Mental Attitude: Are Teenagers Who Stay Up Late at Risk for Mental Health Issues? A survey of 300 Australian high school
students conducted by researchers at the University of Adelaide has found that teenagers who delay their bedtimes are more likely to
experience depression, insomnia, or both. Investigators also found that this group is more likely to have obsessive-compulsive
disorder, separation anxiety, and social phobia. Study leader and PhD candidate Pasquale Alvaro adds, "In my opinion, measuring
sleep should be part of any mental health assessments performed in teenagers." Sleep Medicine, December 2013
Health Alert: Inflammatory Muscle Disorder Raises Risk for Heart Attack & Stroke. An inflammatory disorder that affects
roughly 2% of older adults called polymyalgia rheumatica may increase their risk for heart attack and stroke. Researchers found that individuals with polymyalgia rheumatica have about a 300% greater risk for a vascular event than those without the disease.
CMAJ, July 2014
Diet: Ways Zinc Deficiency Affects the Body. According to the Institute of Food Technologists, existing research has shown an
association between zinc deficiency and the following health conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, high blood pressure, and cirrhosis of the liver. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, July 2014
Exercise: Let's Move! In an effort to end childhood obesity in the United States, the Obama administration created the Let's Move!
campaign in 2010. Some of the program's suggestions for helping children become more physically active include giving children toys that encourage physical activity (such as a jump rope or ball), walking to and from school (when safe), taking a walk after a meal, joining a youth sports team, and participating in family activities such as a day at the park, swimming, or a bike ride.
Let's Move!, April 2011
Chiropractic: Carpal Tunnel Work Injuries. Work-related arm injuries and conditions are not uncommon in the modern workplace. One of the most common conditions is carpal tunnel syndrome, which occasionally presents with accompanying ganglion cysts. In a case study, a female patient with this condition in both her wrists presented for chiropractic care after failing to respond to several previous courses of allopathic care. Treatment consisted of Chiropractic manipulation, soft-tissue techniques, and physiotherapy modalities applied to the arms and wrists over a three-month period, in addition to home exercises using elastic tubing and a gyroscopic handheld device. The patient reported decreased hand paresthesias (a sensation of tingling, tickling, prickling, pricking, or burning in the skin) and muscle weakness, as well as improvements in range of motion and neurologic deficits. The case demonstrates the benefits of chiropractic care on carpal tunnel syndromes complicated by ganglion cysts.
Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, September 2011
Wellness/Prevention: Protect Kids from Tipped-Over Furniture. In an instant, a small child can pull on a TV, dresser, or
computer monitor and be critically injured if the furniture tips over on them. According to the United States Consumer Product Safety
Commission, each year about 25,000 American children are taken to emergency rooms because of injuries resulting from a fallen
object or tipped over piece of furniture in the home. Doctors recommend walking through the house to determine what items need to be secured or removed and to use safety gates to keep children out of rooms that are not childproof. Dr. Alex Rosenau, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, adds, "Telling a child not to touch or climb on something is not enough. You must take the first steps to prevent tragedy from happening in your home by childproofing each room they are in."
American College of Emergency Physicians, July 2014
Quote: “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.” ~ Margaret Fuller
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