In this July 22, 2021 video, Dr. David Koivuranta of the Toronto Neck and Back Pain Clinic delivers a concise daily health update covering six recent research findings across dermatology, nutrition, rehabilitation, pediatrics, sleep science, and spine health. He begins with a brief greeting and invitation for viewers to contact the clinic for questions. He then summarizes each study: (1) an American Academy of Dermatology survey revealing that many adults underestimate skin‑cancer risk despite high prevalence of risk factors, prompting advice on sun‑protection and skin checks; (2) a Molecular Psychiatry trial showing that 12‑week supplementation with EPA or DHA (fish oil) significantly reduces depressive symptoms in major‑depression patients, encouraging intake of healthy omega‑3 sources; (3) EuroHeartCare/ACNAP data indicating an 8‑week tai‑chi program improves depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality in post‑stroke patients, suggesting tai‑chi as a low‑impact therapeutic option; (4) a Pediatrics screening of parents of premature infants that found 33% of mothers and 17% of fathers exhibited depressive symptoms, with maternal symptoms decreasing after discharge while paternal symptoms persisted, highlighting the need for mental‑health support for fathers; (5) Psychological Science research that listening to music right before bedtime can continue to stimulate the brain and impair sleep quality, advising caution with bedtime music; and (6) a Pain Physician review linking lumbar disc herniation to sacroiliac joint degeneration, which correlates with more severe sciatica, numbness, and weakness, recommending evaluation of the SI joint in low‑back pain patients. Dr. Koivuranta wraps up with a reminder of upcoming written updates, weekend well‑wishes, and encouragement to stay proactive about health.
Chapters
Hello everyone, it's Dr. Dave. Hopefully you're all doing well, enjoying the start of the tail end of your week, and you're taking care and having fun. Coming at you on behalf of the Toronto Neck and Back Pain Clinic with your daily health update for Thursday, July 22nd, 2021. Gonna look at 6 areas of health and wellness news and information with you today. Somewhere around this video you can read through all 6 areas, and if you would like a copy or you have questions, you can DM us on social, send us an email, give us a call here at the clinic. We'd be happy to help you out. Dr. David Koivuranta. Not going to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure any illness or disease with our time together today. However, that doesn't mean that you cannot improve some of your health and/or sustain it and maintain it for the future by taking into some of the information that we might share with you today and/or otherwise as it motivates you just to keep your health and wellness at the forefront of your mind all day, making those good choices and decisions for yourself and maybe for those around you. American Academy of Dermatology, June 2021, looked at Americans, and they, uh, at high risk, they seem unconcerned about skin cancer. A survey conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology found that while 70% of adults have at least one risk factor for skin cancer, only a third are more worried about skin cancer than getting a sunburn or wrinkles. Dermatologists note that these findings are surprising and seem to suggest that many people do not take skin cancer seriously, or perhaps believe skin cancer won't happen to them. Yet 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and nearly 20 Americans die from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, every single day. So be cautious with your sun exposure, especially over time. It can be cumulative. It's not just one season, but it's season after season can have an adverse effect. And if you spot anything unusual or different on your skin and/or on some parts of the skin that someone else might have to check for you, make sure you have that checked with a qualified healthcare provider. Always a smart thing to do. However, enjoy the sun moderation and make sure you use something to protect yourself. The best thing is then to get out of the sun for a while as well, try and hang out in the shade or cover up. Molecular Psychiatry, June 2021, looked at fish oil and how it may help curb depression. In this experiment, patients with major depression who took either 3 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid or 1.4 grams of docosahexaenoic acid commonly known as EPA and DHA, daily for 12 weeks experienced significant improvements with respect to their depressive symptoms. So a good use of, uh, supplement, concentrated, a little bit easier to get than a food source. However, even food source may help keep you cheery. So make sure you're getting good healthy sources of those oils, healthy oils, not necessarily the ones that are bad for you, and it'll help your body work better, including maybe your mind as well as your body. EuroHeartCare ACNAP Congress, June 2021, talked about tai chi and how it too can help with depression and maybe anxiety, but this time specifically after a stroke. Stroke patients with concurrent depression who participated in an 8-week tai chi program reported improvements with respect to stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as better sleep quality. So positive program of care there after having suffered an adverse health effect, uh, event. By using tai chi. And of course, tai chi probably has some benefits even when you're just trying to stay healthy or prevent or stay away from health problems. It's a good way to calm the body, but also to get the body moving and to help your mind focus and maybe block out some of the noise from our big world. Fathers of premature babies could also be at risk for depression. Seems like a theme today in today's daily health update. According to the journal Pediatrics, June 2021, they did screenings of 430 parents of premature infants who were in neonatal intensive care units, and it revealed that 33% of mothers and 17% of fathers exhibited symptoms of depression. However, once the babies were brought home, the mothers experienced a significant reduction in depression while the father's depressive symptoms remain largely unchanged. Interesting side effect there. So, uh, moms and dads, sometimes it's challenging to bring our creations into the world, and we may need to speak to someone or seek out some help to make sure that were helped through that situation and that everything turns out as best it can. So don't hesitate to seek out some help to help manage the challenge that you may face if that were to happen. Not only particularly in that specific situation based on the research, but otherwise in life as well. There's always out there someone out there willing to lend a hand and you never know when and who or what you can find that could turn a corner for you to better work through the challenges that you might be facing. Psychological Science, June 2021, looked at listening to music at bedtime and that maybe it's not a good idea. New research suggests that the brain may continue to process music listened to prior to sleep, which can negatively affect sleep quality. Music, of course, has a big effect on our cognitive function, on our minds and our brain. And even though it's good to listen to music and even better to perform or be involved with music, a nice challenge and probably a positive effect on your brain. Too close to bedtime though might overstimulate or cause it to process for too long. So I know myself through many teen years, there wasn't a night that went by that did not fall asleep listening to music. So maybe that explains a few things, right? And finally, in Pain Physician, May 2021, lumbar disc herniation linked to sacroiliac joint degeneration is what they drew a conclusion of. A review of CT scans from over 750 patients with lumbar disc herniation revealed that those with degeneration in the sacroiliac joint were more likely to experience more severe symptoms like sciatica, numbness, and weakness. The findings suggest that patients with lumbar disc herniation should also be evaluated for dysfunction in the SI joint, as it may contribute to the patient's low back symptoms. It's rare here in the clinic that we find someone who doesn't have a restriction in one of their sacroiliac joints. And somehow, maybe because we live in such a right-handed world, I have found that majority of times, a very high percentage, it's the right side. And sometimes the left if there's been trauma, and occasionally in a left-handed person. But for most people, even left-handed people, it's in that right sacroiliac joint, interestingly, right? So if you have low back pain, it could be obviously involving parts of the low back, but could also involve dysfunction higher in the back into the mid-back as well the neck and even lower then into the system in your pelvis, the sacroiliac joints, as per this research, but also your hips and your lower extremities. It all works together in a marvelous feat of engineering and it doesn't need any help. It just doesn't need any interference. And usually through life, not only through accidents, injuries, but even through daily use, we do develop some interference. It's just our body's way of adapting to what we use our bodies for and stuff that's happened along the way. So now and then it's good to get that cleaned up, cleared up, and, uh, get your body functioning as best it can. So get those parts checked out, especially if you know you have a lumbar disc herniation, would be good to get your pelvis checked as well. Alright, that's your daily health update for Thursday, rolling into another weekend. We'll have a written format for you tomorrow posted for you to read, and of course we'll catch up with you at the start of next week with another video daily health update. Make sure you have a great weekend, enjoy it. The summer is upon us in the midst of getting out there and maybe doing something new or different and/or simply relaxing and enjoying yourself. I hope you manage one or both of those things this weekend. I look forward to talking with you next week. Take care.
