Those suffering from back problems, especially those getting on in age should be especially aware of underlying, serious health conditions. Its important and potentially life saving to have yourself professionally evaluated by a licensed chiropractor or other qualified health professional when back pain arises. Proper evaluation is important not only to receive proper treatment for your back problems, but also, to rule out even more serious and sometimes life threatening conditions. In a recently published case report, researchers discuss a patient who presented to a doctor of chiropractics office presenting with the primary symptom of back pain. Upon chiropractic examination and radiographic studies, the patient was found to be suffering from the symptoms of an aortic aneurysm  not your standard, musculoskeletal cause of back pain. The patient was immediately referred for immediate medical intervention. Cases like this, while uncommon, do occur. Chiropractors are primary health care providers. This means when life-threatening conditions are present, chiropractors are highly skilled and trained at identifying these conditions and making the appropriate referral, when necessary.
According to research published in a recent issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, women who lead healthier lifestyles are 71 percent less likely to suffer from the most common form of stroke, ischemic stroke. Ischemic strokes result from the blockage of arteries that supply blood to the brain and often lead to permanent disability as well as death. In the study, researchers identified those healthy habits that reduce the likelihood of suffering from ischemic stroke which include: abstinence from smoking, alcohol consumption in moderation, regular exercise, maintenance of a healthy bodyweight and consumption of a healthy, nutritious diet. With approximately a quarter of the 700,000 strokes occurring each year resulting in death and another quarter resulting in permanent disability, the importance of implementing these and other healthy lifestyle habits is nothing less than the difference between life and death.
Preliminary results from a small study of 50 men indicate that pomegranate juice may slow the progression of prostate cancer in men. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men and occurs in one out of every ten US men with over 200,000 new cases diagnosed annually. When prostate cancer is present, a protein referred to as PSA is released and found within the bloodstream. The quicker the concentration of PSA increases in the blood, the quicker the cancer is progressing. Within this study, mens PSA doubling time was on average approximately 15 months before drinking the juice. Once the men began drinking eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily their PSA doubling times were extended to 54 months on average. While its too soon to jump to conclusions, with no side effects noted, regular consumption of pomegranate juice might not only be a delicious thirst quencher, but may additionally have some very powerful health benefits in men.
Of course, most all of us know that eating our vegetables is a healthy thing to do. New research continues to accumulate supporting the premise that we dont take this advice lightly. In a recent study on mice, a diet plentiful on broccoli, carrots, green beans, corn and peas resulted in significantly less artery narrowing than their little counterparts who werent provided a diet containing vegetables. There was also a reduction in cholesterol levels. Even though the study was conducted on mice, researchers were excited that this new study clearly showed a diet rich in vegetables had significant cardiovascular benefits of which can very likely be extended to humans, especially in preventing the formation and progression of atherosclerosis, a condition marked by plaquing/thickening of the artery walls that frequently leads to heart attack and stroke.