DelVecchio Back and Neck Care Center

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 03/26/2012

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: Ear Pain Treatment

More and more parents are beginning to look to chiropractors to complement their children’s health care and ear pain is the number one reason for child visits to chiropractors. Many chiropractors believe that there is a strong link between the birthing process and recurrent ear infection, also known as otitis media. During the birthing process, cervical (neck) vertebrae can become misaligned, disrupting nerve function, which can affect the eustachian tube. This may lead to fluid buildup in the middle ear and cause otitis media. Ear infection or otitis media accounts for over 35% of all pediatrician visits in the United States. Antibiotics, the usual treatment, are not always effective and may even lead to a recurrence of ear infections. Many children are dealing with a continuing cycle of repeat ear infections, which lands them back at the pediatrician for more antibiotics. For nearly 100 years, patients that have ear and other upper respiratory infections respond favorably to chiropractic adjustments.

Mental Attitude:  Chronic Stress and Memory

Anyone who has ever been subject to chronic stress knows that it can take a toll on emotions and the ability to think clearly. Now, new research uncovers a neural mechanism that directly links repeated stress with impaired memory. A new study, published in Neuron, also provides critical insight into why stress responses can act as a trigger for mental illnesses as well. The researchers went on to identify the molecular mechanisms that linked stress with the decrease in necessary hormone receptors and demonstrated that if they blocked these mechanisms, the stress-induced decrease in both receptors and recognition memory could be prevented. 

Health Alert: Gym Class Goes Digital

There is a growing connection between public health and digital games. While using game-related challenges in public health endeavors is not new, video games and avatar-based simulations are emerging as an effective way of teaching healthy behaviors. Today, gaming technology and design is being used to address a variety of public health and health care issues, such as tobacco cessation, mass vaccination, physical inactivity, health promotion, chronic disease management and rehabilitation. The best part about is that it’s not just for kids anymore. This approach is be used with young children all the way up to our ever growing population of centenarians.

Wellness/Prevention:  Warm and Sunny Days Ahead

As we start to get more daylight hours for us to enjoy the sunshine, the question is whether it’s better to go with lighter sunscreen and get more vitamin D or to just worry more about skin cancer and wear heavier sunscreen.  Even though vitamin D is a hormone in the body which plays a significant role in many physiological functions including, but not limited to, the prevention of falls, fractures, and cancers; skin health is equally important. Since we are able to bring our vitamin D levels up easily without significant adverse effects with vitamin D supplementation, why risk the health of our skin? Wear heavier sunscreen!

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 03/21/2012

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: Regulate Blood Pressure

Chiropractic care has shown to consistently achieve remarkable results in helping to stabilize blood pressure. The nervous system is what allows our internal physiology to adapt to the stresses and demands of the external environment. The skull and spine surround and protect the nervous system and bear the consistent stress of gravity every day. When the external stressors become too great there is a compromise in the spinal structure and resulting interference (subluxation) in the nervous system. This process increases stress hormone secretion, inflammatory processes, and blood vessel tone. For many individuals this results in higher blood pressure. Chiropractic adjustments remove subluxation and restore harmony to the nervous system allowing the body to stabilize and heal appropriately.
Mental Attitude:  Mood and Food

New research shows there is a strong link between higher levels of nutrient intake and better mental health, thereby adding to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the critical role of diet in mood disorders. A study is published in the February issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. This study looked at 97 adults diagnosed with mood disorders who were living in the community. We all should be eating better and considering supplements where needed because obviously our brains are dependent upon vitamins and minerals. This study was a clear demonstration of their role in how we feel. You should consider moving toward eating unprocessed, natural, healthy foods and if necessary consult with nutrition professionals.

Health Alert: Aspirin for Cancer?

Millions of Americans who take an aspirin every day to lower their risk for heart attack and stroke may also be lowering their cancer risk. New research adds to the growing evidence that daily aspirin may help prevent certain cancers from occurring. On top of that, daily aspirin may also be an effective treatment for people who already have cancer. In a series of studies published in The Lancet, researchers in the United Kingdom expanded on previous research linking daily low-dose or full-strength aspirin use to a reduced risk of death from cancer over a decade of follow-up. In their latest work, the researchers examined the short-term impact of aspirin therapy on cancer, finding a reduction in cancers after about three years of daily aspirin use. People taking aspirin for as few as five years had a lower risk of dying from cancer and of having their disease spread once it had been diagnosed.

Wellness/Prevention:  Help for Allergy Sufferers

When you inhale allergens, they trigger inflammation in your nasal passages. There’s increasing evidence that vitamin D might reduce that inflammation.  It is recommended that you take 600 IU of D daily: It won’t hurt, and it might help. Probiotics can also restore gut bacteria to a healthy balance, minimizing overreactions in the immune system that can lead to allergy symptoms. Taking a supplement with three to five billion CFU (colony-forming units) daily could be beneficial.

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio 

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 02/27/2012

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: Big Purses

Big purses are handy and convenient, but there is a downside. Once you can pack them up with everything you need: cell phone, wallet, water bottles, and more it is a load on your neck, shoulders and back.  Doctors from Baylor Medical Center report that patients commonly complain of back, neck, and shoulder pain without even realizing that the cause may be slung over their shoulder. According to these doctors, it’s not uncommon for purse to weigh as much as 7 to 10 pounds. Even more so, if you carry your purse on one side of your body it may cause future health concerns due to an imbalance when you stand or walk. Experts suggest that the solution is simple and necessary- downsize!

Mental Attitude:  Green Exercise

A recent study looked at green exercise such as walking, cycle, fishing and gardening to determine if these had a positive effect on health, especially mental health.  The researchers noted that those green environments that contained water generated greater improvements. Green exercise was thought to have the biggest impact on young lives and those with mental illness. Interestingly researchers speculate that health care related costs could be reduced by increasing access to nature and by “self medicating” using green exercise and its environment.

Health Alert: Homeopathy & Herbal Medicine

More and more people, from all walks of life, are turning to homeopathy to treat big and small problems.  This is a form of global medicine to treat disease. It takes into account specific psychological and physiological aspects of the individual.  An example: in classical medicine, a group of people having the flu will be given the same treatment, regardless of the individual’s symptoms, and /or how that person reacts to the treatment. With homeopathy, however, each person in the same group of flu-ridden people would receive a different treatment, one adapted to the symptoms of the individual. These remedies help the person’s immune system to react and fight the clause of the illness.

Wellness/Prevention:  Juicing Your Way to Health

Nutritionists recommend eating fresh fruits and vegetables everyday because they are full of vitamins and minerals, which are very important to our body and its functioning. The way you cook can destroy vitamins: these tiny elements are fragile.  For example, vitamin C is particularly sensitive to heat.  Raw fruits and vegetables keep their micronutrients.  Juices are tasty.  Moreover, they are easily absorbed during digestion.  Why, because they are extracted from squeezed fruits and vegetables.  A juice is a liquid made up of water, vitamins, and minerals, without fiber.

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 02/20/2012

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:

Canada has a government-run national health care system, and those reviewing this system, lobbied for the inclusion of chiropractic care. A comprehensive study reviewed all the published literature on lower back pain (LBP) and made some astounding suggestions. In a nutshell, it concluded that: chiropractic should be the treatment of choice for LBP – excluding traditional medical care altogether! Since then there has been an overwhelming body of evidence indicating that chiropractic management of low-back pain is more cost-effective than medical management, here is no clinical or case-control study that demonstrates or even implies that spinal manipulation is unsafe, and best of all, there is good empirical evidence that patients are very satisfied with chiropractic management. These findings also suggest that chiropractic care should be integrated into the full spectrum of health care and that chiropractic act as the “gatekeeper” for all musculoskeletal cases that come into the hospital.

Mental Attitude:  Don’t Gamble With Your Emotions

People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. Unfortunately, too many people take their mental and emotional health for granted – focusing on it only when they develop problems. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. The more time and energy you invest in your emotional health, the stronger it will be. The good news is that there are many things you can do to boost your mood, build resilience, and get more enjoyment out of life.

Health Alert: Are Antibiotics Helpful for Treating Acute Sinusitis

An article published in the February 15 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, stated that most symptoms of acute sinusitis resolve on their own just as quickly without antibiotic as they do with. This trial examined the effectiveness of Amoxicillin 1500mg/day for 10 days. They compared two study groups (one which did not receive medication) and found that the symptom relief was not significantly different between the two groups. One of the biggest concerns is that we are over-exposing patients to antibiotic and creating antibiotic-resistant infections.

Wellness/Prevention:  How to Lower Your Sodium Intake

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released their finding and recommendations for daily sodium intake. Your daily intake should be no more than 2300mg/day for healthy individuals and less than 1500 mg/day for those that are at risk (hypertension, kidney disease and diabetes). The latest National Health and Nutrition Survey showed that the average daily intake for men in the US was 3266 mg. Forty four percent of the sodium consumed came from ten major foods: bread, processed meats/cold cuts. Poultry, pizza, soup, sandwiches, pasta mix dishes, meat mix dishes, cheese and savory snacks. Federal agencies here in the US are studying stricter standards similar to those in the UK; that regulate the amount of salt that food manufacturers, restaurants and food-service companies can put in their products.

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 02/13/2012

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: Vitamin D Findings

A recent study completed by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, reviewed 19 trails and 28 observational studies, to analyze the effects of vitamin D. They looked at the effects of vitamin D to promote bone health and prevent cancer. It was found that 300 – 1100 IU of vitamin D combined with 500 – 1200 mg of Calcium daily reduced fracture risk in older patients. The findings did show that Vitamin D alone does not aid in the promotion of healthy bone nor does it demonstrate that it can reduce cancer risk. A final report will be published in the near future. 

Mental Attitude:  The Choice Is Yours

Your life is the product and result of your choices. You will have, and always had this ability. You can choose to let the current state of the economy bring you down or look for opportunities in the face of adversity and challenge. Choose to focus your attention on what you can do and what you will achieve. The way you choose to see the world creates the world as you see it. So, why not have a positive outlook on life, family and country to make things better for you as well as those close to you.

Health Alert: Smoking and Men’s Health

A new research study has linked smoking to cognitive decline in men. This study followed 7,000 people; concluding that long-term ex-smokers has cognitive decline similar to those that never smoked. Those men that had recently stopped smoking showed some decline (especially in executive functioning tasks), and those that continued to smoke over the next decade, had a significantly more rapid decline. There is also increasing evidence that smoking is risk factor for early onset dementia.

Wellness/Prevention:  Treatment for Prehypertension

The definition of “prehypertension” includes a systolic (top number) blood pressure (BP) greater than or equal to 120 -139 mmHg and diastolic (bottom number) BP values between 80 – 89 mmHg. People that fall into this category of prehypertensive are at an increased risk (as high as 63%) of developing hypertension in the future. To reduce the risk of future complications, the current guidelines recommend lifestyle modifications. These include such things as lowering sodium intake, eating a well balanced diet with fresh fruits and vegetables and increase exercise and weight loss.

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 02/06/2012

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: Chiropractic Care and Creativity

Creative thinking is one of the greatest human assets in that it initiates new thoughts and world changing ideas. Creativity is the ability to generate ideas of both novel and useful form to a particular social setting. Innovative thoughts inspire excitement and unlock the depths of human potential. New research has shown that chiropractic adjustments significantly improve the creative thought process. Life would be dull, bland and stale without the ability to be creative. The unrestricted human mind has the ability to solve problems with new ideas that build off of the latest technology of the day. In fact, nearly every problem mankind has ever faced has been solved by a new, more creative way of thinking and living.
Mental Attitude:  Is This Weather Making You SAD?

Several factors contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and may include decrease of sunlight, genetics and age. Brain hormones are involved in the regulation of our mood and functioning. Melatonin is a hormone that our brains produce during the hours of darkness. It is involved with regulation of sleep, body temperature and release of other hormones. As with any hormone, the amount produced is important. People with SAD produce too much melatonin, disrupting our internal body clock leading to depressive symptoms. If you have had episodes of depression that clearly have an onset in fall or winter followed by remission of symptoms in the spring or summer, you may have SAD.

Health Alert: Sweet as Sugar

Researchers of a new study conducted by the University of CA (San Francisco) stated that Americans are eating too much sugar. Personal intervention does not work because sugar is addictive and can be extremely toxic to our bodies. They believe that some sort of societal intervention is necessary; this excessive use of sugar should be regulated the same way as alcohol and tobacco.

Wellness/Prevention:  Finding the Right Mattress

Good sleeping posture, like good standing posture, allows the body to follow the natural S-shape curve of the spine; by contrast, poor sleeping positions can strain muscles and ligaments and increase the risk of developing a compressed nerve and, consequently, back pain. Your mattress affects your sleeping posture.  It is a “good fit” if it supports the natural curves of your body, particularly the spine and knees. A mattress that is too hard, for example, will create gaps between it and your body. The result is pressure points that restrict circulation and interfere with sleep by causing the person who is asleep to move around to restore circulation. Extra soft mattresses may feel plush, however a mattress that is too soft may not give your back the support it needs. While mattresses wear out at different rates, it is suggested that you may need a new mattress if you wake up with stiffness, numbness, aches, and pains; you had a better night’s sleep somewhere other than your own bed (such as a hotel); or your mattress shows visible signs of overuse (it sags, has lumps, the interior is exposed). So when looking for a new mattress, play the three little bears and try several to determine what works for you.

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio

Your Weekly Health Update

Harness the Natural Healing Power of Your

Body, Mind & Spirit

Monday 01/30/2012

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: Obesity and Disc Degeneration.

According to a study published in Arthritis and Rheumatism on January 27, 2012, MRI data showed that obesity is associated with an increase risk of disc degeneration. One of the most common medical problems that patient seek care for is lower back pain; a widespread cause of physical and emotional stress, loss of work, and a decline in quality of life. These authors found that for the first time, research shows that elevated BMI values are significantly greater in individuals with disc degeneration.

Mental Attitude:  City Living versus County Living

While city living offers many amenities and advantages not found in rural living, it might have a downside in the area of mental health. City dwellers generally are more socially stressed and are at a higher risk of developing mental illness than their rural counterparts. Although scientists have been aware of this, they did not know the reason why. A new study (Nature 474, 498-501) pinpointed two areas of the brain that seem to be involved in responding to “city” stress, the amygdale (an area that regulates anxiety and fear) and the second is the anterior cingulated (a region that is a more global regulator of stress). The researchers also found that although the two brain structures are separate, they are linked by forming a circuit.  These areas of the brain were found to be hyperactive in city dwellers and can cause mental illness.
Health Alert: Heart Disease Risk Begins Earlier Than Thought.

An analysis of eighteen studies confirmed that the differences in risk-factor burdens in middle-aged adults leads to greater differences in lifetime cardiovascular disease risk (New England Journal of Medicine, 01/26/12). This study shows that people in their 40’s and 50’s have a dramatically higher lifetime risk if they have one or two risk factors present. Practitioners have for many years, followed a standard of looking at risks based on about ten years in that person’s future. This research indicates that risk factors should be evaluated at the time of the visit and may show that the patient’s threat of heart disease may be as much as 50% higher based on their current condition. 

Wellness/Prevention:  Bone Health

On the very forefront of new bone research is science showing that thyroid hormone, leptin, insulin, and your blood sugar metabolism is directly linked to healthy bone function. This remarkable discovery places even more importance on maintaining bone health, density, and strength. Everyone thinks of calcium for bone health, but not all know there are vitamins that are necessary too. Vitamin D is critical for bone health because it helps the intestines absorb calcium, Vitamin A is important for osteoblast (bone building cells) and osteoclast (bone breaking down cells) production, studies show that low levels of Vitamin B12 are linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis in both men and women, Vitamin C is essential to the formation of collagen, the foundation that bone mineralization is built on and Vitamin K helps attract calcium to the bone for growth and development. Even better is that these can all be found in a well-balanced diet.

Dr. Nick  DelVecchio

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