Do you remember the public health slogan, “Vitamin D helps build strong bones”. This message could be seen on colorful school posters and heard on radio and television programs as early as the1950s. Getting enough Vitamin D was a major health issue, primarily for its role in preventing childhood rickets – “softening of the bones”.1

Most recently, and quite dramatically, vitamin D has been strongly associated with reduced cancer risks, preventing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, preventing cardiovascular disease, and even helping to prevent diabetes.2 Vitamin D seems to be a one-stop shop for helping combat many serious chronic diseases, and yet vitamin D deficiency is common in the United States.3 Very few foods are natural sources of vitamin D. The primary source of vitamin D for humans is sunlight – sunlight causes cells in the skin to produce vitamin D.

But most of us don’t spend enough time outside to get sufficient sunlight to provide us with our normal daily requirement of vitamin D. Supplementation is needed, in the form of fortified foods such as milk and in vitamin/mineral tablets. Interestingly, meeting our vitamin D and calcium daily requirements is only one step on the road to healthy, strong bones. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the intestinal tract. Also, vitamin D helps bone cells utilize calcium to build new bone. But in adults, new bone will only be built if there’s a need for it. Mechanical stress causes the body to produce new bone – and the best source for this kind of bone-building mechanical stress is exercise.

Yes, the E word. It is not enough to passively swallow a bunch of supplements every day. We need to exercise regularly to get the most out of the nutrition we’re providing our bodies. When we exercise – particularly when we do strength training and other gravity-resisting activities such as running, walking, and bicycling – our bodies react not only by building new muscle but by building new bone as well. This response follows a physiologic principle known as Wolff’s Law – bone remodels along lines of physiologic stress.

Put another way, bone responds to mechanical challenges by building more bone. The result is more dense, stronger bones. Such bones are significantly less likely to fracture. And. logically, exercise helps prevent loss of bone mass, a primary cause of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and older adults. Chiropractic health care helps provide assistance to these metabolic processes. All of our metabolic activities are directed by signals from the nerve system. Our nerve impulses tell our cells when to start and when to stop these complicated biochemical processes. Chiropractic care helps ensure proper flow of information throughout the nervous system, helping us maintain optimal physical health and well-being. Your chiropractor is an expert in nutritional health and will be able to recommend a program and plan that will be right for you.

1Lins P: Vitamin D physiology. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 92)1:4-8, 2006 2Cavalier E, et al:Vitamin D: current status and perspectives.Clin Chem Lab Med 47:1, 2009 3Holick Me, Chen TC: Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences. Am J Clin Nutr 87(4):10805-10865, 2008

For more information on health please contact Dr. Jason Fowler at Dr. Jason Fowler

Being an informed patient is an empowering concept.1 In the modern healthcare marketplace, the doctor-patient relationship has become a two-way street. It is no longer a situation in which the doctor tells the patient what to do. Today, patients can be full partners in managing their care and well-being.2

What does it take to be an informed patient? An informed patient is one who can participate in a meaningful way and not be merely the passive recipient of the doctor’s instructions and recommendations.

The first key is to identify a doctor – a chiropractor or family physician, depending on the circumstances – in whom you have confidence. Here are a few essential points you should consider:

The doctor has spent time with you on the first visit. The doctor has focused on you, and has not been distracted by all the other things happening in the office. The doctor has satisfactorily answered all your questions. The doctor’s recommendations are clear, and you understand what the next steps are going to be.

The questions you ask are not just to keep talking and capture more of the doctor’s time spent with you. An informed patient does some preparation – some homework – before the actual office visit. The Internet offers a lot of valuable information on both chiropractic and medical treatment. And, it is important to remember that not all information is accurate and authoritative – consider the source of the “information”.

You should consider the author’s background and affiliations. Consider the potential for bias. Is the site itself up-to-date – for example, are there “dead links” on the site.

Do your best to evaluate the doctor’s recommendations. First, what are the expected results? How quickly should you begin to feel better? Are there potential side-effects of the recommended treatment? What are the alternatives?

Alternatives may include other forms of therapy within the doctor’s office and may also include consultation with another specialist. The main point is not to be left with a confusing array of choices. Have enough information to go forward with a treatment plan that makes the most sense, both to your doctor and to you.

If a prescription is involved, make sure you write down the exact spelling of the medication and the exact dosage and frequency. Prescriptions are usually scribbled, and both doctors and pharmacists can make a mistake. Don’t let your doctor simply hand you an illegible piece of paper. Insist on ensuring that you understand what is being prescribed, and be sure to ask your doctor about potential side effects, risks, and interactions with any other medicines you may be taking.

As in all relationships, the doctor-patient relationship is based on clear communication and mutual trust and understanding. You can help your doctor help you by being an informed patient and participating in the decision-making process.

1Informed Consent. “Ethics in Medicine”. University of Washington School of Medicine. http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/consent.html#ques1 2″Be an active healthcare consumer”. Agency for Healthcard Research and Quality. http://www.ahrq.gov/path/beactive.htm

For more information on wellness feel free to contactDr. Jason Fowler www.lakestlouisdc.com

Stress, sleep deprivation and fatigue have been no small component of Dr. Michael Benson’s life. As a fetal surgeon, Dr. Benson is often up for 24- to 36-hour stretches at a time looking after patients. He has little time to rest or eat regular, healthy meals. It’s no wonder he has suffered from migraines for years.

Benson is not alone. It is estimated that 28 million Americans suffer from migraines. As anyone who experiences these intense headaches can tell you, they can be extremely debilitating. Acute pain, possible visual disturbances and nausea, as well as sensitivity to light, sounds and odors can render a person incapable of going about everyday responsibilities, much less performing complicated tasks like surgery.

In order to cope, Dr. Benson has used Ibuprofen and heat to manage the pain, but sometimes it doesn’t work. “I used to keep a preloaded syringe of Toradol [a strong, anti-inflammatory pain reliever] in my medicine chest,” he admits, “because once my headaches get really bad, I get nauseated and can’t take anything by mouth. It saved having to go to the ER.”

Having trained as an M.D., Benson confessed that chiropractic treatment wasn’t in his knowledgebase or on his immediate list of pain-relieving measures. In fact, if he had not been visiting his brother, a doctor of chiropractic, when a bad migraine hit, he may never have received chiropractic care. “The Ibuprofen didn’t work, so my brother offered to examine me and adjust my neck,” he says. “When you’re in pain, you’re willing to try anything.” Within 10 to 15 minutes of the adjustment, his migraine had disappeared.

It is likely that Benson’s body reacts to stress by tensing muscles around the cervical joints in the neck, causing nerves in his neck to become impinged and triggering his migraines. Chiropractic adjustment alleviates this pain by relaxing muscles and promoting a full range of motion in the neck, allowing the headache to subside. And Benson’s positive experience isn’t uncommon. Recent studies at Duke University found that spinal manipulation was almost always immediately effective in relieving headaches originating in the neck and provided longer-lasting relief than commonly prescribed pain medications.

Benson’s migraines probably won’t go away completely without substantial lifestyle changes- changes that could be tough to implement with his profession. Once migraines are an established pattern, they are very difficult to get rid of, explains his brother. But he can work to minimize them with chiropractic care- a solution that doesn’t carry the potential side-effects of over-the-counter and prescription pain medication. Whenever a potentially incapacitating migraine hits and Benson gets an adjustment from his brother, “It always works,” he says.

For more information on chiropractic feel free to contact Dr. Jason Fowler www.lakestlouisdc.com