Drs. Joe and Pilar Labriola, a husband and wife team, say they opened the Chiropractic Health Spa on Franklin Tpke. in Ramsey four years ago because they felt the traditional healthcare experience needed to be modernized. “We both worked in traditional practices, and it was just a gut feeling that if we were going to start our own practice, we should do something different,” Dr. Pilar said. “So, we decided to do something more fitting the 21st Century, it has a social aspect to it, and a more inviting feeling.”

The different atmosphere begins when patients walk in the door. Dr. Pilar’s sister, an interior designer from Georgia with a TV show on the DIY network, decorated the interior of the office. Rooms are designed to have a zen-like atmosphere, with candles, artwork, warm colors, and a “non-institutional” look.

Patients are also greeted by different types of music each day – so, while being adjusted, they can hear pop Tuesdays, 80’s Wednesdays or classic rock Thursdays.

The services offered at the spa are also atypical – they include acupuncture, massage therapy and weight loss counseling. “And, we offer all of our services in a different way,” Dr. Pilar said. Most of the chiropractic patients work on machines in a communal room. “It sort of has a bar atmosphere to it,” Dr. Joe said. “In addition to private consultations with the doctors, everyone works on their individual treatments in one room. So, we keep our eyes on everyone, and they get the benefit of working through physical issues in a social atmosphere.”

The doctors treat a variety of physical issues, and specialize in posture correction. “People don’t realize that all of the looking down we do affects our posture,” Dr. Pilar said. “Dealing with computer screens and cell phone everyday makes us lean our heads forward.” The chiropractors said they specialize in posture because correcting it can lead to better overall health. “A lot of times people don’t even realize they have bad posture until they come in to get evaluated,” Dr. Pilar said. “Then, after they start undergoing treatment, their whole bodies start to feel better.”

The other treatments offered at the spa are also aimed at improving overall health, the doctors say. Massage therapy and acupuncture are alternative methods that they say patients have had great success with.

In terms of weight loss therapy, the doctors say they also focus on “forward-looking” methods, and emphasize overall health. The Chiropractic Health Spa is one of only 10 offices in the country with a PhysioRED weight loss bike, which combines exercise with infrared technology. “It’s very simple,” Dr. Joe said. “It helps your body de-tox, and the light does the hard work. But, in one half hour session you burn two or three times the amount of calories you would doing a traditional exercise.”

One of the most important parts of the practice’s feeling, the doctors said, is a sense of community. “Everyone who works here is a professional, and we are really like a big family,” Dr. Pilar said. “We work as a team. So, you can come here just for a massage, or you can be a patient in several different aspects of what we do here.”

The Spa also works with several different community groups, like the Mahwah Schools Foundation, to “give back. We’ve gone into Mahwah schools before to give the teachers free massages as a thank you,” Dr. Pilar said. “And, we set up massage chairs at the MSF race every year.”

Through the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce, the doctors connected with Bergen County SCORE, a non-profit organization that works with small businesses. “SCORE has really played an instrumental part in helping us figure out where we want to be in the future,” Dr. Joe said. The office is expanding; adding 1,000-square-feet to its existing space, and is working with SCORE to further cement their office in the community.

“Most of our patients are from Mahwah and Ramsey, and we really love the people who come into our office,” Dr. Pilar said. “As long as we can keep working with and for wonderful people, I think we have a great future ahead of us.”

As seen in mahwah.patch.com
http://mahwah.patch.com/articles/mahwah-doctor-couple-wants-to-change-office-experience

New Evidence Links Common Muscle Injuries to Vitamin D Deficiency

 Deficiencies in Vitamin D have been linked to numerous health problems, some very serious. According to a new study, we can now add increased chance of muscle injury to the already long list.

These findings are significant for everyone: Numerous studies have already shown a widespread Vitamin D deficiency among most Americans, and muscle injuries are among the most common of all complaints.

The new study of the relationship of between Vitamin D and muscle injuries was conducted among 89 National Football League players. During routine pre-season evaluations, in the spring 2010, researchers tested the Vitamin D levels of all the players from a single NFL team.

The study then correlated the Vitamin D levels with each players’ race – white, African American, Asian, and so on – with with the number of muscle injuries and their severity. Severity was measured as the amount of time lost due to the injury.

In every case, the lower the vitamin D level found, the greater the chances of muscle injury and of increased severity. Also, the Vitamin D level in the majority of the athletes in the study, regardless of whether or not they were injured, was insufficient to sustain optimal health – roughly the same as the general population.

“Eighty percent of the football team we studied had vitamin D insufficiency,” said Michael Shindle, MD, lead researcher and member of Summit Medical Group.

The body makes Vitamin D from exposure of skin to sunlight, which is why Vitamin D is often called “the sunshine vitamin”.  Vitamin D levels have dropped significantly among urban populations who spend less time out of doors than their hunting and farming forefathers.

This fat-soluble vitamin is also found in liver, eggs, oily fish, fortified milk and dairy products, and dietary supplements. It is an essential part of our ability to absorb calcium and phosphorus from our food, so we can build strong bones. It is helps regulate hormones, reduces inflammation, and helps regulate the nervous system and the immune system.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, osteoporosis and thyroid problems, and is linked to some cancers, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression, fatigue, obesity, diabetes, possibly even autism – and the list goes on.

Up-to-date nutritional experts urge Americans who spend most of their lives indoors to get out and spend a little more time in the sun. They say the risk of skin cancer from brief exposure is far less significant than the health benefit of raising Vitamin D levels.

Also, ask your chiropractor or other healthcare practitioner about the possibility of taking Vitamin D supplements to prevent muscle injury.

SOURCE: ScienceDaily, July 18, 2011, http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/07/110710132807.htm

WORKPLACE WELLNESS: GOOD FOR EMPLOYEES AND GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Volume 14 Issue 144

A survey of CEOs has found that “healthier employees” is the number one reason why companies implement health promotion programs. Numerous studies show that improving employee health can have a direct financial return on investment by lowering health care costs, lowering absenteeism, and increasing employee productivity.

Anti-obesity programs often result in the most significant and immediate improvements for both employees and the business. Weight loss among obese employees has the potential of positively influencing spouses and children, significantly reducing an organization’s participating health care costs. For example, obese people spend 77 percent more on medications than the non-obese.

Obesity is associated with numerous serious health conditions, including hypertension, Type II diabetes, stroke, heart disease and certain types of cancer, which contribute to higher health care costs for employers. High obesity rates in the US directly raise health care costs and lower employer profits. Employers spend $13 billion annually on the total cost of obesity, and 9.1 percent of all health care costs in the country are related to obesity.

Obesity also reduces productivity, for two related reasons. The first is obvious: chronic absenteeism due to various chronic illnesses associated with obesity. But “presenteeism” is also a serious factor – the cost of lost productivity due to employees actually coming to work and producing far below job requirements because of health and other personal problems.

Potential benefits to employers of an employee health and wellness program are:

• Reduced cost for chronic diseases
• Decreased absenteeism
• Reduced employee turnover
• Improved worker satisfaction
• Demonstrated concern for your employees
• Improved morale

Potential benefits to employees are:

• Greater productivity
• Reduced absenteeism
• Improved fitness and health
• Greater social opportunities and support within the workplace

Other benefits that can result from a successfully implemented obesity prevention program include improved employee morale, better worker retention and improved recruiting of new employees.

SOURCE: The Herald-Review, Nov. 26, 2010 http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/life/article_4f213290-f988-11df-b16c-001cc4c03286.html

Getting an informative nutritional consultation and learning about the vitamins that specifically YOUR body needs and taking those vitamins regularly can boost your immune system to its maximum potential, resulting in fewer sick days and simultaneously, less prescription medication.

Prescriptions Filled Without Warnings of Side Effects and Other Dangers

Of the 1.5 million preventable medication errors that occur every year, 500,000 are in hospitals. More than one in five – over 100,000 – of those hospital patients die from the drug error. Death statistics aren’t available for the other million medication errors, but a new study reveals that many of the errors and deaths may be caused by the fact that pharmacies sometimes don’t even include warnings about the drugs’ safety.

When you fill a prescription in a pharmacy, the labels on the bottles do not tell you the side effects, interactions with other drugs, medical conditions that make taking the drug unsafe or other vital warnings. It is required by federal law that all people get this information when they pick up their pills at the pharmacy. To comply with the law, pharmacies include an information sheet in the bag with the pills.

Consumer Reports conducted an investigation on prescriptions for Warfarin to see how many pharmacies actually include the information sheet.

Warfarin is a good example of a drug for which this information sheet is vital. It is an anticoagulant that can interact with some foods, other prescription drugs and even vitamins, and has a long list of side effects including:

• Severe bleeding
• Black stool or bleeding from the rectum
• Skin conditions such as hives, a rash or itching
• Swelling of the face, throat, mouth, legs, feet or hands
• Bruising that comes about without an injury you remember
• Chest pain or pressure
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever or flu-like symptoms
• Joint or muscle aches
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty moving
• Numbness of tingling in any part of your body
• Painful erection lasting four hours or longer
• Skin tissue death (necrosis) and gangrene requiring amputation

It is also not recommended for people with a variety of physical conditions.
The researchers went to the pharmacies in five of the biggest retail chains and found that four out of five did not provide the FDA-approved medication guide for Warfarin.
When Consumer Reports tried to contact the four offending stores, two didn’t even respond. The other two said the warnings are automatically printed out but, obviously, were not put in the bag with the pills and given to the customer.
Eventually, all the pharmacies did provide the materials they give out to patients, but not all of the materials complied with the law, and some contained conflicting information – whether or not the drug is safe with alcohol, for example.
Drugs are not always necessary – you should check with your health care practitioner to see if there are safer solutions – but if you have to take a drug, make sure you get all the information you need to protect yourself.

Source: WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/news/20110628/some-drugs-sold-without-safety-information; Consumer Reports, http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/august/health/what-drug-labels-dont-tell-you/overview/index.htm

Acupuncture Returns Active Life to MS Victim

Volume 10 Issue 88

A person with Multiple Sclerosis will likely try many remedies to find relief from this dreaded and debilitating condition. After drugs produced limited gains, and being told another possible treatment would not be available soon, Duane Perron turned to Acupuncture for help. His decision changed his life.

Duane developed Multiple Sclerosis in 1978. Many years later, now at age 65, the entire left side of his body was affected from head to toe. Adding insult to injury is the fact that he was 100% left handed.

Here’s how he describes his condition prior to Acupuncture:. “The optic nerve in my left eye does not function. I cannot hear in my left ear. I have trigeminal neuralgia (severe nerve pain) on the left side of my face. My left arm is weakened. I drag my left leg along when I walk (shuffle), and I cannot lift my left foot or wiggle my left toes. I have spasticity in both legs.”

Consultations with his doctor lead to an acupuncturist referral. Duane met the professional; she did a very thorough study of his condition and began Acupuncture. Just 2 months into his treatments, here are Duane’s observations.

“About 2 weeks ago, my wife and I went grocery shopping, and as we left the store I said to her, ‘Stay behind me and watch how I walk.’ She did and she said, ‘You are taking much larger steps. You are lifting up your left leg, not dragging it, and you are standing up straight!”

A few days later, Duane had an eye exam. The doctor said, “I don’t know the reason, but in all the tests run today the parameters on the results have at least doubled. That should not occur, but it did!” Still, the best is yet to come.

The final test of his improvement was a holiday where Duane and his wife stayed at a beachside hotel. They went out to dinner, did some cooking, walked the sandy beach to the water and waded in the waves everyday. “Now, I haven’t been able to walk in the sand at a beach or let waves hit my legs for at least 12 years,” said Duane. “But I did that and I did it barefooted without my brace, using just my cane for balance. On the last day, I walked down to the water alone and then down the beach at the water’s edge for about 3 city blocks and then back.” This was quite a remarkable feat.

Prior to Acupuncture treatments, Duane found daily exercise to be the only activity that eased his condition in any way. Now, with his acupuncturist, Duane has “found his angel” and has a whole new quality of life.

Source: Duane Perron Case History. http://www.acupuncture.com/testimonials/ms1.htm

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF NATURAL WAYS TO FIGHT THE FLU THIS SEASON

The number of available flu shots was reduced by 50% this year following a severe crackdown on the British vaccine manufacturer Chiron Corp. Now, many people are scurrying for alternatives that will keep them from getting the high fever and severe body aches associated with the flu.

A problem for adults is that flu season coincides with the busy holiday season. According to Dr. Tom Lischwe of Boulder Medical Center of Avista Hospital in Louisville, during this time, people get less sleep, eat a less healthful diet and drink more alcohol, all of which suppress the immune system and makes people more susceptible to the flu.
Lischwe recommends, in addition to proper hand washing, increasing the daily intake of vitamin C and taking echinacea.

Christopher Turf, a pharmacist and director of compounding and medical outreach at Pharmaca, also recommends a higher dose of Vitamin C. Turf noted his allergies and immune system have both improved after taking a 2,000-3,000 mg of Vitamin C each day.

Another recommended therapy is Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. According to Elise Sachs, L.Ac. and C.H. and Julie Jiayu Zhang, D.O.M., “Chinese Medicine treats the root causes of the disorder and works in synergy with the body.”

They recommend a combination of Acupuncture and Chinese herbs, which can be extremely effective in boosting the immune system, reducing infection and relieving symptoms of the flu such as fever and muscle aches.

Children can also be treated with certain alternatives, said Albert Mehl, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices.

Although antiviral medications are commonly prescribed, the benefit in healthy children is likely to be minimal. “Even when they are prescribed right away, the antiviral drugs may only modify the disease to a slight extent,” he noted.

SOURCE: The Daily Camera, Boulder CO, www.bouldernews.com, October 18, 2004.

How can I improve plane travel?

Most people don’t have any problems when they fly, but it’s possible to make airplane travel safer and more comfortable. Here are some tips:

* Carry enough of all of your medicines to last your whole trip in your carry-on luggage. Ask your doctor whether you should change your dosages if your eating and sleeping times will change at your destination. Take extra medicine with you in case your return trip is delayed.
* If you have diabetes or epilepsy, carry a notification and identification card (such as the “Diabetes Alert Card” from the American Diabetes Association). Have the name and phone number of your doctor with you in case of an emergency. Remember to bring along the names and dosages of all of your medicines.
* The air in airplanes is dry, so drink nonalcoholic, decaffeinated beverages and water to avoid becoming dehydrated.

What can I do about jet lag?

* Get plenty of sleep before you leave.
* Don’t drink a lot of alcohol.
* Eat well-balanced meals.
* Avoid overeating.
* Exercise as much as you can on your trip.
* Use sleep medicines for only a few days.
* Get used to a new time zone by going along with the local meal and bedtime schedules.

Melatonin may help with jet lag, but no one knows how long it can be used safely. Tell your doctor if you plan to take melatonin or any other herbal or alternative medicines.

What about pain in my ears?

If your ears hurt when you fly, try taking a decongestant medicine (such as pseudoephedrine) before you get on the plane. You can also swallow often and chew gum during the flight. Babies can suck on bottles or pacifiers during the flight.

What else should I do?

Even healthy people can get blood clots in their legs after long flights. Try to walk every now and then during your flight (unless the crew tells you not to). It also helps to drink water, stretch your calf muscles while you’re sitting and wear support stockings.

If your doctor wants you to take oxygen when you travel, remember to tell the airline about this well in advance of your flight. The airline will probably provide oxygen for you for a fee. Federal air regulations don’t allow you to carry your own oxygen unit on a plane. You’ll have to make arrangements ahead of time for oxygen at your destination and also for layovers between flights. You can also arrange for special meals or a wheelchair ahead of time if needed.

It’s dangerous to fly immediately after scuba diving. You’ll need to wait 12 to 24 hours after diving. Ask your doctor or diving authorities for guidelines on flying after scuba diving.
Other Organizations

* American Diabetes Association

Source

Medical Advice for Commercial Air Travelers by TN Bettes, M.D., M.P.H., and DK McKenas, M.D., M.P.H. (American Family Physician September 01, 1999, http://www.aafp.org/afp/990901ap/801.html)

Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff

Costs of Neck and Back Problems Shows Major Increase Over Past Decade

Americans spend a lot of money to find relief from back and neck pain problems. With expenditures rising annually, people should be experiencing more relief, but that does not seem to be the case according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A recent study conducted at the University of Washington, Seattle, found that more individuals are reporting back and neck problems, and expenditures for services to handle these issues are rising faster than in other areas of the medical field. A total of 23,045 people were surveyed in 1997 with 3,139 reporting spinal problems. Another 22,258 respondents in 2005 reported more spinal problems at 3,187.

Here is an interesting comparison researchers made between costs in 1997 and again in 2005. In 1997 the average medical cost expenditure for a respondent with spinal problems was $4,695 compared to $2,731 for someone without spinal problems. By the year 2005, the annual costs for respondents with spinal problems had risen to $6,096 compared to $3,516 for those without.

The researchers made allowances for inflation when comparing these figures. The cost for spinal healthcare rose some 65 percent during this time period. They pointed out that this was a faster increase than for other areas of medical service.

Outpatient services accounted for 36 percent of the expenditures and inpatient services totaled another 28 percent. Smaller portions of expenditures went to prescription medications at 23 percent, emergency department visits at 3 percent, and home health, dental and other expenses at 10 percent. Some of the main areas of increase had to do with the cost of imaging to detect problems and the more frequent use of imaging. Therapy costs also rose considerably.

“These data suggest that spine problems are expensive, due both to large numbers of affected persons and to high costs per person. We did not observe improvements in health outcomes commensurate with the increasing costs over time. Spine problems may offer opportunities to reduce expenditures without associated worsening of clinical outcomes,” the authors concluded.

Researchers could have added that one way to reduce costs in the neck and spine pain area would be through Chiropractic. The cost of examination and treatment through Chiropractic services is often considerably less, compared to first the cost of other forms of medical intervention for common back and neck issues. People would be wise to check with a chiropractor first before engaging in other types of therapy for spine-related problems.

Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association. Press Release. “Expenditures Rising for Back and Neck Problems, But Health Outcomes Do Not Appear to Be Improving. February 2008. http://pubs.ama-assn.org/media/2008j/0212.dtl

Acupuncture Stimulates Natural Killer Cells that Attack Cancer

A unique new study by researchers at the Department of Medicine, University of California, strongly suggests that Acupuncture may stimulate the production of “natural killer” cells, called NK cells, that attack and kill cancer cells.

The study approach is unique because it examined earlier studies, and then applied current biological science to explain the findings.

First, the study surveyed an enormous body of earlier research that has already shown how Acupuncture is helpful in many different aspects of cancer treatment.

Research has demonstrated that Acupuncture reduces the incidence of chemotherapy-induced acute vomiting, for example. Other findings show acupuncture can manage some cancer-related pain. Promising evidence suggests that acupuncture relieves fatigue in cancer patients and survivors. Evidence is also accumulating that acupuncture alleviates cancer-related neurological issues, breathlessness, hot flashes and “dry mouth”.

“In sum,” say the researchers, “there are substantial empirical grounds to assume that clinicians could use acupuncture to help patients better tolerate conventional cancer therapies by reducing associated side-effects. Further, the evidence is very strong that acupuncture is an extremely safe therapy. In short, the research implies that acupuncture is a helpful, versatile and safe treatment modality for patients with cancer.”

Despite all these apparent benefits, the authors state, the conventional oncology community “has shown itself reluctant to integrate acupuncture and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities into their treatment plans for patients with cancer.”

One reason has been a concern that symptomatic relief is due to “spontaneous remission” rather than the CAM intervention. Another is that the scientific community “lacks both the scientific evidence and biomedical understanding” to consider that CAM procedures would work.

However, this new study applied accepted cellular immunology and molecular biological theory to interpret and synthesize the evidence from earlier animal and human studies and the findings clearly suggest that Acupuncture can help.

Results indicate that clinicians should use acupuncture to promote NK cell activity to enhance anticancer immune function.

SOURCE: National Center for Biotechnical Information, from Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2011. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3135660/?tool=pubmed