Mental Attitude: ‘Mindfulness’ May Help Some Manage Their Chronic Pain. Mindfulness is described as the ability
to be fully present, aware of where you are, and calm about what’s going on around you. A review of data from twenty
published studies involving over 2,000 patients with chronic pain found that engaging in a yoga or meditation training
program that involved mindfulness is an effective method for managing stress and other problems associated with chronic
pain, especially when combined with additional treatment strategies. Evidence Based Mental Health, January 2019
Health Alert: Resting Heart Rate Change May Signal Type 2 Diabetes… New research indicates that changes in
resting heart rate over several years may signal an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes. In this study, researchers monitored
the resting heart rate of 12,155 adults six years apart and found that participants who experienced a ten beat increase in
resting heart rate had a 90% increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. NMCD, December 2018
Diet: Breakfast May Not Be Important for Weight Loss. For years, we have been told that breakfast is the most
important meal of the day to help maintain a healthy weight, but a new paper suggests otherwise. Investigators looked at
thirteen randomized controlled trials and found that people who ate breakfast ended up eating about 260 additional
calories per day, while those who skipped breakfast were about one pound lighter. BMJ, January 2019
Exercise: Kids Should Be Active Every Day. An analysis of data concerning 5,779 pre-adolescent children from twelve
countries suggests that staying active throughout the week is important for reducing a child’s obesity risk. In particular,
the study found that kids who generally don’t exercise are almost five times more likely to be obese, while children who
are mostly sedentary during either the week or weekend have double the risk for childhood obesity.
International Journal of Obesity, January 2019
Chiropractic: What Onset Is Associated with Cervical Radiculopathy? Cervical radiculopathy is a condition
characterized by pain, numbness, or weakness in the neck that goes down one or both arms. Questionnaires completed by
122 cervical radiculopathy patients found that one third recalled their symptoms started following a specific physical
activity or trauma while the remainder said their cervical radiculopathy began without an inciting event. This study
illustrates the reality that in most cases, patients cannot isolate a specific cause for their presenting complaint. Often, the
cause is cumulative in nature, making the determination of causation difficult to impossible. Doctors of chiropractic are
trained to assess and treat patients that present with radiating arm pain, regardless of causation. PM & R, January 2019
Wellness/Prevention: Why Am I Bloated? Many people suffer from abdominal bloating, which feels like an inflated
balloon in the abdomen. The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders notes these common triggers for
bloating: too much gas in the intestine; abnormally high amounts of bacteria in the small intestine; imbalance of
microorganisms that live in the bowel, which could be the result of taking antibiotics; food intolerance; and increased
curvature of the lumbar region of the spine, which decreases the capacity of the abdomen to hold gas.
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, January 2019
Quote: “It is books that are a key to the wide world; if you can’t do anything else, read all that you can.” ~ Jane Hamilton
I found that Dr. Joe Megna is one of the best chiropractors I have found in the Napa region.