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Volume 11 - December 2003
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Pain occurring in the work place can be very expensive. To those of you that are employers, this can add significant costs to your bottom line and Workers Compensation costs. The study focused on four areas of pain. Particularly, arthritis, back pain, headaches, and other musculoskeletal related pain. The reason is because these areas are the most common complaints of pain and discomfort in the work place. For those of you that are experiencing pain in this category, there is hope. A change in ergonomics, exercise, and chiropractic care is effective in helping you cope with this problem. It is common to find a reduction in pain if a combination of these changes and treatments are implemented. Read more about it in the “Research News” section. I can honestly say that many patients have asked me the following question every week: “What type of mattress do you recommend for my back?” Getting proper rest and sleep is so important. We spend at least 1/3 of our entire lives sleeping. So it stands to reason that we have the best bed for our backs to lie on. There are so many different kinds of mattresses out there. So which ones is the best? To remain objective, I cannot recommend one particular brand of mattress. However, I can tell you what type of mattress to look for. There has just been a recent study on which is the best mattress for you. Find out more in the “Research News” section. A word of advice: Not all similar types of mattresses will work for everyone, since we all have different types of back complaints. Glucosamine Sulfate has long being touted to be an effective supplement to prevent and decrease the progression of osteoarthritis. There have not been many studies towards long-term glucosamine sulfate use as a supplement till recent years. This three -year, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study published in a peer reviewed journal has finally answered some of the questions of long term glucosamine sulfate use for arthritic knee conditions. It seems to show that glucosamine sulfate does delay the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee. This in itself is very exciting as any delay in progression of any osteoarthritic conditions means a better quality of life for the patient. Learn more in the “Research News” section. Ever wonder what your exercise heart rate range should be? Make a quick calculation and find out. Here's a hint: Exercising at a lower intensity will improve your overall fitness! Check out this easy to use formula. Making lifestyle changes is never easy. This month, Katrina Lewis, our in house trainer has a little quiz for you to find out if you are ready. New Year's resolutions abound, however without the proper motivation or goal, resolutions will fall by the wayside. Take the quiz, and give her a call if you have any questions. You'll find the quiz in the “Professional Advisor” section.
Smile of the month:
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Pain is a common, disabling problem in the US workforce and the resulting loss in productive time cost an estimated $61.2 billion each year, new research suggests. "We felt employers needed concrete facts on exactly how much pain-related losses in productivity were costing them," lead author Dr. Walter F. Stewart, from Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania, told Reuters Health. "Once they're provided with costs they can then start thinking critically about solutions." In the study, the investigators analyzed data from 28,902 working adults who were surveyed between 2001 and 2002 regarding lost productive time due to pain. Specifically, the study focused on four types of pain: arthritis, back, headache, and other musculoskeletal. The report is published in the November 12th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. During a 2-week period, 13% of the workforce experienced a loss of productive time due to one of the pain types. Headache pain was the most common cause--reported by 5.4% of the workforce--followed by back pain, arthritis pain, and other musculoskeletal pain. Nearly 77% of the productivity loss was due to diminished performance, not to absence from work. Among workers reporting a loss of productive time due to pain, the average loss per week was 4.6 hours, the investigators note. Headache pain resulted in a mean loss of 3.5 hours/week, whereas other pain types had an average loss of at least 5.2 hours/week. "The four pain conditions we studied are a dominant part of the lost labor time costs due to illnesses," Dr. Stewart said. "I don't think most people or employers recognize this." "The first step for employers is to estimate the cost of pain among their workers," Dr. Stewart noted. "For any 2-week period, an employer can assume that 1 in 8 employees will lose about 5 hours/week due to pain. Applying these data to their wage can give a rough estimate of the cost." "After generating a cost estimate, the employer can start thinking about solutions such as an awareness campaign to improve communication between the worker and their physician," Dr. Stewart said. Also with the estimate, employers can start talking to insurers about their coverage priorities, he added. JAMA 2003;290:2443-2454 . |
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A medium-firm mattress improves pain and disability among patients with chronic nonspecific low-back pain, according to the results of a randomized, double blind, controlled multicenter trial. "In daily practice, physicians are frequently requested to counsel on the characteristics of beds and mattresses to lessen back pain," write Francisco M. Kovacs, PhD, and colleagues from the Scientific Department of the Kovacs Foundation, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. "In a survey of orthopaedic surgeons, 95% believed that mattresses played a part in the management of low-back pain, with 76% recommending a firm mattress. However, evidence supporting this advice is lacking." Investigators drew 313 subjects from a previous population-based study on the prevalence and risk factors for common low-back pain in adolescents and their parents. Patients were eligible for study if they were aged 18 years or older; reported chronic low-back pain for three months or more without referred pain, presence of pain while lying in bed or on rising. Investigators used the European Committee for Standardization Scale to rate mattress firmness (H S ), with 1.0 being the firmest and 10.0 being the softest. One hundred fifty-eight participants received a firm mattress (H S 2-3), and 155 participants received a medium-firm mattress (H S 5-6). Participants did not know that two different kinds of mattresses were going to be compared. They were told they could withdraw from the study if the new mattress made their pain worse. Dr. Kovacs and colleagues also note that although they used mattresses of two different firmnesses, they were spring mattresses and that while the firmness scale was independent of the composition of the mattress, results might differ with other kinds of mattresses. "The medium-firm mattress was associated with an improvement in disability related to low-back pain," the investigators write. "This effect is particularly important since, although some cognitive and psychosocial interventions slightly improve the degree of disability, very few medical or physical interventions have achieved this objective. "The results of this study also suggests that, although psychosocial factors have an effect on disability, some biomechanical factors that were not previously considered may also have an effect and should be taken into consideration for future studies," the authors conclude. Lancet. 2003;362:1599-1604 |
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Long-term treatment with glucosamine sulfate may retard progression of knee osteoarthritis , according to the results of a three-year, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Glucosamine sulfate is a pharmaceutical derivative of the naturally occurring aminomonosaccharide. Participating in the study were 202 patients with long-standing (> 10 years) and mild to moderate severity knee osteoarthritis. Baseline visits included a physical examination, a knee radiograph, and a questionnaire that assessed patients' symptoms using the Lequesne index and the WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster universities) index with certain subscales. Patients were randomized to receive either 1,500-mg/d of glucosamine sulfate (single dose) or placebo. Symptom assessments were performed quarterly, and a knee radiograph was taken at the end of each year. Changes in radiographic minimum joint space width were measured in the medial compartment of the tibiofemoral joint. The average joint space width at enrollment was slightly less than 4 mm. After three years, placebo patients experienced average joint space narrowing of 0.19 mm, while space narrowing among users of glucosamine sulfate was negligible (0.04 mm). Compared with patients in the placebo group, fewer patients treated with glucosamine sulfate experienced substantial joint space loss (14% and 5%, respectively). Also, patients in the placebo group experienced modestly improved symptoms, while those in the glucosamine sulfate group experienced as much as 20% to 25% improvement. There were also significant final differences between the two groups on the Lequesne index, the WOMAC total index, and pain, function, and stiffness subscales. "[G]lucosamine sulfate is the first pharmacologic intervention that retards the progression of osteoarthritis during long-term treatment, according to the current scientific and regulatory recommendations," write the authors. "The compound merits further attention as a possible disease-modifying agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis." Long-term use of glucosamine sulfate improves symptoms and slows progression of knee osteoarthritis. Pavelká K, Gatterová J, Olejarová M, et al. Glucosamine sulfate use and delay of progression of knee osteoarthritis: a 3-year, randomized, placebo- controlled, double-blind study. Arch Intern Med. 2002;162:2113-2123
Calculate your exercise heart rate range…Estimate your maximum heart rate. Take 220 – your age ____ (this is your maximum). The standard deviation for this equation is 10-12 beats per minute. Determine your lower-limit exercise heart rate by multiplying your maximum heart rate by 0.6 Determine your upper-limit exercise heart rate by multiplying your maximum heart rate by 0.9 You exercise heart rate range will fall between your upper and lower limits For most people, exercising at the lower end of the exercise hear rate range for a longer time is better than exercising at the higher end of the range for a shorter time. Exercising at lower intensity will improve your overall fitness. Medications for high blood pressure may affect your heart rate during exercise. Consult your health care provider if you are unsure before starting any exercise program. American College of Sports Medicine |
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Answer Yes or No to these questions…
If you answered yes to all of these questions, you're ready to make the lifestyle changes necessary for permanent health & wellness. You may be able to make these changes alone, or you may want support from KATCH LIFE Health & Wellness. See our NEW website: www.katchlife.com or email us at: getfit@katchlife.com . If you answered no to one or more of these questions, then you may not be ready. And that's OK. Explore what's holding you back and face those obstacles. In some cases it may be a simple matter of timing. In other cases it may simply be a matter of getting support.
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE!!! www.KatchLife.com |
