained in mindfulness techniques, addressed particular topics, such as recognizing individual limitations, and strong emotions, such as anger, joy, and sorrow. Participants were also given creative exercises, such as guided imagery, music, and drawing, and they shared their experiences with other members of the group. Promising effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction have been documented and follow-up has shown that participants in the intervention group significantly increased their emotional processing, compared with control groups.

Health Alert: New Years Resolution

The American Lung Association reports that six out of ten smokers require multiple attempts before successfully kicking the habit.  Quitting smoking is the single most important step smokers can take to improve their health. These are some tips to help you succeed: Pick your quit day a few weeks ahead of time, mark it on the calendar and try to choose a quit day when you won’t be under a great deal of stress. Exercise daily. This will help improve your energy levels and mood, as well as help prevent weight gain. And finally, ask for support from family, friends and co-workers or consider joining a stop-smoking program so that you don’t have to quit alone.

Wellness/Prevention:  Communication

Ask 10 happily married couples why their relationships work. No doubt you’ll hear a common phrase offered as the key ingredient: communication. It is vital to all human relationships, whether between husband and wife, employer and employee, or doctor and patient. The relationship between the physician and the patient is especially important because life-and-death issues may be involved. A recent study showed that there are communication problems that contribute to a delay in diagnosis and treatment can prove fatal. Race, ethnicity and gender have been cited as important barriers affecting patient-physician communication and they emphasized the need for improved cross-cultural communication between primary care physicians and patients.

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio