by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Nov 12, 2013 | Health Articles
Recent studies have shown that when you look at stress from a more optimistic view it can have a positive effect on your health. When we encounter stress our body reacts by producing different hormones, preparing for a “fight or flight”. However, nowadays the likelihood of being in a life-threatening scenario has significantly decreased from centuries ago. The more likely stresses of modern society include traffic jams and finishing assignments on time.
Stress Is Not Always A Negative thing
Stress itself is not actually a bad thing for us, it is the perception of the stress that can cause the negative effect. This is an extremely useful discovery to remember when you next encounter a stressful situation. If we can train our mind to think that the stress we are encountering is positive, then the negative effects will be significantly reduced.
Scientists from a handful of universities examined the different effects of stress on 300 investment bankers who had just emerged from a round of layoffs. In the study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, scientists divided the participants into two groups, and tried to alter the perception of half of them to view stress as debilitating and the other half to view it as an enhancement.
The first half of the participants were shown videos of people succumbing to stress. The other half were shown videos of people meeting challenges, such as sports figures accomplishing a difficult goal. The results showed that those who had a more optimistic view of stress had fewer health problems and performed better at work than the pessimistic group.
Stress In Moderation Can Be Positive
As the results show, there is definitely a positive effect of stress altered by the way we perceive the situation. This positive stress is called eustress and in moderation can be extremely positive for our health. Eustress can improve our cognitive functions and boost our immune system, leading to an overall healthier feel to our lifestyle. However, the stress that we need to look out for is the long-term emotional stress. This stress can lead to many negative health problems, such as high blood pressure and it has also been linked with many heart problems. Although, if we consider the stress we encounter as a challenge, rather than a setback, then we can experience much more positive stress, which in turn will help to improve our overall health and wellness.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Nov 7, 2013 | Health Articles
Sugar is in nearly everything we eat. In the typical western diet, the amount of sugar that has been added to food products brings our consumption of the sweet stuff up to 22.7 teaspoons per day. In order to extend the shelf life of processed food, sugar is added. While we know that sugar is...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Nov 5, 2013 | Health Articles
Many people find it hard to get motivated for a “big workout” at the gym, or getting up at 5am for a 10 mile run. However, scientists have found that many peoples’ bodies are different in the way that they get motivated. It is all linked to an individuals’ body chemistry and this can determine whether we find exercise a chore or a pleasure.
People have different levels of physical capacity, there are people that find going for a walk is more than enough exercise for them. Whereas, others find that spending hours working out in the gym is still not enough. It all depends on the type of the person, typically more sedentary people feel that walking or doing a few sit-ups are sufficient.
Every Person’s Physical Capacity Is Different
A persons’ physical capacity is based on their ventilatory threshold. In the majority of people, when at rest, the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled is equal to the amount of oxygen inhaled. When we exercise we pass the ventilatory threshold and the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled is greater than the amount of oxygen inhaled. This action causes the muscles to produce lactic acid and the body creates a stress response. Most peoples’ ventilatory threshold is at 50-60% of their maximum exercise capacity. For more sedentary people it can be as low as 35%.
The way we look at exercise also contributes to our motivation to do it. There are many people that love to lift weights and push their body to the limits, whereas there are people that find it unpleasant. If you are one of the people that hates exercise and finds it extremely hard to get motivated, what can you do? First, ease yourself into it, particularly if you haven’t been active for a while. If you push yourself too hard at the start of your exercise program it is only going to make you feel worse and discourage you from continuing. You can start with a simple form of exercise that takes the weight off of your feet, such as a light swim or water aerobics. Another option is to take up a social exercise activity. This can mean joining a class at your local gym or just going for a walk with a group of friends. The support of other people will help to increase your motivation.
Choose An Activity That You Enjoy!
Try the media to help get you motivated. Listening to your favorite songs or watching T.V. when you are exercising can help to keep you motivated and improve the results of exercising. Finally, pick an exercise that you enjoy doing. Many people enjoy team sports and excel at them, others are more confident participating in an individual sport, such as running or swimming. If you enjoy the exercise you are doing there is more chance that you will persevere and get the results you want.
Any amount of exercise is good for you. Don’t feel pressured into doing more exercise than you feel comfortable doing. Just enjoy the exercise you are doing and you will keep the motivation!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Oct 31, 2013 | Health Articles
It’s very important to know just some of the basic differences between an MD (Medical Doctor) and a DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) in order to understand the unique role that each type of medical professional plays in helping you to maintain or regain your optimum health.
MDs and DCs are both fully licensed healthcare providers. They will examine, diagnose and treat patients. However, most Medical Doctors have trained for more hours in physiology, whereas Doctors of Chiropractic will usually have trained for more hours in the anatomy of the body. Their different methods of practice can help to explain this difference. DCs are experts in musculoskeletal health and general wellness. Like an MD, a DC will use diagnostic imaging, lab tests, clinical exams and questionnaires to diagnose their patient, but the type of treatment that they administer will be different. MDs usually prescribe pharmaceuticals and surgery as a form of treatment for their patients, whereas DCs will generally use a more holistic approach which involves a variety of hands-on treatments, as well as some advice on diet and exercise.
Office visits are also very different experiences. On a visit to an MD, you will most likely be asked by a nurse or assistant to fill out certain paperwork and provide information about your condition. The MD will then visit you, take a look at the information, perhaps perform a brief clinical examination, and quickly prescribe a treatment. However, with doing this most doctors only take a small amount of time to understand your overall health. And their form of treatment usually involves drugs and/or different medical procedures.
Doctors of Chiropractic Can Offer a More Personal Approach
It is very common for patients to have a more personal relationship with their Chiropractor than with their Medical Doctor. The chiropractor will speak with you at length about not only your physical symptoms, but your lifestyle as well. They will examine you, perform any necessary tests, discuss all of the possible treatment options available, and provide the appropriate manual therapies. These treatment methods are more usually referred to as “physical medicine”. These can include targeted spinal adjustments, disc decompression, laser therapy, electrical stimulation and hot and cold treatments as well as different structured exercise and stretching programs. The chiropractor may also make specific dietary and nutrition suggestions.
In general, musculoskeletal problems are better treated by a DC. However, many chiropractors also develop specialized expertise in other aspects of health as well. Doctors of Chiropractic will refer you to a Medical Doctor if they believe that diagnosing and treating your specific condition is beyond their scope of practice.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Oct 29, 2013 | Health Articles
There is a constant daily bombardment of different microbes that are known to make us ill. However, studies have shown that a wider exposure to these microbes as children can lower the risk of asthma and allergies in the future. Our immune system is not determined by just one thing, there are many factors that...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Oct 24, 2013 | Health Articles
Have you ever experienced sciatica? Where the pain seems to radiate down your leg to your foot, the medical term for this is actually “radiculitis”. It may not be the most common nerve pain, but it causes extreme pain and discomfort for those that experience it.
Radiating pain is actually caused when a nerve or nerve root is experiencing pressure, whether it’s a result of spinal subluxation or from inflammation. An example is a herniated disk. This creates a radiating pain because it has bulged out of its normal place and may be exerting pressure on a nerve root extending from the spinal cord.
You May Not Have Radiating Pain…
The nerves that run the length of the spinal cord from neck to tailbone and branch out to the left and right are called the radicular nerves. When these are injured or compressed they are more likely to radiate pain than the other types of nerves in our body. If there is a neck injury, for example, pain may radiate down the arm to the fingertips. Some people may think that are experiencing radiating pain, but the pain is more often than not just due to myofascial trigger points that cause a more diffuse pain that seems to radiate out from one area. This is caused by muscles that are too tense and scar tissue that has built up trapping nerves in the muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Active Release Technique (ART)
A chiropractic adjustment can address any spinal misalignments that may be impinging on spinal nerves, helping to take the pressure off the nerve and thus reducing pain. In addition, many chiropractors tend to use additional therapies that can help to free trapped nerves, such as the Active Release Technique (ART).
If you are suffering from radiating pain don’t hesitate to visit your chiropractor. They will be able to correct any spinal subluxations that may have appeared and help to relieve your radiating pain. Regular chiropractic adjustments will help to correct the alignment of your spine and help your body to function at its’ optimum level.
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Oct 22, 2013 | Health Articles
Many people have suffered psychosomatic symptoms, it may have been you or someone you know. A psychosomatic disorder is defined as an illness that seemingly has no known physical cause. A study has shown that out of patients complaining of 14 common symptoms, only a mere 16% had a physical cause for their complaint. The...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Oct 17, 2013 | Health Articles
One of the most common musculoskeletal problems that a person will face in their lifetime is lower back pain. Nearly 70% of the population will experience low back pain. However, there is some good news! Studies have shown that exercise can alleviate this pain and even something as small as a brisk walk will help to relieve your pain.
Study Confirms That Walking is “As Effective As Treatment That Could Have Been Received In The Clinic”
Dr. Michal Katz-Leurer and her colleague Ilana Shnayderman from Tel Aviv University conducted a study on 52 sedentary people aged 18-65 with chronic lower back pain. The volunteers were divided into two groups: the “walking” group and the “exercise” group. The walking group was instructed to walk for 20 minutes on a treadmill twice a week, switching to 40 minutes per session as their strength increased. The exercise group was assigned specific back strengthening exercises to be performed twice a week. Both groups carried out these activities for six weeks.
The researchers’ results, which were published in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation, showed that there was great improvements in both of the groups, regardless of the type of exercise they had practiced. This is good news for people who cannot afford to pay for a gym membership or buy the high-tech equipment. All it requires is leaving your house and going for a brisk walk. Dr. Katz-Leurer said that their study confirmed that walking is “as effective as treatment that could have been received in the clinic.”
Give Active Walking A Try!
The research shows that active walking engages the same muscles that are used with targeted exercise. The reason why you may find that your back hurts after a day at a museum or when browsing the shops is that walking slowly causes the spine and supporting muscles to be under constant pressure. The compressive pressure on the lower back when strolling is about two and a half times your body weight and the spine does not move much.
However, even though the lower back experiences the same amount of compressive pressure when walking fast, there is a cyclical effect on the muscles supporting the back that relieves the static pressure, particularly if you swing your arms as you walk. So take some time each week to get out for a brisk walk and it may improve your general health and significantly improve any chronic pain in your lower back. It becomes more and more important as we get older to alleviate the aches and pains and try to improve our health, all it takes is a brisk walk!
by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Oct 15, 2013 | Health Articles
According to the U.S. CDC, one in three adults over the age of 65 has a fall in any given year. Falls are currently the primary cause of injury-related deaths in this age range. They are also the most common cause of trauma-related admissions to hospital. Whether you are above the age of 65, or you...
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by Dr. Brandon Chorney | Oct 10, 2013 | Health Articles
The cost of obesity and the diseases that accompany it cost the government an excessive amount of money every year. Many say that we should make losing weight a public health challenge and allow the money saved to be spent on other health problems.
In modern society it is extremely easy to gain weight due to the high amounts of fats and carbohydrates in processed food. We have constant pressure to eat foods that are non-beneficial to our bodies and in times of economic hardship we find comfort in eating fatty foods. The constant encouragement to snack everywhere we go does not help with our constant battle to lose weight. In such a busy society we find it easier to eat on the go, instead of sitting down at the table and eating a healthy meal.
Exercise Alone Doesn’t Succeed…
Exercise is extremely important in losing weight, but it cannot be effective if our diet is not healthy. Exercising and then eating an unhealthy meal almost cancels each other out. In order to lose as much weight as possible we must have a balanced and “clean” diet.
The amounts of fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates that are included in the typical western diet all contribute to the increase in levels of obesity. Processed foods usually contain a high percentage of the recommended daily amount.
Another factor for the consumer with regards to processed foods is the cost. More often than not it is cheaper to buy an unhealthy meal at the store, or at a fast food restaurant than it is to buy the ingredients and cook a healthy, nutritious meal. This cost factor only increases the amount of people that are buying processed and packaged meals instead of natural, organic ingredients and cooking themselves.
A Combined Effort Is Needed To Make A Difference
To make any significant dent in obesity rates, more information and ongoing public education will be necessary. But they’re only one part of the solution. It will also require a real change in individuals’ own priorities and personal motivation. The fact that healthier menu options at mainstream eating establishments often sell poorly and that even reasonably priced fruit and vegetables are frequently passed by in favor of candy and soda tell this part of the story.
All in all, if we want to make a significant change to the levels of obesity and the chronic diseases that are associated, it is going to take a combined effort from the government and the food producers. In order to reduce the costs to our healthcare systems we need to create a healthier approach to modern society and encourage healthier eating. We need to give people an incentive to eat healthier and in a way that they can afford to.
Recent studies have shown that when you look at stress from a more optimistic view it can have a positive effect on your health. When we encounter stress our body reacts by producing different hormones, preparing for a “fight or flight”. However, nowadays the likelihood of being in a life-threatening scenario has significantly decreased from centuries ago. The more likely stresses of modern society include traffic jams and finishing assignments on time.
