Depression and Obesity – A Dangerous Combination

In North America, 1 in 20 people suffer from depression.  In the US alone, physicians write 230 million antidepressant prescriptions each year.  More women than men are affected by depression, but this fact may be skewed because men are often less likely to seek professional help.

It is widely known that obesity negatively affects your physical health by boosting the chances of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.

Depression and Obesity – Conjoined Twins???

Does depression cause obesity?  Or does obesity cause depression?  According to medical researchers, the answer is “both.”  One weight study author remarked that when they gain weight, people get depressed, and when they get depressed, these people have more trouble losing weight.  A study of middle-aged women found they were more often depressed if they were obese and more obese if they were depressed.  Weight gain is connected to increased caloric intake and less physical activity and these factors contribute to boosting the risk of developing depression.  In fact, research shows that a woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above boosts her chance of developing depression into the range of 50% to 150%.  For help with diet and nutrition, come visit us!  The Doctors at Progressive Rehab are trained in Chiropractic care, as well as in nutrition, diet, and exercise.  Remember, boost your amount of exercise and eat more nutritious foods to lower the risk of weight gain.  By doing these things, you should start to feel better, both physically and emotionally!

 

Quote to Inspire:

“Even if you are on

the right track, you’ll

get run over if you

just sit there.”

- Will Rogers

Snow Shoveling

Winter snow looks so soft and fluffy as it floats down to the earth, but when we attempt to clear our sidewalks of the white stuff with our shovels, what we discover is that it’s not as easy as we first imagined it would be.  Snow gets easily packed and dense, and sometimes when the temperatures hover around the freezing point, the wetness of the snow can make it much heavier than it looks.  Shoveling snow is a physically demanding exercise that puts a great demand on the heart, thus putting us at greater risk for heart attacks.  Shoveling can also easily lead to sprains and strains of the lower back, wrists, elbows and shoulders.  If you find yourself a painful victim of ‘shovelitis’ (a term used here to describe the acute lower back pain and inflammation following an afternoon of moving snow), your next step should be to make an appointment with your Chiropractor.  If you’re looking to prevent that next bout of ‘shovelitis’, follow these helpful tips this winter:

1. Warm up before heading out into the cold by stretching out tight muscles before using them.

2. Don’t over-load your shovel with snow – remember, one shovel full of wet snow can weigh up to 25 pounds!

3. Always lift with your legs – be sure to bend with your knees, not your back, when lifting loads of snow.

4. Don’t bend and twist – this is the worst combination for disc injuries. And avoid throwing snow over your shoulder!

5. Take a break! Taking regular breaks can help prevent getting over-tired – when you are over-tired, you are most likely to injure yourself.

 

Quote to Inspire:

“The minute you settle for

less than you deserve, you

get even less than you settled

for.”

- Maureen Dowd

Winter Activities – a likely cause for acute low back pain?

As summer turns into fall, and fall into winter, Chiropractors prepare themselves to receive a healthy number of new patients.  These new patients often exhibit injuries related to some of the more common winter activities; thus, contributing to a greater incidence of acute lower back pain in Chiropractic clinics.  As many patients dig into their closets to find their ski gear or ice skates, most do not think about how often the fun-filled winter activities can lead to debilitating lower back pain.  Similarly, most patients do not realize how just the physical activity of shoveling snow can render them debilitaed.  A few of the most notable causes for injury in the winter months include:

1. Slips and falls – with icy conditions

2. Snow shoveling – a strenuous winter-related activity

3. Dangerous winter sports

It is good practice to be aware of these facts, and begin chiropractic treatments in early winter and continue treatments throughout the winter months.  Prevention and long-term care is key to your Chiropractic health!

Quote to Inspire:

“Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.”

- Vista M. Kelly

CHIROPRACTIC CARE – IS IT SAFE FOR SENIORS?

One of the amazing things about Chiropractic care is that anyone at any age can benefit from it.  Chiropractic care is not gender or age-specific and the latter fact is a very good thing, since over 13% of the American population is above the age of 65*.  According to an article published online for Harvard Magazine, in America, 3,000 people turn 65 every day.  Statistics suggest that between the years of 1990 and 2020, it is very likely that the total number of this group of senior citizens will grow by 71% – If this is true, by the year 2020, one out of six Americans will be over the age of 65.  These percentage statistics likely follow the same course in most other countries in the Western World.  However, just because we are getting older, does not mean we have to feel older!

Chiropractic is a branch of the healing arts that is ideally suited to take care of this aging generation.  Why you may ask?  Because when a Chiropractor adjusts a patient, he or she safely and non-invasively puts movement into joints of that patient.  Movement is the expression of life and Chiropractors are the specially trained physicians who keep your joints moving!  So, try us out.  Bring your parents or grandparents in.  Chiropractic can benefit the whole family!

 

*http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

 

Quote to Inspire:

“Don’t let the noise of

others’ opinions drown out

your own inner voice.”

- Steve Jobs

Hello world!

Welcome to Progressive Rehab’s official Blog Spot!!!

We cannot wait to interact with our wonderful patients & friends and discuss various health issues such as, chiropractic care, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and MANY other topics!  We are here to answer your questions & to help you get healthy in 2012!

Here’s to a New Year & New You!!

To YOUR Health!

Sincerely,

Your Progressive Rehab Family