September 2020 Health Newsletter

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) affects more than 3 million people annually and occurs when there is compression of the median nerve where the nerve runs through the carpal bones of the wrist. The result is numbness, tingling and/or weakness in the hand. A review of CTS studies that include joint mobilization indicates, according to researchers, "…joint mobilization was associated with positive clinical effects for persons with CTS." Joint mobilization of the wrist is nothing more than introducing safe, controlled force to the carpal bones of the wrist in order to reduce pressure to the median nerve, break adhesions and improve blood flow. Doctors of chiropractic are trained and fully skilled in the art of joint mobilization, which is commonly called "adjustments." If you are suffering from CTS, or similar soft tissue ailment, we encourage you to consider chiropractic care today.


A small study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison indicates that meditation and exercise significantly reduced the number of days people missed work due to colds or flu. The results need to be confirmed, but could add another tool to the prevention options available for the respiratory illnesses. Currently there is no vaccine for the common cold, and flu vaccines are only effective 60-70% of the time. The only other preventative measures available for the illnesses are hand washing and to avoid contact with infected persons. While the common cold and most strains of the flu are considered mild by doctors, the estimated costs of them to society run into billions of dollars annually. Working from a thesis that exercise and meditation could prevent illness, Dr. Bruce Barrett and his colleagues randomly assigned 149 patients into three groups; one group participated in an eight week exercise training, one group participated in an eight week meditation training and the third participated as a control and received no special instructions. After the training periods were completed, the researchers tracked illness incidents in the groups through cold and flu season. Of the 50 people in the control group, 40 got sick as opposed to 27 in the meditation group and 26 in the exercise group. Furthermore, the exercise and meditation groups reported feeling sick for an average of only five days, while the control group felt ill for nine. The exercise and meditation groups also missed less work. The researchers speculate that exercise helped strengthen the immune systems of test subjects, while meditation left subjects better prepared to cope with the effects of illness. Dr. Barrett stated however, that the findings were preliminary and needed more study.

For the nearly half of Americans who experience occasional insomnia, and the 22 percent who suffer from the condition nightly, a new survey by the non-profit National Sleep Foundation suggests the key to restful sleep is vigorous exercise. The survey of 1,000 people, conducted by phone and over the internet, indicates that people who exercise regularly have less problems getting to sleep and enjoy a better quality of sleep than those who do not. More than 75 percent of the respondents who reported themselves as working out regularly reported sleeping well, as compared to just over half of the people who reported not exercising at all. Interestingly, both groups reported getting the same amount of sleep; an average of just under seven hours a night during the work week. However, respondents who were physically active reported falling asleep more quickly, experiencing less sleeping problems and needing less sleep to function during the day. The sedentary people reported problems falling asleep at night, staying asleep, keeping awake during the day, taking more naps and exhibiting more symptoms of sleep apnea, a condition that causes breathing problems while sleeping. The experts concluded that even ten minutes of exercise a day could have a significant impact on the duration and quality of sleep.