Spinal Forces Determine Genetic Expression of Your Discs

A recent study in The Spine Journal showed that the type of forces that your spine experiences determine what the intervertebral disc cells will do. Scientists found that heavy loads activated genes that told the disc cells to slow down their breakdown cycle. Moderate loads over a prolonged time however signaled a quicker turnover of the cells.

What this means to you and I is that moderate but repetitive compressive loads to the spine (such as a repetitive lifting job) tend to lead to quicker and more advanced disc disease than individuals who experience heavy but infrequent compressive loads (such as a weight lifter).  Your gym workout is not contributing to a bad back, it is in fact preventing you from developing one! 

Gwendolyn A. Sowa, J. Paulo Coelho, Kevin M. Bell et al (2010). "Alterations in gene expression in response to compression of nucleus pulposus cells." The Spine Journal 11(1) pp. 36-43; doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2010.09.01

8 Holiday Eating Tips That Prevent Weight Gain

With the average person gaining 7-10 pounds between thanksgiving and new years day, follow these tips to the best of your ability to avoid the holiday bulge.

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Chiropractic for Headaches

The most common type of headaches are tension type headaches, and the most common cause of these is misalignment of the cervical vertebrae (neck bones). Unfortunately many individuals aren't aware of this fact and when pain relievers fail to help, seek out advanced medical treatment. They are surprised when the CT scan, MRI, EEG, and all other tests are "normal" despite the continued discomfort. Our approach is different. We first look at the most common cause and pursue conservative corrective care if we find a major misalignment that we can fix. Not only does this solve the problem the majority of the time, but it also is safer, less costly, and long-lasting. Makes sense to us. Learn more about headache treatment.