Dr. Brad’s Weekly Health Update: The Most Effective Way to Manage Migraine Pain
Chiropractic treatment better than meds for migraines.
The National Institutes of Health reports that about 12% of Americans suffer from migraines. A new study that involved 104 migraine headache patients compared chiropractic manipulation with a common migraine medication for 3 months. Following the study period, all patients reported improvements; however, only those in the chiropractic treatment continued to report improvements in migraine duration and intensity up to 17 months later. European Journal of Neurology, October 2016
Exercise may help older adults who have memory loss.
Canadian researchers worked with 70 people with an average age of 74 who had “slight” thinking and memory problems. Half of the participants took part in 1-hour exercise classes 3 times a week for 6 months, while the other half did not participate in a structured exercise program. The researchers found the participants who exercised showed some improvement in their thinking and memory skills compared with those who didn’t exercise. Lead researcher Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose adds, “While future studies are needed to replicate and confirm our results, given the well established benefits of exercise as well as the fact there are few treatment options available for people with this condition, aerobic exercise appears to be a sensible treatment option with minimal side effects and cost.” Neurology, October 2016
Women have more negative feelings about their bodies than men.
Researchers enrolled 32 healthy individuals who wore a virtual reality headset that showed them a first-person video of either a “slim” or “obese” body when they looked down. When participants viewed their “obese” bodies, researchers identified a direct link between activity in the area of the brain associated with body perception and activity in a region related to the processing of subjective emotions, such as fear and anger. Researchers found that this activity was more prominent in women than men. Lead author Dr. Catherine Preston notes, “This research is vital in revealing the link between body perception and our emotional responses regarding body satisfaction, and may help explain the neurobiological underpinnings of eating-disorder vulnerability in women.” Cerebral Cortex, October 2016
Anger plus heavy exertion may result in a heart attack.
Intense anger along with heavy physical exertion may be a trigger for a first heart attack among some people. According to a study that involved more than 12,000 men and women, both intense activity and intense emotions double one’s heart attack risk over the following hour, and the risk increases about threefold when individuals are upset and exert themselves at the same time. Circulation, October 2016
Obesity linked to liver cancer.
Having a large waistline, a high body mass index (BMI), and type 2 diabetes may raise the risk of liver cancer. Researchers examined data on 1.57 million adults and found that individuals with type 2 diabetes were 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer than the general population. The researchers also found the risk of liver cancer increases 8% for every 2 inches added to the waistline and the risk is also increased for those with a higher BMI. They conclude these findings provide substantial support for adding liver cancer to the list of obesity-associated cancers. Cancer Research, October 2016
Yours in health,
Dr. Brad Butler, DC
