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| Corporate Wellness Group eBulletin |
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Issue No. 7
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December 2012
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We hope you enjoy and find helpful this latest edition of the St. Charles Pain & Wellness Center newsletter. Be sure to give us a call if you have any questions, or to make an appointment with Dr. Hertz or Acupuncturist Cynthia Love.
 All of us at St. Charles Pain & Wellness Center wish you and your family a happy, healthful holiday season, and hope to see you soon! |
 How Does Chiropractic Help Relieve Pain? Chiropractic works by assisting the body in its ability to heal naturally. Complementary therapies include massage therapy, acupuncture, strength training, workplace ergonomics and nutrition, which can play a role in improving your condition. Chiropractic treatment for pain rests on the principle that healing will occur as a natural function of the body once it is in correct alignment. Conversely, misalignment will lead to excess strain and wear on the body, resulting in pain. Misalignment can occur over time as the result of bad posture, repetitive activities (such as performing certain sports or occupations) and degenerative disease. It may also happen suddenly due to trauma from a road accident, a fall or a particular sports injury.  In addition to pain relief, chiropractic treatment aims to restore natural functioning and range of motion to the problem area. The two go hand-in-hand: pain occurs in the shoulder, for example, because of a lack of movement from an injury or strain so once this is treated, the shoulder will be both pain-free and able to move normally. Spinal manipulation is often used to correct underlying postural problems. Manipulation helps the spine and joints to resume their natural position and eases the muscle strain associated with being out of balance, thus relieving pain. Trapped nerves, which may also cause considerable pain (as in the case of sciatica), are often released through spinal manipulation. Some painful injuries may require time to heal, such as shoulder rotator cuff injuries and slipped discs. In these cases, spinal manipulation and soft tissue massage are important in order to give the injury the best possible conditions for repair to take place. Patients will often involuntarily tense their muscles around an area of pain, which can both prolong the healing time and increase their discomfort. In these cases, chiropractic treatment is important to both relieve the pain felt by the patient and to promote natural healing in the affected area. If you're experiencing pain, give us a call at 630-513-7770 today for a free consultation and to discuss a natural, non-invasive treatment plan.
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Fewer Workouts, Better Results: 
Get More from Your Workout by
Doing Less
Research linking muscular strength to better
health continues to grow every year.
by Richard Wolff, RD, LDN, MedFitness of St. Charles
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Evidence supporting the benefits of strength training is so strong that major health agencies now include strength training in their exercise guidelines. In 2008 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the first ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and recommended that all adults engage in muscle-strengthening exercises.
The learning curve for building strength dates back to the 1940's. Today, exercise scientists agree that increasing strength requires deep muscle fatigue by engaging in muscle-strengthening exercises such as strength training. Activities like running, swimming, biking and hiking do not require the kind of intense muscular work necessary to achieve deep muscle fatigue and are therefore limited in their ability to build strength.
As important as deep muscle fatigue is, it is only effective when combined with adequate rest. During the rest phase, muscles become stronger and healthier, but many people overlook rest and mistakenly believe more is better when it comes to strength training.
Your body needs time to recover from the stress of a demanding strength workout. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, lack of rest between workouts leaves your muscles unable to perform at their best. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 48 to 96 hours between strength workouts.
To get the most from your strength program, rest at least 2 to 4 days between workouts. This translates into 2 full-body strength workouts per week.
Improving your health is easier than you think. Two workouts per week can significantly increase strength while improving your health at the same time.
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Benefits of  Resveratrol:
The "Magic Ingredient" in Red Wine?
Resveratrol is the polyphenol that has become most commonly associated with the benefits of drinking red wine. It is found in red and purple grapes (although the actual amount is relatively small), as well as in berries such as cranberries and blueberries, and peanuts.
| Resveratrol has become the darling of the "pop a pill to improve your health" advocates and has captured a growing share of the health supplement market. Its supposed benefits range from preventing cancer and reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes to slowing the aging process. However, what most people do not know is that the majority of scientific studies performed on resveratrol has been done in vitro (in a lab dish) or have been performed on animals in a laboratory. There have been few completed human studies.
Resveratrol is a compound that plants produce to help them ward off pathogens such as bacteria, fungus and mold. Several studies indicated that the French, who often smoked and ate a diet high in saturated fat, had a lower-than-average rate of heart disease. Some researchers theorized that it was the resveratrol in the ubiquitous wine at almost every French dinner table that was responsible for the paradox.
However, a person would need to drink the equivalent of 667 bottles of red wine to equal the amount of resveratrol that has been used in human studies. Health experts have recently posited that the French paradox is more likely due to the fact that the French eat far less trans-fat, sugar and hydrogenated oil than their American counterparts.
Not coincidentally, it's these substances that are increasingly being targeted as the main promoters of diet-related heart disease.
The bottom line is that the proven benefits of resveratrol are negligible at this stage of research, and its side effects have not yet been adequately evaluated in human studies. Most studies on wine drinking have confirmed that drinking wine in moderation has a positive effect on health, but that is likely due to factors other than its resveratrol content.
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