The danger of relying on medication...

Today I read an editorial from the Lancet, one of the oldest and well respected medical journals in the world, that made me take pause. The article centers on a change  to the definition of depression’s, in the newest version of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Part of the change to the definition of depression's diagnosis is the drastically shortening the exclusion for those who recently had a loved one die (the exclusion shinks from 12 months in the DSM-3, to 2 weeks in the DSM-5). The editorial rails against the notion that a diagnosis of depression should be given without consideration of bereavement, concluding it could become a standard to medicate those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

The author suggests that this change is improper, that attempting to medicate away grief may have unintended consequences. "Medicalising grief, so that treatment is legitimised routinely with antidepressants, for example, is not only dangerously simplistic, but also flawed." The author believes that grief is part of what makes us human, and fears people taking a pill rather than deal with the complex emotions of loss.

To me this speaks of a transition in our society, the 'medicalising' of conditions. Whether it is grief, obesity, or injury recovery, there may be a danger in looking first to medication for a solution. The author of the editorial says "Life cannot, nor should not, continue as normal. In a sense, a new life has to be created, and lived with." At times medication can be a vital component of the transformation of one's life, but should not be the sole component. For those who have lost a loved one they need time to make a new life in the absence of the one they lost. For those who choose to confront their obesity, they must change diet, exercise and often change their social support structure. For those with injury, they must change their activities and focus on healing and adapting to their injury.

As a chiropractor, I know that my care is most effective when the patient has committed to their new life. Transition from the previous life to the new one is often difficult, but is ultimately worth the challenge. Bill Clinton said “Character is a journey, not a destination.” Working through the transition makes the new life both an achievement and healing. My goal is to help support each patients change, nurture the new life and provide what guidance I can.

Sleep to focus and prevent disease.

Recently Dr. Simon, from Harvard, has written about sleep's affect on creativity, memory and problem solving. Dr. Weil has also recently shown that adequate sleep may help prevent Alzheimer disease.

image from pharmaprojects.com

Why is sleep so important? This question seems to plague many of our smartest researchers. Though there isn't any one single reason on why we need to sleep, there is a plethora of examples of the benefits of adequate sleep.

In the Harvard Health Watch, they explore research that shows the benefits of naps, specifically ones that are long enough to allow one to enter deep sleep. This state of deep sleep, known as REM, was shown to be beneficial to creativity and problem solving. The take home from this research is that when confronted with problems, it may be best to "sleep on it". How fun is that statement? Now we have research to back up a desire for a short nap in the afternoon.

In a press release from the American Academy of Neurlogy, they have shown that disrupted sleep leads to a build up of amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer disease. They were able to see more plaques in people who woke 5 or more times per hour, or those who spent less than 85% of their time in bed sleeping. The take home of this is that if you find yourself having difficulty sleeping, it might be the best for your health to seek help.

Refer to my blog post regarding ways to increase your sleep here.

How muscle work affects the body.

For ages we have known that massage feels good. Though not until recently has science shown that in addition to feeling good massage aids in recovery. When we use our muscles, we often have some pain usually experienced as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Vigorous exercise causes tiny tears in muscle fibers, leading to an immune reaction, inflammation, as the body gets to work repairing the injured cells. It represents the muscles need to change, and is can be sign of muscle growth.

Courtesy Kouy photography

 

Combating this soreness can leave one a bit perplexed, though. Depending on severity, soreness can inhibit further activity, promote sedentary time, or lead to NSAID use (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The problem with these solutions is that they all reduce the effectiveness of training… If you avoid activity during times of soreness your muscles won’t change as fast as they are able, thus prolonging the duration of training. Use of anti-inflammatory drugs can inhibit the natural process of muscle repair but inhibiting the chemical pathways of recovery. These options often lead to ineffective training habits

A recent study has shown that massage not only makes you feel better, it actually helps your muscles to heal faster. Massage causes the body to increase the activity of mitochondria in massaged muscles and naturally decreases inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF-α), one of the byproducts that causes pain in exercised muscle.

Dr. Bramble using a tool to increase the effectiveness of  muscle work in the upper traps

The take home message is that a massage may be one of the most effective methods to combat muscle soreness. It is a natural way to combat the pain, while not interfering with the natural healing mechanisms of the muscle and actually increases the rate of recovery. As a chiropractor, I have always held a firm belief that muscle work is an important component of treatment, and this study gives credence to that belief.

So next time you have a big workout planned why not schedule a massage or chiropractic and bodywork appointment the next day. You’ll be happy you did.