Week of: Monday June 24, 2019

Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

IN THE NEWS: Skyrocketing Male Infertility May Threaten Mankind’s Survival According to the largest meta-analysis of its kind, sperm counts around the world declined by more than 50 percent, to 47 million sperm per mL, between 1973 and 2013, and continue to dwindle. The most significant declines were found in samples from men in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, where many had sperm concentrations below 40 million/mL — a level at which a man will have trouble fertilizing an egg. Endocrine disrupting chemicals have undoubtedly contributed to the dramatic decline in reproductive health among men. Excessive microwave radiation from wireless technologies, obesity and inactivity also play a significant role. Testicular cancer is also on the rise, as are congenital malformations of the penis, and these problems have also been linked to endocrine disrupting chemicals. Experiments on fathead minnows show endocrine disrupters turn the fish into a sterile intersex species, meaning they have both male and female reproductive systems yet are incapable of reproducing. The Unites States permits more than 84,000 chemicals to be used in household products; cosmetics, food and food packaging, and a majority of these have never been tested for safety. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 85 percent of new chemical applications include no testing whatsoever. NOTE: detoxing these chemicals is important. Eat cleaner food, food stored in glass containers is safer, eating anti-inflammatory foods high in antioxidants will help the body detox. Drink plenty of water, alkaline water will help the body detox.  

CHIROPRACTIC: WHIPLASH SEVERITY MEASURED BY SPEED There’s one major cause of whiplash that most everyone thinks of immediately: car accidents. Even speeds as low as 15 mph can produce enough energy to cause whiplash—whether or not you are wearing a seatbelt. (However, if you are not properly restrained with your seatbelt, your head may strike the steering wheel or windshield, causing a concussion in addition to whiplash. You should definitely always wear your seatbelt.) An 8 mph car collision produces two times the force of gravity (or a 2-G) deceleration of the car, and a 5-G deceleration of the head. This unnatural and forceful movement affects the muscles and ligaments in the neck, stretching and potentially tearing them. The discs between the vertebrae can bulge, tear, or rupture, and vertebrae can be forced out of their normal position, reducing your range of motion. The spinal cord and nerve roots can get stretched, irritated, and “choked.” Other Whiplash Causes Whiplash can also be caused by sporting activities (eg, football spearing), falls, roller coasters, or being punched or shaken. Aging also increases susceptible to whiplash. Older adults, and people who already have neck problems such as arthritis (eg, spondylosis, osteoarthritis), may experience more serious whiplash than a younger person. As people grow older, their movement is more limited, their muscles lose flexibility and strength, and their discs and ligaments are not as elastic (stretchy). So, when their neck whips back and forth, it has more potential for damage.

WELLNESS: EXPERTS WARN STATIN DRUG TREND PUTS LIVES AT RISK The number of people suffering from heart disease and stroke continues to rise, despite pharmaceutical interventions, including statin medications recommended for high cholesterol levels. Statins focus on reducing cholesterol your body produces naturally; the process also depletes your body of CoQ10, potentially the trigger behind many of the significant side effects associated with the drug, including neuromuscular disease and cardiovascular death. Non-drug strategies can help you manage your heart health and include quality sleep, stress reduction, adequate amounts of vitamin D, and consuming a good portion of your food raw. According to an analysis from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, to prevent a single person from dying of any cause, 250 people would need to take statin medications for six years; 100 people need to take a statin as a primary preventive for five years in order for one or two people to avoid a heart attack, but none will actually live longer. Other studies have also failed to find any kind of mortality benefit from statin medications, even in at-risk groups. NOTE: when it comes to heart disease drugs rarely extend life. Eat more anti-inflammatory foods, foods high in antioxidants. Eat foods consistent with your body type. Reduce junk food and increase fluids. People who eat fish live longer than people who don’t, eat salmon or tuna three times a week.

FUNNY BONE: “My favorite machine at the gym is the vending machine.”– Caroline Rhea@@“All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height.”– Casey Stengel@@“I always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early.”– Charles Lamb@@ Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.@@ Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.@@ I intend to live forever … So far, so good.@@ If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?@@ A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named “Ahmal.” The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him “Juan.” Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, “They’re twins! If you’ve seen Juan, you’ve seen Ahmal.”@@ A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. “But why,” they asked, as they moved off. “Because,” he said, “I can’t stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer.”

Week of: Monday June 17, 2019

Courtesy of:

  John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

IN THE NEWS: Is that green lawn worth compromising the health of your family – furry, or otherwise? BY LINDA BONVIE Reaching the milestone age of 17 is a feat for any dog, but to do so with vitals such as heart, lungs, liver and kidneys in tip-top shape and a hearty appetite is a real achievement. This is the case with my pup, Bumby. You could say he’s in amazingly good health for his age… except, that is, for his brain, which has been seriously damaged by repeated seizures. Bumby’s senior years certainly aren’t what they could have been. I have my own idea of what might have been the cause – Bumby’s frequent exposure to lawn chemicals, notably pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals, by their very nature are meant to poison living things. And that’s especially true for the most vulnerable members of the family – kids and pets. One especially frightening report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Environmental Health found that although “acute” (where you know fairly quickly that something is wrong) pesticide poisonings in children in the U.S. are relatively “uncommon,” constant low-level exposures (including from food) are not. And a “growing body of epidemiologic evidence” points to “associations between exposure to pesticides in young children and a range of diseases from childhood cancers to autism.” Landmark research from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health discovered through pre-natal MRIs that when a fetus has been exposed to “low levels” of the commonly used pesticide chlorpyrifos, they observed “changes in brain structure.” (Although the EPA banned household uses of chlorpyrifos in 2001, it continues to be widely used on food crops, especially corn and other vegetables, fruit and nut trees, and can also be commercially applied on grass). NOTE: this article points out the potential dangers of the artificial chemicals we use to make our lawns green. But there are natural pesticides that are safe and there are natural fertilizers to improve the health of the lawn. Try a natural approach.

WELLNESS: ESTROGEN AND BREAST CANCER: THE TRUTH EXPOSED Dr. Veronique Desaulniers Conventional (Western) medicine has succeeded in teaching women that their hormones, like estrogen are the cause of their breast cancer – and it has created an industry of anti-hormone suppressing drugs such as Tamoxifen and Anastrozole and countless others in response to this claim. For several years, I have been teaching women that there is no need to fear their hormones. But, the fact is that some hormones can cause cancer while others can actually prevent it. For the most part, the hormones that drive breast cancer are xenoestrogens, environmental chemicals that stimulate or mimic estrogen. If your liver is not breaking down estrogen correctly or if you are not methylating or metabolizing it properly, this could certainly lead to greater breast cancer risk. Here is a list of some chemical estrogens that could potentially increase your risk of breast cancer: Pesticides and herbicides, Sunscreen lotion that contains 4-MBC, Parabens, Food preservatives such a BHA, Metals that are found in amalgams and antiperspirants (“metallo-estrogens”), Tap water (which is often loaded with estrogens from contraceptive pills), Growth hormones in conventionally-produced meat and dairy products Xenoestrogens can lead to a buildup of more “aggressive” estrogens, such as estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2). When these super-aggressive forms bind with estrogen receptors in your body, a host of complications can result, including breast cancer. Not all forms of estrogen are bad, however. Estriol (E3) is a type of estrogen that is important precisely because it is weaker than its high-energy cousins. A number of studies, published over four decades, have demonstrated that estriol’s most important role may be to actually prevent cancer cell growth. NOTE: our estrogen cream is made from (E3), there are also foods and herbs that give a safe estrogen.

CONDITION OF THE WEEK:  Rib misalignment and chest pain A patient recently told me a story about a coworker who thought she was having a heart attack and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Her pain was significant and was put on powerful painkillers as they attempted to find the cause of her chest pain. After two days in the hospital, they sent her home because they couldn’t figure out where the pain was coming from. The bill for two days was $7000 yet she was still having pain. Realizing it was not a heart attack she went to her chiropractor who found a rib out of alignment and corrected her painful condition with an adjustment. She left the chiropractor feeling better at the cost of $70. This story is repeated more often than you think and is why we use a phrase, chiropractic first, drug second and surgery last. It pays to get chiropractic care. The Rib cage helps protect organs within your chest cavity as well as facilitates breathing. But when a rib gets out of alignment it can cause significant pain that can mimic a heart attack or even a digestive issue. When a rib is out it can be difficult to take a complete breath because of the intercostal nerves that run between the ribs. As you take a deep breath and the rib that is out of alignment, moves and it can irritate the nerves in between them. In most cases when we do a “ribcage adjustment” rib heads will move back into place but sometimes we have to work on a specific rib in order to release the pressure on the intercostal nerve. Not only can rib cage misalignment cause symptoms of digestive problems they sometimes can actually affect the diaphragm which separates the stomach from the chest contents. That can produce a condition called a hiatal hernia which can lead to significant heartburn. So besides keeping your spine in alignment chiropractic can help keep the ribcage in proper alignment along with any other joint in the body. Are you overdue for a chiropractic adjustment? they sent her home because they couldn’t figure out where the pain was coming from. The bill for two days was $7000 yet she was still having pain. Realizing it was not a heart attack she went to her chiropractor who found a rib out of alignment and corrected her painful condition with an adjustment. She left the chiropractor feeling better at the cost of $70. This story is repeated more often than you think and is why we use a phrase, chiropractic first, drug second and surgery last. It pays to get chiropractic care.

FUNNY BONE: “Political correctness is tyranny with manners.”– Charlton Heston@@“They say marriages are made in Heaven. But so is thunder and lightning.”– Clint Eastwood@@“Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else’s can shorten it.”– Cullen Hightower@@I learned that Justin Bieber said he wants to fight Tom Cruise. Could it be possible they just have way too much money and time on their hands. Maybe they need to get a real job.@@I’m so good at sleeping. I can do it with my eyes closed.@@Want to hear a joke about paper? Nevermind it’s tearable.@@What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho Cheese.@@What did the grape do when he got stepped on? He let out a little wine.@@The shovel was a ground-breaking invention.@@Whenever the cashier at the grocery store asks my dad if he would like the milk in a bag he replies, “No, just leave it in the carton!”@@I thought about going on an all-almond diet. But that’s just nuts

Week of: Monday June 10, 2019

Courtesy of:

  John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

IN THE NEWS: Is it time to treat sugar like smoking? BBC news Over the past decade, smoking has become marginalized and stigmatized. There are signs sugar is heading the same way. Sugary drinks are already taxed – and now a leading think tank has even suggested sweets, snacks, and sugary drinks should be wrapped in plain packaging to make them less appealing, given the excess consumption of the sweet stuff. The call has been made by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in a new report. IPPR director Tom Kibasi believes it could make a real difference. “Plain packaging would help us all to make better choices and reduce the hassle of pester power for busy parents,” he said. The industry has been quick to object, with trade body the Food and Drink Federation arguing that branding is “fundamental commercial freedom” and “critical to competition”. The same sort of arguments was put forward by the tobacco industry, but successive governments have still increasingly shown an appetite to get tough. There is a recognition that bold moves are needed if the ambition to halve the child obesity rate by 2030 is to be achieved. As the debate rages about obesity, expect to hear much more about the merits of radical action on sugar.

WELLNESS: Children who grow up with dogs are less likely to develop food allergies, a new study has found Children who grow up with dogs are less likely to develop food allergies, a new study by the University of Dundee has found. Young children from the age of three months who live in a household with two or more dogs are 90% less likely to develop food intolerances compared to those living without any pets. “The exposure of children to diverse environmental microbiota among household dust has been associated with protection from developing atopy and asthma,” Professor McLean added. Food allergies affect between six and 10 percent of children in the UK, with many of them having intolerances to milk, eggs, peanuts, soy and wheat. According to the NHS, the most common allergy for young children is hay fever. The study also found that…Children who lived on farms were also less likely to suffer from allergies–Those growing up with more siblings were also not as allergic–Identical twins are likely to have the same allergic diseases–The exposure of household dust can also help children with allergies. Pet ownership is a huge benefit to our lives. As well as helping with allergies, dogs make brilliant companions for young children and help to reduce any stress and anxiety they may be facing. Just another reason to adopt one of your own.

CHIROPRACTIC: Chiropractic Care for Whiplash Written by Stewart G. Eidelson, MD If you have neck pain caused by whiplash, you may want to visit a chiropractor who can provide many non-surgical treatment options for relief. Whiplash is an injury to the neck muscles from rapid forward and backward motion of the neck caused by a trauma (eg, a car accident). It can cause acute (short-term) neck pain as well as restricted movement in your neck. Stages of Whiplash Treatment Soon after whiplash occurs—in the acute phase—the chiropractor will work on reducing neck inflammation using various therapy modalities. He or she may also use gentle stretching and manual therapy techniques (eg, muscle energy therapy, a type of stretching). The chiropractor may also recommend you apply an ice pack on your neck and/or a light neck support to use for a short period of time. As your neck becomes less inflamed and the pain decreases, your chiropractor will perform gentle spinal manipulation or other chiropractic techniques to restore normal motion to your neck’s facet joints. Chiropractic Whiplash Treatments Your treatment plan depends on the severity of your whiplash injury. The most common chiropractic technique is spinal manipulation. Some spinal manipulation techniques commonly used are: Flexion-distraction technique: This hands-on technique is a gentle, non-thrusting type of spinal manipulation to help treat herniated discs with or without arm pain. Your whiplash injury may have aggravated a bulging or herniated disc. The chiropractor uses a slow pumping action on the disc instead of direct force to the spine. Instrument-assisted manipulation: This technique is another non-thrusting technique chiropractors often use. Using a specialized hand-held instrument, the chiropractor applies force without thrusting into the spine. This type of manipulation is useful for older patients who have a degenerative joint syndrome. Specific spinal manipulation: The chiropractor identifies spinal joints that are restricted or show abnormal motion (called subluxations). Using this technique, he or she will help restore motion to the joint with a gentle thrusting technique. This gentle thrusting stretches soft tissue and stimulates the nervous system to restore normal motion to the spine. Chiropractors look at the whole person—not just the painful problem. They view neck pain as unique to each patient, so they don’t just focus on your neck pain. They emphasize prevention as the key to good long-term health. In addition to these treatments, your chiropractor may also prescribe therapeutic exercises to help restore normal motion in your spine and reduce whiplash symptoms. Using these chiropractic techniques, a chiropractor will help you increase your daily activities. He or she will work hard to address any mechanical (how the spine moves) or neurological (nerve-related) causes of your whiplash.

FUNNY BONE:  “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”– Bernard Baruch@@ “Money won’t buy happiness, but it will pay the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem.”– Bill Vaughan@@“The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.”– Bill Watterson @@“I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland to see what the army does with those wee red knives.”– Billy Connolly@@ If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.@@To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.@@The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.@@ If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.

Week of: Monday June 3, 2019

Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

WELLNESS: GARGLING SALT WATER IS A SERIOUSLY UNDER-RATED HACK FOR FIGHTING INFLAMMATION You wake up in the morning with a telltale tickle in your throat. Ruh roh. Is it the first symptom of a cold, the flu, or—gulp—strep throat? Before you rush to the doctor’s office or reach for strong pharmaceutical medicines, consider trying a more immediate cure for the pain and irritation of a sore throat—gargling salt water. Salt water gargles are an easy and natural home remedy for a host of common ailments that may be the root cause of your pain. It could possibly soothe the inflammation in your throat in a matter of hours. What have you got to lose? Benefits of gargling salt water Soothe inflammation and prevent infection from returning, Cut down on harmful bacteria in the mouth, Reduce respiratory infections, Clear your nasal passageways. A quarter to a half teaspoon per cup of water will do the trick. If you want to improve the taste, you could add honey, lemon, peppermint, or garlic. Take a large sip of the salt water, tilt your head back, and gargle for 30 seconds, then swish the water around your teeth and gums before spitting it out.

IN THE NEWS: 250 Scientists Highlight Concerns With Earbuds Wireless headphones, like Apple’s popular AirPods, could be dangerous to human health, according to a petition signed by 250 scientists. The scientists state: “Based upon peer-reviewed, published research, we have serious concerns regarding the ubiquitous and increasing exposure to EMF generated by electric and wireless devices.These include — but are not limited to — radiofrequency radiation (RFR) emitting devices, such as cellular and cordless phones and their base stations, Wi-Fi, broadcast antennas, smart meters and baby monitors as well as electric devices and infrastructures used in the delivery of electricity that generate extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF).”The petition to the United Nations (U.N.), led by the International Electromagnetic Field Alliance takes aim at nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs), which are used by AirPods and other Bluetooth devices, as well as cellphones and Wi-Fi, which emit radiofrequency radiation. The devices, which include not only AirPods, but also other wireless Bluetooth headphones, communicate with one another by sending a magnetic field through your brain. One scientist who signed the petition believes the use of earbuds is akin to a giant experiment and could increase your risk of neurological disorders. ANTI-RADIATION TECHNOLOGY: Blue tube headset uses hollow, air-filled tubes to convey sound from the chest to the ear, preventing radiation from your phone from traveling up the air-filled tubes to your head. KEEP DISTANCE BETWEEN MOBILE & EAR: With the Blue Tube Headset, you effectively move your cell phone away from your head, reducing your exposure to radiation. Whether using it occasionally or regularly, you can feel comfortable that direct exposure to radiation is significantly reduced. If you have concerns, it would be prudent to reduce radiation exposure.

CHIROPRACTIC: Why Get Chiropractic Adjustments? Many things can lead to a vertebral subluxation. Some of the more common causes include A vertebra going out of place (“misalignment”) because of a slip or fall (i.e., “macrotrauma”), The entire spine misaligning globally due to poor posture. Joint swelling caused by damage done to the intervertebral joint. An inflammatory response caused by a poor diet, lack of pure water or psychological stress. Osteoporosis or degenerative changes of the spine or intervertebral discs. Trigger points and tight back muscles that pull the vertebrae out of place. Importance of Having Good Posture: The problem we see in Western cultures is that our unnatural habit of sitting down all day does a lot of damage to our spine and posture. Today it’s common to spend hours sitting while being glued to a cell phone, iPad or laptop. Few people take the time each day to properly stretch, fix their posture or engage in enough physical activity. The “hunched over” lifestyle that is all too popular today causes straining on the neck, due to a condition called “forward head posture.” Studies prove that for every inch your head sticks out from its true center of gravity, your neck bears an extra 10 pounds of stress! During posture evaluations, chiropractors regularly observe many of their patients carrying their head two to three inches forward, which is an extra 20–30 pounds of pressure on their neck. Just think about how dangerous this can be for the health of someone’s spine, and how this straining then spills over to many other parts of the body.

FUNNY BONE: If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?@@ “My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I’m right.”– Ashleigh Brilliant@@ “Money won’t buy happiness, but it will pay the salaries of a large research staff to study the problem.”– Bill Vaughan@@-Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.@@ “Inside me there’s a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually sedate him with four or five cupcakes.”– Bob Thaves@@ The sooner you fall behind, the more time you’ll have to catch up.@@ Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don’t have film.@@ “Political correctness is tyranny with manners.”– Charlton Heston@@You don’t need a parachute to go skydiving. You need a parachute to go skydiving twice.@@Someone stole my mood ring, I don’t know how I feel about that.@@Apparently, someone in London get stabbed every 52 seconds. Talk about unlucky@@why you should never date a tennis player? Because love means nothing to them.@@”I feel bad for the homeless guy, but I feel really bad for the homeless guy’s dog because he must be thinking “man, this is the longest walk ever.”