I hope everyone is having an enjoyable winter this year, even with all the rain, at least there has been a lot of snow up in the mountains!  I’ve learned that there are great upsides to our winter weather, one being the amazing springs and summers that we get to enjoy.

One of the biggest questions and concerns we have received this year has to do with insurance.  With all of the new laws and regulations as well as plan changes (some that sound good on the outside), many of our patients have been left in the dark.  We at TAI strive to make your experience the best it can and hope that we can also act as a liaison at times in order to improve the communication of your overall health care to you.  Our front office, led by Jennifer Allender, is extremely knowledgeable around insurance and its little details.

Also feel free to ask your therapist about your varying health care needs. Steve and I can always help to put you in the right direction if we cannot help directly.  Our patients are always surprised that we can treat some conditions like vertigo, back pain, balance and even headaches, all of which you may have seeked treatment for months, or have had a poor response to elsewhere.

Remember, your health care is ultimately yours to direct, but we are here to help.  Ask questions (even if we don’t agree with Dr. Google), seek answers and help take control of your health!

In health,

Adam C. Wachter PT, MPT, CSCS

Clinic Director

Nearly 28,000 men die each year from prostate cancer.  Autopsy studies show that about half of men over the age of eight have prostate cancer.[1] You can reverse the progression of prostate with lifestyle changes.

The participants in this study were men who had chosen not to undergo any conventional treatment (Ornish D, et al. 2005). These men had a PSA of 4-10 ng/ml and cancer Gleason scores of less than 7. One group was asked to eat a vegan diet, participate in a stress reduction program, and do light exercises. The control group underwent the usual care. The study lasted for 1 year. The PSA decreased 4% in the experimental group while it increased 6% in the control group. 6 patients in the control group underwent conventional treatment due to increased PSA and/or a progression of disease as shown on MRI, but none of the patients in the experimental group did. Implementation of diet and lifestyle changes makes even more sense as a preventative measure.[2]

As men get older prostate cancer gets more and more common. Here are some interesting facts. After reviewing 13 independent studies, the researchers concluded that the consumption of milk and dairy products increases the risk of prostate cancer (Qin LQ, et al. 2007). Milk stimulated the growth of prostate cancer cells in cell cultures in 14 separate experiments (Tate PL, et al. 2011). Why would dairy products stimulate prostate cancer? The kinase mTORC1 which is a regulator of tissue growth and also regulates cell death is stimulated by dairy, and it is upregulated in nearly 100% of advanced prostate cancers (Melnik BC, et al. 2012). It is also another reason and that is hormones which naturally is found in milk. A study including 47,896 men, the ones with the highest intake of choline, had a 70% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer (Richman EL, et al. 2012). Where do we find choline? The foods containing the highest amount of choline are meat, milk and eggs.[3]

We know that exercise, incorporated with a plant based diet and stress management, has a beneficial effect on prostate cancer, but what about exercise on it’s own? This has now been researched and here are the results. Patients with recurrence following radical prostatectomy, or patients managed on active surveillance, were either put in a group doing home-based endurance training 3 times per week for 24 months, or a control group receiving usual care (Hvid T, et al. 2015). The participants in the exercise group showed significant improvements in triglycerides, adiponectin, IGF-1, IGFBP-1 and fasting glucose levels. Adiponectin is a hormone involved in glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. IGF-1 is a growth factor and IGFBP-1 stands for IGF-1 binding protein which alters IGF-1 interaction with cell receptors. What is especially interesting is that PSADT (PSA doubling time) increased from 28 to 76 months during the first 6 months of exercise. PSADT is a calculated number, and a higher value is associated with a reduced risk of disease progression. None of these changes were taking place in the control group. This is good news. Exercise by itself makes a difference, but the smart thing to do is to also incorporate an effective dietary regime as well as stress reduction.[4]

It has only been in the last few decades that mankind has begun to recognize that lifestyle choices influence health.  People used to believe that chronic diseases , like getting diabetes, were just “luck of the draw”, in this case bad luck.  The deceptions of the tobacco industry brought to light how lifestyle choices can influence the disease process.   This is not really new information when you realize over 2500 years ago Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

At Therapeutic Associates at Stafford Hills Club we will continue to strive to help you move you your body better; to live, work and play with movement patterns and postures that promote musculoskeletal health and avoid or recover from musculoskeletal.

Be watching and keep your eye open for more, future fun facts,
Stephen A. Barsotti PT, OCS, COMT
Physical Therapist

[1] How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D. pg 213
[2] Internet post by Didrik Sopler, PhD –www.tissuerecovery.com 1/19/2016
[3] Internet post by Didrik Sopler, PhD –www.tissuerecovery.com 1/23/2016
[4] Internet post by Didrik Sopler, PhD –www.tissuerecovery.com 1/19/2016

Twice a month the staff here at the clinic reads and reviews journal articles in order to enhance our treatment of our patients. 

Please glance below to see the most recent information we reviewed, they are always interesting!

Authors:
Michael J. Callaghan, PHD, MPhil,MCSP; Matthew J Parkes, MSc; David T Felson, MD, MPH

Objective:
To discover the effects of knee supports on the strength and inhibition of the quadriceps in patients who have patellofemoral osteoarthritis.

Methods:
108 patients were divided between a brace wearing and non-brace wearing group.The brace wearing group wore the brace for the full 12 weeks of the study; whereas, the non-brace wearing group only wore the brace for the last 6 weeks of the study. The brace wearing group wore the brace for a minimum of 3 hours per day doing normal activities.

Results:
There was no statistical difference between the two groups. However, there was an insignificant improvement in the brace group compared to the non- brace group.

Takeaway:
There may be a possible decrease in pain that helps with muscle pattern firing when wearing the brace which provided the insignificant improvement for the brace group.

Authors:

Paula Camargo, PT, PHD; Francisco Alburquerque- Fendín, PT, PHD; Mariana A. Avila, PT, PHD; Melina N. Haik, PT, MS; Amilton Vieira, MS; Tania F. Salvini, PT, PHD

Objective:
To determine the benefits or effects of manual therapy when added to a strength and stretching program when treating shoulder impingement.

Methods:
46 patients with shoulder impingement were placed into  2 groups. Each group went through a  4 week intervention; Group 1 were treated with a strengthening and stretching  intervention and Group 2 received strengthening, stretching and manual therapy intervention. Each patient was measured before and after the 4 week intervention to determine the effects of manual therapy. The measureable outcomes were scapular kinematics, function, pain, and mechanical sensitivity.

Results:
The findings of this study were inconclusive. The improvements in each outcome were considered clinically insignificant; therefore, suggesting that the addition of manual therapy in an intervention doesn't enhance the progress of the intervention.

Takeaway:
The focus of an intervention for shoulder impingement should be strengthening and stretching. Manual therapy may be useful and appropriate at times, but should not be used as the only technique to improve treatment outcomes.