Diet Soda May Not Be As Helpful in your Diet As You Thought

In the news earlier this week, it was reported that some new research shows that drinking diet sodas that use artificial sweeteners instead of the regular versions are associated with weight GAIN rather than weight LOSS.  Soda manufactueres market Diet beverages as being a healthier alternative to regular sodas because the substitution of the sugar decreases the calories per serving down to zero.  However, there may be other affects that artificial sweetners, like aspartame and Splenda, have on the body that can lead to issues like an increased waist size (when compared to those who did drink diet soda frequently or at all), increased blood sugar levels, or even an increased risk of stroke (despite the need for more research on this). 

All this scrutiny of diet sodas with artificial sweetners is nothing new and actually makes some sense when you research the history of the sweetners and how they came about.  Nonetheless, people still continue to consume these diet drinks for whatever reason.  I know...I am one of them.  For me, I got so used to diet soda that regular soda feels and tastes too sweet and heavy.  Does this make complete sense?  Probably not given the potential affects of the sweetners, but I try to limit the amount I drink to one can or bottle per day.  Still doesn't make sense since it is everyday.  The key is moderation if people are to continue drinking diet soda, or all soda for that matter.  That along with proper nutrition, portion control, and exercise.

So as we head on into the Fourth of July holiday, indulge yourself a little bit and have some fun, but please be careful. 

Upper Crossed Syndrome

For all those students and people that work at a desk and in front of a computer all day, have you ever noticed that every so often you feel pain and stiffness on one side of your neck and along the top of your shoulder?  How about at the base of your head, sometimes causing a headache on one side?  Does it feel like there is something catching in your shoulder blade when you move it?  There could be several causes for any of these symptoms together or individually, but there is one in particular that is very common and can be helped with Chiropractic treatment.  It is called Upper Crossed Syndrome.  Upper crossed syndrome is a muscular imbalance that is caused primarily by poor posture of the upper body, especially the head, neck, and shoulders.  The following muscles are typically involved, forming a criss-crossed pattern:

• Upper Trapezius (Tight) - runs from the base of the back of the skull to across top of the shoulders
• Levator Scapula (Tight) - deeper than the upper trapezius, running from the upper neck to inner-top aspect of the shoulder blade
• Lower Trapezius (Weak) - runs from the top of the shoulders, down along and attaching to the spine from C-7 to T-12 vertebral levels
• Pectorals (Tight) - chest muscles that run from your breastbone to a narrow band along the inside the front upper arm just below the shoulder
• Deep Neck Flexors (Weak) - deep muscles of the sides and from of the neck that help pull the head forward and down towards the chest.

This criss-crossed imbalance causes our head to pull forward, or Anterior Head Carriage (normal is when the ear is in line with the shoulder and not in front of it), our shoulders to pull forward, up, and inward (what we call forward or anterior rolled shoulders), and the shoulder blades to roll outwards and possibly protrude outward away from the back.  All of these postural changes puts strain on the area from the base of the head down into the shoulders and the lower borders of the shoulder blades, causing decreased and altered motion of the spinal segments therein.  All this may not be apparent at first, but after awhile, it will become stiff and painful in these areas to the point that it will be hard to concentrate on work, reading, or even sleeping.  You may start to notice that you are getting headaches that are one-sided and start from the base of the head, sweeping forward to the forehead and, at times, the back of the eye.  The headache can feel like a slight pounding or throbbing, just enough to be subtle, but enough to be a nuisance.  We call these Cervicogenic headaches and usually get worse as the day goes on.

So what can be done about Upper Crossed Syndrome?  Any combination of chiropractic adjustments, exercises to fix the postural and muscular imbalances, ergonomic changes in your work or study space, and stress relief.  I find that massage therapy can also help alleviate the pain and stiffness and with stress relief (although depending on the type of massage, you may be more sore afterward).  There are also other treatments and products available to help with Upper Crossed Syndrome.  The right combination will depend on you, the patient, and the practitioner that you are seeing.  Either way, conservative care can go along way to alleviate this condition and help make up for productivity lost due to these pain patterns.

Sleep Apnea

Last week, I was officially diagnosed with Sleep apnea, something that I think I was trying to deny for awhile now until my wife suggested that I look into doing a sleep study. Lately, I have been feeling exhausted throughout the day and she said that she has noticed it since at least the beginning of the year.  I think I have been getting nudged at least once or twice per night by her, but I just figured I was snoring too loud and it was keeping her awake...except for the fact that I was on my side and normally don't sound like a chainsaw when I snore.  I know that being overwieght is part of the issue, but I didn't realized what other factors played a part in me finally agreeing to do a sleep study.

Sleep apnea is a term that is very well known and we usually associate it with people who snore very loudly.  However, I am sure that there are quite a few people that don't know that it is actually the repeated stoppage of breathing during sleep and that it often goes undiagnosed.  When these stoppages occur, the brain has to briefly arouse the person enough to get them to continue breathing.  When you add up all of these occurances, the result is non-restful sleep and the person will usually have a hard time getting up and going in the morning and making it through the day without feeling tired or exhausted.  Other common complaints that can be associated with sleep apnea include waking up with headaches, falling asleep in the car while driving or at a stop, memory problems, depression, reflux, frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, and impotence.  For children, it could be a potential cause of hyeperactivity.  If sleep apnea is not treated in a timely manner, it can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

"Sleep apnea is as common as diabete and affects more than 12 million American, according to the National Institutes of Health." -www.sleepapnea.org

Types of Sleep Apnea
There are 3 Types of sleep apnea: Obstructive, Central, and Mixed, with Obstructive being the most common. 

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):  occurs when the airway becomes blocked by the collapse of the soft tissue in the back of the throat
• Central Sleep Apnea:  The airway remains unblocked but the brain does not tell the muscles to make you breath
• Mixed:  A combination of the other two types

Risk Factors
In researching a little bit more about sleep apnea when my wife suggested that I look into doing a sleep study, I found that some of these risk factors made sleep apnea a very likely diagnosis for me. Here are to risk factors for sleep apnea (not just the one's that applied to me)

• Family History of sleep apnea
• Overweight (but can affect any weight)
• Male (also female)
• Over 40 (but can affect any age)
• Large Neck
• Recessed chin
• Abnormalities in upper airway structure
• Smoking
• Drinking
• Ethnicity (African American, Asian, Mexican)

The last risk factor, ethnicity, was one that didn't occur to me until I met with the specialist.  Being of Asian descent, we typically have narrow neck and facial features that lead to airway obstruction.

Treatment Options for OSA
Treatment for sleep apnea can be as simple as positional therapy or as drasctic as surgery.  The goal of positional therapy is simply to keep you from sleeping on your back, the position most associated with sleep apnea.  Some of the products that are available to help are foam wedges to elevate the torso in more of a reclingin position, alarms that go off when you roll onto your back, but the simplest solution is to sew a tennis ball to the back of a night shirt to prevent you from rolling over on your back comfortably.  The most drastic option, surgery, is meant to widen the airway in order to prevent obstructions to occur.  There are several different procedures, each with their own effective rates, but there is the likley chance that it could have no affect or acutally worsen the apnea.  Other options include oral appliances, weight loss if that is a factor, and the avoidance of alcohol and other CNS (Central Nervous System) depressants.

The most common and most effective treatment method is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP which is a machine that blows pressurized room air into the airway to keep it from collapsing, causing apnea.  The pressure necessary to keep the airway open varies form person to person and is dependent on the severity of the apnea.  It takes some getting used to epsecially if you are used to breathing through your mouth when sleeping.  If you open your mouth, the pressure will come out of your mouth and defeat the purpose of what the CPAP is supposed to do.  There are different types of machines and masks so proper fitting by an appropriate medical supply provider can be beneficial to comfort. 

Once again, in any case, be sure to consult with your regular doctor to figure out what options are best for you if you are ever diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Melanoma, Vitamin D, and the Summer Sun.

With Memorial Day weekend marking the start of the summer season and with the recent death of Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame pitcher Paul Splittorff due to complications from melanoma, I figured I would begin my foray into the blogging world talking about how sun exposure can be both good and bad for us.  A lot of people probably spent a good portion of this past weekend out in the sun, whether having fun at the lake or getting out and catching up on some of those outdoor chores that fell by the wayside.

The Good
Apart from getting a nice tan at some point, being out in the sun for 10-15 minutes at three times a week can fulfill the body's requirement for Vitamin D.  The sun should shine on your face, arms, legs, or back without sunblock for this amount of time, however, it is still recommended that sunblock be used if you are planning on spending any extensvice amount of time out in the sun.  Less vitamin D is made with sun exposure through cloud cover, windows, shade, and in those with darker pigmented skin. 

Why Vitamin D is Good for Us
Vitmain D is good for us because it helps with the absorption and retention of calcium and phosphorus which is needed for normal bone formation.  In childhood, these two minerals are used to make our bones.  In adulthood, they are needed to maintain them, which means the older we get, the more we may need.  Deficiencies in vitamin D can lead to a softening of the bones suchs as osteoporosis in adulthood or rickets in children.  Too much vitamin D can leach calcium from the bones and into the blood via absorption by the intestines, depositing it in the heart or lungs, leading to reduced function in those organs and causing even more serious problems in the future.   The good news is that most overdoses are from using supplements in excess and not from spending too much time in the sun.

The Bad
The unfortunate part is that too much sun exposure without adequate protection, over time, can potential lead to melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.  Of all the skin diseases, this one causes the most deaths.  We all know that people most at risk are the ones that have fair skin, blue or green eyes, and red or blond hair becuase of their increased chance of getting sunburn.  We also know that it is the ultraviolet radiation in the sun as well as tannning beds that is the cause. Melanomas can spread very rapidly and there is increased incidence as we get older.  Usually starting as flat, irregularly shaped and colored moles, they can be detected by anyone, including chiropractors.  We cannot not treat melanoma, but we can refer cases to the appropriate professional and help co-manage after treatment and if there is no advanced spread into the bones. 

So, as the heat of summer starts to ramp up, we at Eastern Kansas Chiropractic want everyone to be safe and take preacutions when it comes to your skin...minimize your time in the sun as much as possible, wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your head and eyes, wear sunscreen, and make sure you report any suspicious looking mole to your primary care doctor.