Simple Low Back Pain Prevention for Men

A recent study in Spine Journal revealed that the annual cost of low back pain was a staggering $12 billion in this country alone.  While countless studies has shown the efficacy of chiropractic as a treatment for back pain, the Manga report done in Ontario demonstrated that: “(1) chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management for low back pain;   (2) that spinal manipulation is less safe and effective when performed by non-chiropractic professionals;   (3) that there is an overwhelming body of evidence indicating that chiropractic management of low-back pain is more cost-effective than medical management;   (4) and that there would be highly significant cost savings if more management of LBP was transferred from medical physicians to chiropractors.”

This week I would like to share a tip that can often be a complicating factor of low back pain.  This tip specifically addresses a problem men deal with on a daily basis.  When you sit, please take your wallet out of your back pocket.  I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this simple modification help resolve and prevent back pain from reoccurring.  When you sit as opposed to standing, you put about 12 times more pressure on your pelvic joints and sitting on a wallet on one side can throw you out of alignment.  I always tell patients that sitting on a wallet is like driving your car with 18 inch tires on one side and 14 inch tires on the other – it will always throw you out of balance and create excessive wear-and-tear on your pelvic joints and lumbar spine and discs.  

Brian Sides, DC

Osteoporosis 3

As we end the discussion on preventing osteoporosis and maintaining strong bones, let’s review what we know so far.  In the last two posts we have discussed that you need to keep your pH alkaline rather than acidic and we said you need the right balance of other nutrients including magnesium, and vitamins D and C to truly benefit from the calcium that you take in.  To satisfy both of these criteria, your best choice of dietary calcium will be from the dark green vegetables.

I’ve saved the most important factor for last.  Several years ago Harvard did a study on calcium and strong bones.  In this study they took four groups of people.  The first group took prescription grade calcium and did nothing else.  The second group took the same prescription and exercised five times each week.  The third group took placebo (fake) calcium and did nothing else.  And the final group took the placebo and exercised five times each week.  The researchers believed that the two prescription groups would get the best results.  However, after several months, the only two groups that showed an increase in bone density were the two groups who exercised.  Of these two groups, the ones taking the calcium did slightly better than the placebo, but the difference was not considered significant.  Their conclusion was that moderate exercise for at least 20 minutes three times per week was critical for proper bone strength.

In the end, the key to healthy bones in the body is the same key as healthy anything else – eat a natural diet high in fruits and vegetables and exercise regularly!

Osteoporosis 2

Last week I closed by questioning the value of dairy in preventing osteoporosis.  While it is true that all milk products are a rich source of calcium, there is still great debate as to whether dairy consumption truly maintains strong bones.  One of the problems with dairy is that it is relatively high in protein and last week we shared the research that high protein diets tend to cause calcium to be dumped in the urine.

To increase bone strength you need other ingredients in addition to calcium.  For instance you need vitamin D3 which helps move calcium out of the gut and into the blood.  You also need magnesium to get calcium out of the blood and into the bone.  Dairy is relatively low in magnesium, so unless you’re getting this mineral from other sources, your milk calcium will be relatively ineffective.  I realize this information may be shocking to some because we’ve been conditioned to drink milk for strong bones.  However, while milk is rich in calcium, there has never been a study proving that dairy reduces the risk of osteoporosis.  When you think about it, we are the only mammals on the planet who drink milk after we are weaned.  To my knowledge there is not an epidemic of osteoporosis in horses or elephants related to their lack of dairy!

But you still need calcium, so what should you do?  The foods that have the best balance of calcium and the other necessary nutrients are once again, the “greens”.  We should all be getting our calcium from sources such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, romaine lettuce, and spinach.  Believe it or not, turnip and collard greens seem to be one of the healthiest sources.  Next week I will discuss the most important factor for strong bones.

Osteoporosis

Nearly 20 million Canadians suffer with osteoporosis and the related complications of thin, porous bones prone to fracture.  Today, I’d like to start a series on the subject of calcium and strong bones.

Everyone believes that strong bones are merely the result of how much calcium you can pour down.  In reality, there are numerous factors such as the type of calcium, other vitamins and minerals, physical activity and your own internal chemistry that will undermine your efforts regardless of your calcium intake.  Many researchers believe that your chemistry, specifically your pH, may be one of the most important factors.  pH in your body is the same as in your swimming pool – it’s the balance of acid and base.  By design, we are meant to be slightly basic or “alkaline” and many believe that all disease exists only in an acidic environment.

In terms of strong bones, as we become more acidic (pH less than 7.3) the activity of the cells that break down bone (osteoclasts) is increased and the activity of the cells that build bone (osteoblasts) is decreased.  This means in an acidic environment, you will continuously be losing bone strength.  However, the opposite phenomenon seems to happen in an alkaline environment and you gain bone strength.  The question then should be how do we stay alkaline, and what would make our bodies acidic?

The key to staying alkaline is the same as the key to reducing inflammation in the body.  You must eat a diet high in alkaline foods such as fruits and vegetables.  The primary things that increase acidity in our bodies are diets high in protein and excessive amounts of emotional stress.  Do you know what food is relatively high in dietary protein . . . dairy.  Ooops!  More on this next week.

Revisiting Hydration

I received a great deal of positive feedback regarding the article on the importance of staying hydrated.  Water is essential for our joints, muscles and nearly all the millions of chemical reactions going on in our bodies.  In order to stay hydrated, many of us use plastic water bottles.  Some of us also reuse these water bottles. Unfortunately, research has revealed some alarming information about this habit.

Nearly all disposable bottles are made from a type of plastic called PET that does not stand up to repeated use, washing, heat, or harsh handling. After a few uses, the plastic starts to break down and leach into the water we drink and we digest this undesirable chemical. Some believe this toxin can contribute to different cancers.  The longer the bottle is used, the more likely the breakdown can occur. If you keep a bottle in your car, the summer heat will further speed up the process. Other studies have found that even if you wash your bottles frequently, you may not be able to prevent bacteria from building up on them.


Check the bottom of your plastic bottles; if there's a “1” inside the recycling symbol, it's only meant for one-time use and keep it out of the heat.  When reusing plastic bottles, you want the number to be greater than “3”.  Even a better solution is to put your daily water supply into glass or invest in a stainless steel water bottle.  Either way, keep drinking your water!

Omega 3's

Today I intend to end the four part discussion on how to reduce inflammation to promote better health and prevent disease.  In terms of diet, this process can be summed up by the simple matter of choosing greens over grains.  As was discussed a couple weeks ago, grains and animals that are fed on grains contain the omega 6 fatty acids that promote inflammation in the body while greens (vegetables and many fruits) contain the omega 3 fatty acids that decrease inflammation in the body to promote health.

Animals raised entirely on greens or grasses, known as free range or wild game, will provide these omega 3 fatty acids through the diet.  This is precisely why fish oil is considered to be so beneficial to so many different components of health and has been proven valuable in reducing the risk of everything from cholesterol and heart disease to Alzheimer’s and depression.  The medical research on the benefits of fish oil are abundant and still growing.  Many believe that every Canadian should be taking a supplement of fish oil daily.  But I want you to know that if you are eating the proper amount of greens and are choosing meat that is organic/free range, you do not have to worry about supplementing omega 3’s as much.

I hope you have found this segment on inflammation helpful as I believe it to be one of the biggest determinants of health over disease.  

De-Flame

Over the last two weeks we have discussed the dangers of inflammation in the body and the research that all disease begins with some level of inflammation.  We have discussed how oils (corn/vegetable) and all grains (even the healthier ones) contribute to this inflammatory process.  Today I’d like to talk about what you can and should be doing to reverse this process and “deflame.”

Turns out, Mom was right again – you need to eat your fruits and vegetables.  These are nature’s anti-inflammatories and eating them regularly will decrease your risk of nearly every disease.  To get the real value of these foods you should eat most fruits and vegetables raw or lightly steamed.  Cooking at high temperatures breaks down the enzymes and fiber that you are trying to get.  How much should you eat?  This recommendation has changed and they are now saying that you should have 5-13 servings every day!  If you are eating organically, you can likely get away with just five servings, but if you are eating traditional non-organic sources, you should eat more because the organic sources are much richer with the desired vitamins and minerals that promote health.

Before you panic at this amount, an apple is considered to be two servings.  This means that if you commit to having a raw, organic source of fruit or vegetable with every meal of every day you will be covered and on the pathway to better health.