Millions of people suffer from some form of arthritis.  Because arthritis is commonly believed to be incurable, the standard medical response has been simply to prescribe medication to reduce the symptoms.  However, as we’ve seen with many of the arthritis medications that have been “pulled off the shelves” in years past, these medications come with side effects.  Now evidence shows that the pain and disability caused by arthritis can be alleviated and even prevented through chiropractic care, in conjunction with dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation, stress reduction and other alternative therapies.

Among the oldest known human afflictions, arthritis can affect virtually every part of the body, from the feet to the knees, back, shoulders and fingers. Arthritis is basically an inflammation of the joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilage which eventually leads to the breaking down of those structures.  The effects of arthritis range from slight joint pain, stiffness, and swelling to crippling disability.  It can affect people of all ages, but is most common in seniors. There are a variety of arthritic conditions, with the three most common forms of the disease being osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gout.  OA is a degenerative disease of the large weight-bearing joints.  It is often associated with aging because as we age, you have more wear and tear on the joints which leads to the arthritis. People with the condition often have small bony growths, calcium spurs and occasional soft cysts on their bones and in their joints.  As the disease progresses, joint cartilage deteriorates to the point where it interferes with movement.   RA, while less common than OA, is a serious and painful joint disease that can lead to crippling disability in young and old alike.  RA involves damage to synovial tissue, which is the membrane that lines joints and secretes the lubricant that normally allows bones to move painlessly against other bones.  Symptoms of RA include fatigue, low-grade fever, weakness, joint stiffness and vague joint pain.  Gout is a type of arthritis caused by a buildup in the body of uric acid, which is found in meats and other foods and also produced by the body.  When the level of uric acid rises to unhealthy levels in the body, it crystallizes in the joint cartilage and synovial tissue and fluid, causing sharp, needle-like pain in the joints, as well as fever, chills and loss of mobility.

The primary keys for treating and preventing arthritis are proper nutrition, detoxification and stress reduction.  Pain management and correction of skeletal and postural problems can be addressed through chiropractic, while other modalities, including herbal medicine, environmental medicine, and acupuncture may also help.

Chiropractic has proven highly effective for many who suffer from the disease, especially those with OA, as an estimated 95% of osteoarthritic patients also have misaligned joints.  If a joint is out of position and there are abnormal stresses, OA usually occurs.  This is because OA is directly related to skeletal and postural stresses on joints.  Tendons and ligaments can be torn or stretched as a result of injury, exercise or aging.  The layers which hold muscles, joints and organs together tend to thicken and rigidify from overuse.  When the body tries to compensate, bony spurs may appear in joints and on bones.  Regular preventative chiropractic treatments can help to diminish these abnormal stresses and reduce symptoms or even prevent the bony changes from occurring.

Another important step in treating arthritis is helping people achieve a normal body weight, as excess weight puts increased stress on weight-bearing joints.  A diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains can help people reduce weight while maximizing nutritional benefits.  Certain foods are known to be beneficial, while others are not.  Cold water fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines and salmon and other sources of essential fatty acids are valuable for the prevention of arthritis, because of the anti-inflammatory characteristics of such foods.  Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and sugars are best avoided.

If you would like additional information on natural treatments of arthritis, you may want to look at some of my other blog posts on the subject:  Chiropractic Treatment of Osteoarthritis, Nutritional Supplements for Osteoarthritis, Medical Treatment of Arthritis, How Do You Know If It’s Arthritis.

Related posts:

1. How Do You Know If It’s Arthritis?
2. Chiropractic Treatment of Osteoarthritis
3. Medical Treatment of Arthritis

There are a number of natural choices you have in reducing your blood pressure.  First of all, you need to consider how healthy you are in terms of your weight and exercise.  If you know these are an issue, you need to address that first.  Next you need to look at your diet.  Diet can play a big role in helping to control the blood pressure.  A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people on a Paleolithic diet were able to lower their blood pressure.  A Paleolithic diet is one in which you eat foods that were found in the Paleolithic Era or Cave Man Era prior to agriculture and animal husbandry.  Foods you can eat include meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, tree nuts, vegetables, roots, fruit, berries, mushrooms, etc.  Foods you can’t eat on this diet include grains, dairy, beans/legumes, potatoes, sugar and fake foods.  Another study published in the journal Hypertension, showed that blood pressure was lowered even more with exercise and caloric restriction.

There are also supplements that have been found to have a positive impact on blood pressure.  Supplementation with acetyl-L-carnitine can help reduce blood pressure and improve insulin resistance.  In a study published in 2009 in the journal Hypertension showed that supplementation with acetyl-L-carnitine at 1g twice a day reduced arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance.  Another study published in 2007 in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension showed that supplementation with acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-Lipoic acid decreased the blood pressure of people with documented coronary artery disease.  Along those same lines, Co-Q10 supplementation has also been shown to decrease blood pressure.  A study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension suggests that Co-Q10 can decrease blood pressure by decrease oxidative stress and insulin response.

Another thing you want to investigate if you have hypertension is if you have vitamin D deficiency.  It is hypothesized that up to 90% of the population can have some degree of vitamin D deficiency.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause elevated calcium levels which can result in high blood pressure.  Correction of vitamin D levels can reduce blood pressure as well as antihypertensive medication.  A note of caution:  do not take vitamin D with hydrochlorothiazide unless your doctor is closely monitoring your serum calcium levels.

Chiropractic treatment can also help lower blood pressure.  For over 40 years, it has been known that there is a relationship between high blood pressure and the presence of circulatory abnormalities around the first vertebrae in your neck (known as the atlas) and the back of the brain.   Minor misalignment of the atlas vertebrae can cause relative ischemia of the brainstem circulation that can result in an increase in blood pressure.  Misalignment of the atlas vertebrae can also potentially injure, impair, compress, and compromise the brainstem neural pathways which can affect on your blood pressure.  Correction of an atlas misalignment has been found to reduce arterial pressure and restore the normal brainstem neural pathways.  In fact, as I noted in my previous blog post, a study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2007 showed that correction of dysfunction in the upper cervical spine by chiropractic spinal manipulation causes “marked and sustained reductions in blood pressure similar to the use of two-drug combination therapy.”  (Bakris G, Dickholtz M Sr, Meyer PM, Kravitz G, Avery E, Miller M, Brown J, Woodfield C, Bell B. Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. J Hum Hypertens. 2007 May;21(5):347-52)

Related posts:

1. Underlying Causes of Hypertension
2. Acid Reflux Treated Naturally With Chiropractic Care

Hypertension is the most common diagnosis in family medical practices precipitating over 11 million visits to doctor’s offices every year.  Nearly 1 out of 3 adults in the U.S. is diagnosed with it.  It is the single most important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, peripheral artery disease, congestive heart failure and heart attack.  Hypertension accelerates the development of atherosclerosis, and it can directly affect the eyes, brain, heart, lungs and kidneys.  Treatment of hypertension can save lives and prevent organ damage.

In order to be diagnosed with hypertension, you must have 2-3 readings of blood pressure where the systolic blood pressure (the high number) is greater than 140 mmHg or the diastolic pressure (the low number) is greater than 90 mmHg.  One very high reading of over 160 mmHg systolic or over 100 mmHg diastolic is also sufficient for a hypertension diagnosis.

Hypertension is always a sign of an underlying problem.  Blood pressure does not elevate on its own so the treatment of it should not just focus on lowering the pressure but treating the underlying cause.  There are numerous things that can cause the blood pressure to be elevated.  These things can include everything from drug use to other diseases.

There are a large number of drugs that can cause hypertension.  Cocaine use is widely known to elevate blood pressure.  Consumption of alcohol in large quantities can also raise your blood pressure and make hypertension difficult to treat.  Tobacco usage can also lead to elevated blood pressure.  Many pharmaceutical drugs can cause hypertension.  You may want to review the side effects of drugs that you are taking to see if they may be contributing to your problem and discuss it with your medical doctor.  Drugs that are commonly used that are known to elevate blood pressure include:  amphetamines, buspirone, carbamazapine, clozapine, lithium, tricyclic antidepressants, prednisone, and certain decongestants.  Estrogens and oral contraceptions promote sodium and water retention which can increase blood volume and lead to high blood pressure.  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause constriction of the artery leading to the kidney which leads to varying degrees of hypertension.  Over-consumption of licorice (glycyrrhiza glabra) as an herbal medication can also cause a rise in blood pressure.

Various diseases can cause hypertension.  Although we’re not going to cover them in this blog post, if you have these diseases, they are likely the cause of your blood pressure problems.  These diseases include:  Cushing’s disease, Pheochromocytoma, Conn’s Syndrome, Renal disease, and Thyroid disease (both hyper and hypo).  Many people don’t know that insulin resistance can also lead to high blood pressure.  Insulin promotes renal retention of sodium which leads to water retention and increased blood volume causing high blood pressure.

Vitamin D deficiency can also cause hypertension.  Researchers from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health discovered that vitamin D deficiency can increase a woman’s risk for high blood pressure three-fold.  They found that women with sufficient levels of vitamin D were rarely hypertensive, but more than 10 percent of the women with low levels of vitamin D were.

Dysfunction in the upper cervical spine can also lead to blood pressure problems.  A study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2007 showed that correction of dysfunction in the upper cervical spine by chiropractic spinal manipulation causes “marked and sustained reductions in blood pressure similar to the use of two-drug combination therapy.”  (Bakris G, Dickholtz M Sr, Meyer PM, Kravitz G, Avery E, Miller M, Brown J, Woodfield C, Bell B. Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. J Hum Hypertens. 2007 May;21(5):347-52)

These are just a few of the things you need to consider discussing with your doctor if you have hypertension.  You also need to look at your weight and nutrition to see if there’s anything in your diet that could be elevating your blood pressure.  Ultimately, it may be a combination of things that need to be addressed.  In our next blog post we will cover natural treatments you can also consider.

Related posts:

1. Hypertension Treated Naturally

Inflammation has been linked to many serious health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and Alzheimer’s.  Inflammation shows your body is trying to repair itself, but something is lacking or preventing it from maintaining homeostasis.  The inflammation can be due to toxins in the body, food allergies, and low levels of antioxidants or essential nutrients that your body needs to function.  Long-term inflammation represents a long-term deficiency in what your body needs to perform cellular repair which can lead to serious health issues.

Therefore, monitoring the inflammatory process going on in your body is a key to maintaining good health.  There are lab tests that your doctor can perform for you that will help you both monitor how much inflammation is going on in your body.  One of these tests is the C-reactive Protein (CRP).  CRP is a protein made by the liver in response to your immune system being activated by an infection or an inflammatory condition.  Elevated levels of C-reactive protein are seen with conditions such as:

• Bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or viral infections
• Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Myocardial infarction or loss of blood supply to an organ
• Trauma including burns and cuts
• Being overweight
• Coronary artery disease or atherosclerosis
• Pain from things such as tendonitis and fibromyalgia

In order to reduce the inflammation causing an elevated CRP, you need to look at reducing possible toxins in your body and possible food sensitivities.  You also need to look at increasing levels of antioxidants.  Lastly, look at supplementing or increasing key nutrients that are needed for energy production or other metabolic functions in your body.  Nutrients that appear to help reduce CRP levels include vitamin C, flavonoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and high fiber foods.

Another lab test that your doctor can use to monitor inflammation is homocysteine.  Homocysteine is an amino acid found in the blood and shows how well your body can perform detoxification and DNA repair.  Elevated homocysteine levels can shrink your brain, dull your reflexes and lead to depression.  High homocysteine levels can also enhance free radical damage in your arteries causing plaque formation.  Homocysteine levels can be lowered with supplementation with vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid.

If you have a family history of diseases that are associated with inflammation or already suffer from one of those diseases, you may want to have a conversation with your healthcare provider about monitoring your homocysteine and C-reactive protein levels.  From there you can systematically look at what’s causing the inflammation and try to reduce it to help you maintain a healthy life.

Related posts:

1. Body Mass Index (BMI) Determines Future Health Problems

There are ways to naturally reduce acid reflux.  One way is to avoid the triggers of acid reflux.

• Stress
• Citrus fruits
• Peppermint
• Chocolate
• Soda
• Coffee
• Tea (herbal teas are OK)
• Certain supplements or medications such as antidepressants and sedatives
• Eating before going to bed – simply being vertical helps your stomach contents stay in your stomach
• Eating large meals
• Frequently eating greasy, fried, and fatty foods
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Drinking lots of bubbly (carbonated) beverages such as soda

There are certain lifestyle modifications that you can make to help with acid reflux.  First of all, if you have a little weight to lose, this would be a good time to do it.  You can read some of my other posts on exercising and weight-loss to help with this.  Being overweight pushes up on your stomach.  Also, eat well to promote healthy bacteria in your gut.  Eating foods that contain good bacteria including yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha tea, and miso.

Good eating habits also helps to alleviate acid reflux.  Make sure you cut out bad fats, including hydrogenated oils and saturated fats.  Instead eat good fats such as olive oil, flaxseed, coconut, and sesame oils.  Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.  The fiber they contain act as an acid buffer, and they contain lots of vitamins and minerals that help the digestive tract.  Quit eating refined sugars and carbohydrates.  This excess sugar and lack of fiber promotes the bad bacteria that is often found in the lower intestine to grow up into the small intestine causing abdominal problems.  You can always supplement with probiotics to help with the intestinal bacteria.

Chewing a piece of sugar-free gum 30 minutes after eating can help wash away acid.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic can often help heal your gastric reflux.  To begin with, chiropractic care can help treat hiatal hernias, a common cause of gastric reflux.  A hiatal hernia is when your stomach gets lodged up into the diaphragm.  This pinches the stomach and causes its contents to regurgitate into the esophagus.  Often chiropractors can adjust for a hiatal hernia and help to alleviate the symptoms of reflux.  Secondly, as I stated in a previous post, the nerves that come out of the upper spine innervate the stomach and esophagus.  If those nerves are irritated by a problem with the spine, the organs they irritate may not function optimally.  So eliminating nerve irritation can help promote the healing of the stomach and esophagus and make sure they function normally.

Home Remedies for Acid Reflux

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar is a wonderful remedy for acid reflux.

•  Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to 1/2 glass of water.
• Sip this glass of water while eating your dinner.

Ginger Root

Ginger Root is known to absorb stomach acid and have the secondary effect of calming the nerves. For an effective natural remedy from the symptoms of acid reflux, try the following:

• Purchase ginger root capsules from a natural health food or nutritional store.
• Regularly take one capsule immediately after dinner.

Fennel Seeds

Fennel seed is an aromatic but powerful herb that helps in digestive conditions and has many other benefits. Fennel seeds contain a compound known as Anethole, which is known to suppress spasms of the stomach or gastrointestinal tract spasms. Therefore, it is considered to be an effective remedy for Acid Reflux.

• Take half a tea spoon of Fennel Seeds and chew them slowly after your meals.

Anise and Lavender Tea

You can make this tea to reduce the amount of acid you have in your stomach.  Note that some variants of this remedy suggest adding peppermint, but this is NOT recommended since peppermint is known to relax the LES (described earlier), which is exactly what you don’t want to do.

• Mix together equal amounts of aniseed and lavender.
• Boil 2 1/2 cups of distilled water.
• Pour the boiling water over a teaspoon of the herbal mixture.
• Let this tea sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Strain the tea and add a little bit of honey as a natural sweetener.
• Drink up to 8 oz of this tea in the morning and 8 oz in the evening to get relief from acid reflux or heartburn.

Other Remedies:

Licorice

Experts say licorice has stomach-healing properties that can get to the root of the problem rather than just calming symptoms. But be careful – eating too much could have serious side effects.  One alternative is to take licorice extract.  The extract is better than plain licorice because there is a substance in licorice (glycyrrhizinic acid) that may increase blood pressure. This substance is removed in the extract. The extract is called deglycyrrhizinated licorice or DGL. DGL actually increases the number of mucus secreting cells in the upper part of the stomach and esophagus that protect the lining from stomach acid. Chewable DGL seems to work better than the pills.  Take 700-800mg 2-3 times per day between meals.

Baking Soda

Mixing a half teaspoon into a glass of water can help neutralize stomach acid. But it shouldn’t be used for chronic heartburn because it’s high in salt.

Slippery Elm

Research suggests that adding a couple of tablespoons of this herb to a glass of water can help coat and protect the stomach.

Aloe

This plant can reduce inflammation in the stomach. Some experts suggest drinking aloe juice, but use caution, because it can also be a laxative.

Related posts:

1. Acid Reflux: Causes and Treatments
2. Acid Reflux Treated Naturally With Chiropractic Care

Most of us have experienced chiropractic-health/acid-reflux-treated-naturally-with-chiropractic-care/” target=”_blank”>heartburn at some point in our lives.  For most of us, it’s after a fatty meal or eating too much spicy food.  However, it can become a significant problem for many people, both young and old.  I am hearing more and more patients tell me about their children or others that they know who are on medication for gastric reflux.  It is almost becoming epidemic.  Most people who suffer from persistent heartburn have it two or more days per week.

Heartburn is also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.  What happens is contents of the stomach, including digestive juices, back up into the esophagus, usually because the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach is not working properly.  Digestive juices backing up into the esophagus is a problem because the lining of the esophagus wasn’t designed to handle the acidity of the digestive juices so it gets irritated by them.  That irritation is what causes the burning sensation of GERD.  Typically the heartburn related to GERD comes after eating a meal.  But heartburn isn’t the only symptom, other symptoms include chest pain, wheezing, coarseness in the throat, breathing problems, a bitter taste in the mouth, dry coughing, interrupted sleep, tightness in the throat, and halitosis or bad breath.

Prolonged gastroesohageal reflux can cause serious health problems.  The constant irritation to the lining of the esophagus can lead to the development of scar tissue and swallowing problems.  In severe cases Barrett’s esophagus, which is pre-cancerous changes to the lining of the esophagus, can develop.  Eventually Barrett’s esophagus can even lead to esophageal cancer.

Just like other health conditions, there is not one specific cause of acid reflux.  However, a malfunction of a band of muscle tissue called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) is a major cause.  The LES is a complex area of smooth muscles and various hormones that opens and closes the lower end of the esophagus when we eat and swallow.  It normally keeps the stomach contents from regurgitating, but due to certain physical conditions it can weaken and lose its contraction control.  If this happens, the LES fails to close up and cannot maintain the pressure barrier between the stomach and esophagus.  As a result, digestive juices from the stomach can back up into the esophagus.

Medical Treatment of GERD

Over-the-counter medicines usually come in two types:  antacids and acid reducers.  Antacids include medications such as tums, alka-seltzer, and pepto bismol.  Antacids basically neutralize stomach acid to help with heartburn.  Acid reducers come in two forms:  histamine antagonists (H2 blockers) and proton pump inhibitors.  They reduce the production of acid in the stomach.  Examples of H2 blockers include Pepcid AC, Tagamet, and Zantac.  Proton pump inhibitors include Prevacid and Prilosec.

The problem with neutralizing or reducing stomach acid is acid is important in the digestion of proteins.  Proteins need to be broken down into short chains of amino acids.  If the proteins are not broken down, longer chains of amino acids may get through your intestinal wall if it is more permeable than it should be.  Long chains of amino acids in your blood stream can lead to food allergies and even autoimmune diseases.  60% of your immune system is associated with the lymphatic system around your gut.  Because of that, if your immune system picks up on a chain of amino acids that is longer than there should be in your blood stream, it will try to attack it.  That leads to food allergies.  If that chain of amino acids happens to match another chain of amino acids that is found naturally in your body, your immune system can start attacking your body.  This leads to autoimmune diseases.  So reducing acid in your stomach may lead to other problems.

Proton pump inhibitors used long term can also cause problems.  Emerging data illustrates that prolonged PPI therapy can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, an overgrowth of Clostridium difficile which leads to diarrhea, and hip fracture.  (Joel J Heidelbaugh; Kathleen L Goldberg; John M Inadomi.  The American Journal of Gastroenterology 2009;104 Suppl 2():S27-32).

If you are interested in a more natural approach to treating acid reflux, stay tuned for my next blog post…

Related posts:

1. Acid Reflux Treated Naturally With Chiropractic Care

We are going to be holding two free webinars on the causes of back pain and what can be done to help it.  We will be covering how to get your back healthy again and things you can do on your own to help with back pain or prevent back problems from developing.  The webinars are going to be held on Thursday, January 26th at 1:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 28th at 10:00 a.m.  If you are interested in attending either of the webinars, you can register at www.anymeeting.com/drcase.

Related posts:

1. How to Strengthen Your Back
2. Can Gin Soaked Raisins Help Arthritis Pain?

I find a lot of time there is confusion about the difference between osteoporosis and chiropractic-health/chiropractic-treatment-of-osteoarthritis/” target=”_blank”>osteoarthritis.   People often think that the conditions are the same or are related, but that’s not the case.  Osteoarthritis is just a fancy name for what you normally think of as arthritis.  It has nothing to do with osteoporosis, other than the fact that both conditions become more prevalent as we age.  Osteoporosis is a decrease in bone density.  Comparing a normal bone with an osteoporotic one is like comparing a block of wood to a piece of sponge.  The wood is denser and stronger than the sponge.  Osteoporosis occurs when you are not consuming or absorbing enough calcium and other nutrients.  You see, calcium and magnesium are very closely regulated in your blood.  They are important nutrients utilized in the contraction of muscles, including your heart muscle.  Therefore, your body makes sure that the levels of those two nutrients in your blood are controlled without very much deviation from normal.  Therefore, if you aren’t absorbing enough calcium to maintain those levels in your blood, your body starts pulling the calcium out of your bones.  That’s when osteoporosis starts.  Calcium gets pulled out of your bones causing them to be less dense and weaker.   Osteoporosis is far more prevalent in women, but men are at risk as well.

That is why it’s important that you eat foods that are high in calcium, especially as you age.  Most of us think of dairy foods when we think of calcium, but you can actually get as much or more calcium from other foods that you don’t regularly think of.  For example, raw seasame seeds contain over 1000mg of calcium per 100 g of seeds.  Green leafy vegetables are also high in calcium.  Spinach ranks very high in calcium, with 291 grams per cup.  A 100g serving of collards packs a 145 mg calcium punch.  One cup of steamed bok choy has around 158 mg of the mineral.  Kale ranks in with 139mg of calcium and the spicy mustard green has 103mg of calcium per 100g serving.  Flax seeds are not only high in calcium (256mg per 100g serving), they are also rich in omega-3 fats. Make sure to use ground or whole flax seeds, as the refined flaxseed oil loses its calcium levels during processing.  Black strap molasses is high in a number of vitamins and minerals, but one tablespoon of it will give you 172 mg of your daily calcium needs.  Broccoli is also a good source of calcium with one cup of green florets offering about 74 mg of the mineral, along with 120mg of Vitamin C which will help your body absorb the calcium.

In addition to foods you should eat, there’s a list of foods you shouldn’t.  Salt is actually at the top of that list.  Studies show that regular table salt, not simply sodium, causes calcium loss, weakening bones with time. That’s important because Americans get about 90% of our sodium through salt.    Soda or carbonated beverages should be second of the list of foods to avoid.  Many soft drinks and certain other carbonated soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, which can increase calcium excretion in your urine.  And nearly all soft drinks lack calcium which spells trouble for people at risk of osteoporosis.  The caffeine in soft drinks also makes them problematic.  Caffeine leaches calcium from bones, sapping their strength.  So even if you put creamer in your morning cup of coffee, the caffeine far outweighs the benefit of the calcium in the cream.

I hope this answers any questions you may have in regards to what osteoporosis is and things you can do to help get enough calcium in your diet.  You can also read my other blog post on supplements that are good to take to help with osteoporosis.

Related posts:

1. Childhood Calcium Intake May Prevent Obesity and Osteoporosis

Your spine is supported by many groups of muscles.  You have large muscles such as your abdominal, iliopsoas, and quadratus lumborum muscles that are primarily designed for performing movement.  It is important for they to be strong for you to perform your normal activities without hurting your spine.  If these muscles are not strong enough to perform the activity that you are doing, extra stress is put on your spine and can cause serious injury to your spinal ligaments or discs.  An example of this is someone who tries to move a piece of furniture that is heavier than what they are used to lifting and hurts their back.  At the same time, we have patients in our office who work as professional movers lifting furniture every day without back injury.  The difference is the professional movers’ muscles are used to the work and can handle it.  So, it is important to keep your abdominal muscles and back muscles strong in order to prevent back injury as you perform your everyday activities such as lifting your kids out of car seats, yardwork, household chores, or sporting activities.  Exercise regimes that strengthen these muscles are easily found everywhere from your local gym to home workout programs to downloadable exercises that you can find on the internet.

The other group of muscles that you need to be concerned about are the small muscles that connect the individual vertebrae in your spine together.  These tiny muscles are what stabilize your spine.  When they get weak your body recruits the larger muscles to do their job.  That is why your back muscles can get tight or stiff, the larger muscles are doing the job of the smaller ones.  Therefore, in order to loosen up your back, it is important to strengthen your tiny stabilizing muscles.  They are often weak when people have back pain.  The best way to strengthen these muscles is through the use of the large exercise or physioballs. This gives you an unstable surface to exercise on and makes those stabilizing muscles work.  Other things such as foam discs and rocker or wobble boards also gives you unstable surfaces that will cause you to work those stabilizing muscles.  You can talk to your chiropractor or other healthcare professional to get some exercises to help with your particular condition.

Related posts:

1. How Posture Affects Your Back and Neck
2. Protect Your Back While Doing Yardwork
3. Free Back Pain Webinar