Diet Drinks cause weight gains?!

Diet drinks pose a paradox.  Though they are sweetened with a form of sugar that the body cannot digest and therefore have no calories, as recently mentioned in Science News some recent studies seem to show that people consuming diet drinks gain more weight than those drinking regular sodas.  How can this be?  

It seems the explanation lies in how the body tries to self-regulate calorie intake.  We know now that the brain tries to keep track of the number of calories we eat on a daily basis, and then tells us when to eat more or stop eating for the day.  

The process through which this takes place begins in the mouth.  When food arrives in there, sensors there can tell by taste stimulation that calories have arrived.  The mouth then signals the stomach to get ready to go to work.  

When food arrives in the stomach, it tells the brain about how many calories actually arrived.  The problem comes when we consume diet sugar or oils, such as Olestra, Saccharine, aspartame, Splenda, and Sorbitol.  The mouth tastes calories but the stomach finds none, and sends a “no calories here” message to the brain.  

Being a quick learner, the brain learns that the taste of sweetness in food is associated with no calories, and therefore disregards all other calorie intakes of those flavors when keeping tally of the total calorie ingestion for the day.  The result is that ALL of the fat or sugar you then eat may then be disregarded, and the brain makes you eat more of other types of calories to make up for it and obtain the necessary daily amount.  The net result is that people consuming these ‘diet’ artificial oils and sweeteners tend to gain more weight than those eating the real version.

It isn't that there is something magical about diet sweeteners, but that the brain ends up leaving the "hungry - eat more!" appetite switch in the "on" position longer.  More food ends up being eaten, and weight is gained.  

Avoiding Tax Back!

Its that time again, with winter winding down and the IRS breathing over our shoulders.  That pile of receipts and forms that has been menacingly growing for the past year now becomes the focus of our attention.

Each year, we see numerous people in the office, suffering not just from the stress of tax preparations and tax bills, but also from acute low back and neck pain.

Its not just the stress that causes these pains.  The main culprit is how the tax preparation is done.

Two simple but important tips to consider:

DO NOT spread your papers out over the floor and then sit in front of it leaning over to sort.  This is the most common way to strain the lower back ligaments and muscles and adversely affect the sacroiliac joint.  Instead, DO use a desk or the dining room or kitchen table. 

DO NOT sit at your desk sorting or working on the computer longer than 60 minutes without getting up. Instead, DO get up and move around for at least 10 minutes every hour.  The discs of the spine start to compress and dehydrate with sitting too long and that can lead to disc herniation and early degenerative changes.  Additionally, the spinal muscles start to atrophy, making them easier to injure.  Inactivity is also terrible for overall health considerations such as raising risk of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Common Cycling Injuries

Common Bicycle Injuries

Greetings!  My name is Dr. Kenneth Hoang and this is my second contribution to the Health Matters blog.  My goal is to help provide insight into various topics of health and wellness based upon personal experience and research.  If there are any topics you would like to hear about, please let us know!

I’d like to start with common sports-related injuries I have seen and treated.  In 2010, I was part of a volunteer Chiropractic-Sports Medicine team that treated thousands of participants on a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to help raise funds for AIDS research.  Here are the three most common injuries we saw and easy ways to treat and help prevent them:

Elbow Pain: Ulnar Neuropathy
This term refers to numbness and pain at the pinkie, ring finger and inside of the hand and is usually caused by pressure of the wrist and hand on the handlebars for extended periods of time.  The ulnar nerve and artery travel through a narrow tunnel in the wrist.  Constant compression to this area will inflame the artery and nerve and cause symptoms.  Initial treatment revolves around reducing inflammation and irritation with ice, stretching, soft tissue mobilization and taping.  Use gloves with padding around the band of the hand or thicken the handlebars with a softer grip.  This will reduce the amount of pressure applied to the pain sensitive areas.

Hip and Knee Pain: Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome
This is experienced as hip, thigh, or knee pain felt on the outside of the upper leg as a result of friction between the Tensor Fascia Latae or IT Band as it is commonly called, over the knee joint or hip bone.  It is commonly a result of improper warmup or tightness of the associated musculature, rapid increase in load, or bad technique.  Initial treatment is to stop irritation by discontinuing activity and following standard RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) protocol.  Once inflammation is controlled, proper stretching along with the use of a foam roller is recommended.  In-office treatment with taping and manual release of myofascial adhesions is often initiated as soon as it can be tolerated.  Addressing any issues with poor form is also a must.  

Knee Pain: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
PFPS usually refers to pain in front or around the knee cap and is sometimes called “Runner’s Knee.”  This can occur in one or both knees and pain tends to increase with more activity.  It is often caused by slight displacement of the kneecap during movement.  Much like a train on a track, the patella (kneecap) fits and moves within a groove of the femur (thigh bone), and incorrect glide of the patella can cause irritation of the cartilage on the underside of the patella.  The patella can slide up, down, side to side, tilt and rotate, all of which can create contact with the many articular surfaces within the knee.  Common causes are muscle imbalance, overuse, and incorrect form or posture.  Sometimes the easiest fix is making sure you are properly fitted for your bike or being educated on proper riding technique.  Other in-office treatment includes mobilizations (resetting the alignment of the kneecap), taping, and exercise prescriptions revolved around balancing out muscle weaknesses.

Injury-Free Housework

The easiest way to injure the back is the BLT.  Bend, Lift, and Twist.  Vacuuming done wrong is a series of BLTs.  No wonder so many people get injured, and that so many people either don’t do it or hire it out to someone else.  The key is to keep the shoulders in the same plane as the hips, and therefore not twist.  With the torso and hips moving as one, the legs and arms in combination do all the work.  Instead of twisting, try navigating the vacuum with a series of small shallow lunges.  This provides the forward movement and can be enhanced by extending the arm forward.

The classic way of doing it, with the back bending and twisting forward is the best thing you can do to bring on an injury and the need for treatment.  

In short, No BLTs!  

While correct home ergonomics are important, nothing is more important than exercise for reducing the likelihood of injuring the back.  Our Physical Performance Test is designed to test the functional status of your back and neck muscles for the presence of significant weakness that can be the cause or chronic and recurrent back and neck injuries.  For more information, contact Carah or Dr. Hoang by emailing DrH@Grannischiropractic.com or calling the office at (949) 448-8599.

Research supports Chiropractic before Spine surgery

The University of Pittsburg Health Center now requires a trial of chiropractic care before qualifying for surgery.

In guidelines published in 2012, the University of Pittsburgh Health Center requires a 3-month failed trial of physical therapy, chiropractic, and medication along with a low back pain health coaching program before a patient can qualify for spine surgery.

No wonder, given that overall it is estimated that 90% of low back disc herniations will improve within 3 months with conservative non-operative care.  Additionally, considering that death rates from neck and low back surgery are in the range of .1% (1 in a thousand) and complication rates range from 5% to 19% for all types of back surgery, opting for a trial of conservative care before considering back surgery is the correct evidence based decision.  

Chiropractic care is one of the safest alternatives.  For treatment of lower back disc cases, the complication rate for clinically worsened disc herniation in the lower back from chiropractic treatment is estimated at less than .0000037% (1 in 3.7 million). Put another way, for every one patient worsened by chiropractic treatment, there are 3700 surgical complications.

If surgery has been recommended for your spine, insist on a trial of chiropractic care before consenting, except in cases of caudal equina syndrome, worsening and failing neurological signs, fracture, or infection.

Walking for Mental Health

A 2004 study found that compared to those walking more than two miles daily, those that walked less than a mile a day had a 71% increased risk of developing dementia, and those that walked a quarter mile or less had an increased risk of 77%. What we can take from this is that walking is a very important factor in brain health, and the more, the better.  

Come on, you can do it!  

By the way, this even helps improve scores on people who already have dementia.