LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

PCP

Food allergy/intolerance: associations with other manifestations of atopy – (11-29-01)

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Food allergy/intolerance: associations with other manifestations of atopy

This is another wonderful article packed full of interesting concepts. First is finding out just how common food allergy is in the general population. This article also gives some common food allergens found which includes certain nuts, milk and fruits. Another common theme arises here as well–systemic manifestation of food allergy resulting in reactions in the GI tract, skin and oral cavity. Skin reactions were found in 28.7% of the allergic patients. This brings to mind one of my patients with eczema whose PCP told her that food does not have any relation to her symptoms. According to this study that’s just plain not true. Any patient with dermatological problems should be put on an elimination diet to see if food allergies has any contribution to symptoms. What does the patient have to lose?? Maybe the skin lesions…. Synergy : Allergy 56 (12), 1172-1179

Read entire article here

Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome – (07-16-04)

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Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome and Its Relation to All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Nondiabetic European Men and Women

15%. That is the number this study found in normal, everyday people. I would guarantee that this number is much higher in physicians office’s because they’re there for the signs–hypertension, obesity, heart disease. So why do I yet to EVER have a patient come in that told me their PCP or internists told them they had insulin resistance issues?

(I did have one patient come in, but she had figured it out for herself) I am totally stumped on the incredible lack of attention given to this major risk factor for just about everything. I wish I had an answer, but I don’t.

Arch Intern Med — Abstracts: Hu et al. 164 (10): 1066 –

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NUTRITION PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREVENTION OF DEPRESSION – (10-15-03)

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Dietary Folate and Depressive Symptoms Are Associated

The authors of this study conclude that “nutrition may have a role in the prevention of depression.” While the impact of nutritional status and psychological health is well established in the medical literature, it’s clinical use is still a rarity. And consider this, if a patient presents to his/her PCP with symptoms consistent with depressive disorder that may have a folate deficiency as a major contributing factor and the patient is put on SSRIs, what about the long term consequences of missing a folic acid deficiency??

This list could include certain types of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Considering the incredibly low costs of folic acid supplementation compared to all of the psychoactive drugs, might a clinician utilize folic acid as a first approach?

nutrition.org — Abstracts: Tolmunen et al. 133 (10): 3233

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ARE ANTIDEPRESSANTS SUCKING OUT YOUR LIFE??

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ANTIDEPRESSANTS SUCKING OUT YOUR LIFE??  It’s been a concern for some time that antidepressants (namely SSRIs) flatten out a person affect–sort of like Botox for the mood.  Further concern over contribution to antidepressant medication in situations like Columbine exist, especially given the freedom which prescriptions for this class of drugs are given out by PCPs.

This article finds that the response to a reward (in this case chocolate) was blunted by SSRIs.  Exercise, healthier diet, Vitamin D, stress management, sunlight and increased intake of healthier fats have all been shown to greatly improve mental health and brain function, with only positive “side effects.”

LOW BACK PAIN AND BEST PRACTICE CARE

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PRIMARY CARE OFF THE LIST TO SEE FOR LOW BACK PAIN.  It doesn’t happen often, but I still have patients who ask if they should see their PCP before they see me.  Or who have seen their PCP before me.  Far too frequent the care and recommendations they receive are not in tune with the medical research.  Jumping on prescription pain meds and anti-inflammatories, no recommendation to stay active, jumping on X-rays or worse, MRIs, way too soon.  Epidurals before any conservative care is attempted.

This particular study confirms what I see in my office–PCPs are not aware of how to treat low back pain.  Heck–almost 20% in this study were given OPIOIDS for acute low back pain!!  The bottom line?  Much evidence points to the fact that chiropractors are the best, most effective and most cost-effective point of entry for any musculoskeletal problem.