Author Archives: teglow

May 9, 2012

ShowNotes for May 4, 2012

By teglow

Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of HealthBeat, Chiropractic OnLine Today’s Health, News and Informational Podcast, and Proud to be the #1 Search Result for Chiropractic Podcasts in the iTunes Podcast Directory.

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Steroids vs. Placebo for LBP
Sitting Time and All-Cause Mortality Risk
And Finally, a Story about Sleep and Obesity

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #356, recorded May 4, 2012.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0356.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

Twitter – We are always looking to expand our interactivity with you, our loyal Health Community. If you would like to be kept up-to-date with current events about Health, Technology and ME, feel free to surf to – http://www.twitter.com/teglow and click on the Follow link.

Next, we would like to send out a big Thank You to those of you who are linking our Podcast to your home pages…. We do request that you also include a link to our main Podcast Page at www.ChiropracticRadio.com

And as always, a big thank you to our COT HealthBeat Listener community. This podcast is made available thru the generous donations we receive and greatly appreciate. If you could remember to surf to our Web Site and click on the PayPal link to make a monthly donation, even $5-$10, this would be very much welcomed.

Finally, Chiropractic OnLine Today has always provided our news and education content for free and plan on continuing this policy. However, we do request that if you are enjoying these podcasts, that you surf to ChiropracticRadio.com and consider clicking on our PayPal link to make a donation to keep these Podcasts airing. We thank everyone for their continued support.

And Now for some news ….

Steroids vs. Placebo for LBP

A study published in the April 17^th issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine looked at Perineural inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor, such as etanercept, have recently generated intense interest as an alternative to epidural steroid injections for lumbosacral radiculopathy.

The study’s objective was to evaluate whether epidural steroids, etanercept, or saline better improves pain and function in adults with lumbosacral radiculopathy.

Researchers tested 84 adults with back pain of less than six months’ duration, dividing them into three groups. They received either steroids or an inactive saline solution in two injections given two weeks apart.

At the end of one month, they were assessed for pain.

There were differences in results based upon the outcome measured. For example, when comparing Primary Outcome measures, the epidural steroid group fared better than those receiving saline.

However, the largest differences were noted for functional capacity, in which etanercept fared worse than the other treatments: steroids vs. etanercept, and etanercept vs. saline.

More patients treated with epidural steroids (75%) reported 50% or greater leg pain relief and a positive global perceived effect at 1 month than those who received saline (50%) or etanercept.

The study concluded that Epidural steroid injections may provide modest short-term pain relief for some adults with lumbosacral radiculopathy, but larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm their benefits.

Surf to our Show Notes for links – http://www.annals.org/content/156/8/551.abstract

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a602013.html

Sitting Time and All-Cause Mortality Risk

A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine looked the effect that Sitting has on our health.

Prolonged sitting is considered detrimental to health, but evidence regarding the independent relationship of total sitting time with all-cause mortality is limited. This study aimed to determine the independent relationship of sitting time with all-cause mortality.

The study’s results found that the association between sitting and all-cause mortality appeared consistent across the sexes, age groups, body mass index categories, and physical activity levels and across healthy participants compared with participants with preexisting cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus.

The study concluded that prolonged sitting is a risk factor for all-cause mortality, independent of physical activity. Public health programs should focus on reducing sitting time in addition to increasing physical activity levels.

Surf to our Show Notes for links – http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/172/6/494

Sleep and Obesity

A study published in the May 1st issue of the journal Sleep, looked at whether sleep duration modifies genetic and environmental influences on body mass index (BMI).

The study included a population-based sample of US twins.

The study concluded that Shorter sleep duration is associated with increased BMI and increased genetic influences on BMI, suggesting that shorter sleep duration increases expression of genetic risks for high body weight.

At the same time, longer sleep duration may suppress genetic influences on body weight. Future research aiming to identify specific genotypes for BMI may benefit by considering the moderating role of sleep duration.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=28504

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57425178-10391704/sleeping-longer-may-counter-effects-of-obesity-genes/

This podcast is made available through the generous donations from our great Listeners, such as You! If you are enjoying these HealthBeat Podcasts, Please surf to our Web Site and click on the PayPal link.

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

We also would appreciate your votes both at Podcastalley.com. If you are enjoying these podcasts, please surf to our HealthBeat homepage and click on the Podcast Alley link and Yahoo links.

If you have a Web Site for your practice and you would like to add content to help attract more patients, please consider adding a Personalized HealthBeat segments to your site. Many listeners are finding this a useful content addition to an Office’s Web Site. For more information, please send me an Email at healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

While at our Web Site, please remember to consider making a donation to help keep these Podcasts airing. Listener support such as yours, via our PayPal link, does help in allowing us to bring these Podcasts to you weekly.

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.”
- Dale Carnegie

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

May 9, 2012

ShowNotes for April 27, 2012

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Surgery versus rehabilitation in patients with low back pain and degenerative disc
Overuse and Acute Injuries among Competitive Collegiate Athletes
And Finally, a Story about a Delay in Implementation of ICD-10 Codes

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #355, recorded April 27, 2012.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0355.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

Surgery with disc prosthesis versus rehabilitation in patients with low back pain and degenerative disc

A recent study out of Norway looked at comparing the efficacy of surgery with disc prosthesis versus non-surgical treatment for patients with chronic low back pain.

Participants of the study included 173 patients with a history of low back pain for at least one year, Oswestry disability index of at least 30 points, and degenerative changes in one or two lower lumbar spine levels (86 patients randomized to surgery). Patients were treated from April 2004 to September 2007.

The study concluded that Surgical intervention with disc prosthesis for chronic low back pain resulted in a significantly greater improvement in the Oswestry score compared with rehabilitation, but this improvement did not clearly exceed the pre-specified minimally important clinical difference between groups of 10 points, and the data are consistent with a wide range of differences between the groups, including values well below 10 points.

The potential risks of surgery and the substantial amount of improvement experienced by a sizeable proportion of the rehabilitation group also have to be incorporated into overall decision making.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/21596740

Overuse and Acute Injuries among Competitive Collegiate Athletes

Overuse injuries are nearly 30% of all injuries sustained by college athletes, with a majority (62%) of overuse injuries occurring in female athletes, according to a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training.

“Overuse injuries may present not only physical challenges but also psychological ones that could significantly affect an athlete’s recovery and performance,” according to study co-author Tracey Covassin, PhD.

“Understanding the frequency, rate and severity of overuse injuries is an important first step for designing effective injury-prevention programs, intervention strategies and treatment protocols to prevent and rehabilitate athletes with these types of injuries.”

The most common overuse injuries were general stress (27%), inflammation (21%) and tendinitis (16%). The authors noted that wrestling, football, women’s soccer and other contact sports were associated with a higher acute injury risk while overuse injuries were found more frequently in rowing, softball, volleyball, cross country, track and field and other low-contact sports.

The study concluded that additional studies are needed to examine why female athletes are at greater risk for overuse injuries and identify the best practices for prevention and rehabilitation of overuse injuries.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22488286

http://www.healio.com/orthopedics/sports-medicine/news/online/%7B9055C68C-D5D7-4E6F-9043-99FD70F374DD%7D/Nearly-30-of-all-college-athlete-injuries-a-result-of-overuse

Delay in Implementation of ICD-10 Codes

On Monday April 9, 2012, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced they were delaying the implementation of the updated ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes.

According to this Press Release – “The proposed rule also delays required compliance by one year– from Oct. 1, 2013, to Oct. 1, 2014– for new codes used to classify diseases and health problems.

These codes, known as the International Classification of Diseases, 10thEdition diagnosis and procedure codes, or ICD-10, will include new procedures and diagnoses and improve the quality of information available for quality improvement and payment purposes.

Many provider groups have expressed serious concerns about their ability to meet the Oct. 1, 2013, compliance date. The proposed change in the compliance date for ICD-10 would give providers and other covered entities more time to prepare and fully test their systems to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition to these new code sets.”

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – https://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=4329&intNumPerPage=10&checkDate=&checkKey=&srchType=1&numDays=3500&srchOpt=0&srchData=&keywordType=All&chkNewsType=1%2C+2%2C+3%2C+4%2C+5&intPage=&showAll=&pYear=&year=&desc=&cboOrder=date

http://www.chirocode.com/clock_ticking_on_icd-10_30-day_comment_period

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“The happiest conversation is that of which nothing is distinctly remembered but a general effect of pleasing impression.”
- Samuel Johnson

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

May 9, 2012

ShowNotes for April 20, 2012

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Efficacy of Systematic Active Conservative Treatment for Patients With Severe Sciatica
Serum Antioxidant Vitamin Levels in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease
And Finally a Story about Efficacy of Exercise-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Post–myocardial Infarction

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #354, recorded April 20, 2012.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0354.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

Efficacy of Systematic Active Conservative Treatment for Patients With Severe Sciatica

A study in the April 1st issue of the journal Spine was posted to evaluate the efficacy of active conservative treatment and to compare 2 active conservative treatment programs for patients with severe sciatica.

Reviews have demonstrated little or no efficacy for passive conservative treatment modalities in patients suffering from sciatica. The results for surgery are conflicting. Cohort studies have shown excellent results for active treatment modalities in patients with sciatica.

One hundred eighty-one consecutive patients with radicular pain below the knee were examined at the baseline, at 8 weeks, and at 1 year after the treatment. Participants were randomized into 2 groups: (1) symptom-guided exercises + information + advice to stay active and (2) sham exercises + information + advice to stay active.

Symptom-guided exercises consisted of a variety of back-related exercises given in accordance with a written algorithm in which symptoms or response to exercises determined the exercises given.

The study concluded that active conservative treatment was effective for patients who had symptoms and clinical findings that would normally qualify them for surgery. Although participating patients had greater faith in the sham exercises before treatment, the symptom-guided exercises were superior for most outcomes.

Surf to our Show Notes for links – http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Fulltext/2012/04010/The_Efficacy_of_Systematic_Active_Conservative.2.aspx

http://www.sygehuslillebaelt.dk/wm345075

Serum Antioxidant Vitamin Levels in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

The aim of a study in the April 2011 issue of the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research was to investigate anthropometric measurements, body composition, and serum antioxidant vitamin levels in men with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Thirty-five men with CHD and 31 men without coronary heart disease, aged 40 – 65 years, were included this study. Dietary records and anthropometric measurements of each participant were recorded by researchers and serum antioxidant vitamin levels and lipid profiles were analyzed.

When the antioxidant vitamin intake of participants was investigated, vitamin E intake in men without CHD was found to be less than in men with coronary heart disease.

However, serum vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C levels in men with CHD were found to be lower than in men without coronary heart disease.

Based on the results of this study, we propose that high FM, low HDL-C, and low serum antioxidant vitamin levels could be important risk factors for CHD.

As always, discuss all Nutritional Recommendations with your Qualified Health Care Provider.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.verlag-hanshuber.com/zeitschriften/journal.php?abbrev=VIT&show=abstract&abstract=33481

Efficacy of Exercise-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Post–myocardial Infarction

A study published on Medscape.com looked at how Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains an underused tool for secondary prevention post–myocardial infarction (MI). In part, this arises from uncertainty regarding the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation, particularly with respect to reinfarction, where previous studies have failed to show consistent benefit.

The authors therefore undertook a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to (1) estimate the effect of cardiac rehabilitation on cardiovascular outcomes and (2) examine the effect of cardiac rehabilitation program characteristics on the magnitude of cardiac rehabilitation benefits.

The study concluded that Exercise-based CR is associated with reductions in mortality and reinfarction post-MI. Our secondary analyses suggest that even shorter CR programs may translate into improved long-term outcomes, although these results need to be confirmed in an RCT.

Remember to discuss all Exercise recommendations with your Qualified Health Care Provider.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/751986

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“Humor is an affirmation of dignity, a declaration of man’s superiority to all that befalls him.”
- Romain Gary

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

May 9, 2012

ShowNotes for April 13, 2012

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Doctors Call For End to Unnecessary Tests – Including X-Rays
How the Smell of Food Affects How Much You Eat
And Finally, a Story about Geographic variation in cost of health care not linked to inappropriate care

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #353, recorded April 13, 2012.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0353.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

Doctors Call For End to Unnecessary Tests – Including X-Rays

Citing unnecessary medical tests and procedures as a major driver of soaring health-care costs, a coalition of doctors groups and consumer groups Wednesday unveiled a campaign to push doctors and patients away from 45 tests or procedures that are overused and often unhelpful. The campaign was sponsored by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation.

The campaign, “Choosing Wisely”, aims to get doctors and patients talking about these procedures to achieve “better decision-making.

A 2005 National Academy of Sciences report found that 30 percent of U.S. health-care spending was unnecessary or wasteful; more recent studies arrive at similar figures. That amounts to a staggering $600 billion to $700 billion annually.

One of the tests cited for being questionable included X-rays for low back pain: These tests were deemed Unnecessary unless “red flags” signify possible serious disease.

Surf to our Show Notes for the full list – http://goo.gl/03Rma

Video – http://goo.gl/dDcrR

How the Smell of Food Affects How Much You Eat

According to a March 21st Science Daily article, bite size depends on senses such as texture of food. Smaller bite sizes are taken for foods which need more chewing and smaller bite sizes are often linked to a sensation of feeling fuller sooner.

New research published in BioMed Central’s new open access journal Flavour, shows that strong aromas lead to smaller bite sizes and suggests that aroma may be used as a means to control portion size.

The aroma experience of food is linked to its constituents and texture, but also to bite size. Smaller bites sizes are linked towards a lower flavour release which may explain why we take smaller bites of unfamiliar or disliked foods.

In order to separate the effect of aroma on bite size from other food-related sensations researchers from the Netherlands developed a system where a custard-like dessert was eaten while different scents were simultaneously presented directly to the participant’s nose.

The results showed that the stronger the smell the smaller the bite.

This study suggests that manipulating the odor of food could result in a 5-10% decrease in intake per bite. Combining aroma control with portion control could fool the body into thinking it was full with a smaller amount of food and aid weight loss.

As always, discuss all Nutritional recommendations with your Qualified Health Care Professional.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120321094137.htm#.T2qaD6qReqw.email

http://www.flavourjournal.com/content/1/1/3

Geographic variation in cost of health care not linked to inappropriate care

A literature review published in Medical Care questions the notion that U.S. regions spending more on health care and having higher rates of use deliver more unnecessary care to patients and that areas spending less provide more efficient and higher quality care.

The authors performed a Medline search to analyze 114,830 articles published between January 1, 1978 — the first year a framework for quality appeared in the literature — and January 1, 2009. They found five papers that compared geographical variations of health care to the overuse of health care services, according to the study abstract.

However, the results of those studies were insufficient to conclude that geographical areas with higher health care costs deliver inappropriate care.

According to the Authors, “The literature is so limited that you cannot either support or refute such an assertion. There is just not enough data”.

A lack of patient care guidelines plays a major factor. Guidelines will tell physicians when to perform a test, but do not indicate when a test might be inappropriate or unnecessary. This impacts expenses and patient care. A nationwide effort to create guidelines to address these problems is needed, according to the study’s Author.

The study concluded that the limited available evidence does not lend support to the hypothesis that inappropriate use of procedures is a major source of geographic variations in intensity and/or costs of care. More research is needed to improve our understanding of the relationship between geographic variations and the quality of care.

Surf to our Show Notes for links – http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/Abstract/2012/03000/The_Relationship_Between_Geographic_Variations_and.10.aspx

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
- Bruce Lee

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

December 23, 2011

ShowNotes for December 23, 2011

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Health Care Reform Law Will Let States Tailor Their Benefits
US House Moves to Delay Medicare Physician Payment Cuts
And Finally, a Story about the Effects of dynamic loading on the intervertebral disc

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #337, recorded December 23, 2011.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0337.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

Health Care Reform Law Will Late States Tailor Benefits

In a major surprise on the politically charged new health care law, the Obama administration said Friday that it would not define a single uniform set of “essential health benefits” that must be provided by insurers for tens of millions of Americans. Instead, it will allow each state to specify the benefits within broad categories.

The move would allow significant variations in benefits from state to state, much like the current differences in state Medicaid programs and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

By giving states the discretion to specify essential benefits, the Obama administration sought to deflect one of the most powerful arguments made by Republican critics of President Obama’s health care overhaul — that it was imposing a rigid, bureaucrat-controlled health system on Americans and threatening the quality of care. Opponents say that the federal government is forcing a one-size-fits-all standard for health insurance and usurping state authority to regulate the industry.

This criticism has inspired legal challenges to the new law — with the Supreme Court set to decide next year whether the government can require Americans to buy health insurance — and helps explain why public opinion of the law remains deeply divided.

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, had been expected to provide details of what services and benefits must be provided in each category. Instead, in an insurance bulletin issued Friday, Ms. Sebelius said the federal government would respect the states’ role, giving them “the flexibility to design coverage options that meet their unique needs.”

Under this approach, each state would designate an existing health insurance plan as a benchmark. The benefits provided by that plan would be deemed essential, and all insurers would have to provide benefits of the same or greater value. Plans could modify coverage within a benefit category so long as they did not reduce the value of coverage.

Surf to our Show Notes for more details – http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/health/policy/health-care-law-to-allow-states-to-pick-benefits.html?hp

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/12/20111216c.html

http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/Files2/12162011/essential_health_benefits_bulletin.pdf

US House Moves to Delay Medicare Physician Payment Cuts

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that forestalls for 2 years a 27.4% physician payment decrease scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.

The bill passed by a vote of 234-193. According to the House website, 224 Republicans and 10 Democrats voted in favor of the bill. The measure will now proceed to the Democratic-controlled Senate for consideration. It is not expected to pass.

The physician payment cut stems in part from the sustainable growth rate (SGR), a key factor in annual Medicare payment updates. Numerous medical societies have called for the SGR to be changed or eliminated.

“It is our expectation that in the eleventh hour Congressional Republicans and Democrats will come to an agreement to protect the middle class and finish their budget work for the year,” White House officials stated in a news release.

According to Dr. Douglas W. Jackson, Chief Medical Editor of Orthopedics Today, ““This action just represents another of the many attempted and previously successful congressional postponement efforts in lieu of actually dealing with the underlying sustained growth rate in a meaningful way.

This approach continues to generate concerns and future decisions by physicians on their fiscal ability to continue to see Medicare patients. In addition, it contributes to fears and uncertainties for the Medicare patients that will be affected.”

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=90485

Effects of dynamic loading on the intervertebral disc

Loading is important to maintain the balance of matrix turnover in the intervertebral disc (IVD).

Daily cyclic diurnal assists in the transport of large soluble factors across the IVD and its surrounding circulation and applies direct and indirect stimulus to disc cells.

Acute mechanical injury and accumulated overloading, however, could induce disc degeneration. Recently, there is more information available on how cyclic loading, especially axial compression and hydrostatic pressure, affects IVD cell biology.

A recent review in the Euro Spine Journal summarizes recent studies on the response of the IVD and stem cells to applied cyclic compression and hydrostatic pressure. These studies investigate the possible role of loading in the initiation and progression of disc degeneration as well as quantifying a physiological loading condition for the study of disc degeneration biological therapy.

Subsequently, a possible physiological/beneficial loading range is proposed. This physiological/beneficial loading could provide insight into how to design loading regimes in specific system for the testing of various biological therapies such as cell therapy, chemical therapy or tissue engineering constructs to achieve a better final outcome.

In addition, the parameter space of ‘physiological’ loading may also be an important factor for the differentiation of stem cells towards most ideally ‘discogenic’ cells for tissue engineering purpose.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.springerlink.com/content/uj69w10565126825/

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!”
- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

December 15, 2011

Show Notes for December 16, 2011

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

HHS Extends Meaningful Use Deadline
Rewiring the Brain to Ease Pain
And Finally, a Story About the CMS Office of Civil Rights to Test New Compliance Audits in 2012

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #336, recorded December 16, 2011.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0336.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

HHS Extends Meaningful Use Deadline

According to the OrthoSupersite web site, in an effort to speed adoption of electronic health records, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has extended the deadline to meet meaningful use criteria, according to a news release.

Currently, practices and hospitals that begin participating in Medicare EHR incentive programs this year would have to meet the new standards in 2013. Those who do not participate in the program until next year would be allowed to wait until 2014 to meet the standards.

Under the policy change, HHS will allow physicians and hospitals to adopt EHRs this year without meeting the new standards until 2014, the release said.

According to the HHS web site – “Under the current rules, providers who adopt health IT this year, and register through the end of February, must meet new standards for using health IT in 2013. If they do not adopt health IT until 2012, they don’t have to meet the new standards until 2014, and are still eligible for the same amount of incentive payment.

The HHS release also reported that physicians’ adoption of EHRs has doubled in 2 years and that more than 50,000 health information technology jobs have been created since the federal HITECH Act was passed in 2010. The number of health IT jobs is expected to increase by 20% nationally between 2008 and 2018, outpacing job growth in all other occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Surf to our Show Notes for links – http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=90005

http://goo.gl/NssQ3

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/11/20111130a.html

Rewiring the Brain to Ease Pain

How you think about pain can have a major impact on how it feels.

That’s the intriguing conclusion neuroscientists are reaching as scanning technologies let them see how the brain processes pain.

That’s also the principle behind many mind-body approaches to chronic pain that are proving surprisingly effective in clinical trials.

Some are as old as meditation, hypnosis and tai chi, while others are far more high tech. In studies at Stanford University’s Neuroscience and Pain Lab, subjects can watch their own brains react to pain in real-time and learn to control their response—much like building up a muscle.

When subjects focused on something distracting instead of the pain, they had more activity in the higher-thinking parts of their brains.

Already, neuroscientists know that how people perceive pain is highly individual, involving heredity, stress, anxiety, fear, depression, previous experience and general health. Motivation also plays a huge role—and helps explain why a gravely wounded soldier can ignore his own pain to save his buddies while someone who is depressed may feel incapacitated by a minor sprain.

Surf to our show notes for further information and the full article – http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204323904577038041207168300.html

http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2011/11/20/research-on-applied-neuroplasciticy-rewiring-the-brain-to-ease-pain/

CMS Office of Civil Rights to Test New Compliance Audits in 2012

The HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is launching a pilot program to audit providers for compliance in privacy and security. Auditors will visit covered entities, and will examine processes and operations.

Audits conducted in this pilot phase will begin this month and will wrap up in December, 2012. Lessons learned from the first 20 or so audits will be analyzed, then approximately 130 more will be launched. Data from the whole 150 audits will be used to guide compliance audits in the future.

OCR is responsible for selection of the entities that will be audited. OCR will audit as wide a range of types and sizes of covered entities as possible. Every covered entity and business associate is eligible for an audit.

Entities selected for an audit will be informed by OCR of their selection and asked to provide documentation of their privacy and security compliance efforts. The audit is to remind covered entities of their cooperation obligations under the HIPAA Enforcement Rule.”

Surf to our Show Notes for more information – http://www.chirocode.com/OCR_HIPAA_Audit_Program

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/audit/index.html

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion.”
- Chinese Proverb

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

December 15, 2011

Show Notes for December 9, 2011

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Sugary drinks hurt even skinny women’s hearts
Diabetes Risk to Sky Rocket by 2030
And Finally, a Story About Disc Disease and Heredity

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #335, recorded December 9, 2011.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0335.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

Sugary drinks hurt even skinny women’s hearts

Women who drink sugary beverages every day may raising their risk for heart disease, even if their habit is not packing on the pounds.

Whatever the form — sweet tea, soda, or coffee drinks that look like desserts — women who drank two or more sweet beverages a day were at an increased risk for heart disease, even if they did not gain weight over the five-year study, according to the findings presented recently at the American Heart Association’s meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Large studies in the past — including the ongoing Framingham Heart Study, now in its 63rd year — have linked drinking sugar-sweetened beverages to heart disease.

“There are some calories that come like a nuclear attack,” said Dr. Stephanie Coulter, director for center for women’s heart and vascular health Texas Heart Institute. Eating complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal cause glucose (sugar) to be released slowly into the blood.

“But have a sugar drink, and all the sugar comes rushing into your system,” Coulter said. And if the body has lost the ability to use the hormone insulin to regulate blood sugar (a condition called insulin resistance), the extra sugar remains circulating in the blood.

Daily blasts of too-high blood sugar can disrupt metabolism in several ways. High sugar levels increase triglycerides, lower good cholesterol and prompt the body to make an especially damaging, smaller molecule of bad cholesterol. Too much sugar also raises levels of inflammation, another risk factor heart disease.

Remember to discuss all Nutritional questions with your Qualified Health Care Professional.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://goo.gl/A60vf

Diabetes Risk to Sky Rocket by 2030

The International Diabetes Federation predicts that at least one in 10 adults could have diabetes by 2030, according to its latest statistics.

In a report issued recently, the advocacy group estimated that 552 million people could have diabetes in two decades’ time based on factors like aging and demographic changes. Currently, the group says that about one adult in 13 has diabetes.

The figure includes both types of diabetes as well as cases that are undiagnosed. The group expects the number of cases to jump by 90 percent even in Africa, where infectious diseases have previously been the top killer. Without including the impact of increasing obesity, the International Diabetes Federation said its figures were conservative.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries. The agency projects diabetes deaths will double by 2030 and said the International Diabetes Federation’s prediction was possible.

The projected future rise in diabetes cases was because of aging rather than the obesity epidemic. Most cases of diabetes are Type 2, the kind that mainly hits people in middle age, and is linked to weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.

Remember to discuss all Exercise and Nutritional questions with your Qualified Health Care Professional.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/14/552-million-people-could-have-diabetes-by-2030-study-says/

Disc Disease and Heredity

The traditional view that the etiology of lumbar disc herniation is primarily due to age, gender, occupation, smoking and exposure to vehicular vibration dominated much of the last century. Recent research indicates that heredity factors may be largely responsible for the degeneration as well as herniation of intervertebral discs.

Since 1998, genetic influences have been confirmed by the identification of several genes forms associated with disc degeneration. These researches are paving the way for a better understanding of the biologic mechanisms.

Now, many researchers unanimously agree that lumbar disc herniation appears to be similar to other complex diseases, whose etiology has both environmental and hereditary influence, each with a part of contribution and relative risk. Then addressing the etiological of lumbar disc herniation, it is important to integrate heredity with the environment factors.

Surf to our Show Notes for the full study – http://www.biolsci.org/v04p0283.htm

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed. “
- Albert Einstein

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

December 15, 2011

Show Notes for December 2, 2011

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Preoperative Vitamin D Deficiency and Spinal Fusion
Risks in Delaying Herniated Lumbar Disc Treatment
And Finally, a Story about Slow Eating and Food Intake

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #334, recorded December 2, 2011.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0334.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

Preoperative vitamin D deficiency common in patients undergoing spinal fusion

Researchers from St. Louis found an “alarmingly high” vitamin D abnormality rate in adults undergoing spinal fusion, according to a study presented here at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society.

“The objectives of this study were to characterize the prevalence of preoperative hypovitaminosis D on adults undergoing spinal fusion — and to ascertain whether previously identified risk factors for deficiency could be applied to the spine population,” according to study author Jacob M. Buchowski, MD.

“Looking at the risk factors, patients who had vitamin D deficiency tended to be obese, they tended to be light-skinned and a large percentage of them were smokers,” Buckowski said. “Interestingly, patients with a history of revision surgery … or those with a history of fractures were not found to be statistically different from those who were not vitamin D deficient.”

Among those patients who had inadequate levels of vitamin D, the patients had higher VAS pain scores, lower bone mineral density and a higher prevalence of neurologic deficits.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=89228

Delay before herniated lumbar disc treatment yields poorer results

Patients who undergo treatment for a herniated lumbar disc are less likely to experience improvement in pain, function and satisfaction if they wait more than 6 months before seeking treatment, according to a study from researchers in Philadelphia.

The findings, published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, observed 1,192 patients older than 18 years and enrolled in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial, conducted at 13 multidisciplinary spinal practices in 11 states.

The patients in the cohort received treatment for intervertebral lumbar disc herniation. Rihn and his colleagues compared patients who had symptoms for 6 months or less (927 patients) to those who had symptoms for more than 6 months (265 patients).

Whether treatment was operative or non-operative, Rihn’s team found patients had significantly worse primary outcome measures if they experienced symptoms for more than 6 months before treatment, as determined through an analysis of multiple pain, function and disability indexes.

“Patients who have had symptoms for longer than 6 months can find relief with either non-operative treatment or surgery, but they may not reap as much benefit as those who have had symptoms for 6 month or less,”

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.jbjs.org/article.aspx?articleid=179649

http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=88889

Researcher provides further evidence that slow eating reduces food intake

Two new studies by researchers at the University of Rhode Island are providing additional insights into the role that eating rate plays in the amount of food one consumes. The studies found that men eat significantly faster than women, heavier people eat faster than slimmer people, and refined grains are consumed faster than whole grains, among other findings.

In one laboratory study, which validated that self-reported eating rates reflect an individual’s actual eating rate, researchers found that fast eaters consumed about 3.1 ounces of food per minute, medium-speed eaters consumed 2.5 ounces per minute, and slow eaters consumed 2 ounces per minute. This work is the first to validate self-reported eating rates that have been used in large population studies, which have shown relationships between eating rate and body weight.

The researchers also found what researchers described as “very strong gender differences” in eating rates. At lunch, the men consumed about 80 calories per minute while the women consumed 52 calories per minute.

The second study, which examined the characteristics associated with eating rates, found a close association between eating rate and body mass index (BMI), with those individuals with a high BMI typically eating considerably faster than those with a low BMI.

While the link between eating rate and obesity is still being studied, the study’s author said that her research has demonstrated that eating slowly results in significantly fewer average calories being consumed.

“It takes time for your body to process fullness signals, so slower eating may allow time for fullness to register in the brain before you’ve eaten too much.”

An earlier study by this author found that women who were told to eat quickly consumed 646 calories in nine minutes, but the same women consumed just 579 calories in 29 minutes when encouraged to pause between bites and chew each mouthful 15 to 20 times before swallowing.

Remember to discuss all Nutritional questions with your Qualified Health Care Provider.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uori-rpf110811.php

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

December 15, 2011

Show Notes for November 25, 2011

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Adjacent segment degenerative disease
Medicare Update on PQRS from the ACA
And Finally, a Story about Diet and Exercise Reducing Pain in Osteoarthritis

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #333, recorded November 25, 2011.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0333.mp3

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

And Now for some news ….

Adjacent segment degenerative disease

The purpose of a recent study presented in the Euro Spine Journal, was to determine whether fusion causes adjacent segment degeneration or whether degeneration is due to disease progression.

Eighty-seven patients that had undergone single level anterior cervical decompression and fusions with at least 5 years of follow-up were enrolled in this retrospective study.

The study concluded that although, fusion per se can accelerate the severity of adjacent level degeneration, no significant difference was observed between adjacent and non-adjacent segments in terms of the incidence of symptomatic disease. The authors conclude that adjacent segment disease is more a result of the natural history of cervical spondylosis than the presence of fusion.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/d75870075872l82q/fulltext.pdf

http://www.springerlink.com/content/w6520195165w4467/fulltext.pdf

http://www.springerlink.com/content/428070021582g410/fulltext.pdf

Medicare Update on PQRS from the ACA

The American Chiropractic Association’s Medicare Committee wanted to make you aware of a recent issue. Those doctors of chiropractic who participate in Medicare’s Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) should be aware that an effort has been initiated to evaluate the PQRS measures used by doctors of chiropractic. It is important to note that this is not a financial audit.

PQRI began as a voluntary reporting program that provided an incentive payment to identified eligible professionals (EPs) who satisfactorily reported data on specific quality measures for covered professional services furnished to Medicare Part B fee-for-service beneficiaries and paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The program was first implemented in 2007.

The review is being conducted by quality measures development organizations such as Quality Insights of Pennsylvania. Providers should understand that this review and request for records will not result in a recoupment of funds.

This review is strictly for information gathering purposes. Ultimately, this review will be helpful to providers to ensure that they are appropriately participating in PQRS.

Successful participation in PQRS makes providers eligible for the PQRS incentive bonuses while they are available until 2014 and ensures providers will not have their Medicare payments reduced when the 1.5% disincentive is introduced in 2015.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – https://www.cms.gov/PQRS/

http://www.acponline.org/running_practice/practice_management/payment_coding/pqrs.htm

Diet and Exercise Reduce Pain in Osteoarthritis

A November 7^th article on the Medscape web site, looked at how intensive diet and exercise can slash the amount of pain in older adults with osteoarthritis of the knees and improve function and walking speed, according to a study from researchers at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The 18-month Intensive Diet and Exercise for Arthritis (IDEA) trial was designed to evaluate the impact of intensive weight loss with or without exercise on disease progression.

At the end of the study, participants in the diet-only group lost an average of 9.5% of their baseline weight, and those in the exercise-only group lost an average of 2.2%. The combined diet/exercise group, however, lost an average of 11.4%. None of the participants regressed to baseline levels, even after 18 months.

In addition, participants in the diet/exercise group improved their functional status by 47%, compared with 30% in the diet-only group and 26% in the exercise-only group. The combination group also increased walking speed by 12%, compared with 10% and 6% in the diet-only and exercise-only groups, respectively.

The take-home message, according to the lead author of the study, is that “clinicians can tell their patients that they will see marked improvement [in pain and function] in 6 months or less.”

The fact that significant differences did not appear between the groups until 18 months, however, “underscores the need for long-term studies to detect clinically and statistically meaningful results.”

Remember to discuss all Exercise and Nutrition related issues with your Qualified Health Care Professional.

Surf to our Show Notes for Links – http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/753014?src=nl_topic

For information about adding Personalized HealthBeat Podcasts to your office’s Web Site, to help you attract new patients, please Email us at – healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And remember to surf to our Show Notes, located at http://www.ChiropracticRadio.com

As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

Thank you for listening…. As always, We Want to hear from you. Please send us emails…. Simply surf to our Web Site at ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the Email link.

You can also leave us Voice Mail…. Simply open up your Skype and type in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

If you have an idea for a future Health Segment, please feel free to contact me directly via email …. The address is:

healthbeat@chiropracticradio.com

And please remember to support our sponsors by clicking their links located at ChiropracticRadio.com

Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.”
- Don Marquis

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

Leave a comment | posted in Chiropractic

November 20, 2011

Show Notes for November 18, 2011

By teglow

In this week’s news: We’ll Be Looking At –

Fatty Foods and Addiction
Sitting and Cancer Risk
And Finally, a Story about an Enzyme Involved in the Aging Process

For HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow!

Welcome to HealthBeat Podcast #332, recorded November 18, 2011.

HealthBeat is Chiropractic OnLine Today’s radio program, providing current news and commentary about Chiropractic and Health.

This week’s Episode is sponsored by DaVinci Laboratories. Please surf to our web site at www.ChiropracticRadio.com and click on the DaVinci link for your Health and Nutritional needs.

We also would appreciate your passing the word of our Podcasts to your friends and colleagues. Please let everyone know how easy it is to subscribe via the Apple iTunes directory.

If you are interested in creating personalized Healthbeat podcasts for your office or website, to help attract new patients, please surf to our web site and send us an Email ….

…. or Skype us by typing in “healthbeat”, all in small letters.

You can download this week’s Podcast here – http://www.chiropracticradio.com/healthbeat/healthbeat0332.mp3

And Now for some news ….

Fatty Foods Addictive Like Cocaine in Growing Body of Scientific Research

An article on the November 2^nd Bloomberg website, discussed a growing body of medical research at leading universities and government laboratories suggests that processed foods and sugary drinks made by the likes of PepsiCo Inc. and Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) aren’t simply unhealthy. They can hijack the brain in ways that resemble addictions to cocaine, nicotine and other drugs.

According to the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse “The data is so overwhelming the field has to accept it”. “We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain.”

Twenty-eight scientific studies and papers on food addiction have been published this year, according to a National Library of Medicine database. As the evidence expands, the science of addiction could become a game changer for the $1 trillion food and beverage industries.

The cost to society is enormous. A 2009 study of 900,000 people, published in The Lancet, found that moderate obesity reduces life expectancy by two to four years, while severe obesity shortens life expectancy by as much as 10 years.

Obesity has been shown to boost the risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The costs of treating illness associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion in 2008, according to a 2009 study in Health Affairs.

Surf to our Show Notes for the Full Article – http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-02/fatty-foods-addictive-as-cocaine-in-growing-body-of-science.html

Sitting and Cancer Risk

As many as 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer occurring in the U.S. every year are linked to a lack of physical activity, according to estimates presented today at the American Institute for Cancer Research annual conference. The estimate underscores the critical role that both activity and inactivity play in the development of specific cancers.

At the American Institute for Cancer Research Annual Research Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity in Washington, experts presented data from a new paper on physical activity and breast cancer prevention and reviewed the mounting evidence that a brisk daily walk helps to reduce several key biological indicators of cancer risk, including sex hormone levels, insulin resistance, inflammation and body fatness.

The researchers also presented new findings from the emerging field of sedentary behavior research, which is finding that sitting for long periods of time can increase some of those same indicators of cancer risk, even among people who exercise daily.

Based on these research findings, AICR is urging Americans to make time for physical activity and break every hour of sitting with 1 to 2 minutes of activity. These breaks can be as simple as walking to a colleague’s office instead of sending an email or going to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Neville Owen, PhD, PhD, Head of Behavioral Epidemiology at Australia’s Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, presented evidence that suggests sitting for long periods of time is associated with health risks – even for people who are regularly physically active.

Surf to our Show Notes for the full article – http://www.aicr.org/press/press-releases/getting-up-from-your-desk.html

Enzyme Involved in the Aging Process

According to an article published in the October 31st issue of Science Daily, by consuming fewer calories, aging can be slowed down and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes can be delayed.

The earlier calorie intake is reduced, the greater the effect. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now identified one of the enzymes that hold the key to the aging process.

According to Mikael Molin of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, the scientists “are able to show that caloric restriction slows down aging by preventing an enzyme, peroxiredoxin, from being inactivated. This enzyme is also extremely important in counteracting damage to our genetic material.”

By gradually reducing the intake of sugar and proteins, without reducing vitamins and minerals, researchers have previously shown that monkeys can live several years longer than expected.

Caloric restriction also has favorable effects on our health and delays the development of age-related diseases. Despite this, researchers in the field have found it difficult to explain exactly how caloric restriction produces these favorable effects.

Peroxiredoxins have also been shown to be capable of preventing proteins from being damaged and aggregating, a process that has been linked to several age-related disorders affecting the nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Surf to our Show Notes for the full article, and remember to discuss all Nutritional recommendations with your Qualified Health Care Professional – http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031215938.htm

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As always, please surf to our Podcast Show Notes at ChiropracticRadio.com for a full listing of web references mentioned in today’s show.

And remember – COT’s Healthbeat always recommends discussing any nutritional or exercise lifestyle modifications with a qualified healthcare professional.

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Finally, I leave you with the following quote:

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
- John F. Kennedy

For Chiropractic OnLine Today’s HealthBeat, This is Dr. Todd Eglow.

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